Yell Of Whispers

YELL OF WHISPERS FINAL PART

It wasn't like the last time I saw her. Her face was radiant, and she smiled sweetly at me. I also noticed that she was dressed all in white.

"Follow her," she said gently.

The fear and unease seemed to dissipate with her words, as if a spell had immediately dispelled them. I looked again towards the shed to find the little girl. Then, I glanced back at Manang Ekang, but she was no longer there.

I decided to trust Manang Ekang because I knew I would find answers to why that little girl was troubling me.

With determination, I approached the shed and opened it. Inside, I found some old items stored there. There was a gap in the upper part of one wall where sunlight seeped through, providing enough light to see inside the shed.

As I entered, to my left, I saw an old and large mirror. I could see my reflection.

A box fell from the top of the cabinet, surprising me.

Meoooow~~

I looked at the cat, which was stretching there. It must have been the reason the box fell from there.

As I glanced at the box, it caught my full attention when I saw what was written on top of it.

I quickly picked it up and placed it on a table next to the mirror to open it.

Paper airplanes.

But they weren't just ordinary paper airplanes because there were writings on them.

I first picked up the blue one and slowly unfolded it.

"I will accompany Manang Ekang on her way home." - handwritten by a child.

"They will fly with Mama, Kuya, Ate, and Papa." - from a white paper airplane.

I read everything written, all about flying with different names. Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes when I saw something.

A toy airplane with a yellow ribbon tied to it, and I read what was written on it. My tears fell even more when my eyes caught a photo at the bottom of the paper airplanes.

"Why did I forget you?" I asked myself. Tears kept falling as I looked at that picture.

"Because Sadness is your new friend now," I looked back to where those words came from.

I never thought I would see her again.

She has a face now. Perhaps I remember her now.

I knelt down to meet her gentle face. She gave me a sweet smile. I smiled back as I cried. She approached me and suddenly hugged me. I cried even harder.

"I-I'm sorry if I-I've been weak," I said amidst my tears.

She stroked my head to calm me down.

"You are not weak. You just get too carried away by your emotions," even though it was a child's voice, I felt like an older person was saying it. "I came back to remind you again of our dream. Of why you are still standing until now even though you know within yourself that something is missing. That it feels like something is lost. Do you know what that is?"

I nodded in agreement. "My dream," I replied. "My dream for my family and myself."

She let go of the embrace and looked at me with a smile. "Sometimes we look for what is missing in ourselves in other people. But what we don't realize is that we are the ones who complete it." She took the toy airplane from my hand. "I will fly in the sky one day," she read the words written on the yellow ribbon. "I was very happy while writing this back then. I even told myself, I know this will come true. It will only happen if you still want it to come true."

I smiled at what she said. "I, Shekaina, will become a flight attendant because this is my dream," she continued reading from the yellow ribbon.

That's right. This child is me.

The dream I started back then is something I should be slowly building the path to achieve. I often look for someone to fill the emptiness I feel. I let myself drown too much in the negative things happening in my life. I even opened the door for Sadness whenever it knocked, which is why I could deeply feel its bitterness in life.

She proved to me that not all past events should be forgotten. It's nice to look back at the happy memories, especially since they are the reason why I continue to stand and fight for my dream.

I looked again at the photograph I found. Our whole family was there, along with Manang Ekang. I was only nine years old in this photo. These were the times when I kept pestering Mama that I wanted to be a flight attendant. I wanted to see the sky. To see if God was up there so I could thank Him for everything. Of course, that’s what parents often tell their children. Even though they were getting tired of me, they supported the big dream of their little child.

She took the white paper airplane and went out of the storage room. I followed her outside.

She suddenly stopped and turned to me, "Don't forget our dream." she said with a smile before flying the paper airplane. I followed its flight with my eyes until the sunlight hit my eyes. I closed my eyes because it was so bright.

"SHEKAII..." I woke up to someone calling my name. I glanced around the room, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.

'Huh?'

"What's up, sis? Still hungover?" Betha looked at me, half-smiling. I stared back at her, confused.

'A dream again!?'

I was still at school, still in my school uniform.

"Good thing our instructor didn't interrogate you too much. He believed you were feeling unwell. You were sleeping so soundly." she teased, pulling out her phone and showing me a picture. "Look at your face." she laughed, snapping a photo of me while I was asleep. "What are you planning? Another night of partying?" she suddenly asked, pocketing her phone.

'Huh?' I mumbled, bewildered.

"Finally! It's SEMBREAK! Oh my gosh! But there's still a lot to do. It's okay though. As long as... WAAAH SEMBREAK!" I just covered my ears as she exclaimed. I ignored her and started packing my things. While organizing my notebooks, I noticed a familiar yellow ribbon tucked between them. I picked it up, smiling. "I, Shekaina, will become a flight attendant because that's my dream," I read softly from the ribbon, smiling again. They say it's a bad sign to see yourself in a dream, but not in my case.

"So, what's your plan?" Betha asked about my sembreak plans.

"I'm going to visit the place where I dreamed of." I replied with a smile, standing up to leave. I left her puzzled.

I don't need anyone right now, just myself. It's a period of introspection and self-discovery that I've come to cherish deeply. Taking this time to appreciate and understand myself is essential before I embark on the journey toward my dreams. With each moment spent in self-reflection, I feel a growing certainty that nothing will deter me from achieving my aspirations, especially with God's grace guiding me.

During these solitary moments, I often find solace in conversations with Him. Though His responses may not always be direct, I sense His presence and guidance in my thoughts and feelings. This spiritual connection strengthens my resolve and fills me with a sense of purpose.

As I continue on this path of self-growth, my intentions extend beyond personal fulfillment. I aspire to not only better myself but also to positively impact the lives of others, particularly my beloved family. Their unwavering support fuels my determination, motivating me to strive for excellence in all that I do.

Remember, you can't taste the sweetness of success without experiencing the bitterness of life.

End.