You are My Muse

A beautiful Day

Monday morning found Leila wide awake. It had been a great weekend—Friday night, after their usual stop at Jay’s Café, she and Marie went out dancing, and it was incredible! Saturday and Sunday were slower, filled with lounging and prepping for what was, without a doubt, a monumental day: the day they’d film their first video for TGGM.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, was why Leila was awake at 4 a.m. on a Monday. A MONDAY?! Leila despised Mondays. As if that wasn’t bad enough, this particular Monday brought with it an unwelcome visitor: anxiety.

Was this really it? Were they actually going to shoot their first video today? She wasn’t ready. They weren’t ready! They needed more preparation! What if she froze? What if she said the wrong things? No, she would say the wrong things. Marie was perfect—calm, composed, confident. But Leila? Leila was a mess. Broken.

“Stop it,” she whispered to herself, trying to silence her spiraling thoughts. “Just go back to sleep.” But the harder she tried, the louder the noise in her head grew.

“Dear sleep, take over me, please... I need you,” she whispered into the darkness.

And then, without warning, tears began streaming down her face, soaking her pillow. She hated wet pillows. She hated crying. And she hated this version of herself. Why was she even crying? Nothing made sense. The more she thought about it, the harder she cried, as if her mind and body were determined to completely unravel.

For a fleeting moment, she considered waking Marie. But no, she couldn’t do that. She already leaned on Marie too much. Plus, she didn’t want to transfer this anxiety to her friend. If she was going to crumble, Marie needed to stay strong—for both of them.

So instead, she decided to go for a walk. Maybe it would help. And who knows? Maybe she’d just keep walking and never come back.

Quietly, Leila got out of bed, switched on the light, and grabbed a sweater from the laundry basket. She slipped it on, laced up her walking shoes, and tiptoed to the main door. Opening it as quietly as possible, she stepped outside and was greeted by the crisp morning air. For a moment, she felt a little more like herself.

She glanced at her phone. 5 a.m. She’d been crying for an hour. An hour! Shaking her head, she started walking, taking a route she’d vaguely planned in her head. She’d always wanted to be one of those people who went on morning runs, but running just wasn’t her thing. Gravity seemed to conspire against her every time she tried. Walking, though—that she loved. The slowness of it calmed her. Some days, she walked until her thoughts quieted, her mind emptied, and her body’s fatigue became the only thing she could feel.

Today seemed like one of those days. She might even catch the sunrise. The thought of it lifted her spirits slightly. There was something magical about a sunrise—comforting, healing. Actually, sunlight in general was comforting to her.

The farther she walked, the more her thoughts flowed and the more her anxieties loosened their grip. By the time she came back to full awareness, it was 6 a.m., and she realized she’d covered a considerable distance. But it had been worth it. If she’d stayed in bed, she wouldn’t be standing where she was now: in an open field, with a hill on the horizon and the sky painted in purple and pink hues.

She sat down on the grass, and let herself be enveloped by the stillness and beauty of the moment. The sunrise behind the hills was breathtaking, a masterpiece of nature. She could live in this moment forever.

And she tried. She stayed until the sun had fully risen, warming the world with its golden rays. But as the sun climbed higher, the moment inevitably slipped away. Reality returned, and Leila knew it was time to head back. First, because the rising heat would soon become unbearable, and second, because she loved Marie. She loved what they were building together, and she wasn’t about to let TGGM become one of those abandoned projects.

Now, the only problem with walking- in her opinion- was the return trip. The way back always felt longer and harder, but she had no choice. She sighed and started retracing her steps.

That’s when she saw him—Junior—running toward her.

“Well, well, well,” she thought, amused. “Not only is he a photographer, but he’s a runner too. Of course, he is!”

She could have kept walking, but for reasons she couldn’t quite explain, she stopped and waited for him to catch up.

_____________________________________________________________

Junior loved running. It was his escape—a way to silence the constant chatter in his mind. Plus, it kept him active, which was always a bonus. This morning, his plan had been to reach his favorite spot just in time to catch the sunrise, but he’d overslept. Yesterday had been long and tiring at the café. Long, but enjoyable. He honestly loved working there.

His favorite part? Observing people, marveling at how different yet similar their experiences were. He’d always been a keen observer, and that natural curiosity had led him to major in film and photography at university. It was one of his proudest decisions.

Growing up, Junior had always been the “smart kid,” acing his final high school exams with scores that could have opened the door to any of the ‘elite’ courses—medicine, engineering, statistics, you name it. The world told him he could have been anything, but for Junior, life wasn’t about what he could be; it was about what lit that fire deep inside him.

Passion. That’s what people called it, though he wasn’t entirely sure the word did justice to how he felt. It was something warmer, more curious. He remembered how it all started—when his dad bought him his first camera at ten years old. He’d spent hours taking photos of his friends and family, especially when they weren’t looking. And when he showed them the pictures later, their faces would light up as they recounted those moments.

That feeling? The joy of freezing a fleeting moment and gifting it back to people? That’s what kept him going. And as he grew older, he realized it wasn’t just about his loved ones anymore. He wanted to give that gift to the world.

So, despite the raised eyebrows and unsolicited advice to “do something better” or “make real money,” he chose film and photography. Now, a year after graduating, he didn’t regret it for a second.

Junior was proud of the progress he’d made. Working under his mentor at ACE Productions had been incredible, a learning experience that exceeded his expectations. And then there was his personal project—the photo wall at the café. Yesterday, for instance, he’d captured a young couple celebrating their toddler’s first birthday. Words couldn’t describe the beauty of that moment. Those were the kinds of memories he wanted to preserve forever.

“Life isn’t so bad,” Junior thought with a faint smile as he pushed himself down the trail. He could see his favorite spot ahead—the open field, the hill rising in the distance. The sun was already beyond the hills, painting the sky in soft golden hues, but that was okay; the beauty of the moment was still worth it.

As he got closer, something caught his attention. A figure. Someone rising from the ground. Curious, he squinted. It wasn’t common to see anyone on this path, especially not at this hour. As he ran closer, the figure came into focus. It was a girl.

And not just any girl—Leila.

“Interesting,” Junior thought, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips

He bent over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath as he slowed to a stop right in front of her.

His chest heaving he looked up at her. "Hi stranger," he started, his curiosity and amusement evident in his eyes.

_____________________________________________________________

“Oh, now we are strangers?” Leila teased. “Have you forgotten I’m the girl who helped you begin your MONUMENTAL project?”

“Oooh, that was you?” Junior shot back with mock surprise. “I knew you looked familiar!”

“Shut up!” Leila replied, playfully bumping her fist against his bicep.

Junior grinned. “You can’t keep up?” he teased. “Don’t worry, I got you.”

Leila rolled her eyes, quick to change the topic. “Soo… I see Mr. Photographer runs?”

“Yeah, I do. Been consistent for a couple of months now,” Junior said, his pride evident.

“Damn! Congrats! I, on the other hand, could never run to save a life,” Leila replied with a chuckle.

“Seriously?! But you have a runner’s body!” Junior said, genuinely surprised.

Leila laughed, shaking her head. “Dude, you need an eye checkup.”

“So, if you weren’t running, how did you get here?”

“You know, that thing called walking?” Leila replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Oh! Sooo… Madam Stranger walks?” Junior quipped, matching her tone.

Leila rolled her eyes again and started walking. “Hey, don’t outwalk me!” Junior said, quickly falling into step beside her. “Anyway, how’s whatever you and your friend were working on coming along?”

Leila sighed deeply, the kind that said everything without saying much at all.

“Huh. That bad?” Junior asked.

“It’s not that bad, per se. We’re actually recording our first video today,” Leila said, her voice carrying a tinge of excitement mixed with anxiety.

“Aaand why aren’t you excited about it?”

“It’s not that I’m not excited—I am! It’s just… I’m scared. What if I mess it all up?” She looked at him briefly before averting her gaze, her vulnerability evident.

“What if you ace it?” Junior countered, nudging her shoulder playfully. “From what I can tell, you girls are super smart. Don’t downplay yourselves.”

Leila couldn’t help but smile. “Slow down on the motivation; we might have to change your career at this rate.” She paused, then added, “Speaking of which, how’s your picture wall coming along?”

“It’s coming along great!” Junior said enthusiastically. “I took a couple of pictures over the weekend. If you happen to go by the café today, you’ll see them.”

“Wow! That’s really great! I can’t wait!” she said, genuinely impressed.

Junior beamed.

“Speaking of which,” Leila went on, “I never see you at the café during the week, just Fridays.”

“Oh yeah, during the week, I’m usually at work. Well, internship!”

“Interesting… What are you interning for?”

“Film and photography!”

“Okay, I’m impressed—again!”

“Thanks,” Junior said, blushing slightly.

“You seem to enjoy what you do,” Leila observed.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah, dude, you’re not doing much to hide it!” Leila replied, her sarcasm back in full force.

“What can I say? I was blessed to know my passion at a young age. Plus, my parents have really been supportive!”

“Yeah, you’re blessed, dude,” Leila said, her tone growing serious. “Which makes me think about how, as a society, we don’t talk enough about the role of parents in encouraging their kids to pursue their passions. Most parents are so focused on paying school fees and getting the best grades that they overlook their kids’ gifts and passions—the things that actually make happy and motivated adults.”

“I completely agree,” Junior said. “After school, with the good grades and all, most people have to go back to square one and rediscover their passions. It’s honestly sad. And let’s not forget there are no jobs in this country. Double frustration, my friend. Double frustration.”

“Don’t get me started on that. I’m the person you just described!” Leila sighed.

The two continued their conversation, diving deeper into life’s complexities. Leila momentarily forgot her anxieties, while Junior forgot he’d come out for a morning run, not a walk.

By the time they came back to their senses, an hour had passed, and they were standing in front of Leila’s apartment.

“Well, Mr. Photographer, this is me,” Leila said, pointing at the building.

“No wonder you frequent the café so much! It’s literally walking distance from here.”

“Yeah, well, we’re blessed,” Leila said, smiling.

Junior smiled too. It seemed they’d just found their first inside joke. “Well, I’ll leave you to it, then. I still have A DISTANCE to cover,” Junior said, drawing out the last part for effect.

“Cool. Thanks for the conversation,” Leila said.

“Same here. I had so much fun. See you around?”

“Yeah, yeah… you will,” Leila replied, lingering for a moment before turning to open the gate.

She walked in, and Junior stood there for a moment, still smiling at the spot where she’d disappeared. Then, snapping out of it, he turned and started jogging down the road.

“Today is going to be a beautiful day,” he thought, unable to stop the grin spreading across his face.