This narrative is inspired from a personal experience of mine…

ONE RAINY DAY
by Jarield Lunel de Mourcerf

Thirty-some sober college students, soaked to the bone, playing full out freeze tag in a typhoon; in a field that we share with a herd of zebras, giraffe, deer among others. I'll take it. Since this is the first time we reunite after we were ten’s and twenty’s.

And then I run, and I run. We run, and we run… Though the gods may forbid, I had decided to move my legs. For I may regret, but I never did… Yes, this may have been exploitation: of the little time we have; of this grassland; of the air; of the calories we intake… But I’d rather choose the thrill of being tagged; we’d rather play this game…

So the game continues as these thirty-some college students slip-fall-rise-run-collide-slide in the field. For we the sober college students continue to challenge the rain with the sound of our laughter that keeps banging with the splashes of rain water... Even if the wind slaps like a paddle or the rain stings like a needle. Even how many times we stumble in the grassy ground which holds the water so clear. And the countless steps we’re taking; our legs bend in the air before it stretched in an impulse. So as our bare feet may touch the ground again… Surprisingly, we continue without any trace of pain in our faces. For all we could feel at that moment is nothing but endless wake.

Freedom! Something that we may have been yearning for; and we may have attained it this time. Here, there are no rules and boundaries. We’ll just do what we want to. Here, life is simple and the only way to survive is to have fun. We are all running, I could see it all clearly. I know I won’t close my eyes. I know I won’t stop from moving. I know that they also won’t.

Who would care about Barbourula or Occidozyga, or the Calamian endemic species who dominates this field? I don’t give a damn; for this is one of those rare moments which we simply could not care… If this is our excuse for not doing our homework; guilty we may be. Since when did we care anyway?... When what ruled our minds are how the hell are we going to outsmart the other team; On how can we conquer their base, or who will we send over; Or whether we’re gonna run or not; which direction; or how much strong our hold be...

Eventually, the sky was painted darker… The wind blew harder, and the once needle-like raindrops turned into spears. We know it’s time. Stop this child games we play. Go inside and hopefully take some rest… But it does not mean that the bliss will fade... We may run no more, yet we could collide more. Later, we’ll gather in the hall, we’ll gather in our quarters, we’ll gather in the kitchen, or just any place where we could be together. Sip some cocoa, share stories, and laugh, and laugh, and laugh again. Only heaven knows how many different kinds of laughter I heard... I don’t know, and you don’t know either... And that night, even before I fall asleep; I still could hear the laughter.

They say God is good. I say God is great… This trip has been wonderful. It’s beyond any emotion perhaps. Amidst the wait in the airport or the party in the elf; amidst the long butt-aching trip and exotic food; not to mention the ever consistent “no network coverage” or the muddy grounds we walk in; amidst the misfortunes and unplanned catastrophes... Still, I don’t want to go home just yet…

I may never forget the thirty-some sober college students who came to this island to catch frogs, rats, squirrels, bats and birds but ended playing in the rain. I may never forget this whole experience we shared…

And after that… after that…