15 XIV - Copenhagen

'There's no going back now.'

Looking back from afar, the boisterous cheer, volume boosted musicals, and the beaming magenta lights swish around the sunlit sky was surely tempting, but remembering the incident is not something she wants to return for. They may have successfully moved on from it, that would stay that way for a while.

Though would it be the same for the next hour? The next day? The next week?

She doesn't want to know.

"You can get in now, miss." Snapped back to reality, her view was blocked by something more welcomely anew. A motorcycle attached to a passenger cab, inviting her a ride freely open to its entrance, it drove away once she's settled in.

Another one of country's treasured transportation other than Jeepney, is a Philippine Tricycle, a small vehicle that could lead people to small and short distanced places.

Denise watching her travels set further away from the place supposedly should cheer her up, cheering everyone up, it worked.

And yet somehow a troublesome slipped in, she had never seen such chaos that her memory of it kept replaying on her head nonstop.

Who else would feel the exact same thing but the star herself, Naria. While Denise is still on a fast ride of a motorized cab, Naria decided to ditch and snuck out of the funeral chapel, taking commute all by herself.

Luckily as she's right on time, in a whole loaded pack of vehicles down the road, a jeepney carefully swerved close waiting for Naria to get in. Looking at its side where the jeepney's destination is written, she went for it without a second thought.

Entering inside by the opening end of the minibus, she then sat on its long cushioned 21-seaters at the side, barely fitting in since she's the tallest passenger. She had forcefully slouched her back, and her arms dangling on her knees.

The moment the vehicle starts, the others had their eyes immediately lay on the mysteriously tall person in a suit.

Naria hanging her head low, covering her face with her chapped short hair and a black face mask on, the rest of the passengers yearn their interest of her hidden look, yet the only part she can reveal herself is her light skinned masculine hands, with her right knuckles wrapped in bandage.

After years of being a celebrity, being chased by local and international paparazzi, her sense of feeling everyone's eyes on her have turned basically her daily instinct.

So, Naria looking back at everyone, they immediately averted.

For Denise, in another jeepney too, all is casual. Busy workers held tight on their phones messaging their loved ones they're coming home, the high school students chatting with their friends thinking what to eat for a hangout.

As for the hazel-haired college girl alone, she doesn't want to be bothered enough with her head full.

So does the tall lady in a suit, after waiting for the jeepney drop her by the right spot, she never felt so hectic leaving before. But this time, no one's looking out for her in any obsessive way as she was before.

Nobody yelled, whined, nor complained about her to stay. Everything felt so...

New.

Staring at the busy road, wondering what just happened was real when she constantly looked around. It was hard to believe. She began to walk on her way out, trying to remember the place after years of staying in States.

As for Denise, she had started walking down on her own also. Strolling by with ease as she had been always comfortable going in and out of the street.

Contradicted to Naria, she tucked her hands in her pockets, hunched trying not to stand out from the crowd as she shuffled the sidewalk with caution. Some people still had their heads turn due to her appearance, but nonetheless it's nothing compared to her claustrophobic experience with people.

They just take a short glance and shrug about it soon as they walk away. No cameras, no pressure, no interaction. Nothing.

Then a drop seeped to her shoulder, once, twice and thrice, till there's more. From their heads turned to her into them running off minding their own business with their umbrella, leaving Naria remain at her position, finally.

Unaccompanied once again but under the rain, she stood there still at the middle of flocking citizens, it's like watching a blurred timelapse of them on a run looking for a shade, for warmth, while others remained calm on their own, different reactions, each on their own. As the torrent increasingly became stronger.

The sun streaming strikes of light faded in an instant, it shadowed over the skyscrapers, the incomplete structures of buildings and humbling small eatery areas, as it's clouded by grayish blue pillowed skies, following a mass of tiny, beaded water, pouring down onto the populated city.

She would slowly zone out at the moment and let the drizzling weather cool her down, the sound of gentle thunder muffle down the bustling city streets, and let the cloud bursting tears kiss her eyes, forcing her eyelids to close and appreciate the darkness by the storm.

It kissed her forehead, her nose and the woven strip covering her scars. Naria's chest heaved slowly up and down of a relieving deep intake of breath, it was heavy, and the day earlier was hot. Yet she kept her chin up high, thanking the sky's gift.

She missed the lights, she wants the warmth too, but the one she received was a scorching heat of tension. Mystery here and there, drama unravels right out not only to her, but to everyone's eyes. If that's what life will let her go through the cold obstacles, then she'll have to make her own fire herself.

A small box is reached out deep inside from her tuxedo coat's inner pocket, luckily while it's still dry, she pulled out a thin stick of tobacco and a lighter. Once lit, it swelters the rolled paper cylinder, and the flame meets the rain, enraging a sparking fiery puff of gray smoke when the cigarette was touched by her lips.

The only fire she can feel and warm herself with, unfortunately. Shortly after, it didn't take long enough for she continues her solitary trekking.

Besides her smoking enlightening the surrounding, city and car lights became brightly visible. Slowly lying the tall lady unseen in the murky atmosphere at dawn. She turns to a wide crossing road, barely seen anything on sight but herself only.

Everything seems faint, she could only recognize the green traffic signal, so she walked, but halfway across she didn't notice an aggressive engine coming towards her at a dangerously fast speed. Naria without flinching, she just accepts her fate right there.

Her knees froze and the car lights blinded her, "Is this it? Is this the end?" she thought, locked in her hazy mind with nothing but acceptance "If this is what life gives me, so be it."

It didn't, life gave her something else. Life gave her a warm tight grip from her arm, quickly pulling Naria outward from the road, stumbling onto someone she knew. "Whoa! Careful Naria, are you hurt? Are you okay?"

Naria fluttering her eyes open, she finally snapped out of it and her mind went clear, "You..." she mutters in shock, under her savior's colorful umbrella of orange to pink gradient, the life given to Naria was the same girl she met earlier, Denise.