Solitude(Sri lestari) The sparrows’ chirping was heard in the late afternoon. Its buzzing sound guided me to walk nowhere farther than the spot from which that sound was coming. I went out into my yard and sat on a weathered cane chair, a very old chair but still in good shape. It was my father who had always been trying to repair it whenever it needed. Nevertheless, I still heard the sounds of creaking as I began to set the comfortable position. That old stuff was presumably not strong enough to hold my weight, but I enjoyed sitting on it.


I turned my gaze back to the flock of tiny sparrows. They were flying around, hovering about three to four meters off the ground and joyfully perching on the electrical cable, on the roof, or just above the branches of my jackfruit trees. Sometimes they landed for a moment and friskily darted here and there just to peck the rest of grain fed chicken. They were fun to watch, and they comforted me by giving a peace of mind. I love littleness as the most little things could have far greater effects on me, like those tiny sparrows which have enlivened my tedious life by simply taking me into another realm where I could peacefully take a breath and forget about the hustle and bustle of the day.


The sun began to sink lower in the sky. I didn’t intentionally want to witness that wondrous moment when it goes down, yet I should admit that it was the late afternoon sun which made everything more delicate. At the same time, I felt the breeze start to blow on my face; caressing my long hair to make me feel more beautiful even though people might say the contradiction. It was also the wind that made my eyes closed to ease all the burdens that have collided in my mind. And the longer I closed my eyes, the more I found myself fully fulfilled and content. But every now and then I started to wonder if I was in a perfect solitude or I was just a lonely creature who has always been trying to seek for the comfort. In fact, I have been daydreaming too much these days!

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