1

I remember...

For as long as I can remember...
I was living in a park...

Left lonely and alone in this world...

No family...
No siblings...

No one to turn to for help...
No shoulder to rest my head and cry...

I wanted to cry...
Wanted to break out in tears so bad...
But I knew the rain would wash them away like everything else in my life...

All the happiness...
All the laughs...
All the joy...

I remember...

Being hungry and cold...

Many times...
Most of the time...

The park was empty this time of year...
It was winter after all...

Exposed to the elements...
To outside threats...

After so many times...
I got used to the false memories too...

The feeling that I was there before...
In this situation...
In this state...

Lonely...
Hungry...
Cold...

But once in a while...

A glimmer of hope...
A bit of sunshine to warm my worn-down body.
A kind stranger giving me food.

Tiny and rare moments of happiness...

But after that...
The same cycle, again...

I will lay down for a bit...
Maybe I will sleep for a while...
Maybe I will dream of a better place and a better life...

But I'm scared...

I’m afraid that...
If I sleep, I might never wake up again...

Most of my strength left my body a long time ago...
I can’t keep my body up...
Can't keep my eyes open anymore...

I... can’t... resist...

I remember...

Suddenly...
My body started shaking...

I opened my eyes, but I couldn’t see...
It was dark...
But it wasn’t cold anymore...

I guess this is it for me...
This is the end...
It was bound to happen sooner rather than later...

I did my best...
Never gave up...
Fought until my last breath...

But my body kept shaking...
And I think I heard some kind of music in the distance...
And someone talking...?

After a while the shaking stopped...
The darkness wasn’t there anymore...
But I could only see a bright light...
Blinding light...

And then...
When my eyes adjusted to the light...

I looked around...
And I saw...

Smiling faces...
They were looking straight at me...
Looking towards me...

I panicked...
I was scared...
I didn’t know if I was dead or alive...

If I was dead, then...
What was this place...?
Was it heaven...?
Was it hell...?

And if I was alive...
Who are all these smiling faces...?
What do they want from me...?
Why did they bring me here...?

Not that I had any strength left in me to resist anything anymore...

But...
It's warm here...
And I smell food...

Nice food...
Tasty food...
Unlike anything those kind strangers gave me at the park until now...

I remember...

Growing up in a very pleasant place...
I was never cold once...
I was never hungry even once...

I remember...

Being happy...
Laughing...

Many pleasant emotions I have never felt before...

I remember...

I was never sick again...
Or lonely...
Or threatened by anything anymore...

I remember...

Running...
Playing to my heart's content...
Enjoying life to the limit...

I remember...

Some of the older smiling faces leaving...
And some younger ones coming...

They were smiling as well...
A different kind of smile, but a smile, nonetheless...

I remember...

Getting older...

It was hard to move anymore...

Some of the smiling faces had left as well...
Only 3 of them had left now...

I hope no one else leaves anymore...
I hope we all stay like this forever...
And ever...

I remember...

I can't remember much anymore...

I’m too old to...

I’m mostly sleeping nowadays...

I rarely eat...

The smiling faces don’t smile much anymore...

Why...?

They just come around to bring me food and try to feed me...

Gently caressing my head...
Calling my name in a soft voice...

I remember...

Everyone... is... gathered... around... me... today...
They... are... all... crying...

No... Please...
Don’t... cry...

I... want... to... see...you... smiling... again...
Just... once... more...

I... can... hardly... keep... my... eyes... open... anymore...
Even... just... breathing... has... become... taxing...

They... keep... crying...

I... wanted... to... cry... too...
Not... from... sadness...
Not... from... fear...
Not... because... I... was... leaving...

But... because... I... was... leaving... them... behind...

For... all... the... bliss...

For... the... happiness... they... provided... for... me...

For... all... the... love...
For... all... the... joy...
For... everything...

My...
         Life...
                  Was...
                             A...
                                   Happy...
                                                 Life...

If... it... weren’t... for... you...

I... would... have... been... long... gone... by... now...

A... long... time... ago...
Back... at... the... park... where... you... found... me...
Thank... you...

My... saviors...
My... smiling... faces...

My... true...
And... real... family...

Please...
                         Please...
                                                 Please...

Keep... smiling...
Don't... ever... stop... smiling...

Keep... smiling...
Forever...
And...
Ever...

I... think... it’s... time... to... say... my... goodbyes...
But... it’s... not... a... final... goodbye...

It's... see... you... later... again...

In... a... place... full... of... laughter... and... joy...
Just... like... this... one...

I... will... find... you... again...
You... will... find... me... again...

Until... then...

Live... happy... and... fulfilling... lives...

Farewell...

And...
See... you... again...

Soon...