New Year

The night was quiet and still, the eve of a brand-new year. I lay in my bed, the room engulfed in darkness, my thoughts drifting through the quiet hours. There were no wild parties or grand celebrations, just me, embraced by the solitude of the night.

I was drifting into a hazy state between wakefulness and sleep, when my phone rudely shattered the calm with its jarring ringtone, like a sudden burst of bubble. I fumbled in the darkness, groping for the device until my fingers finally grasped it. Groggily, I swiped the screen and held it to my ear, my voice still heavy with sleep.

"Hello?"

"Reol," John's voice burst through the line, brimming with energy and an unusual sense of urgency. His tone immediately snapped me to full wakefulness.

"Yeah, John," I replied, rubbing my eyes with one hand. "I'm here. What's happening?"

"Reol, you live in Pine Lawn, right?"

I gasped, although he couldn't hear it through the phone. "Yes, Pine Lawn. Why do you ask?"

"Are you at home right now?"

I glanced around my room, as if expecting it to hold the answer. "I'm at home... in my room. What's going on?" My clock was telling me that it was almost midnight, so I thought John was calling to wish me a Happy New Year, even though there were still a few minutes left. But his next question caught me off guard.

"Is there a balcony in your house that faces south?"

I couldn't help but squint at my phone's screen as I tried to adjust to the sudden conversation. "South...? Why do you want to know that all of a sudden?"

"Just tell me, Reol, hurry!"

I rubbed my eyes again, attempting to shake off the last remnants of sleep. "Well," I began, still somewhat dazed, "my room does have a balcony, but I've never really paid attention to which direction it faces."

There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by John's voice bursting forth with contagious enthusiasm that piqued my curiosity.

"Reol, you've got to go up to the roof now!"

"You're joking, right? It's freezing outside, and it's late. I'd turn into a human icicle."

But John, as unyielding as ever, persisted in his request, and as he continued to speak, I found myself slowly rising from my bed. The pull of curiosity was simply too strong to resist. Our house, now that I considered it, did indeed have an attic. It was an old, somewhat odd space to be there in a house. The more I thought about it, the more our house resembled the kind you'd see in movies, hiding secrets behind closed doors and within dimly lit, dusty spaces. The attic window was small and narrow. With caution, I swung it open, letting the chilly night air rush in to greet me. I climbed out onto the rooftop; the cold shingles cool beneath my feet. The night sky stretched out before me, an expansive canvas of stars, their radiant light piercing through the darkness.

"Why do I even need to be up here?" I muttered to myself, still not entirely convinced.

The chilly night air hit me as soon as I stepped onto the rooftop. I had brought my muffler with me, wrapping it snugly around my neck and covering most of my face. Though not enough to shield myself from the biting cold that seemed to seep through every layer of clothing.

As I surveyed the rooftop, I couldn't help but wonder why John had insisted on this peculiar rendezvous. Couldn't there be a more comfortable way to wish me a Happy New Year? Yet, I knew John well enough to expect the unexpected; he does have quite a knack for adding a touch of drama to things after all.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, John's voice shattered the silence, counting down from ten. I stood there, bewildered, wondering what in the world he was counting down to. My breath misted in the frigid air as I silently joined in the countdown. "Three... two... one... zero!"

I waited, half-expecting something magical to happen. But the world remained still and silent. I was about to ask John what the countdown was for when, suddenly, the night was shattered by a loud, crackling sound behind me. Bright, colorful lights burst into the sky, exploding like a cascade of stars.

Fireworks.

I turned, my eyes wide with wonder, as the night sky transformed into a mesmerizing spectacle of colors and patterns. It was as if the heavens themselves were commemorating the arrival of the new year. The fireworks painted the darkness with their brilliance, casting fleeting shadows that danced across the rooftop.

John's voice chimed in from the other side once more, brimming with excitement. "Happy New Year, Reol!"

I could only muster a stunned, "Wow..." as I gazed at the breathtaking spectacle unfolding before me. "Oh, um... Happy New Year to you too."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Yeah... I mean, I've never seen fireworks so vividly before in my life."

"In that case, I suppose it was worth dragging you up to your rooftop. There's a new amusement park that opened earlier this year. They're hosting this firework display tonight, and I thought you'd appreciate it."

"Thank you for sharing this with me, John."

"You're welcome."

Right then, my phone vibrated in my hand, signaling a message from an unexpected sender.

Hey, it's me, Emma. Happy New Year! 🎆

I blinked in surprise, not expecting to hear from Emma. How had she gotten my number?

Happy New Year. But how did you get my number?

I got it from John. Thought I should wish you a Happy New Year, that's why.

I chuckled, appreciating the sentiment. "Happy New Year, Emma," I whispered to myself before typing out my reply.

Oh, and Adica's not home too. So, I'm wishing you on her behalf too! Happy New Year!

Then another message, from Liam. Happy New Year. What are you doing?

Enjoying the fireworks. 🎆🎆🎆 

I copied the emojis from Emma's message.

What? They do that there?

Yeah. I didn't know either.

The fireworks continued to light up the night sky, each burst of color more breathtaking than the last, until the last firework faded into the night, leaving behind a trail of shimmering smoke. Perhaps this was the second-best thing I had experienced during my winter holiday. The first, undoubtedly, had been the Christmas party with my friends, but I'm not going to forget tonight either.

The final days of the winter holiday had dwindled away, much like the last embers of a dying fire, and today marked the return to reality. I sat beside my bed, methodically filling my backpack with textbooks and notebooks as the pale morning light filtered through the curtains. With the winter holiday now behind me, it was time to prepare for the tests and exams looming in the upcoming semester.

"Reol!" My mother's voice resonated from downstairs, calling me to start the day. Although I heard her, I didn't respond immediately, choosing to focus on the task at hand. One book, then another, I arranged them neatly in my bag.

As I organized the books, my mind wandered back to the just-concluded winter holiday. It felt like a blur, a whirlwind of moments that had passed in the blink of an eye. Time had never seemed to move so swiftly for me. In past winters, I had embraced the solitude, finding solace in the quiet and the absence of obligations. Those winters were spent alone, free from school, lectures, and the judgmental gazes of others.

During those winters, I often wished those days could stretch on indefinitely, even if it meant I would remain alone forever. It's not like I enjoyed being along though. Far from it, in fact... now that I think about it. After all, in those moments, I hadn't yet experienced the warmth of friendship, the joy of shared laughter, or the comfort of companionship. The coldness within me had felt endless and unchanging.

But this winter had been different. Just as the world outside seemed to grow warmer with each passing day, my inner frost began to thaw, little by little. It wasn't a sudden transformation, but rather a subtle shift, akin to the changing of seasons itself.

I securely fastened the zipper of my backpack, my fingers smoothly gliding along the teeth until it reached the top.

Just as I completed my preparations, my mother's voice, now louder and more insistent, broke through the vines of my thoughts. With one final, sweeping glance around my room, I acknowledged that I was fully ready for the day ahead. As my mother swung open my door, her initial surprise gradually transformed into a more perplexed expression.

"When did you wake up?" my mother asked.

I couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. "The morning seemed wonderfully inviting today, so I decided to rise early."

Indeed, there was something unique about this morning. Still quite cold though, reminding that the season had not entirely let go. Despite the lingering chill, there was an underlying sense of anticipation, a promise of change.

As if... just another step, and spring will arrive again....

I followed my mother downstairs, ready to embrace this new beginning, another chapter in the story of my life.