Dusk

The cool night air bellows through the lace curtains in my room. It’s a whisper in my ear, taunting me to put down my books and come outside. I put on my brown, J Crew flip-flops that now show signs of the summer rainstorms that can creep up without warning here. With a low, scraping bang, I close the green metal gate with faint white flowers painted on the front, rusted from several years gone unnoticed by a paintbrush The crushed limestone path forks, leaving me with the decision to turn towards the main road leading towards the village on my right, or into the pinkish-purple glow of the sunset over the vineyards, orchards, and fields to my left. It’s an easy decision to make, and soon I find myself walking past the last few houses on the periphery of the neighborhood. These are the gray, towering giants that sit in limbo, half-finished, waiting for their owners to return from abroad with money for materials to commence their constructions. At first glance they look like an elephant graveyard, ruins from more a prosperous time; some show the signs of many harsh winters- unoccupied, and unkempt. Past the last of the houses, the road turns into a dirt path that is well worn from the famers on their tractors that tend to this land. After a twenty-minute walk, savoring the last bit of soft, hazy sunlight, I find a small dirt mound that overlooks the valley. This is the perfect spot to sit, reflect upon my inner most thoughts, and listen to the roar of the country-side silence; dogs are barking, an occasional truck rattles down the road, wind rustles through the grape vines and corn husks. I can’t help but feel like I was intentionally put here, at this exact moment, for a reason that I am yet to discover. Out in the fields, life makes sense; I am able to recharge my batteries, preparing myself for tomorrow’s battles, while releasing the stress inflicted from today’s blows. By the time the sun has set, clouds have rolled in and my skin gets damp from the evening dew. I feel like I am one step closer to piecing together the puzzle of my time here. This, I am sure, will be a puzzle that will take many years to figure out, but I am ready for the challenge, and feel as though there is no mountain too large to move.