He interlocked his fingers over his head with his sharp elbows weirdly protruding in contrast to his lean physique.
Lyor’s eyes were hazle brown, with the pure black pupil’s attractive force comparable to that of a blackhole. A galaxy of stars was printed on his checks- light closely packed freckles. His slightly full lips were the middle tone of a sunset. The pink between the yellowish-orange and the bluish-purple. It was light and subtle yet captivating.
Alas, he couldn’t stop them from breaking into a slight quiver and then tremble. Lyor could suddenly feel it all.
The spikes of electrical impulse crash his brain and strike like lightning on his forehead. His heart pounded and wanted out of its cage.
His stomach churned, refusing to digest the writing on the screen before his eyes. Lyor scanned the few letters in bold on the screen again.
To his eyes, they even seemed to be outlined with painstaking precision so that they stood out.
One last time, then he took accountability and closed his eyes.
Lyor couldn’t stop the bad thoughts that started cascading down his chest. It hurt.
Instantly, his mind brought him back to the young boy standing in front of the huge metal gate surrounded by towering oak trees and green walls. This boy had aspirations and was ready to work for them at all cost.
Then, Lyor could smell the cinnamon rolls that his sister had made for him last year as if they were right under his nose… These were the ones who lost their freshly made warmth because he refused to join everyone for tea.
These were the ones he ate cold because he said that he had to work.
He had to study. He had important exams. He saw himself studying late through the night and early into the morning.
He saw himself crying his eyes out because his teachers knew he ‘was capable of more’. It wasn’t enough. He was only ‘good’. When the exams came, he made sure that he was prepared.
But he fell on the stars. He missed the moon and crash landed on the cursed stars. The impact broke his bones and split their atoms. It was not what he worked for.
Lyor opened his eyes and looked up at the evening sky.
A cold breeze then whispered in his ear and directed his gaze upwards. Just in time, he saw a leaf, unanimated and dreadfully lifeless fall off a branch.
It drifted with the wind for a while, then fell.
Lyor then discerned a little bird. It was clearly not an experienced flyer, and when a strong gust of wind swerved through the tree branches and hit the bird, it faltered and lost momentum - taken aback by the unexpected gale. But the bird did not fall. It beat it’s tiny wings at the speed of light, initially uncertain about how to react to the situation but then swiftly shifting to a phenomenal sense of determination and resilience. Life is made up of crises and victories.
Lyor understood that he had to make the swift shift. It was suddenly clear.
He was not happy with how things turned out, but now he could see the little musician in him playing the piano. He could see the joyful child having a pillow fight with his sister. He could see the hardworking student practising and polishing and refining and crossing out and starting again. He could see the swimmer who won gold. He could see the messy boy rollling down the grass with his dog. He could see the speaker who addressed a large assembly. He could see the son who loves his parents.
People will keep expecting, but while he keeps thinking about their words, they won’t keep thinking about him. He learned to wake up at dawn and breathe, and he learned to use the pressure as rocket fuel.
He still sets the bar higher than the goal, but he learned to be patient.
There is always a wisdom behind it.
Thank you for reading,
you can also get access to my short story on Medium
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