Moon
Words by: Annika Marie Domondon
This piece was originally written by me for my close high school friends as a love letter of some sort, promising them that whatever happened, I would not lose their memories to time. I promised that I would see them again when we were all finished with our education and were now stable enough to spend our salaries on a few lunch splurges. I hold this promise close to my heart and it is one of my driving forces to finish what I have started.
Entering UP, CURSOR became my haven within campus with most of my friends being from here. I am an introverted girl with a tendency to overthink even the slightest of things, making it difficult for me to talk to others casually, and yet talking to those within CURSOR has been so easy that I almost thought I wasn’t introverted at all.
And so I promise you, who is reading this, the same thing. I thank you for reading this and I thank CURSOR for letting us meet even if it’s merely through my work. I hope this reminds you of what drives you to reach your goals and ambitions. I hope this fills you with a sense of comfort and nostalgia that wraps around you like a warm blanket. I wish you the best.
I gaze at the moon, and my mind is filled with you. I remember the sleepless nights we spent cramming projects, the haphazardly thrown paper cups once filled with instant noodles, the cold feeling of our blankets as we take short five-minute breaks that turn into thirty-minute naps. I think of the relieved sighs we let out once something comes out of our efforts, the sleepy promises we made to ourselves, and the hopeful dreams we shared with each other as the birds sleep.
We talked about the futures we envisioned for ourselves, gesturing animatedly at the pitch- black sky outside our window, whispering as if the atmosphere would break if we spoke out loud. We whispered about airplane tickers, semicolons, conferences, and each other. How far we have come from where we started and how much farther we will go. The anticipation and excitement were evident in our voices. Smiles turned into yawns as we turned in for the night, silent promises of perseverance lingering amongst the stars.
Requirements came and went, events organized and finished. Spoils of war from fast food chains. Trophies displayed in glass cabinets on our cabinet, bittersweet reminders of the wins and losses we had throughout the years. Group pictures saved in our phone galleries. Messages in our inboxes filled with answers for last week’s problem set, playlists filled with your favorite songs, birthdays saved in my calendar. I had enough to remind me of our time together in this life. For now, this would be goodbye, as we separate to fulfill the promises we made during those fateful nights.
Midnight, squeezing in some late-night reviewing before the major exam in approximately six hours, whispering formulas repeatedly trying to memorize them. Exhaustion was prominent behind my eyelids, begging me to sleep or take a break. It may be time to rest before my mind goes blank. Test be damned, it’ll be better to go in underprepared than go in and fall asleep immediately. Yawning, I get up from the desk and walk to my bedroom.
A beam of moonlight through my window stops me from getting into bed. The moon shines brightly, with the clouds giving way to its light. I can’t help but stare at it. Are you looking at it too? No matter where we are in this world, we’ll always look at the same moon. I can’t help but miss you, but parting was inevitable. We have dreams to pursue and ambitions to achieve. We can’t always be together.
But we’ll find each other again. Dreams can be woven together, time can be forgiving, fate can be generous. For now, I’ll rest and face whatever tomorrow brings. Finish my projects, take my tests, and write my reports, I will move closer to my dream. Shoot for the moon my love. I’ll see you there.
Annika Marie Domondon is BS Computer Science student currently studying at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
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