It has been 3 weeks, and yet I still remember my first day as clear as day, when the icy cold air of London pulverized my face. Tears of loneliness had long since dried aboard the 14 hour flight, yet still they threaten to make a guest appearance in this one-man show.
And I simply cannot allow that.
Fast as lightning I whipped out my phone, smiled, and took a picture of myself outside the famed Heathrow Airport. With a click, the photograph was sent 6500 miles away, where a family of now 4 was waiting with bated breath.
“Everything is fine”
“Reached safely, everything is fine, making my way to the bus now.”
I had been looking forward to this trip, I really did. But now all I wanted was to go home. I peered out the window of my bus gloomily, hoping the beautiful English scenery may put my mind at ease, but it was not to be as the sun had already set.
“Oh hey look it’s Big Ben, I think, maybe, I don’t know, I’m new here”
“
“Fusion of New and Old”
Soon enough, the fact that I was a stranger in a strange world began to sink in. I do not know which stop I should alight at, and the darkness outside does not help my sense of direction. Fear decides to slowly creep in with me on my journey into the unknown.
But I am a one-man show, and I simply cannot allow that.
I build up my courage and ask the lady seated in front of me if this place is indeed Southampton. And she said that it was not, she also offered to alert me when we arrived at the place. It was extremely kind of her, how she casually saved my life there.
Soon after I was to be stranded on an empty Highfield Interchange in Southampton, wearing a jacket that did diddly-squat against the unforgiving winds. Dragging along 35 kilograms worth of luggage, I waited for 45 minutes before I set my eyes on a person dressed way too casually in this forsaken weather walking my way.
He asked me the time, I asked him where was home. Fortunately for me, the kind young man did not understand the First Law of Equivalent Exchange, so a deal was struck. Next thing I knew, I was at the reception office of Wessex Lane Halls getting my keys.
“You’ll be in the 3rd Floor, and I’ll be here, if you need anything” the kind lady told me.
So I bolstered myself and heaved the 35kg worth of emergency life supplies all the way to my apartment, feeling weary, hungry, but very happy at the way my first day turned out. It was difficult, and I knew that every day henceforth would not be any easier. However, I know my purpose in this place, I am to make an engineer out of myself, like how I’ve always dreamed of, so no obstacle is too big, no challenge is impossible in face of my sheer determination.
That’s when I saw the stairs.