the lake

The weather today was beautiful, so I decided to save Kevin's gas and walk home and bask in the glorious weather. When I reached the bottom of the gate, I hesitated with the decision to go to the park by Ian's house or not. I walked about halfway down the street, balancing on the curb. The whole time I was outside, I was listening to an Indie playlist. I took a glimpse at the park and saw someone there, so I turned around and headed home. Instead of taking the usual second right, I walked straight and turned right there instead because it took up a little more time. Had I gone the longer way, I would pass by streets that reminded me of my lonliness - I refer to those streets as the "emo streets." I wanted to go to a park and go on the swing, but the only vacant park by Christian's would also fill me with longing memories. Instead, I sat at the bench in front of the lake a few streets away from mine. Upon entering the scene, my mind was filled with memories from pervious years. I remember picking up trash with Theresa, Brooke, and Iramae and my sister for a 7th grade science project. I remember riding my bike down the scoop of land with Rochelle during the last days of 8th grade and walking our bikes around the lake, seeing a dog, and retreating back to the bench, laughing yet scared all the way through. I remember standing at the lake's edge with my sister, and my childhood friends Trevor and Ashley. I remember sitting on the bench when Trevor Visited me a few months over a year ago with Rochelle, Richard, and Patrick and catching up with him. I remember walking to the lake with Rochelle, my sister, Patrick, and her grandparents and cool summer afternoons and feeding ducks. I remember throwing old pandesal to the ducks. I remember throwing doritos at the ducks with Rochelle on one of our days off from school during middle school. I remember watching the little turtle heads poke out of the murky water. I remember being on the other side of the lake by Kiki's house and watching Andre hang on to the branches. I remember him telling us about the time he fell into the lake while trying to retrieve a ball. I remember trying to look for rocks and pebbles with my sister so we could throw it in the water. I remember seeing Chelsea and her dad across the lake from Kiki's side, trying to find her escaped parrot. I remember staring into the lake, longing to take a dip on unbearable humid days. I remember looking at a sweater that washed up on the lake's small shore and believeing a tale that a girl tried skating on the frozen lake and fell in the water. I remember throwing garlic into the lake on some jogs with my sister and Rochelle. I remember trying to follow the ducks, hoping to get in close contact with them only to find them quacking away into the water. I remember watching the ducks and their ducklings swim around the lake against the current.

The lake actually looked healthy today, only because it reflected a cloudless, pure blue sky.