Mister Smith gave us an assignment in which we would have to dive into the lives of people. Initially, I was decided in doing a presentation on the people that impacted the most in your life by doing multiple interviews with members of my community. However, when I was reviewing the answers of the 20 individuals that participated, I found a connection between three of them, they all talked about a dream like girl with black hair and two braids. This is what they had to say:
Edgar - Baker (26)
The person who impacted me the most? This might be an odd answer, but I would have to say the girl who used to visit my family bakery ten years ago. She was around my age at the time and probably the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, her hair was pitch black with two braids while her smile was the brightest thing around, not even the sun could compare. She would visit the store every Tuesday to buy two pasteis de nata and would sit down peacefully reading in her phone. For months, I played with the idea of approaching her but was too scared to break the perfect view in front of me, so I allowed myself to admire her from afar. Then I started noticing her around the neighborhood, every weekend when I would walk my dog in the Second Street I would see her riding on her bike with her arms open as if she were flying, almost like an angel paying earth a visit. Other times she would be sitting below a tree just admiring the view while some stray cats were sitting on her lap. I can't really explain, but seeing such an adventurous and happy person inspired me to try and be more positive too. That same year I joined the cycling club and I ride professionally now, I don't think that would have been possible without her. I don't know what happened to her, but I hope she keeps being a free spirit.
Sebastian - Football Player (17)
So bro I just need to say to the camera who marked my life right? Okay let's go! The answer is pretty easy, it definitely was the chick I met when I was a little lad. You see I might be crazy good at football now but when I was a baby I really sucked at sports, I was a complete crybaby who was too scared to play with the other lads, that was until the chick with black hair and two braids started appearing on the local park. She was crazy! She would play in all the kids attractions even tho she was a teen, the other parents hated her for that, but I admired the hell out of her for not caring about their opinions and don't let me get started on her swing skills! She would go higher than anyone and once it was impossible to go further she would jump from the swing, flying in the air for some seconds. It was a sight to behold! Everyone in the park completely loved her, especially when it was time to play football, everyone always wanted her on their team. I on the other hand would be put aside for sucking, luckily for me, she started inviting me to play on her team and would always pass me the ball even if I always failed. One day, after weeks of playing, I finally scored my first goal! I got so happy that I dedicated myself to learning more, if I stand here today it's all thanks to her.
Anastasia - Ornithologist (24)
Someone that impacted my life, hmmmm, that's a hard question there's countless people that inspired me throughout my life but if I must pick one then I'll definitely have to choose Emily, she was a friend that I had in middle school. I wasn't very popular you see, the other kids used to pick on me for always being in the library reading about birds, no one really understood my passion, at least until Emily came around. She was a somewhat popular girl around the school, she didn't seem to have many friends, but everyone always talked about how pretty the girl with black hair and two braids was. I came to gain interest in her when she won the art contest, she had made an amazing painting about pigeons, I must say I fell in love right there. For weeks, I couldn't take that artwork off my mind and every time I would see her walk by, the urge to talk to her grew. So one day when she was reading about robins in the library I decided to approach her, at the beginning it was very awkward, but soon we became friends with our mutual passion over the little creatures. For the next couple of months we would meet and talk for hours, truly the best time I spend in school. Sadly, at some point she stopped coming to school, I never heard from her since.
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Seeing three people who had such an amazing experience with this supposed lady left me quite curious and with the name Miss Anastasia gave me, I decided to do some investigation into who is Emily and what happened to her. After doing some research in the school archives, I found some information about a teenager called Emily Square that fitted the description, in her files was an old address that I decided to pay a visit.
Luckily for me, her parents were still living in that same house and agreed to talk with me and share some info about their daughter and her whereabouts, these are some of the words they shared:
Matilda & Max Square
Our Emily was a sweet child, always a good girl dedicated to her studies and trying to do the right thing, she was someone with great energy always playing around and following birds to everywhere, she used to say that her dream was to become a bird. In our eyes, she was always happy and cheerful, that was why it was a big shock to us when she took her life. Our little baby just decided to jump from a building and, and *sobs*. I'm sorry, can we take a break?
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I was very shocked to learn the fate of someone who inspired so many, with the permission of the parents I was allowed to search her room to try and see if I could understand the mind of someone who supposedly was so happy and yet saw herself in a tragic ending. Her room was normal, with lots of pictures and drawings of different species of birds, her table filled with comic books and art materials, nothing out of the ordinary. However, there was an element that captured my attention, a notebook with a similar art of the pigeons painting Miss Anastasia showed me and inside it was the answers to the mind of our victim.
Emily had started the diary on her fourteens and written on it casually about her love of birds, inside it however resided a side of her that maybe no one but the birds got to see. Apparently behind the bright smile, the confident attitude and the genteelness of a friend resided a deep sadness. This amazing lady had lived most of her life with a hole in her chest, with her head empty from emotions and a complete confusion towards the other humans. She felt trapped inside her head, like she couldn't be free from the evil thoughts that told her that she wasn't normal, she couldn't talk like the others, and she didn't have a desire to exist. The only interest in her was the freedom and beauty of the birds, how they would fly without worries into the horizon.
Searching for that sentiment of freedom was when she started experimenting some tricks on her bike, feeling the strength of the air in her face as she would go as fast as possible. The swing was another activity that allowed her to get a little bit closer to the skies. Meanwhile, she gave a try at being normal by trying to enjoy other small things in life like falling in love in school, playing sports and tasting some sweets.
Sadly, none of that was enough and as much as she tried, nothing would fill that huge hole inside of her. That's when Emily decided to visit one of the tallest buildings of the city, she had permission to go to the roof to sight see the birds flying above. For a while she did just that, witness the creatures playing in the clouds, but then her brain went dark, why couldn't she be free like them? Why couldn't she fly too? With that thought in mind, the girl slowly approached the edge of the building and with her eyes close took a step upfront, and suddenly she was flying, the hair on her body made her feel more alive than ever and as she got closer to the ground for the first time in her life she was happy, she was free or at least was what she imagined it would be in her diary.
I don't know if that really happened or if she ended up regretting her actions, in the end all I know is that while she lived she filled the people that surrounded her with love and inspiration and I want to remember her like that. I also want to use this work of mine to remind everyone to check on your friends and always be there for those who need, so we don't lose more people like this. Thank you for your attention.
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