-One Winter Day-

One winter day, I saw someone. That someone was a woman. She wore navy blue coat with white knitting turtle neck inside. She was standing near the pole, looking down on the floor. When the train came she looked up but made no movement at all. Unconsciously I lifted up my camera and captured every movement she made.

I looked at my watch and counted the time, another 1 hour till the next train arrived. I wondered to myself if she would get on the next train or she would stand there again. Another 15 minutes passed and she made no movement. I must have gone nuts since I kept on missing the train because I was curious about what she would do next.

20 minutes had passed since the last train. That person suddenly moved from her place. She looked straight toward me making my heart jolt in surprised. I swallowed down my saliva and felt nervous. ‘Was I caught watching her this whole time?’ I thought to myself. Every step she took, taking away my breath. What if she shouted at me or slapped me or— “Eung?” I looked dumbfounded at the moment but my hands automatically reached the camera which beside me and pressed the shutter.

That was my first meeting with her although she didn’t know me at all.

“Congratulations for winning the first place. This picture is really awesome. No matter how many times I look at it, the feeling is just… I can’t explain it. Dude! You are really a genius. This portrait is surely a masterpiece.”

I turned my head to the picture hanging on the wall and smiled reminiscing that day. It was a portrait of that woman on the rail. She was leaning her ears on the rail listening to the voice, to the sound there. The white scenery made it even more beautiful, the white snow which covered the ground and her clothes shone on the pure snow beneath her.

I won the first place after submitting this picture and it was being put up on exhibition. I wondered if that person knew it. I wondered if she saw it on the newspaper or the internet. I wondered if she would be upset seeing her portrait being published without her permission but… no… it had been two months after the announcement, I still got no news from that person, no complaint, no phone call.. nothing at all.

Tomorrow will be the last of exhibition, I wondered if she would come to see it. I am praying to god to let me meet her one more time. I wanted to give her this portrait. I wanted to give her and told her… I don’t know.. I have no idea what I wanted to tell her. I just wanted to see her one more time. I want to meet her.

“You’ve worked hard”

“Thank you for letting me join this exhibition” I bowed.

The exhibition ended and that person was not here. I guessed that person really had no idea about this at all. I should apologize to that person if I met her one day. I should apologize for taking her picture without permission and apologized for sending it to the competition and apologize for hanging it here. I should apologize properly to that person. I looked at the portrait one more time before leaving the exhibition.

The cold winds and freezing temperature has begun to subside. I guessed spring is coming now. In two days, I am going to the south. There is a beautiful place to see sunsets. I wanted to see it. I yawned and closed my eyes, smiling while picturing the scenery of the sunsets in my mind before I fell asleep.

Good night.

Monday, February 13^th, 2017.