Abundance of She-s in Me

Appeared eccentrically with pink pants and grey jumper in complete black crowd of Shinjuku people, she felt so nauseated yet happy because soon she will start her land-sickness adventure. Loaded with Haruki Murakami books and bags of nuts, she was ready for every obstacle that will come.

It was 18 hours in total to reach Kumamoto City from Tokyo. Greeted by cloudy sky, Kumamoto City was perfect escape: medium in size, few people, and many stores -as she comprehend Japanese girls are fashion lovers-. She could not help herself to smile.

Drums rolled and other music instruments followed, people shouted uncontrollably loud and no tram operated at that time in the city center, apparently there was a Kumamoto Castle Marathon 2014. She decided to stop from her walk –she wanted to go to her hostel near the Kumamoto Kotsu Center- joined the crowd to "transfer" their energy to a runner who has stopped as signal that it was very tiring competition. Blood rushed all over her body, the brain seemed released its dopamine; she gave all of her to cheer up the runner. He did run again! We did it! Clapping hands and jumping around like they will live ever after. Romanticism of communal value as its best!

She was dragged to stay in the marathon thing. Observing families, couples, and grandchildren gave their best to spark their cheerfulness like an ignited particle thrown off by burning woods that not only warm themselves but also give them to other people, in this case are their father, boyfriend, grandpa, or just a neighbor from the next door. Even she, as a newly stranger, felt the warmth. A marathon, indeed, is not about winning. In the end, it is about perseverance and faith that there are always people who care of us.

As “she” refers as me, a natural persona, that will never forget that marathon day.