spur of the moment

Two decades ago, my mother used to take my siblings and I into this serene and pristine river in the province where she was brought up. This enigmatic place was surrounded by different and vibrant creatures of paradise and one could easily hear the flapping of the wings of the elusive sparrows, the chirping of different insects that were stealthily hiding in some hedging plants and the manifestations of terrestrial animals that were keeping mum in the bushes surrounding the tranquil rivers.

Contiguous to the tributary, laid an awe-inspiring view of the mountains embracing the small town where my parents first met. The unspoiled river comprised astounding water creatures that swam effortlessly in the vigorous flow of the waterway. My family used to enjoy bathing in the river and took pleasure in gazing the magnificent and picturesque scene.

A fortnight ago, my family decided to go on a holiday and visit the province after an exceptionally long time. My siblings and I were very excited to go back to the river which we considered as a blissful place that we loved prancing and frolicking around when we were young. Deplorably, we were surprised to see that the heavenly paradise that we once cherished ceased to exist. The utopian place that we longed to go back to became barren and bleak. The once verdant milieu and vigorous waters became vacuous, sullied and defiled by humans. The flowering plants were replaced by a garden of used plastic bags and crumpled papers. My family and I were very appalled and disheartened by the vicious acts of man towards the environment.

The then unblemished watercourse was referred to as the Tunlob River because when people passed by the riverbank, they would be enticed to take a dip into the alluring body of sparkly waters. The word “Tunlob,” in our local dialect, means “to step into.” However, based on the present situation of the river basin, people would no longer “step into” the austere and futile area that we once believed to be a utopian place.

Though hope is frail, I still look forward to seeing the vigorous flow of the river, the cascading canopies of the trees and hearing the wonderful resonance liberated by the different creatures. With the cooperation of the inhabitants of the area, education of proper handling of wastes and with the support from the residents of the province, someday, we would be able to catch a glimpse of that utopian place that my siblings and I once knew, and the right time to start is now!