So, a few days ago I had the pleasure - and displeasure both - of attending the convocation of my one true brother and son. Not by the bloodline, of course - the son part - as they are about two years older than me. It’s a complicated relationship if I say so myself, but when you practically helped in setting the foundation of the person that they are now, I think you get a free pass on calling them your children, so I’ll just stick to that. Egg is my son in ways not even my yet-born child can ever be, and I’m quite happy with the whole prospect of it.
The whole affair was rather… mundane if I’m honest, as graduations in this country are nowhere near the kinds of graduations held in the western world. But I was there for it, and that was that.
It was a day that was full of rain rather than the sun, and for the most part, I was truly soaked. I even didn’t get to see her get up the stage to receive the certificate, which I later found out was not given at all, due to the rain and well, bad planning. But it was alright. I got to make fun of her internally with that gown she wore that practically touched the ground because of how long it was, and seeing so many people surround her who were her friends, gave me a sense of relief. She has people, even if not permanent, and wherever she may end up next, she will find others to fill the void as well.
She is an exceptionally social person when given the situation, not anything like me who is all talk and no depth, which has always been something I’m proud of about her, as it has helped her get all the distractions she might need to go on with this life. She’ll get people who care for her, people who want to talk to her when times need it, and sometimes, those are the small, simple things that make life all the more bearable.
You might wonder why I decided to post about such a thing in a community that is all about circles and life, but to me, that event was in a way an ending to the circle that we both had started. I was there when she got admitted to uni for the very first time, even if it’s not the same uni she finished her graduation in. But I was there anyway, and I remember that brightly lit evening when she ran around with all those papers clutched in her hand on the fifth or sixth floor of some old building I never again visited. And it was good to be there as well when she finally put an end to that very chapter, minus all the sun and running on her part.
It hit me all of a sudden, you know? This realisation of how fast time had slipped through my fingers when I watched her take graduation photos with her friends. We never did take any pictures of ourselves when she got admitted, and at that point it felt like we should’ve had, just to keep it as a milestone that we could’ve skimmed over right now. In less than a blink, all those years flew past out without us noticing, and now I have more than one grey hair lining my scalp, and she undoubtedly has more lines surrounding her eyes that only I can see. And it has been a pleasure to be there for it all for me, even if for her it might have been just a momentary passing.
So here’s to completing another circle among all the circles me and Egg harbour. I watched you stroll out of uni you b*tch! I saw you in all your anger and frustrations. Even if the whole world collapsed and you fell to your demise, be sure that there would be one person who was there to see it all with you, who would stand proud as a witness to all your success, and shame, equally.
Happy graduation Egghead.
Hope you get rich soon and put me out of my misery of becoming a working slave! :v
Did you record the video of Egg approaching the stage and receiving the thing? Would be a sight to behold and reminiscing later :p
If only. They didn't hand out the certificate to all the students because of the rain, so Egg sadly did not get the chance to get up there. But I do have some nice pictures of her with the hat and all which she wants to burn away, so mission accomplished for me :v
Graduation day was filled with such mixed emotions for me. I was proud to have done it, and at the same time I was heartbroken knowing I will never actually see most of my friends ever again as everyone would head off to their own countries. School and University lives fly by so fast, we only start to realize what we've just lost quite a while after they are gone.
What you say is truee, doc. And no matter how much egg whines about how tiring the day was for her, I know deep down she too had a bittersweet feeling. We are growing up. New chapters can be both thrilling and terrifying.