Slowly I opened my eyes. Warm wind was blowing lightly around me and the cliffs.
Somehow the cliffs reminded me of the past. I wonder why? I couldn't see the connection. Maybe it was just the feeling of beeing back in nature again.
I took my MP3-Player out of my pocket and put the plugs in. Music, a thing I lost myself in way too often lately.
And just like this I made my way back home, passing various buldings at once, after stepping into the train. You see, being brought up on the countryside you would naturally take a liking to it. I was missing my home, the smell of trees in the air, birds chirping numerous melodies and my moms gentle voice singing somewhere around the corner.
Well, things changed. I lost my mother in an accident. Fending for myself I could not stay in the village I was brought up in and moved to the city for work and a funded school I was able to attend, due to my status as an orphan.
After shutting the door quietly I pulled my hood off and had to face my ruined hair in the mirror. After quite a while I took out the scissors to cut it off. I had been so proud of its length but... yeah, somebody sprayed it with coulor. Now it sticked together and you couldn't brush it properly anymore.
Sometimes I felt like some kind of bully magnet. People just loved to make fun of me. Many of my schoolmates lived a lazy life, excusing it with their tragical situation. On the other hand there were a few hustlers among them, trying to make the best out of the opportunity they were given by attending a funded school. You would have thought the likes of us would form friendship over our mutual efforts. But I guess we were just too busy to get envolved with each other.
With a final stare in the mirror I closed the scissors around my hair and cut it off. Having had some courses on hair-dressing I found myself decent looking after correcting my hair into a boyish style. Seems like my time working at the har-dresser came into use. I didn´t mind the short hair for a change, but I already missed my long hair. It was as golden as my late mothers´ and reminded me of her any time I brushed the wavy strands.
*****
I guess I've really grown up since that day, the day that all happened. In a few weeks senior high school would have its summer break.
See? What did I say? Whenever I am at the cliffs they remind me of the past. Funny, isn't it?
The MP3 was playing one of my favourite songs, as I startet to move along to it.
Music was a phenomenon taking me to a different state of mind. It felt like an element I was build of. Whenever it played I had a deep urge to move or sing along to it. And at this spot I could do so freely. My appartment dind´t offer enough space and anywhere else I felt too many eyes on me. So I found this plateau close to some cliffs just outside the city as a place of my own, burried in a dark forrest I had noone ever seen at.
But lost in said sate I didn't realize an unknown woman stepping beside me. As I finally spotted her in a blurred glance, I stopped abruptly.
"You are really into dancing, aren't you?", she asked me with a wondering face and a warm voice.
I turned towards her, still starteled by her sudden appearance. After a while I came to reply "I live it."
"What do you mean, you live it?", she stated the next question.
"It's almost everything I do.", I explained curtly and grabbed my things to leave. I'd talked enough today and didn't plan to say much more. People who talk to me are scary. No one does it. At least no one normal. Beside the bullies, if you counted that.
"So you really live it.", she thought out loud, full of amazement and wonder.
"Yes I do", I admitted, allowing a soft smile to take over my face lost in thought, but after snapping out of it I quickly turned to say goodbye.
But she caught my wrist. "Where are you going?"
A hint of panic stepped over me. "Work", I murmured while trying to get my hand and wrist back.
As response she only held me even tighter. "Why do you work? You're only about 15."
"16 to be correct, but who doesn't have to work for living?"
"But you are still pretty young, well 16 might be fine", she argues but going quieter towards the end.
"I don't want to talk about it with strangers."
"Well then, go work", she sighs and finally lets go.
*****
I ran into the changing rooms to dress up for work. As I took my black jacket out of the closet Qian Qwai, a workmate, entered as well.
When I looked up at her she really looked surprised: "You cut your hair!? Why on earth did you do that!?"
"Calm down, calm down! So... you realized?", I tried to level her again.
"Hey, sure, who wouldn't?", she responded in a heartbeat.
"Let me tell you: Nobody did!" In Qian Qwai I had found a friend to whom I could rant about all my sorrows.
"Really? It looks so awful, I don't know how you can overlook something like that.", she criticized me.
"Yeah, thanks, love you too."
"After our shift I'll cut it again, got it?"
"If you really want... sure!"
Qian Qwai was a part time hair-dresser. Not someone like me, only washing hair and cleaning about. She helped out to support her family and eventually got a certificate after some years and some classes.
*****
The week passed in the blink of an eye, as any week did. And with a day off at the weekend I found myself at the cliffs again. Only I didn't dance today. The weather was gloomy and so was I. Time flew by without me even realizing. So I decided to dive into something other than physical workout and scribbled down some melodic lines. I loved modifying it until it became carefully crafted lyrics to an imaginable song in my head. It was my way of processing.
And suddenly the strange woman appeared again. "Good morning!", she greeted in a cheerful manner.
"Whx are you here again?", I hissed back. She still starteled me and I didn't like intruders at all. I was introverted, but one of the most closed off versions.
"Guess you don't like me?"
"Do I need to like you?", I gave back irritated. This was my comfort zone, not a meeting room.
"Have you got a little time?", she said, without effect.
"What for?"
"So, you see, I'm Xiang Xia. A manager of a Boy-Group. I thought I could take you in with that talent of yours."
"What? I'm not even a boy! Can't you see that?", I kind of shouted at her. How dare she think I was a boy? It was just short hair... and maybe I also wore boy clothes... don't blame me, they're cheaper and of better quality!
"So you really weren't. Well, I thought so, but don't worry, we'll act this out."
"What? I'm sorry, but I don't understand. What are we going to act out?", I ask at a loss. I didn't get her at all.
She didn't reply at first, only going back to where she had come from. "Pack your bags!" After a while I heard an engine roaring to life and driving off.
I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. What a wild encounter.