Evening

I stepped out of the office today at 4:40pm. It was still light and the kindergarten and primary school students had just finished for the day and were making their way to the school gate. As I stepped outside the building, I noticed that the cherry blossom trees were already budding. There were tiny white buds on all over the trees. Ahh… spring!

Familiar students waved at me and yelled out "Bye Michelle!" with big grins on their faces. The older students were going to the canteen for their dinner. The little ones were hopping on along behind their parents who were carrying their jackets and school bags. It was a surprisingly warm day and I could feel a warm breeze blowing. There was a lot of activity near the school gate as students walked in and out and played nearby while waiting for their parents. Some parents stood around to wait for their little ones to come out. Along the road right outside, cars were double parked. I could hear students talking and laughing and calling out to one another in the distance and all around me. The day was winding down as evening set in. People were starting to relax, grannies were chatting in small groups with their toddler grandchildren in tow, older children were coming out to play.

As I walked back to my flat, a toddler in the arms of her nanny waved down at me from the window, I waved back. On the ground floor, the men who spent the day at the mahjong table at the small mahjong centre were filing out, no doubt going home for dinner. The little girl whose name I know not, but who waves at me whenever she sees me, was sitting next to her granny who never fails to smile at me. Little girl waved at me the moment she caught sight of me. I smiled, tilted my head and waved back. There was a bounce in my step as I walked up the 5 floors up to my flat. It was a beautiful evening.

Even now, as I'm sitting comfortably with a cup of coffee and typing incessantly away on my computer, I can hear the pleasant sounds of the evening echoing from downstairs all the way up to my flat on the top floor and I can't help but smile. Evening is absolutely my favourite time of the day.