The Smell of a Memory

I was driving an awfully long road after a party. The road was like a zombie land, but much colorful than that. Now taking a turn to the nearest gas station, I'm still keeping myself awake. I was still thinking about how great the party was. It made me ignore for a mean time that I am having a boring holiday. Made me think that life is swell at a moment.

But this was just in, I feel alone again.

The gasoline dude came walking, guiding me to park where I should. He's cute, but he's not smiling. Probably sleepy for the graveyard sh*t (I mean shift), sorry getting way to sleepy now.

That smell, when I open the window to talk to him. I love the smell of it, I mean the gasoline, it smells better than old books (that is my conviction). That unconsciously made stitches of memories way back before my parents left abroad.

Staying longer than usual in a gas station makes me feel that anytime we're gonna explode with the station. But looking at everyone inside the car, I guess we're safe. My Mom putting her make-up on, my eldest brother no care in this world, looking outside the window and my other brother just pissing my hair. My Dad just checking if the counter starts at 00.00. All is clear.


Then that ice drop. It feels warm eating ice drop after getting a full tank. Me and my Dad usually buy ice cream in the gas station's own convenience store. It was never the same, eating ice cream alone in my car, it feels frozen, it feels indescribably cold.

Getting back to consciousness, I felt the silence that those memories creeps in me inside the vehicle. I realized that the gasoline dude was now smiling, giving his thumb upright. Yup, I open my mouth exaggeratedly to say THANKS!

My window is already up and I have no plan to slid it down again, but then he shouted, "Hey! Merry Christmas!! Have a safe trip back home!" sincerely grinning himself out.

A tingling joy lit my sleepy head. He looks funny. I quickly slid my window down a bit, "You too!! Thanks!"

I thought driving away from that gas station will make me feel so alone again as I was before I came, I felt broken at the moment. But he said something about "back home," that made me smile for the longest time while driving. I finally decided to call my Mom, then my Dad and finally my two brothers, to greet them.

 "Have a safe trip back home!" I didn't realize I can still be HOME even if my home is not around. I felt emo way back there, but now I'm good. I guess working for graveyard on a holiday is as much miserable as not spending it at home, so, THANK YOU Gasoline Dude!

(Wew! This is my best entry to Gasoline's Dude contest, the BLOGVERSARY WRITING CONTEST, I thought I could never write something, wew! Kahit na Singapore T-shirt lang, okay na ko! Hahaha! But it would be better if I would win that Hard drive! Lol!) <3


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