Waiting To Walk Amongst The Clouds Once More

The year was 1983. We, a group of students, were up in the mountains of Malaysia at a place called the Cameron Highlands to study the habitat of the Bluebottle fly at the farming village of Kampong Raja, and stayed the night in a small town called Brinchang.
It was a cold night and I woke up early the next morning to answer nature's call. As I gazed out of the window, I saw it; a thick white cloud has enveloped the whole valley. Quickly, I put on my shoes and my jacket and stepped out into the cold, cold morning. The street was deserted and all was quiet as the whole town continued to slumber. Even the cicadas and birds were quiet, their voices frozen by the cold. I walked through the thick white mist from one end of the town to the other and finally, took a seat in the small park situated right in the middle of the town. The branches of the trees around me were bowed down and laden with water. The dewdrops on the leaves looked like pretty white pearls in the early morning light.
It was cold! It was wet! It was enchanting! The thick white mists swirled around me in a slow dance and then slowly engulfed and held me in a tight embrace until we were one, and my senses were dulled into oblivion. After what seemed an eternity, out of the corner of my eye, I spied the sun's rays creeping stealthily into the valley. "No! Stop! Don't intrude! We don't want you here!", I cried. However, slowly but relentlessly, the sun's rays continued their intrusion, cutting a bright swathe in the misted valley as I watched helplessly. My anguish mounted as it got nearer and nearer and as a sunbeam kissed me lightly on the cheek, I saw the cloud lift itself from the ground and slowly begin its ascent, floating past the tree-tops, up the hills towards the hilltops. As it reached the hilltops, the cloud seemed to paused, reluctant to go. Or, maybe, it was just saying goodbye. "No! Don't go!", I cried for I knew it would never return.
But, with a turn, the cloud went on its way to roam the four corners of the earth, guided by the stars and steered by the winds.
Slowly the world began to stir as I trudged wearily back to the hotel. The flowers began to gingerly lift their bowed heads to face the morning sunlight, the birds cleared their throats and began their morning song, the brook gurgled as it meandered its way through the town and smoke began to lazily snake out of the chimneys accompanied by the clatter of pots and pans as the cooks prepared breakfast. We left the mountains after breakfast that day.
One of these days, I am going to get myself a little cottage high up in the mountains. It will have a small garden where I shall plant flowers of all hues and colours and I shall sit there, amongst my flowers, watching as the clouds dance lazily in the sky. And, on a cold morning, when the clouds decide to come down to play, I shall be waiting; waiting to walk amongst the clouds once more.

"Loneliness is when you need someone's company.
Solitude is when you enjoy your own (company)"

- T.W.Lee, 9.12.2007