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DELILAH LOOKED UPWARD at the vast canvas, a mixture of orange and pink hues. She drew in a breath and exhaled slowly as her lips turned up into the smallest smile. The air was dry and humid, though it did little to dampen her mood. 

At last, she could make her dreams a reality.

Indeed, it was the moment in life that she had been waiting for.

Times were perilous. People around her were clearly in dire need of aid. Initially, she was one of them. 

However, now that she had just gotten accepted into one of the top universities in the country, she no longer needed to endure the adversities that nearly everyone in her community had been experiencing. 

At last, she would be free. 

At last, she would do great things.

Only one thing gave her a sense of reluctance to leave this town.

Delilah looked at the woman standing beside her.

If the woman noticed Delilah staring at her, she did not say anything. Her hazel brown eyes were ringed with circles. Her jet black, wavy hair looked as if she had not brushed in weeks. She constantly licked her pink lips to keep them moist.

Instead of staring at the sky like Delilah was doing moments ago, the woman's attention was fixated on the young children who were playing not too far from them. They were all dressed in rags and wore no shoes. Though they were having fun; that was all that mattered.

The woman heaved a deep sigh before she suddenly snapped her head in Delilah's direction. Now that they were staring at each other, Delilah could see that her eyes were watery.

Delilah heaved a sigh of her own. No doubt she has been crying. . .

The two women maintained eye contact for a moment before Delilah became uncomfortable and looked away. The latter shifted her attention to a hazy horizon. Clouds shifted, exposing the sun to a significant extent. The grass looked even greener than earlier. Delilah stared at the mountain, which appeared to be beckoning to her, urging her to leave at this moment.

Just a few more days to go, Delilah told herself. Then you will finally get to leave this place.

Is it really worth it, though? a voice whispered in her mind.

Panic gripped Delilah like a vise at this thought. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. A pang shot through her chest, and she drew in a sharp breath. When she exhaled, the fluttering in her heart slowed down. . . slightly.

"Kailangan mo ba talagang umalis?" asked the woman beside her.

Delilah leaned back upon hearing her friend's voice. She expected that the question would arise eventually. Though she was still unprepared for the emotions that it would bring about.

She sniffled, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "Kailangan, Selena. You know I have been wanting this for a long time."

Bakas ang kapanglawan sa mukha ni  Selena. But instead of responding to Delilah, she suddenly bowed her head.

But Delilah saw it. The expression on her face. The one image that would cause anguish to swell up in her heart. 

The last thing on earth that Delilah wanted to do was cause her friend pain. Selena, the only one who had stuck by her side through every high and low. The one who was willing to run a hundred miles just to visit her whenever she was in need. The one who would defend her from anyone who attempted to har her.

At the same time, Delilah yearned for something new. For something. . . that would bring about good changes in her life. And at this point, Delilah was desperate for change.

She just wanted to get away from all of the troubles in this community that she had been living with her entire life.

And sometimes. . . fulfilling our desires required letting go of something. Or someone. 

Delilah kept her eyes trained on Selena, who refused to meet her gaze. The older woman caught her attention by wrapping her arms around her tiny figure. Selena immediately returned the embrace.

They stayed there for a few seconds before Selena broke down in tears. Delilah felt tears coming on once more though this time she managed to fight them. Instead, she listened to her friend's soft cries while stroking her hair.

All while ignoring the lamentations within her own heart. Her own heart which she had to steel. The journey was just about to begin though Delilah already anticipated all of the adversities that she would need to endure, the beauties that she would bask in.

But for the first time, she could finally look forward to the future with optimism.

More than ever, she knew she was ready to take on the world.