A walk down intrepid lane

Ever seen MacRitchie reservoir by night?

It was enchanting. :) The trees silhouetted against the leftover colours of the sunset. A cool evening breeze caused the water in the reservoir to ripple ever so slightly.

A mother throwing out her line as her daughter played nearby. A groundsheet and basket hinted at a picnic. A man patiently waiting for a bite at the end of his line just a few steps away. Probably the father, I think to myself. What a nice way to spend a Sat with family.

A couple jogged past.

Although the group of teenagers around me were chattering non-stop (as teenagers do), there was a sense of repose about the place.

We waited by a shelter for the night to fall before embarking on the walk.

There was an order by which we were going for the walk, guys alone and girls in pairs, in intervals of 15min, armed with nothing but a florescent stick. This walk was supposed to help boost the courage and confidence of the young people (a.k.a the future building blocks of our society). ^_^

When it came our turn, a slight, 15-year-old girl by my side, we ventured onto the darkened path. She was quite nervous, anxious to get it over and done with. Vanessa took my hand and after minute or so, decided it was a better idea to hold me on my shoulder for better support.

We walked on in silence in the beginning since we were instructed to not talk unnecessarily. A couple of whispered general questions was enough to start her chatting about nothing in particular. A loquacious girl, I thought. Not bad at all since then I wouldn't have to feel awkward about not speaking much.

The first stretch of the path was easy enough, the moon though just a cresent, provided enough lumination to see clearly.

Then came a part where the foliage was thicker and it became much darker. I unconsciously tightened my grip on her shoulder. 'Are you scared?' she asked. I like to think I was more worried about my responsibility for her than being scared of the dark. Just before we went into the clearing, the person-in-charge mentioned that the last time they did the night walk, there was a guy just standing/hiding at one side of the path, apparently not wanting to be noticed. That just sounded too freaky to me. Can you imagine walking along a dark track and a perverse/psycho guy hiding, waiting for a victim!!! O_o There have been incidents in Singapore, haven't there? The narrator then carried on saying there's nothing to worry about, that if there's someone there just scream! Well, I suppose there is nothing to worry about since there are a few of us in front and behind. But thoughts like, 'what if something does happen and nobody manage to reach us in time?' and 'Could I protect her? us?' plagued my mind.

I tried my darnest not to look to the sides where leaves and branches produce shadows that give too much room for illusion. Neither did I look behind me. She sometimes turned to look back like she thought someone's following. I concentrated on the front and watched for the florescent sticks that signalled we were on the right route.

I didn't think the sound of our footsteps in the gravel was a comfort until we arrived at a sandy path where suddenly everything seemed too quiet. At least there was still the sound of the insects for which I was grateful for.

When my imagination did not get the better of me and there was a break in the canopy, I took a minute to admire the stars. I pointed out to her the Orion Belt, which was extremely bright and clear that night.

We were even fortunate to see a firefly! So pretty!!!

By the time we reached the end of the road, I was hot, sticky and sweaty but feeling accomplished. :D I think it did as much for me as it was for them... :)