(No) Sunrise on Summer Solstice
'Why, oh why, did I vote yes for this excursion? When will I learn from past mistakes that I have the tendency to regret my choices? This is not how this trip was supposed to be!' I thought bitterly as I held onto Kunzite for dear life. It was pitch dark in front of me and the ground was unbearably soft. I hesitated to think what I had stepped on or what my shoes would resemble when there was ample light again. Good thing I had left my new, a-real-bargain slippers at our hostel or they would have been ruined on their debut. That I certainly did not want to happen!
It was close to midnight on the eve of Summer Solstice. Someone had suggested watching the sunrise at Stonehenge and I had been fascinated. It was the only day of the year when we could approach the ancient Stone Circle without limits. Many came to celebrate the event each year on this special day to bathe in the warmth of the sun. Entrance fee was waived and the only cost to pay was transport. What an extraordinary experience it would be in our lives.
Yea, it was extraordinary, alright. Add freezing cold, torturously tiring, and unending to that equation, please.
We had walked on for what felt like forever (although it was probably under an hour) since we hopped off the 333 Stonehenge Tour bus that hailed from Salisbury train station. There had been a road where the bus had dropped us off. But soon after we were trotting towards an endless stretch of grassland as we followed the other passengers from the same bus. As I crossed the wooden gate that normally barred trespassers to the grassland, I received a flyer and a brochure, which was actually only a thick sheet of paper, from one of the old but healthy-looking women at the gate.
"You see the light over there? That is your destination." one of them said as she pointed far ahead of us.
At first, 'the light' didn't seem so far away. When I consulted the brochure, it also appeared it would only be a straight walk from the gate to the ancient Stones. I was naïve to believe we could reach the Circle in no time and count off the hours until the first rays of the sun broke the horizon. When the light remained unreachable to us, I began to think we would never be able to get there.
The night was chillingly cold. There was no rain, but the ground below felt disgustingly wet. We were in the middle of absolutely nowhere and the only visible source of light was too far ahead. Someone, perhaps Makoto, had lit up the torch a while ago to illuminate our path. That light had gone down minutes before and I had been hanging onto Kunzite's every step.
I felt rather than saw Kunzite halt abruptly beside me. His strong hand grasped my waist to steady me and I looked ahead to see our friends had also stopped in their tracks. Makoto, Nephrite, Rei, and Jadeite stood a few paces in front of us. Although I couldn't read Rei's expression in this inky darkness, I could feel the anger emanating from her.
Usagi, Mamoru, Ami and Zoisite were supposed to be right behind, but I couldn't find them when I turned around to check. No doubt they had fallen behind. Either that or Usagi must have slipped more than I could count.
Moments of eternity later, a blushing Usagi and a giggling Ami, along with Mamoru and Zoisite, finally caught up with us. The girls were glued together like Siamese twins. A conspiratorial smirk passed between the boys before they feigned apologetic looks for lagging behind.
"Please don't fall behind, Usagi. We can't use our powers to save you here." Makoto said with an exasperated sigh.
"It wasn't me, Mako-chan! Mamo-chan and Zoisite decided to play a trick upon us after you guys went ahead. Ami here can vouch for me!" Usagi explained defiantly.
I couldn't blame the boys for wanting to have a little fun. We had all seen a fair share of Tsukino clumsiness one way or another. She was not a fan of the dark and this excursion to Stonehenge must be rather unsettling for her. I could only guess what transpired back there when no one was looking.
"Look, this is no time to argue and we have a long way to go. Let's just leave it and focus on getting there as soon as possible." said Rei, her violet eyes glittering with flames. I was secretly thrilled not to be the receiving end of her flaring temper. "And when your name is called, respond so that we know you are not lost somewhere. Everyone got it? Moving on. I am freezing."
Our entourage then continued in complete silence. I couldn't know how long we had walked, or how far we had gone. It seemed impossible that this long path to the historical site would ever come to an end. I felt like I had fallen into a trap and someone was mocking my idiocy from above.
I was aware of my rising body temperature as the expedition took me closer to our unreachable destination. If it weren't for Kunzite's support, I might have twisted my ankle when our path suddenly sloped downward. The walk was very jagged, with slippery, protruding stones and stinging grasses that reached as high as my thighs. I fancied hearing Jadeite complain about the grass invading his jeans and scratching his legs ahead of me.
"Be careful, Minako. A few more steps and it is flat land again." Kunzite crooned as if I was a little child.
Did he think I did not catch the teasing beneath that silky baritone of his? I pouted as my feet landed on steady ground. "If I slipped, it is your fault."
There was a smile in his voice. "Now we wouldn't want that. If you fell, I wouldn't be able to hold you no matter how much I desire it."
I could only stick out my tongue at Kunzite as he lugged me forward with his free hand. Always the gentleman, Kunzite had offered to take the heavier items when we met up at the train station. I had gone food shopping with the girls in the afternoon while the boys took care of the tools required for our night camp. He was now holding the tote that contained our blankets, water bottles, and some crackers to last us through the long night.
There was a small commotion before us and I couldn't suppress a groan when I saw what the ruckus was about. Just as I was content to be trotting on flat surface again, there was a rising slope several meters ahead. Turned out the valley we were crossing was only a temporary relief before the actual challenge.
"Guys, name yourself before we make our climb!"
Nephrite. I wondered how he was coping in this darkness. He took great care of his appearance and I had never seen a hair out of place in all the time I had known him. If anyone cursed this journey for the damage it did to our clothes more than I did, Nephrite most surely sprang to mind.
"Jade, Rei and Makoto report!" Jadeite responded too enthusiastically for the situation.
Save that energy for later, golden boy. Goodness knows how much further we had to walk.
"Minako and Kunzite here!" I shouted just loud enough to be heard.
Did we look like a group of retards? Why were strangers smiling at us as we congregated at the foot of the slope?
"Usagi and Mamo-chan, Ami-chan and Zoisite last!" Usagi said breathlessly as she stopped in front of me.
I smiled at her and gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "Glad to see you made it this far, princess."
"Hey yourself, Mina-chan." This said with a broad grin.
"Everyone alright? Let's go!" Nephrite again.
And so we began the difficult climb up the slope.
It wasn't a steep slope per se. In this darkness, however, one misstep and the consequences would be unsightly. I extended my arms to balance myself and my eyes were concentrated on the ground before me. One step at a time. Not to hurry. When I neared the top, Kunzite gave me a hand to pull me up. There was some way to go yet, but finally we were getting closer.
There were voices from not far away. There was also the unmistakable sound of celebrations going on and the occasional horn and drums in the distance. Encouraged by the noise, we broke into a faster trot with renewed vigour. It was as though the Energizer Bunny was pushing us to our destination. Thrilled that we would soon be able to take a much needed rest, silence fell upon us while our legs took us forward.
Around half an hour later, I finally saw the unmistakable Stones behind a fence on my right. Stage lights showered upon the Stones from all directions. There were already crowds of people celebrating and dancing around the site. Disappointed though I was the torturous walk continued, it filled me with anticipation that soon I could behold the ancient Stones with my own eyes. Then, cheers broke out from inside the area. Excited drums and horns reverberated in the distance. I could only imagine the sort of wild, unrestrained fun those gathered nearest the Stones must be having.
"Happy Summer Solstice, love," Kunzite whispered as he kissed my hair.
That was all the assurance I needed that this exhausting expedition was something to remember for the remainder of my life.
Soon after, we came upon the last obstacle to our destination: the security check at the entrance. People from all directions fell into queues in front of us as the police checked their bags for dangerous items. A small drizzle had begun to fall, however, we were too enthralled to notice.
The area past security checkpoint was another world away from the large expanse of inky darkness that had engulfed us in the past hours. The grassland was well-trimmed, and blinding lights flooded over us like the sun's rays. There were several temporary food stalls selling hot dogs and burgers with large queues on our left. Next to the food stalls were dozens of blue portable toilets and the inevitable long queues. People were walking towards the centre from everywhere. There must have been hundreds, or perhaps thousands, gathered here on this special day. I was too focused on clutching onto Kunzite on my right and Rei on my left that I had no time to absorb the festivities around me.
We decided to make camp away from the main site but close enough to observe the Stones. By then the drizzle had thickened into a shower and I could feel the moisture on my denims. The girls and I held the umbrellas while the boys prepared the base. They left the heavier bags in the centre and began looking for the tent.
As I stood there waiting, the chills of the night adding to the rain enveloped me in an icy embrace. The lights above my head failed to warm me further and I began to shiver in earnest. Couldn't the boys hurry up and set up the tent? What was taking them so long?
With her patience wearing thin, Rei shoved her umbrella at me and joined the boys in their desperate search. She dug her hands into the bags in the centre, pulled out corners of blankets, foodstuff, water bottles, tablecloths, rubbish bags, extra coats. The bags were everywhere, except there was no tent. A collective groan escaped us before realisation struck that nothing could remedy the mistake.
It was then decided, that we would add the tablecloths to extend our base. Once satisfied, we settled into a circle of our own and used our umbrellas to shield the rain.
We huddled close together in our little camp. The blankets were all removed from the bags and draped on our knees for added warmth. We must have created quite a scene in the area and attracted curious attention. Throughout the few hours of midnight, there were constant camera flashes around us. Such unwanted flattery was so huge an irritation that even Ami, who was really the most patient among us, voiced that we should charge the next photographer a small sum for upsetting us.
Ami losing her temper was not an everyday occurrence. It took the persuasion of Zoisite, Makoto and Kunzite to pacify the blue-haired beauty and talked her out of unleashing a misty fog around Stonehenge. We certainly did not need deteriorating conditions when the unreliable weather was itself a force to reckon with.
"Rei-chan, could you make a fire for us? I am cooold!" whined Usagi while she snuggled deeper into Mamoru's arms.
I watched in awe as I took in the sight of Usagi. She was wrapped in a large coat, presumably Mamoru's, from neck to feet. She wore earmuffs, a thick woollen scarf, and Mamoru had also wrapped the blanket he used on his back around the girl. Her eyes were the only visible features from my end of our circle. It was a miracle that despite all the protection she was given, she needed more warmth.
"You do realise, my fire will burn all our blankets and attract more attention if I do that, meatball-head? We promised Luna that we will not abuse our powers on our vacation!" Rei hissed.
"But it's so cold here. A small flame from your hand won't burn down anything. Our umbrellas must provide enough privacy for us!"
"That's nonsense. And my answer remains 'NO!'"
"Please Rei. For just a little while, pleeeease!"
"Don't whine, you idiot! Where can the chill enter to hit you? Look at the state of you!"
"Fiiire, please. Pleeeeeease!"
Yawn. When would the two grow up? The future queen of Earth arguing with the future ruler of Mars, again? How boring!
I stole a glance at my watch amidst their heated debate. A quarter to 1:30am. Almost three hours until the expected sunrise.
"Stop it, you two." Zoisite interrupted and saved us all a headache. "The night is still young. How about we play some games to pass the time than argue about something we know will never happen?"
"And what do you suggest, Zoisite?" Ami asked sweetly beside him.
The strawberry blonde seemed to consider it for a moment. "Hmm… let's say… first impressions. We go around the circle and say what we thought of the person when we first met him/her. As well as what we think of him/her now." His gaze swept over us for objections. "Well, if no one has a better idea, where shall we start?"
Makoto chirped in and raised her hand as far as her umbrella allowed. "I will start with Zoisite. The first time I met you, I thought you were a girl. That was until you spoke and I was so embarrassed that I ran away."
"I remember that! Neph had me cornered and demanded that I tell him what I have done to upset you. He had had a crush on you since he first saw you at the ice-cream parlour. He wouldn't talk to me until we were all properly introduced."
Nephrite glared at Zoisite at his outburst. Interesting to see this side of the boys that we weren't aware of until now.
"What about now, Mako-chan? What do you conceive of our baby Zoi now?" Jadeite prompted with a smirk. Baby Zoi?
I whispered those words to Kunzite but he only shrugged. I felt his arm snake around me and instinctively, I edged closer towards his warmth.
"At times a merciless individual with a tongue that rivals Rei's. Other times a friend to hang out with. And … the perfect match for our dear Ami-chan."
The last was accentuated by an obvious nudge at the brain of our group. I was convinced Ami properly wanted to dig a hole and bury herself inside. The shy girl wasn't used to compliments and a flush had broken out on her cheeks. I would have given her a sisterly hug were we in front of a fireplace now.
"Aww … how sweet of you to say that, Mako-chan." Jadeite whistled. "How about Mr. Too-shy-to-admit-he-adores-you Nephrite?"
"Go on, sweet dove." Nephrite encouraged. "I want to know too."
"Please don't say he reminded you of your old sempai. Nephrite wouldn't be pleased." Mamoru murmured offhandedly before returning to his half-sleep. Usagi was already dozing on his lap.
Why, wasn't that mean? We were all aware that Makoto identified most men in her life with the sempai she had a crush on. But it was a story of the past. Couldn't they just forget about it?
Makoto blushed like a tomato. "About Nephrite… I… uh… well …"
I interjected the exchange. "Well, guys. Have mercy on poor Mako. Love surpasses all. A person in love will not be able to tell you objectively what she sees in her one true love."
"Speaking like the love goddess, huh?" Rei teased. "So you are saying Kunzite won't be able to tell us what he sees in you either?"
Oh! How I despised her venomous tongue! Rei alone had the ability to make me lose my words and she knew it. Hopefully she would never turn against us or I am quite dead!
"As the saying goes, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. Minako complements me as my other half. I don't need a reason to love her when we both know we are meant to be together."
When, Good Heavens, had this game of "First Impressions" morphed into "Love Confessions"? I couldn't speak or think as I stared open-mouthed at Kunzite. I knew he loved me dearly. Never, in all the time that we were together, had I heard him utter such words in private or public. Dare I to believe what I thought I just heard?
"By God, who are you? What have you done to my Kunzite?"
"I blame you for all the girly movies you dragged me to and the romances you left on my bookshelf." Kunzite replied with that one smile reserved only for very special occasions.
Whistles and oohs and aahs all around. I felt the heat scalding my face and now I want to dig a hole and hide.
It was Zoisite who came to my unexpected rescue. He coughed audibly to divert the attention to him. "Seems like we have gone too far down the wrong road. We have time still before the sunrise. Why don't we have some short shut eye? Looks like our prince and princess here urgently need their beauty sleep."
"Good idea, Zoisite! I will have you knighted as Sir Strawberry Candy…" piped up Usagi before she promptly fell back onto Mamoru's lap.
Whether she was with us during the silly game or had been asleep since Zoisite interrupted her was anyone's guess. I didn't know a person could sleep through the cacophony of ceaseless frantic drums, horns, and people screaming at the top of their lungs. That was happening around us, and the decibels of the celebrations must have tripled as time tickled by.
We sailed through the remaining hours of the night via whispered conversations. The food was passed around, while the bottles were scarce consumed. The last thing I remember before my head hit the pillow that was Kunzite's shoulder was Ami asking Makoto how business at her flower shop was.
I must have dozed off somewhere in the night. When I opened my eyes, I saw the boys wearing varying levels of distressed and annoyed expressions. Rei told me that on top of the occasional camera flashes, several passing drunkards or onlookers had declared various forms of flattery and insults towards our shelter. There were compliments such as 'wicked shelter' or 'This is way cool. Well done you all!' There were also ridiculous names as 'the umbrella group' or 'mushroom village'.
My eyes wide, I shifted the umbrella behind me to look around. The cluster of people everywhere prevailed. But we were not the only group to have gathered their umbrellas around them. What was that at my two o'clock? Wasn't there an ingenious structure built by umbrellas too? People ought to find others to bug.
"Maybe they are jealous of our creativity." Mamoru suggested as the girls stirred. "No one has the intelligence enough to combat us. Shouldn't we be proud that we have undiscovered talents as protectors of this planet?"
Always the optimist in the group. Mamoru alone had the ability to think clearly no matter the circumstance without losing his head. No wonder that Usagi adored him. Mamoru was the type of person to seek advice from and he had watched over us before the boys came along. I almost forgot the role he played besides his being our future king. Time for more training? That could wait until home.
"It's 4am. Should we take turns to stretch our legs and look around the area? It's good for blood circulation and sure to restore some warmth to the body." Ami suggested.
The sky had changed from pitch dark to a deep blue. The rain had returned to drizzles and I could see many had long since abandoned their umbrellas and left them to cover up their belongings instead. It sounded like there were Indians dancing around a camp fire nearest to the Stone because that was what the squeals resembled. What kind of food did people feed themselves these days? Had the celebrations ever stopped at all in this cold night?
I was reluctant to have the blankets removed away from my knees. The cold stabbed through the hollows of my clothes the minute I tried to stand. Leg muscles protested against the sudden strain before I found my balance. The moisture of the night soaked through my socks and only now did I realise how wet the night had been. Similar complaints came from the girls as they rose. I knew the boys must suffer the same fate, but nothing came from them except the grimace on their faces. It had to be a man's thing to swallow small pains such as this.
Usagi shared an escaped blanket with Makoto and Ami in a vain attempt to regain the warmth that was there. If I weren't shivering from head to toe in Kunzite's arms, I would have taken a photo of the three girls. It was an incredible sight to behold, this pearly statue with three heads that had a triangular body. Wisps of mist appeared from chattering lips as they shifted ever so precariously on their feet. Usagi declined vehemently when Mamoru offered to wrapped her in his coat instead.
I sighed. These three wouldn't be taking a stroll any soon. Catching Rei's eyes, we took off together with Jadeite and Kunzite in tow to inspect the ever present commotion behind us.
Just where had all these people emerged from? We were rubbing shoulders and biceps everywhere. The overhead lights had been turned off earlier but the thickest crowds around the ancient Circle seemed oblivious. The drums and chanting were the loudest here. There was the suspicious smell of weed and heavy smoke. The centre must have been high on E and assorted drugs all night long. I followed Rei's hand to find a skinny, dark-haired woman in a Venetian mask spotting only a black bra and shorts some distance away. Others were playing a giant plastic ball, while others twisted their bodies along the frenzied rhythm. Were those shaved heads with bottles in their hands dancing on the Stones? Their legs couldn't be that long!
Unable to penetrate the human wall and disgusted of the smell, we retreated to our camp. The sky had taken on a lighter blue but it was still dark. While I could see where I was going, I couldn't recall the way from which we had departed. I kept bumping into people in dark colours and they all looked the same to me. Tracing back the steps we had taken didn't work either. If Nephrite hadn't called and waved, we might not have located the group until the sun had risen.
Mamoru, Zoisite and Nephrite decided to survey the area after our return. Usagi refused to disentangle herself from Makoto and Ami. The two girls could only bid the boys well as they left.
It wasn't long before they returned and suggested that we step slightly closer towards the Stones. Then we waited as the sky lightened. The time when the sun was supposed to rise came and gone. I could see the top of the ancient Circle of Stones clearly now and they were drenched from the night-long rain. In this lightness, I saw the damp ground was strewn with discarded brochures, cigarette packs, tissue towels and other litter. It was difficult to envisage the wretched sight in front of me as the impressive, mysterious Stonehenge that I had seen so often in UK tour books or connect it to one of the default wallpapers on computer.
"Is that it, guys? Where is the sun? Or is Apollo too shy to show his face today that he chose to sleep in?" Jadeite voiced the thought for us all.
Where was the sun indeed! The tantrum of drums and horns continued in the centre. Dejected faces similar to ours were beginning to desert the area and treading towards the entrance. This was not what I signed up for when I left the warmth of our hostel room last night, travelled the hours to Salisbury and embarked on that ridiculously long journey on wet grass and mud before reaching the infamous Stonehenge! Now was supposed to be the time when we watch in awe as the first rays of the day break over this allegedly religious location and pay our respects to the Sun God. It had to be an inconceivable joke that the sunrise was already over!
I could barely register my thoughts when it sunk in that there would be no sunrise on Summer Solstice. An uncharacteristic calm settled over me as I took in the sight of my friends. There we stood like fools on wet grass. Our jeans glued to our legs and our bags sacked from the weight of the hastily folded blankets, coats and the rain that hadn't ceased all night. We commenced our journey with barely contained excitement and anticipation. After a night of camping in the middle of bloody nowhere, there was only fatigue and sullen faces that stared impassively ahead.
I had no idea who suggested that we took our leave for that unthinkable long march back to where the bus inevitably waited. I was too overwhelmed by the ordeal. Nothing remained in my head as I dragged my downcast eyes away from the Stones that had failed me.
When I woke up, many, many hours later, the evening news reported almost 30,000 had congregated at Stonehenge to celebrate Summer Solstice. As our luck would have it, most of England had bright sunshine on that day. Almost everywhere but Stonehenge.
The end
Completed 22nd September '08.