by Soo Yi Yun

The heavy downpour,
the brief thunderstorm,
and petrichor
fill up the air—
down the cycling path
and the memory lane called home.

The rain in Oxford has been reminiscent of my home country since last week. In a tropical country like Malaysia, it is common to have downpours every now and then.

Thunder could not be more absent—and present—in my life on last Saturday night. It had its first growl in Oxford since 2016, my year of matriculation.

My passage down the cycling path on South Parks Road carried me through a memory lane. If I close my eyes, I would have thought I was in Malaysia—cycling past lush green trees through warm, fresh air after a heavy rain, down the road to my house from a neighbourhood park. These scenes would reside in dreams at night, if I close my eyes.

But my eyes were open; still, I was in two homes. It is true that home is where the heart is—

My heart beats in Oxford, my home; and beats of my home, Malaysia.