Whistling Woman
"It was the best decision you've ever made in your life."
While I was sitting at the tables behind the library, enjoying the sun and studying at the same time, a whistling woman passed by me. She said this sentence to me. I could only smile and after walking a little more, she disappeared.
After dinner, I finished all my homework and while I was sitting in my dorm room, I heard someone whistling outside. I thought it was the same woman again. When I looked out my window, she looked at me and spoke with a smile. “Yeah, sometimes I get bored at night when there is nothing to do, I just go for a walk, talk to trees and birds, and sometimes I talk to possums if I'm lucky. Would you like to join me?“
I joined her without hesitation. She told me how much she loved this campus and that I should be happy to be a student of this school. I agreed with what she said, because in fact I was enjoying in every bit of it no matter how much I struggle sometimes. I asked her why she loved it here. “I studied here at La Trobe when I was your age. This campus was the only place where I could get rid of all my fears and hesitations. Until then, I didn't know myself, I didn't know where I would be when I grew up."
She pointed to the old buildings we passed. “Every time I go out, I smell this campus and these old buildings, I feel refreshed. It makes me feel that a fairer world is possible. Your efforts, studying hours and dreams are gaining continuity and you know, everyone is equal here. Everyone is the same in all their differences. These sidewalks are a bit of a smile, right?"
She laughed as we passed the engineering building and pointed to pictures of the teachers on the sidewalk. I agreed with everything she said. Everything here was like a piece of me. She asked me what my favourite thing is about here. I said "The teachers and this nature we're in. I always loved being in nature and I didn't like the teachers I met in my life until now. All they did was teach me lessons. I love when the teachers are always asking students how they are going with the subject. They want to make sure we learn and can use the knowledge we’ve gained. I know that I am free to talk to my teachers and that I should not hesitate to express my feelings no matter what.“
She started to whistle again with a smile on her face while we’re walking through the Agora. Her whistle was like a lullaby and a story from far away. The buildings seemed to be talking. "Hey! I'm here. See me!" Although I have passed here many times, it was the first time I noticed it. Maybe it's the magic of her whistling. She asked me how I feel. "Confident", I said. Even though I study far away from my family, knowing that there are people and groups at school who are ready to support me mentally and physically, and receive regular emails about wellbeing from them makes me feel comfortable. “Also, seeing smiling faces at school relaxes you and makes you feel at home” she said as if she just read my mind.
When we got to the tables at the back of the library, she stopped but continued to whistle, smiling. Then she looked at me "Do you remember?" I smiled because I remembered. She took a deep breath to speak. “A decisive decision will take you to a completely different place in a few years. This is your destination. The most important thing is to know yourself. Thanks for making the right decision and I am grateful that you gave yourself a chance to get to know yourself. Without your courage I would not be who I am now. Also, thanks for teaching me that the beautiful thing is road, not the destination.”
The whistling woman glanced at the table where she used to study and continued her way, whistling with a smile on her face. “It was the best decision she had ever made in her life."