It was 10 minutes before midnight, I was riding a tricycle* travelling back to my hometown

“I hate this route!” that was me complaining while waiting to reach my destination.

It was dark. The road is so narrow that it can barely accommodate 2 vehicles. It was lined by tall grasses and scattered trees where one side is a 2-meter deep rice field while the other is a 5-meter wide river. One wrong move and you’ll end up paddling in a dirty stagnant river or rolling in a muddy rice fields.

Not to mention that the tricycle was making a deafening noise that would not allow you to hear anything else; the headlamp’s light can only reach about 3 meters, so you wouldn’t know if there’s an incoming or someone was there waiting to get you. You wouldn’t even know if you can reach your destination in one piece. It was scary, really, but I don’t have a choice. This is the only route accessible at this time and I needed to go home.

As we approached the most dangerous curve of that route, I noticed something – one of the oldest and largest Acacia trees in that place looks different. It looked like it was lit. There was no light post or a house nearby; no people that I can see, either. I squinted and stared as we came closer when suddenly I gasped – the lights were moving!

“Oh, those were fireflies!” my brain shouted.

They flew up and down and around the tree. Some dwelled into the leaves and branches while others hovered around. There were few naughty ones that would quickly fly farther from others then back. This sudden leap drew a line of light.

It was beautiful. It was breath-taking.

That was the first – and currently the only – time I saw this nature’s hidden scenery; a scenery that can only be seen in the most undesirable place and time; a place and time where you wouldn’t want to be. But in that ominous place, that pitch black darkness I feared, accentuated the beauty of these magical creatures.

This rare sight I saw, swept all my worries and fears away. Who would have thought that somewhere, in the middle of that feared scary place, an amazing thing exists?

If I only knew – if everyone only knew..

*Tricycle is a motorcycle with a sidecar that is commonly used as a public transportation in the Philippines.