text: It started when I was watching TV with my boyfriend and his sister. It was past midnight and we were all stuffed with the food we bought earlier that day. Ever since they subscribed to Netflix, it became a routine of ours to binge-watch movies, usually until four in the morning. They had a family area on the second floor of their house, just outside each of their bedrooms. They had a huge terrace outside and the sliding screen doors were closed most of the time. That night, it was so humid that we decided to open them. Halfway through The Pianist, my boyfriend’s sister says, “What’s that smell?” I didn’t know what she meant until after a few seconds when I smelled it too. “Yeah, where could that be coming from?” I asked. She shrugged and then I jokingly added, “Weird time to be doing the laundry.” She just gave me a weird look and replied, “I’m pretty sure we might not be smelling the same thing.” My boyfriend didn’t seem to care and pretended he didn’t hear anything. It was this sweet smell of flowers, the kind you’d usually smell from scented fabric conditioners. But for some reason, I knew it wasn’t from a fabric conditioner. It had a more natural aroma to it. And after several seconds, it was gone. I figured it must have come from a neighbor’s and the wind just happened to get it mixed up with the late night breeze and made its way to the second floor of my boyfriend’s house. The second time I smelled it was in a mall. I was alone at the time, doing some late Christmas shopping. I remember it was afternoon. I was walking past a drug store when the smell came to me out of nowhere. I stopped and stood where I was for a good five to ten seconds just trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. I didn’t realize it right away that it was the exact same smell from two days ago at my boyfriend’s house. I know it didn’t come from my clothes because I do my own laundry and I don’t use any type of fabric conditioner, particularly with the kind of scent that I was smelling at that moment. I didn’t let it bother me that much, maybe it was just some sort of perfume that people were into these days and I just happen to catch a whiff off it every now and then. I went on with my errands that day and forgot about the smell as I did the first time. The third time was at a bar. I was with my boyfriend and his cousin that night. It had been five or six days since I last encountered that smell. Just a little past midnight, we were drinking beer and laughing at a ton of jokes my boyfriend made up. We were just having fun. When I smelled it, I just started glancing around, left and right. I simply told myself that there had to be someone in the bar carrying that scent. And just like always, after a few seconds, it was gone. Of course I couldn’t just go sniffing around one random person after another so I could satisfy myself into finding the culprit behind this recurring smell. And since we were drinking, I immediately forgot about it and went on with my night. Now the fourth time I smelled it was at my house. I was in the dining room having breakfast. My mom was outside doing her laundry and my two brothers were at work. I was unemployed at the time. I realized that finding a job during the holidays was the worst time to do such a thing. So there I was, waking up late every morning, doing whatever routine I had in mind for whatever time I had left before I had to go job hunting again. I stopped eating and just sat there, contemplating. I wanted to go ask my mom if she was currently using a certain type of scented fabric conditioner. But I didn’t. Because even if she was, I knew it wasn’t that. The smell was too fresh, too close. I most certainly knew it was something else. But what? I then tried to tell myself I shouldn’t be scared because for a fact, my boyfriend’s sister sort of smelled it too? I don’t know why I didn’t ask my boyfriend or his cousin if they smelled it the time we were drinking. Somehow, I also knew they didn’t smell it then. It was just me. After having these thoughts, the smell was gone again. And I went on with my day. This went on for almost three months. I would keep smelling it at random times and at random places. During all those times, I never spoke about it, and I never asked. I just let it be. I’d smell it when I was in the car while my boyfriend drove me home. I’d smell it in my room when I was about to go to sleep. I’d smell it when I was outside feeding our dogs. I’d smell it when I was reading a book. I’d smell it on the bus, I’d smell it in a restaurant, I’d smell it anywhere I go. I learned to disregard it, as if it was just a part of life, as if it was some normal thing. It didn’t bother me and it never did. And that was that. The last time I smelled it was when I finally knew what it was and where it came from. I was waiting for a cab on the highway. There wasn’t much traffic but the streets were busy. Of course I was facing the direction from where I could see a cab that would drive by so I could flag it down. Just a few meters ahead I saw one with the vacant sign lit. I raised my hand trying to signal to the driver that I needed a ride. At that same moment, I heard someone yell from across the street. “Watch out!” An SUV lost control of its brakes and the driver panicked and was just swerving the vehicle while it was running at a very high speed. It found its way down the opposite lane and I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn’t able to brace myself at all. I never even got to see the car that hit me. The next thing I knew was I was lying there on the pavement, facing the sky. People were yelling to call an ambulance. I didn’t bother to move. I didn’t even feel anything. I knew I was still breathing. Although the voices and sounds I heard were all muffled. It was like they were slowly fading away. I was just there, looking up. And then the smell came. I think I was trying to smile. Then it sounded like someone was running to approach me and said something about making sure I was conscious. So when I expected to see that person as his or her footsteps drew nearer, I was in total shock - a good kind of shock that also somehow feels like relief? Or maybe it was shock and relief. The person I saw kneeling beside me, looking at me, was my dad. He was smiling. It was so soft and friendly. And welcoming. That’s when I knew I was definitely smiling back. He was holding some flowers. It wasn’t a bouquet. Just a bunch of flowers that looked like they were hand-picked from some exquisite garden which he held with one hand. They looked so beautiful and smelled so nice. I think the relief I felt was because now, I could fully smell it. That glorious, wondrous smell. It was uplifting. I didn’t want it to go away. As my dad was smiling at me, and I at him, I slowly closed my eyes and just continued smelling the sweet smell of those flowers. I’ll remember to ask my dad what kind of flowers they were. And when I find out, I can’t wait to start sharing that exact same smell with my mom. And with my brothers, my boyfriend, my friends. I’ll share it with them one by one. And when the time comes, they’ll know about the flowers, and soon everyone will know. They’ll all know about the smell of flowers.