The sun was out today. Daylight seeped like golden honey even into the darkest corners of the house. The concrete driveway was dappled with sunshine. The birds in the dragon tree flew to and from the other trees on the compound, our next-door neighbor's tree, the ficuses outside M.'s cafe, the talisay in front of D.'s store, and the trees across the street. I turned on the taps and warm water flowed from our stainless-steel tank. 

Gone are the dark, rainy afternoons with a stagnant chill in the air, when I used to light bottled candles in the small loggia. All of that is now but yesterday's dream.