Departure

A strong wind blows along the river’s waves with the setting sun facing towards me as I lay here in the river bank. I look back at the past four years that had passed by as if it was only yesterday makes me feel that I’m getting old.

Twenty-one is not old they say but a lot of people calling you “senpai” over the years will definitely make you feel old, though unintentionally. “Ne, what do you guys think will happen to us when spring comes?” I suddenly ask the two people who are also lying beside me.

“What’s with the sudden question, Rina?” Mami sarcastically responds.

I frown while looking at the sunset. “I’m not like you, Mami-chan. All my marks all throughout my college life are all average grades,” I answer this blonde friend of mine who people consider as the genius prodigy in the College of Arts of our university.

Tomomi let out her usual squeaky giggle as she rolls on her stomach. “Don’t start talking about grades, Rina-chan. I almost failed two of my subjects last semester, you know?” She mutters while supporting her upper body with her skinny arm.

“It’s not our fault that you have such disappointing grades, Timo,” Mami bantered.

Mami and I then laugh at the irritated looking Tomomi. “Well, I’m not like the genius painter, Sasazaki Mami, who’s the only one in the entire university that can make the professors drool over her finished project. I’m sure that even if Rina-chan’s brain and my brain will combine can’t match to that huge head of yours,” Tomomi mutters angrily who is now kneeling while facing us.

“Oi, what do you mean by having a huge head?” It’s now Mami’s turn to react angrily.

“Oh? The genius Mami can’t understand simple Japanese now?” Tomomi and Mami exchange death glares. “You have a big head, Big Head!” The kneeling girl adds and suddenly receives a flying back pack straight to her face from the blonde.

These two are always like this. Four years have already passed but the exchange of insults between them still remains the same. No wait, nowadays, their words are getting harsher and meaner every passing day.

“At least, my big head serves a purpose. It holds all my creative ideas which I paint on a canvass and earn a butt load of cash. How about you, Timo? Is there something that can still fit into that small brain of yours?” See? Tomomi then jumps over me trying to strangle Mami.

I just laugh at their childish fights that sometimes make me forget that, soon, we’ll be parting ways when spring season arrives. The idea always gives me a bittersweet feeling.

The squealing and violent shouts suddenly stop which is unusual for me. Mami and Tomomi would only stop fighting if, and only if, I’ll tell them to stop. I push myself into a sitting position to check what happened to those two.

“Rina-chan, why are you crying?” Tomomi worriedly asks while clutching Mami’s collar of her loose shirt. The blonde desperately holds onto the hands of the girl on top of her making the best effort not letting her body touch the ground.

“Is there something wrong, Rina?” Mami manages to choke out a question despite her critical position. She and Tomomi eye me with worried eyes.

I touch me left cheek and felt something wet that leads to the side of my left eye. The tears surprised me as I also touch me right cheek. I couldn’t believe that I already cried without me noticing.

Tomomi drops Mami to the ground causing the blonde to groan. The both of them crawl their way towards me which they look really funny. I laugh at the two overgrown crawling babies while wiping my tears away. “How I wish that we can always stay this way,” I said when Mami and Tomomi successfully reach me.