Sakura House Vol. 1

Chapter 1: The Old Man's Gifts

        Around 3:30 in the afternoon, as I lay there in my bed, just starring at my ceiling, I heard my phone go off, telling me i had a message on Faceblog; I picked up my phone and looked at the message, it read:

        "Hey Simon, it's me, Maria. Could you please come meet me at the park? I'd like to tell you something."

        As I read the message, my eyes widened with joy, as I sent a reply stating I'd be there as fast as I could! I sprang up from my bed, got my shoes on, and ran out my front door. The park she was talking about was only a few blocks away from my house, so i saw no need to take my car, but i did run the entire way. When I got to the park, I looked around frantically for Maria, I was so excited to see her again after nearly half a year. I soon spotted her on a bench a little ways away, so I ran right over to her. I wanted to just hug her instantly, but sitting right next to her, was her boyfriend.

        "Maria! I'm so glad to see you again! How have you been? There's so much I want to talk with you about!" I said excitedly.

        Maria was quiet for a while. Something felt off about the situation, the air felt heavy and somewhat suffocating. Then, Maria said something I will never forget:

        "Simon, I don't need you anymore."

        Standing there, mind suddenly blank, I hesitantly asked her to repeat what she said. She then spoke thus:

        "I said, Simon, I don't need you anymore. You were a big help with my depression, I wont say you weren't, but I'm with my boyfriend now, and he helps me with everything and anything I need. I'm sorry, but this is goodbye."

        Maria and her boyfriend began to walk off, and I just stood there, with my face frozen in shock. In an instant I was feeling so many emotions; sadness, anger, depression. I am someone who is not able to cry easily, not sure why, but in that moment, as I watched Maria and her boyfriend walk off, I felt tears falling down my face, I clenched my fists and shouted:

        "MARIA!!! I LOVED YOU!!!" I then began running in the opposite direction, tears flooding down my cheeks, not knowing where I was going. I didn't care, I just wanted to get away from there.

        By the time I started to calm down, but still sobbing, the sun had set. I was next to a river, I knew exactly where I was, this river ran just a few miles from my house. I would frequently come here in order to relax, read a book, or just take a relaxing nap on the grassy hill just behind me. I sat down on a big rock that was nearby, and just watched the water flow on by.

        "I wish I could go to another world." I sighed. "Like an anime world, so I could restart my life in a world that isn't full of unfair bullshit like this!"

        As I sat there for a couple minutes, I began to sarcastically laugh, "Yeah right...there I go wishing life could be like an anime again. Special powers and things like that can never exist in this world...it's too boring...so if anything I wish I could move to a different country."

        "Oho! You seem to be having quite a tough time!"

        "Whoa!" I jumped off the rock from the sudden voice. I looked down to see a short old man. "Who are you?" I said with a slight disdain.

        "Who I am is really of no importance." The old man spoke. "I'm merely here to help you out young man."

        This old man was very strange in appearance. He looked like something I've seen in a video game, with massive eyebrows that covered his eyes, a big white beard that covered his mouth, even when talking, and overall, his clothes and walking stick just screamed, "Village Elder in Video Games."

        "Help me how? What could you possibly do to help me you senile old goat!" The way I was speaking was only because of my depression, normally I would never speak to my elders like that.

        The old man hopped onto the rock I was previously sitting on, and beckoned me to eye level with him, I proceeded to do so. WHACK!!! He hit me hard in the head with his walking stick!

        "OW!! What the hell you old bastard!" I shouted rubbing my head.

        "Listen to me sonny, I may seem like just an ordinary old man to you, but I'll have you know, that I can grant you the wishes you desire!"

        "Oh yeah!? Do you think I'll just believe you? And even if you could, what would the catch be?! There's no way something like that could, realistically, be catch free!"

        "There really is no catch. I am what you youngsters would call a "wish granting spirit." I grant the wishes of those who know true sadness. I know that you have felt it in the past, and now reached the breaking point. So I shall grant you these three powers." The old man proceeded to wave his stick around, and I was enveloped in a strange light.

        "The three powers I have gifted to you are thus: The ability to manifest any amount of money you may ever need, the power to fully make use of any language your heart desires, and lastly, I've raised your luck quite a substantial amount. So you could be considered the luckiest man on Earth."

        I was slightly unsure if what he said was true, so I started looking around, and I noticed some graffiti of the side of the bridge, it was in Japanese, and I never knew what it said, but now, I realized it said something along the lines of what seemed like an advertisement, which was weird. After reading that, I knew he was telling the truth.

        "Thank you Old Ma-" I looked back where he was, but he was gone. I looked up and shouted to the sky, "THANK YOU!!!" I then started to run home when I noticed some people on the sidewalk starring at me with weird looks.

        As soon as I walked into my house, I quickly went to my computer, and started looking for plane ticket prices and even trying out my new language ability. I found the flight ticket I wanted with no problem, so my luck was amazing. I then proceeded to try out the money trick, due to being unemployed at the moment, all because no one would hire me, which was a bunch of bull crap, I knew i had only maybe three dollars in my back account. I used to have a job, but not anymore. So before I did anything about the plane ticket, I ran to the nearby corner store, and tried manipulating some money into my back account, I then checked my balance and found, for sure, well over $1,000 in my bank account!

        I ran back home, made the ticket purchase, and marked my calendar for 2 weeks from today, that day is the day I would leave America, and go to Japan!