Whispers of Fading Roses

1 -Tokyo

Exactly five years ago, my boyfriend left me.

I won't specify in what way, whether it's because he passed away or he abandoned me, but in either case, the pain and sorrow I felt were unbearable. Add to that the stifling pity from family and friends, and I was on the verge of breaking down.

That's why on an April morning, on a whim, I decided to leave for a few days to the other side of the globe, to Japan, with just a suitcase and my dog Luna.

There, I had an encounter that still haunts me to this day...

I went to the beach at Kasai Rinkai Park, on the shores of Tokyo Bay. It was late in the evening, and I walked alone on the sand, barefoot, with my dog running around me. I could smell the scent and hear the sound of waves crashing at my feet. On the horizon, the sun was setting, and the sky was lit with golden, red, and pink hues. The wind gently picked up and brought cherry blossom petals dancing in the breeze from afar. The enchanting scene was so cliché that it resembled those you see in movies.

Gradually, as stars appeared in the sky, the full moon rose, and looking at it, I thought I couldn't have found a better name for my dog. I picked her up after she stopped running to rub against my legs, and I continued walking.

After a while, I began to hear the distinct and gentle sound of a wind instrument, and as I approached the source of the music, I saw a young man of my age playing the flute. I sat beside him and listened to him play for a long time, closing my eyes.

When he finished playing, he let go of his flute and took a photo on a crown of woven roses placed beside him. In that photo, there was a portrait of a Japanese girl, smiling, with her arm around the boy next to me. He looked at her, for a long time, very long, then he tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

I saw a tear - just one - roll down his cheek.

Suddenly, he looked up at me, as if he had just become aware of my presence, and stared at me for three long seconds that seemed like an eternity. Then, he spoke:

- Losing the person you love is the worst thing in the world, he said in a soft, weak voice. After that, you don't live, you survive... it's different.

- Sometimes, it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, I replied, referring to my own life.

Those were the only words we exchanged, after which, he stood up, the crown with the photo in his hands, and walked towards the sea. The roses emitted a mesmerizing fragrance. I took his flute and followed him, near the water, Luna trotting behind us. When we reached where the waves began to lick at our ankles, he stopped.

He closed his eyes, murmured a prayer in Japanese, and slowly pushed the crown into the sea.

I too closed my eyes, still holding his flute, lulled by the sound of the waves, and when I opened them again, the crown had long disappeared into the waves.

I turned to the boy, but I didn't see him, and I never saw him again.

I only heard the echo of his last words that will resonate in me forever: "It's better to die of love than to live without it."

The next day, I learned from the news that the body of a young man had been found washed ashore on the beach, after he drowned in the sea. His death followed the one of his girlfriend a few days earlier...

« Love is a rose, each petal an illusion, each thorn a reality. When the flower loses its petals, only the thorns persist. »