Lenku one-shot stories by Shirai Hisaishi (orphic saudade)

A Cemetery Fling

A Cemetery Fling

The trees rustled as the soft wind blew. Daisies stood on vases, waving every passerby a hello. However, nobody was there to begin with, so the daisies' greetings were in vain. In the silence of the day, someone left a trail on the green grasses of home.

His reserved demeanor fit the place, for he was alone and yet he wasn't. The bundles of daisies he held were placed above the tomb, kissing the lackluster name carved on the marble stone. "On the other side, where the sunshine ends not." The epitaph of the deceased read. His blue hardening stare retired of tears left the sight before him as the rustling of the trees enticed him.

Rose petals flew before him until it dropped on the grave beside his visit. Tall grasses succumbed the grave fenced with thin rusting metal rods. If it weren't because of the tall weeping angel standing overhead of the tomb, the tomb would be lost in memories.

Three long-stemmed roses stood out of the greenness as a lady left them above the tomb. He watched her went out of the fenced tomb and the rustling of the wind was his company left. That was then he decided to depart as of today, with a promise of visiting his friend tomorrow. "I'll be back tomorrow, Gakupo." When he passed by the eerie grave, he saw a small portion of the land unoccupied with grasses.

"Where have you gone, Len?" Upon arriving home, his mother was worried with his absence. "I'm sure that your office hours isn't beyond two in the afternoon."

His keys clattered as it dropped on the glass bowl. Len briefly answered his mom, "I visited Gakupo, mom."

His mother was silent for a minute, but she spoke when he was about to ascend from the stairs. "Just let me know where you go, I'm worried."

His smile didn't reach his lips, it was done mentally as he nodded and turned on his heel. Gakupo was a close friend of Len. They were sworn brothers ever since Len and his family settled in that village. Gakupo was Len's first friend in that place, his best buddy in high school until college. Even after they graduated in college, they worked in the same company. So, it hurt Len most when the news reached him, that Gakupo was involved in an accident, leaving him in coma.

Len spent months visiting Gakupo in the hospital, bringing him flowers and fruits that his best buddy won't even see, touch or taste. Len kept his hopes high that his buddy would wake up sooner, that he would open his eyes and see what Len brought him. Len believed that he would be able to tell Gakupo that he has to pay the flowers and fruits -- that him staying asleep that long wasn't fun.

But Len's hope failed him. He went out of Gakupo's room with Gakupo's girlfriend to buy some lunch, but when they came back, the doors were locked and the comatose friend was dying. The next thing Len remembered was he was standing before a number of weeping people, all dressed in black.

"I don't have much to say," Len said on his eulogy, "the last time Gakupo and I talked, he told me to buy him some time so he could sneak out of the office and date with Luka. So, after this funeral, I'm going to buy a watch." He succeeded making the gloomy audience laugh a little, but even he, himself, didn't sound lighthearted with his own joke. "I'm going to buy an old watch where the times I had spent with Gakupo in the past will not be forgotten -- an old watch so I can always look back in the past where he still lives. Rest in peace buddy."

Len's heart shattered as he stepped out of everyone's eyes, his tears fell perfectly concealed by his golden fringe. That was his good-bye to his dear friend. Flowers dropped as Gakupo was lowered six feet below the living. Wailing people sang the deceased his last soundtrack with tears watering the land. When all is done, Len and Luka were left sitting near his grave, holding fresh daisies that were not sent with the deceased down there. Silence was a mutual understanding between the two, each of them lost someone dear -- a friend and a soulmate. With a weary heart, Luka rose and placed the daisies on a vase and whispered, "flowers for you." Soon, Luka bid Len adieu hours before the dusk. So, Len and the rustling trees were left together. Withered rose petals flew and dropped near his shoes as he heard someone weeping. Three log-stemmed red roses stood out of the greenness on the neighboring grave, a lady was running away.