Friendship and the Four Seasons: Autumn

Autumn Book- Let's FALL together!, Chapter 34

Chapter 34- Saying No

“You sure you want us to stay here? We can stay inside you know…” Krishia offered.

It was the 27th day of November already and the cold breeze was lingering at the open backyard of the Reds. The big Sugar Maple Tree was so magnificent for the past weeks with its grandiose orange red color. But now almost all of its leaves had fallen and the scattering brown, orange red and dried leaves covered the sleeping Bermuda grass.

Winter season was fast approaching and it was as if its wintry wings and icy tongue flied away and whispered to Krishia’s ears its heralding news of its once more coming months of reign.

“I’m sure. Your backyard brings back good old memories.” Drake smiled as his eyes were wandering around all over the garden.

“Does it?” Krishia smiled back.

Memories that were too good… they needed to be forgotten for her to live on a new normal child life, she pondered, inhaled and exhaled deeply after.

“Is our mini ocean still alive?” Drake hopefully asked Krishia. He was referring to the kiddie pool they used to pump up during their summers together.

“I’m afraid to say that it passed away way back years ago. Donkey murdered it to strips… He’s my first pet dog. Sorry.” Krishia answered guiltily.

It was true Donkey did murder it to strips but Krishia was the master mind of the merciless slaughter. Feeling all bitter and melancholy during the first summer without her Drakey-akie, she got the ‘mini ocean’, as they named it, from the garden shed and gave it to Donkey to play and gnaw with.

Donkey, her first ever cute hairy brown Chihuahua who had donkey-like ears, was a so-called ‘Drakey-akie replacement project’. Krishia wouldn’t stop crying before and her jolliness as a child vanished after Drake left their town so Mr. and Mrs. Red thought a pet dog would stop her longing. But Donkey never ever superseded Krishia’s friendship for her Drakey-akie but somehow Donkey made her smile after weeks of wailing.

“Oh! What a terrible way to die.” Drake’s voice sounded sad.

“Don’t worry I avenged for it.” But she never really did.

Krishia walked over to the bench in front of an inoperative small-sized fountain with a moulded swan figure on the top middle. Drake followed her steps and they both sat together.

“I don’t remember that as a swan before? I’m sure it was a naked angel peeing that was on that fountain.” Drake observed as he was looking at the fountain.

“Oh yeah, my mom had it replaced after I knocked his thing out with a baseball.” Krishia chuckled as she remembered what had happened that day.

“You must have batted it pretty hard!” Drake joined her in her laughter.

“You bet.” She answered him offhandedly while she swayed her feet to and fro causing some leaves to be coasted from where they had peacefully lain.

“Assessing from your laugh, I guess you had an awesome life after we moved away.” Drake commented and looked at her for an answer.

“Of course. I mean not that I was happy that you moved away. But you live life as you choose how to live it, right… and I chose to live it with a bright smile.” Krishia beamed at him.

Although Drakey-akie’s departure caused her a distressing heartache as a child, she had managed to positively push herself up…but sadly…it entailed to leave Drakey-akie as a bittersweet memory she had to suppress and forget.