"Joseph wait!"
"Haha! Come catch me Claude!"
Jospeh Desaulniers ran across the open field, his twin brother was behind, trying to catch his breath. The other was happily jumping around the flower patch.
"Claude look! Dandelions!"
The other had finally caught up to his twin, out of breath. He clutched at his chest, wheezing as sweat slipped down his forehead. He looked up at Joseph, still bright and cheerful, clutching a handful of dandelions.
"Here, you take some!"
He shoved the dandelions into Claude's hands.
"Now we make a wish and release them to the sky. Close your eyes Claude. I promise I won't throw the seeds in your hair!"
The determination on Joseph's face made Claude chuckle a little as he closed his eyes. Joseph already had his eyes squeezed shut, cheeks puffed up. Claude held the dandelions close to his chest, and made his usual wish.
I wish for Joseph to have eternal happiness, and have all the good luck he could ever have come in his life.
He opened his eyes. Joseph opened his as well. They both looked up to the skies and let the winds carry the seeds away into the horizon while hoping their wishes would come true. They went back to the game of tag they were playing, and wouldn't go back to the brick confinement of a home until their mother came to call them in.
Everything was cheerful and fun.
Until eventually Claude fell ill. They had to move closer to the city to Claude could have easier access to hospitals. That was the last Joseph ever saw of the field of dandelions. Claude had to be kept in his room everyday, and Joseph only ever saw him when his mother sent him to give Claude his daily three meals. Although Claude always apologised to Joseph for that, the younger twin never resented him.
In fact, he enjoyed every moment he could snatch to spend time with his ill brother. Claude hated himself for so long because of his illness. He had seen the sadness in Joseph's eyes the day they had to move out. They would never get to play together in the fields again, and the dandelions would take over the whole area since they would never get to pick any.
"I'm so sorry Joseph... I'm so sorry..."
He would constantly whisper to Joseph when he brought up his meals. Tears would always brim in his eyes as Joseph panicked, trying to find a way to comfort him. Then there were days Joseph came back from school without any homework, and he would go up to Claude's room to play. They would have a good time until Claude got too tired and fell asleep.
There was that time when Claude fell asleep and never woke up for two days. His parents rushed him to the hospital. Joseph remembered sitting in the cold waiting room, trying not to cry in front of his parents. He'd tripped and fallen, but held back his tears when he went to see Claude. He'd felt so shocked when he saw his brother's pale complexion, and had heard his mother gasp when the doctors said Claude had to stay in the hospital for time-being so they could monitor his health condition.
"I'm fine you dumb kid... Now stop crying..."
Claude had whispered, pinching Joseph's cheek lightly. The other male burst into tears, leaning on the bed railing. From that day on, he rarely got to see Claude. He would spend days alone in his own room, staring out of the window into the city where Claude lay. The boredom always got to him, leading him to space out a lot. He would dream about the days he spent in the fields with Claude, releasing dandelion seeds to the winds.
On that gloomy day of Claude's passing, Joseph had launched himself at Claude, crying and begging him not to go.
"Claude you can't leave me like this! This has to be a prank right?! Y-You're just mad at all the times I pranked you! I swear I won't ever do it again please! Please tell me this is just a joke..."
He wiped his eyes and took a deep breath.
"What happened to your promise?! You said we would go back to the dandelion fields and release the seeds this year you said you would! You s-said you would... You promised Claude..."
His parents were standing behind him. His mother was crying into his father's shoulder as they let their son have his last words with Claude. It took all of Claude's energy to lift his hand and place it on Joseph's cheek.
"Since I'm leaving..."
"Claude!"
"Listen to me... Every time we cast the dandelion seeds... I wish for the same thing... For you to be happy..."
He smiled through pale lips as he wiped Joseph's tears away with his thumb. He felt his own tears fall onto the pillow behind his head.
"Please don't let me down... Let my wish come true, please Joseph..."
His pulse was slowing down, and he knew very well he didn't have much time left.
"Joseph please swear to me!.. Swear that you will live a happy life for me!.."
"Claude-"
"Joseph please!"
"I promise!! I swear I will I swear!"
Claude closed his eyes and smiled, nodding slightly.
"Good... good..."
He fell silent, eyes closed and his lips frozen in a smile.
"Claude...? Claude? Claude! CLAUDE!!!"
A scream tore through Joseph's throat as he hugged his dead twin's cold body in his arms, sobbing into his hospital gown. The doctors tried to console, to get him off Claude's body so they pull the sheets over. But he refused to let go. He couldn't bring himself to part from his twin brother, even if he was now in a place Joseph could no longer reach.
He cried out for Claude, still begging him to stay even though he knew just as well that he would never get to hear Claude's laugh ever again. They would never run through the fields, laughing and screaming. The dandelions would remain there until they wilted and grew back, but the seeds would never be cast out to the winds again. They would never share bedtime horror stories ever again. He would never enjoy the warmth of Claude's hugs when he felt sad.
The day before Claude Desaulniers' funeral, Joseph went back to the field and gathered a whole bunch of dandelions. It was quiet, the breeze whistling in his ears softly as he walked into a small clearing the twins used to make their wishes. He closed his eyes and released the dandelions. The breeze felt cool against his cheeks, wet from tears.
"I hope you are in a better place now Claude... And I swear to keep my promise, till the day I die."
