Spring Writes Stuff

39. Presence

Kubo always disappears on this day each year. Agatha didn't mind it as much when they weren't close, but as the time went on, the more she got curious about why he does this.

"He tells no one about it." She can still hear Winnie's voice telling her those words as they ate their school lunch earlier.

Agatha can faintly imagine the funny looks they're giving her, and she remembers shaking her head at that moment, simply remaining silent.

She sits through the rest of her classes in silence, wondering where he's been, or what he's doing at the moment.

It couldn't have been caused by him catching any sickness. It's impossible to get sick on the same day every year.

"Ms. Prenderghast?" Mr. Hopkins calls for her, and she momentarily snaps out of her thoughts. "Are you still paying attention?" He asks.

Agatha looks over the board full of sentences. The word "by choice" is highlighted with two lines drawn by the chalk, and a bulb of light sparks in her head.

"Yes, sir," Agatha says in a gentle voice as she nods her head. The only explanation that makes sense for his yearly absence is if he's intentionally going out. She smiles at the thought.

As the dismissal bell rings through the halls of the school, Agatha walks to the History class where Norman and Neil are suppose to take their last class for the day.

"Hey Aggie!" Neil waves his hand.

"Hi Neil," she greets back to him, "I'm guessing Norman's getting another beating from Mrs. Hencher, isn't he?"

"Tell me about it," Neil rolls his eyes while crossing his arms.

"You still stink of illiteracy, Mr. Babcock!" A strong female voice shouts from inside the room.

Agatha blinks as she stares with a blank expression on her face.

"I don't know what else to tell you, Aggie," Neil scoffs, "but we should wait for him here. He's going to take a while."

"About that," Agatha looks away from Neil's gaze, "can I go home without you guys?"

"So," Neil frowns, "you're not going to join us?"

"I have extra homework to do," she lies, hoping that Neil won't notice.

"Well, alright," Neil says, his frown flipping upside down. "Make sure you stay safe on the way, Aggie."

"Thank you!"

Agatha left the school without another word, having one thing focused in her mind; she needs to go to Kubo's house if she wants to know where he went.

She can clearly recall the first time they went to his house. They simply walked on the way, talking about everything but the math project they were supposed to do once they got there.

Agatha laughs at that memory, realizing that she did appreciate having him around before she started liking him in general.

She almost didn't recognize the front yard to his oak wood house, where rows and rows of flowers bloom on the bed of grass, with an old woman watering them.

"Hello, miss!" Agatha says in a loud voice. The old woman looks over to her voice with a smile and stops watering the flowers, before slowly walking to her.

"Hello, young lady," the old woman greets her, "how can I help you?"

"Miss, has Kubo been around here lately?" Agatha asks as she stops in her footsteps.

"Are you one of his friends?" The old woman asks with a gasp.

"Yes," Agatha nods with a grin, "do you know where he's been miss? We didn't see him all day in our school."

"He's at the city graveyard," the old woman tells her, and Agatha feels her heart sinking to the ground. She stands there in silence for a bit as she connects the pieces in her head.

That's why he's not around in this day every year. She contemplates in her head, thinking about how personal this day must've been for him.

"If you want to go accompany him in there, its best you only offer your presence, young lady," the old woman says in a calm voice before watering the flowers once again.

Agatha considers the old woman's words, before giving her a smile. "Thank you, miss," she replies, as she starts walking away from Kubo's house.

• • •

Agatha arrives by the graveyard, trying to find any hint of a red-coated figure amongst the graves. 

As she walks farther and farther into the graveyard, she comes across a section she hasn't heard of before.

She didn't know that a river resides inside the city's graveyard, and she didn't expect to find Kubo standing by that same riverside, just in front of a grave that rests below a tall tree.

Agatha walks as quietly as she can towards Kubo, for there's a high chance of him getting mad at her for even coming here.

She's hoping that he'd notice her getting closer, but instead she's met with his unmoving figure, his one eye locked onto the grave.

Agatha's thick brows knitted tightly in concern, seeing how Kubo's lips is set in a thin line as he stares to the ground with an unreadable expression on his face.

Her mind takes over her body as she places a hand on his shoulder, making him quickly turn his head to the side with a quiet gasp.

"Aggie? What are you doing here?" Kubo asks her, "who told you where I was?"

Agatha simply looks at him without uttering another word for some time. Offer your presence, the old lady's voice echoes in her head. She gives him a weak smile at that thought.

Kubo opens his mouth to say something, before deciding against it. His eye looks back to the grave below the tree, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I didn't want anyone to worry," he tells her, his lips quivering as he looks at her briefly. "I didn't want anyone to see me like this," his voice shakes as he says those words.

Agatha keeps her mouth shut, with her hand never leaving his shoulder as she stares at the gravestone.

"I don't normally talk about this, even to close friends," Kubo sniffs, "but I really miss my parents."

"A lot," he pauses in his words as he runs his arm across his face, before letting out a deep breath. Kubo shakes his head, gulping down the knot on his throat.

"It's been so long," his voice cracks as he speaks, but Agatha didn't mind one bit.

"And I still need them," his words came like a sob, so he clears his throat, letting out another deep breath off his chest.

Agatha now understands why Kubo didn't want anyone to know where he was, for years he's been visiting every year alone, and the thought made her heart sink even more.

"How long have you been here, Kubo?" She asks him in a careful tone.

"I was here since lunch," Kubo answers with a sigh, making Agatha look at him with concern.

"Have you eaten?" She asks him without thinking. He looks at her with a smirk.

"Of course I did," he laughs, "I don't self sabotage myself, my parents wouldn't want that for me."

Their gaze returns to the gravestone in front of them. The leaves fell down from the trees around the place as silence dawns over them once again.

"I thought you'd get mad at me for coming here without you knowing," she tells him after a while, as the sun sets from the horizon.

"I was," Kubo chuckles, "but I didn't know that it feels good, sharing that to another person," he says, looking at her with a small smile.

Agatha's gaze lands on him, returning his smile with one of her own.

"I thought no one would go looking for me, but you did," Kubo says, placing a hand on top of hers that rest on his shoulder.

"Thank you."