Evanescent Dreams

3. That Spring Morning

On a pleasantly sunny morning seven years ago, nine year old Lin Xingren did not go on her school bus. 

After waving goodbye to her mother at the door, Lin Xingren turned away from the direction of the bus stop and marched nonstop to the playground nearby her compound. 

Aside from a few pedestrians treading across the playground, the setting was very calm. Lin Xingren threw her backpack on the sand and flopped on one of the swings,  kicking her legs through the sand to swing herself high. 

The seat felt warm on her polka dot leggings underneath her uniform skirt. Since it'd been a long time since the playground was last cared for, the handles of the swing were rusty, and a sharp sound came out whenever the swing goes up into the air. 

"Let it go, let it go, can't hold it back anymooree..."

Lin Xingren sang at the top of her voice until her throat hurt and she lost her voice.

*sniffle sniffle*

Lin Xingren stopped her swing and turned around. Sitting there on the long bench behind the swing was Ye Zhen, eyes swollen from crying and in the midst of running away from home. 9 year old Ye Zhen was a stubby little boy wearing a orange T-shirt saying "dinosaur adventure" and loose trousers. 

Feeling sympathetic towards this boy, Lin Xingren dropped from her Swing and sat down next to him on the bench. 

"Don't cry, I'll let you use my swing."

Ye Zhen raised his head to see a girl with two huge bright pink hair clips wearing a saggy blue school uniform.

"Who are you? Stop looking at me."

Ye Zhen rubbed away his sticky tears with his hands. 

"I'm Lin Xingren, you crybaby. I'm giving my swing to you."

Lin Xingren made a bossy, big-sister smile to Ye Zhen, thinking she had finally become such a generous and kind person. 

"Mind your own business."

Lin Xingren and Ye Zhen were obviously not on the same wavelength.

"What do you mean? It's not like I wanna play with you. I-I'll never play with you even if I have no friends!"Lin Xingren hollered, flushing profusely. 

Lin Xingren stood up and treaded back towards the swings. Having walked just a few steps, a gust of chilly wind blew over and gently caressed Lin Xingren's heat-up emotions. Her hair slid to the front and floated on her face like the curtains of an open window.

The gust of wind melted Lin Xingren's temper into the tears that welled up in her eyes. She slowly turned back and sat down again next to Ye Zhen. 

"Sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm just like this. The more I speak, the weirder I am."

Ye Zhen looked at her and suddenly laughed out loud. 

"Are you a ghost?"

"Ah," Lin Xingren smiled and pulled her hair back. 

The two sat there gazing at the clouds, the sand, the sheltering trees, calming their multitude of agonizing emotions. 

"What's your name?" Lin Xingren broke the silence.

"Ye Zhen. The 'Zhen' from hazelnut." 

"What!? Your 'Zhen' is really hazelnut's Zhen?"

Ye Zhen nodded, lightly smiling. 

"My 'Xingren' is also the almond 'Xingren'. Seems like we're both from the nut family. "

"Stop that, " Ye Zhen chuckled.