Patch of Flowers

Peaches

There used to be a nice lady who lived down my street. 408 Crumley Street was her adress. She would always wave at me walking to school. Id lived with my parents who were never there when i came home from school. They were often busy with work and i were used to it by then. Ever since we'd moved i hadnt really gotten the chance of making friends. Perks of moving in the middle of the school year. So instead of hanging out with people my age i would hang out with her. Her name was or atleast what she had told me was Peaches. Everyday afterschool for an hour me and Peaches would sit on her porch drawing. I would ussually try out different things while Peaches would always draw they same patch of flowers that grew in her front yard. I used to ask why to which she would answer, "Dont they look nice? Why shouldn't i capture their beauty?" To which she'd always chuckle to herself while pinching my cheek and calling me deary. I didnt hate it but i didnt ask her why she always drew the patch of flowers much more either. It was one stormy day that ruined everything. I dont really remember everything that happened but i do know it was bad. They said it was a bad fall. No one knew untill her husband had gotten home and it had gotten severe. Before i knew anything i would sit on her doorstep alone wondering where she was. And after a day or 2 id cry drawing her a patch of flowers. It was the only thing i had to keep me connected to her. Untill one day id accidentally fallen asleep and her husband came home to find me on his porch. Except he wasnt angry at me. Atleast untill he'd noticed all the flowers id drawn for her. My parents wouldnt be around till 9 but i lied and he agreed to take me to the hospital. It felt like hell waiting outside. He had to say i was his grandson just so id get let in. He'd sat me down before going in. Said that she could barely remember anything before the accident. Sometimes she'd snap out of it and relive the fall but she hadnt remembered what her house looked like or where her house was. I took a deep breath happy to see that she was okay. Something was just wrong. I looked into her eyes and they didnt recognize me anymore. They didnt light up or soften like they used to. I kinda wished that i could go back and ask her why she drew those flowers a couple more times just to see the look in her eyes. Or hear her chuckle. Any recognition of our time together would have brought me to tears. My hands shook as i greeted her and her husband introduced us to each other. It were as if we were strangers. But we weren't and it wasnt her fault if she beleived it. Me and her husband were surprised when she said, "Youre the boy who walks to school every morning?" My eyes spread wide and I gripped at the zipper on my jacket tightly almost yelling, "Yea do you remember me?" She chuckled to herself and i relaxed a bit but it were short-lived as her words shattered me. "Yes, but not much. Ive never really met you. Just waved. Nice of you to visit me." I wanted to leave. I couldnt face her like this. Not as this...this...stranger. What about our time together? What about the- My mind trailed off into an inescapable abyss but her husbands stern words shook me to my core,"Boy, shes talking to ya." I was holding my jacket so tightly i couldve swore it were ripping. I looked at Peaches calming myself hoping she wouldnt feel guilty if she knew shed forgotten me. "You should come back tommorow. At 5 o clock. I want to surprise you with a little present. For caring about me." I was shocked by her request but i wasnt gonna let it show. I managed to accept her proposal and her husband agreed to pick me up after school. So the next morning i was chipper saying hi to my parents and rushing out of the house down the street. I sat through the entire school day only being able to focus on the end. It felt like something was purposely slowing down time. I forgot to check the weather and a storm started to drizzle as i nearly skipped home. My skip turned to a jog as the drizzle turned to a light rain and i sprinted or slipped down the street as it turned into a full blown storm. I could barely see through it and it was about an inch of rain water splashin beneath my feet and soaking my shoes.  Nothing was going to stop me though. I turned the corner on my street blinking rainwater from my eyes as it shot down onto my body. I saw the man waiting for me on the doorstep. But it was weird. The front door were open and he sat on the porch steps in the rain. I called out to him but he couldnt here me. The rain that once pelleted my body suddenly stopped as i felt hands on my shoulders. I looked up to see my parents as the rushed me down the street into our home. The yelled at me for stopping in the middle of the rain and told me i shouldve come straight home. Theyd called in so they could stay home to check on how i was doing in school and if i was doing alright. I couldnt get mad at them but if i told them i were upset i wouldnt be able to tell them why. It would ruin my chances of seeing Peaches at the hospital. But we were supposed to do something today? I just ran upstairs and cried as i lay down thinking about what Peaches were thinking of me not showing up. It got better the next day though. I figured since it were the weekend i could just rush on over to her house. So, after my parents left that was exactly what i did. I knocked on the door repeatedly to know answer for a while. I looked around to see if hed left a note for me. There was a letter in the seat where Peaches would sit every morning till evening. And it were addressed to...me? I tore it open expecting to see that he were out for groceries or couldnt take me to see peaches today for some odd old person reason. I tore open the envelope reading the paper aloud. A mistake on my part.

*Dear Boy,

Peaches is gone. She passed yesterday at about 4:25. I didnt know how to tell you so i sat on the steps waiting for ya. At first i had been waiting for you to get here but after a few minutes of waiting id gotten the news. I couldnt handle it myself. She was my Peaches and she'll always be just that. But she did leave you something. I left it under the doormat along with the key. I dont really understand what its supposed to mean but she said she had a feeling you would. I guess im avoiding the inevitable with this. I miss her so damn much. Already my old withered heart cant handle it. Im sorry to dump the news on you like this. Hopefully you handle the news far better than i-

I couldnt keep reading. My tears had caused whatever was left to be blurred and illegible. My entire aura dropped immensly and i moved sluggishly. Swaying as my eyes were puffy. I had no reason to hide my tears letting them pour from my eyes freely constantly wiping them away. I picked up the doormat tossing it aside. I watched the doormat hit the porch railing before looking back to what were below it. My eyes widened as I saw what Peaches had left me. It were a drawing. A perfect drawing of the same old patch of flowers. I heard a thump from inside and i instinctevly picked up the key unlocking the door. Something stopped the door but i could see there wasnt any lock blocking it. And thats when i saw him. Laying on the ground right infront of the door. Still. And i reached down to move him....but...he was cold. I cant remember how terribly my voice were shaking over the line to 911 but I know I'll never forget that damned Patch of Flowers.