Day 10: The Goodbyes
It was on the tenth day when I saw her again, her familiar brown streaks flowing freely with the wind. And it pains me seeing her smiling when all I ever did was sulk when she left.
It just happened really; I just talked to Kyle and promised that I’ll attend school come Monday. It won’t be good to have many absences especially for a graduating Architecture student such myself. It was a random action really, when all of a sudden I realized I was pedaling my way out of town and towards the place where I once saw Lian.
Maybe it was fate that brought me there or maybe it was just mere coincidence. Some weird instances that the gods want to throw at me just because they’re bored.
I recognized from afar that she cut her hair just a few inches below her shoulder blades. She still looks pretty no matter the hair length. I missed her really. I pulled out the pencil and a piece of paper that I usually take with me. I don’t know why I easily forget things so it helps to jot them down.
From afar I tried drawing her face but even without her sitting there I can still picture perfectly the face I’ve memorized at least about 10 days ago. I’ve never drew a face before, it has always been landscapes. So I tried to draw every detail around her, every single that radiated because she’s there.
When I finished I walked straight to her. This is it Wayland. Now’s your chance. You wouldn’t have a second chance after this. You already ran out of chances without even giving your all.
I leaned my bike at the bike rack and started walking towards her, my drawing clenched tightly in my hands. I loosened my hold a little bit afraid that I might crumple the paper even before reaching her.
I sat beside her without talking, well not beside her literally just at the edge of the bench. I relaxed my back and breathed out. Inhaling the air, inhaling her presence.
“You’re supposed to be in school Aiden Wayland.” She is not looking at me rather she is looking down at her hands. I tried to record and save that one sentence where she mentioned my whole name. I like how she says my name, too bad this will be the last time.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in school too?” Fvck Wayland! And you pretend you don’t know that she quit school??! That’s just sad!
“I stopped.” She answered.
“I know.”
I was about to tell her about the strawberries when all of a sudden she stood up and stopped a guy, I saw a while ago sitting under the sycamore tree. Talking. Yes he was talking to a grave.
“Excuse me, was she your girlfriend?”
Is she curious about this guy right now? Sure he’s handsome and all but seriously… no I can’t think of a better way to ridicule a guy who just lost a girlfriend.
“She still is.” He said.
Lian looked at him in admiration, smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulders, “Ann Llanza, I read her name once while walking pass by. She’s lucky.”
The guy just smiled at her though his eyes showed how much sadness her girlfriend’s death gave him. “No." he paused and then continued, "I was.”
He left. Lian sat back at the bench and looked at me. “You know, there was never a single day that he doesn’t come by and talk to her.” She said looking at a grave under a sycamore tree. “I don’t think it’s ever possible to surpass a love like that.”
Speaking of declarations of love I handed her my drawing. She looked at me confused but I her reaction after she looked at it is undeniably breathtaking.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“So where did you transferred?”
She looked at me and smiled, as if her transferring is something to smile about, “How did you know that?”
“Well here’s the thing Lian…” here it goes, “I was the one leaving you boxes of strawberries.” One confession and the rest has been said.
“I know.”
She said as another smile played at her lips. “That’s how I knew your name. I just saw you place them there and then started sprinting. I actually thought you’d confess when I asked you that one time I saw you near my locker.”
“It was the first time we ever talked.” We both said at the same time. We looked at each other and laughed.
“Can you believe it we’re talking about something that happened just a few days ago? It felt like years to be honest. Like I've known you all my life.”
“Funny really.”
There was really nothing to say, I think that even if I don’t tell her, she already knows that I like her.
“You probably didn’t know this but when I knew that we both ride the same train to and from school I secretly adjusted my time so I’ll see you there everytime. I even waited for you once after your basketball practice.”
Her confession was simple, she just sits there, talking as if what she’s saying is just something girls talk about all the time.
“I know it’s funny why I’m saying this to you now. but seeing that guy visit her girlfriend everyday without fail I just realized how life can be so short and how some things can just happen that can change the course of your fate forever.”
She looks at me and smiled, “Not that I want you dead.”
“Here’s the funny thing Lian. I came here to tell you the same thing.”
She looked at me puzzled.
“You came all the way here just to tell me that life is short?”
“That I like you.”
She then edged closer beside me and placed her hand on top of mine. We sat like that for a while.
“I’m leaving Aiden and I don’t know if I’m ever coming back.”
