Cherry Blossoms and You

Chapter 8: Runaway

Tiffany's POV

    I look down at my toes and see the raindrops start to fall on my shoes. I can't look at the black coffin in front of me, and it's not just because it was just too painful to watch, but because I saw enough that I never had the strength to look any longer. My head never seemed to make a move that day. I was practically frozen into the same position. I had stared down long enough to remember the long slippery road I walked on that one rainy afternoon.

I stood there lifelessly, locked into the same position, while I could only hear the silent sobs of my brother, sister, and dad. Not one tear, however, shed from my face I just couldn't feel a thing.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in honor of Mrs. Hwang, who was a beautiful woman, and amazing mother to her children..." The man began, while I trailed off into my own deep thoughts, wanting so badly to just leave.

After some more time passed, and all the eulogies have been said, it was time to bury the coffin. I decide to finally left up my head just a little bit to see the coffin being carried away into a large white limo which was decorated with white roses and my mom's favorite, cherry blossoms, which  were scattered all over the limo and on the trunk.

My mom always said how much she wanted to see the cherry blossoms in person, but we didn't have the money to do so. So when she died, I vowed to myself that I will someday see the cherry blossoms in person like she wanted to, just for her.

Eulogy after eulogy, it was finally time for mine, but my feet didn't dare move an inch, and the paper was still clutched in my hands, but I had to.

I went up, and began reading.

"Fellow friends, siblings, and dearest family members. I've written this special eulogy for my mother, and only for her." I began reading, making everyone listen intently to what I was about to say next.

"She was like my best friend, of course that's what everyone who loved their mother deeply would say. She may embarrass me at times, she may nag, but she was still my mother, and that was what every mother does." I glance over to my father who was about to burst into tears soon, it was a painful sight, but I couldn't care less and I kept reading.

"She always gave me the best advice, and always told me to live my life how I wanted. She always said that I had the right to choose my career, my destiny, the friends I make, and especially, my true love. I'm not sure if I'll ever find my own true love, but I'm sure of my career and destiny, and that's why..." I take a deep breath as my tears start falling down my cheek.

"I plan to run away. I'm sorry, but I just can't keep living in the past. I want to move on, I want to start seeing the world, I want to see if what my mother says is true, that the world is truly a beautiful place and that maybe there is someone out there waiting for me... I just know it. So, I Tiffany Hwang, will depart soon. I'm so sorry Leo, Michelle, and Dad."

"Stephanie," my dad mumbled under his shaky breath, but I didn't think one bit of it, I needed to run away, I had to.

"I'm... I'm sorry." I run off, causing everyone to shout out for me to come back, and my father to go hysterical while Leo and Michelle held him back crying. God, it was so torturous, but I needed to do this, I just knew that deep down in my heart I needed to start pursuing what I wanted to do... And right now.

I made it to my house and bursted in through the door. I ran up the stairs to take the luggage I had already packed the night before, changed quickly into my comfortable clothes and took my oversized coat, then headed outside running to the nearest bus station in the pouring rain. Tears fell one by one colliding with the rain, through each step, but I kept on running and running until I finally made it to the bus station.