Klexos (Cerpen+Puisi)

Flash Fiction - Nella Neva

A simple and shallow story behind my Wattpad username: Nellaneva. Created back then in 2012.

If she was asked about any precious and unforgettable winter memories, Neva would tell a dream. There was this one dream she had exactly on winter, five years ago. That night was really peaceful. Before she went sleeping, Neva and her family gathered in their house's porch. It was their habit to sit on the bench in porch while watching the first snow fall every early winter. Cups of hot chocolate were always around to warm them.

Neva always loved winter. Her parents told that her name, Neva, means snow. Indeed, she was born in winter when snow fell heavily and temperature got really cold. It was a really beautiful scenery though, said Neva's mother, because she got to see her new born baby's face as pure as snow. Therefore, she named her baby Neva.

You were as beautiful as winter, so was your big sister as beautiful as Summer, and your little sister as beautiful as Autumn, her mother once told Neva. Being told so, Neva started to like her name more and more since her name was not the common one, and that was why she always loved winter.

    That night, after drinking a cup of hot chocolate, Neva and her sisters went upstairs to bed. Their parents kissed them goodnight after telling a story about Jack Frost The Snowman. It was one of Neva's favorite tales because it described her name, snow, and magic in winter. Neva, who did not get asleep soon like Summer and Autumn, stared the starry winter sky through the window and watched every drop of snow. How she admired snow, truly. How she wanted to catch and collect it all in a treasure box. Slowly, she got asleep between her sisters and then this dream came.

    She was standing alone in a land. The land was surrounded by trees with pink flowers blossoming on the branches. The petals were falling as they were blown by the wind. The sky was light orange. It seemed like an evening sky when the sun was about to set. The clouds were up there in the sky; still and unmoved.

Neva started to walk and explore the land. She looked around, but nothing else was there except trees and flowers. All trees were in the same size --medium height about four to five meters. Until she found a tree looking different from others. It was much taller and bigger. The color was dark brown. The shape of the tree was ridiculous. It had two big branches, each on the right and left side of the stem. They seemed like reaching hands. Besides a pair of big branches, there were smaller branches on the top of the tree; forming hair-like view. The tree did not have pink petals. Instead it had dense dark green leaves on its branches. The tree looked old, yet mighty and sturdy. Even stranger, the tree reminded her of an old man.

Neva continued walking with full curiosity. Neva looked around again and, in front of her, she saw a young man. Right there, only few steps from her, the man stood calmly between the trees and the falling pink petals. Neva did not know whether he was there from the beginning or just recently appeared. The man had black hair and tall figure. He wore black suit and shoes of the same color. He did not move even for an inch. He was looking straight to Neva. Neva looked back at the man; surprised by his appearance and end up admiring him. He was charming. Little Neva stood still. She was amazed to see such a stunning person. He did not smile nor grin, yet his face expression looked soft and welcoming. Neva could not help blushing.

No words spoken between both of them. They were just gazing into each other in the middle of the falling pretty pink petals. It happened for quite long time. Then, all of sudden, strong wind blew and the petals fell heavily, blocking Neva's sight. Neva ran to approach the man, but before she could reach him, she woke up.

The dull sunlight of dawn spread into the bedroom. It was already the peep of day. Neva's sisters were still in their sleep. Neva got up and recalled her dream. It felt so real. Somehow it had magical nuance too. The wind, the petals, the man.... That man. She had never seen such an elegance before. Who might that person be? Was he only a random man? Neva kept questioning. One thing for sure, she was really enchanted to have that dream. Since that day, she always hoped to see that man again in her dream, or even better, in reality. But he never showed up. That man took her heart but never returned to give it back. An eleven years old girl just had her very first love. Love at the first sight. Even though she knew it was only a dream, she was faithful. She waited as it was a sign, that the man in her dream was real and somewhere out there to find her.

Days, months, and years passed. Still there was no sign of him. Neva dreamed in her sleep though, many many times, but there were never about him. Sometimes people were scared if someday they became too old too remember everything. Therefore, reluctant to let the memories disappear, Neva drew the scenery of the trees and flowers on a canvas and hung it in her room. She did not draw the man; thinking he was too perfect to be symbolized by simple crayons. The scenery was enough as reminder. It did not resemble the whole part but it was good enough to be praised by her parents. Her sisters said it was pretty good too. None of them ever knew the story behind the picture and Neva chose to keep it only for herself as her little secret.

Until one day, the black haired man came again to meet her.

Only this time, it was for real.