To save a life

# t h r e e

#3) Get a tattoo of something meaningful to me

'Dammit Bree for the second time,' I say exasperatedly to myself, 'why not something easier!'

I'm pacing back and forth in front of a tattoo parlour contemplating on whether this is a stupid idea or not. Who am I kidding? This is downright insane. I don't want to get a tattoo, it's going to hurt more than watching Jack die in the Titanic. The air conditioning in the mall can't stop me from sweating like a pig.

'You were the daring one not me,' I say quietly. 'Do I have to do this?' I look around me for any sign. Crazy, I know, but when someone wants to find a reason to not do something then even the fluttering of the wind can be taken as a sign to procrastinate and push things further.

People are walking around, talking loudly, unconcerned when they bump into each other. 'Fine,' I sneer to no one, 'I'll do it.' I hastily make my way inside the parlour before I change my mind. The doors shut behind me and I'm instantly greeted with a faint smell of burning chemicals. 'First the hair and now this,' I mutter grumpily

'Sorry dear?' Interrupts a smiling lady. I scan her for any form of ink in her body and I frown when I find nothing. Not to stereotype tattooist or anything but weren't they supposed to have at least one?

'No sorry I was talking to myself,' I mentally smack myself the moment that sentence came out of my mouth. Talking to myself. Totally normal Ruwena. Totally normal.

'Okay?' The lady asks quizzically with a chuckle 'Do you wish to get a tattoo or a piercing? Or do you just want to look around?'

'Umm... I...' she awaits my answer politely as I take in my surroundings. In the far corner of the room, there's a boy who just received a successful lip piercing and is now poking it with his index finger whilst looking into a hand mirror.

'A tattoo please?' I twiddle with my thumbs and continue to survey everything around me. 'You seem a tad bit unsure dear. Do you have anything specific in mind?' She smiles kindly when I tell her no. Then, she requests me to sit down and call her back when I make up my mind.

Hmm... a tattoo of something meaningful. Meaningful to Bree? Well if that were the case then it would be a pizza.

Should it be something meaningful to me since I was the one getting the tattoo?

I settle with neither of the options and decide to think about something that has great importance to the both of us.

A memory started replaying itself. We were both laying down in the grass. The sun was slowly setting, turning the sky into a canvas of red, purple and blue hues. My hands were raised above me forming random shapes and what not, while Bree was humming softly to a song. The both of us were ten years old. My arms were outstretched for so long that they started to ache, so I set them down.

'I wanna go somewhere Aubree,' I say to my best friend with all the seriousness a ten year old could possibly muster. 'But we already are somewhere,' she retorted smartly.

I fixed my gaze on her, 'No like, this is a huge world and the only places we've ever been to apart from home and school is either our tree house or the garden.' She frowned at me not knowing where I was going with my point.

I looked back up at the sky. It was starting to get darker with every second. My hands were raised again. 'I want to travel. Go to places we don't know. Go on an adventure. Not now obviously, but maybe some time when we're older. I want to discover the world we lived in before it's too late and I'm too old. I don't know,' I said shrugging, 'it sounds stupid but I would like it.'

Bree giggled and then outstretched her hands and clasped mine. 'That sounds like a wonderful idea. Don't worry. You will. We will.'

'Darling?' A foreign yet familiar voice interrupts my reverie. It's her, the lady that greeted me when I first stepped in to the shop. 'Have you made up your mind yet?'

I clear my throat, 'Yeah. Yes I have.' Smiling at her I describe exactly what I want and she nods her head in understanding. She sits me down in a recliner chair and tells me to relax. The lump in my throat is more prominent now than ever.

The lady -her name was Daphne, well at least that's what it said on her name card- started putting on rubber gloves and soon there was a buzzing of a machine. The needle made contact with my wrist and I instanly flinched. Daphne's grip on my wrist hardened, 'Stay still honey, if you want this to turn out like what you asked.' I nodded and closed my eyes. Minutes later, I got accustomed to the stinging and I started to relax.

When Daphne was done, she told me that it was safe to open my eyes. I looked at the tattoo and beamed. It was just like how I wanted it. She carefully wrapped my wrist in a white plaster and told me that it needed to be concealed for a few hours. I paid for it and thanked her. Instead of heading directly home, I passed by the library to waste more time.

After a few hours, I was on my bed with Aubree's bucket list in my one hand and a pencil in the other. My eyes were counting the rest of things I had to do. Nine more. Placing the paper and pencil in the table next to me, I carefully unwrapped the plaster.

A tiny version of the world map inked on my skin stood evidently and proudly on my wrist.

'Here's to us Bree. And to the places we'll never go.'