The Oak Tree

The Love

Sep.17, 2016

Harry was noiseless today, which is odd since he's always talking. Heather noticed, her eyes kept shifting from the leaves on the ground to Harry's slumped body as he sat against the deciduous tree, the sound of crumbling leaves filling the awkward silence.

After a while, she finally decided to speak up, "So are you going to say something or just keep sulking like that?"

It was a very fatuous way to break the ice but Heather can't be blamed, she never learned how to strike a conversation, she wouldn't be even trying if it wasn't Harry.

Harry is different.

He took a long sigh and said the most unexpected words, "Do you believe in love Heather?"

She blinked "love?"

"Yes, do you believe in love?"

"Uh, I certainly don't," she replied, diverting her eyes to the lustrous starry sky.

Every year it's the same.

He asks if she believes in love, she replies with a no and then the topic is never brought up again. But this year he decided to continue.

"Why don't you believe in love?" The desperation was clear in his voice.

"I never had a reason to believe in it, my parents divorced when I was hardly six, they gave me away to my grandmother whom I had never met before, in a whole new town all on my own and now when I've come to accept my life with grandma, she's going too," she said as if she had memorised the words and kept on telling this to herself everyday.

"It's not the actual reason right?"

Her eyes snapped back to him with a puzzled expression, hoping he would elaborate.

"You don't believe in love because you think no one is truly capable of loving you, your parents left you, your grandmother is doing the same, you have no friends except me.. You don't believe in love because you don't want to believe," the words were bitter in a way, Harry had never said anything like this before.

It was the truth, they both knew it but as hurt flashed over Heather's innocent features, Harry decided to continue with softness in his voice.

"It's better to think that somethings never exist rather than living with the fact you can never have it"

"Why do you believe in it Harry?" She asked just above a whisper.

"Because I have felt it myself"

"Sometimes I wish someone loved me too, you know?

A ghost of a smile spread across his face, it wasn't a happy one, it was a sad smile, the one out of pity.

"Sometimes I wish you would open your eyes and notice."