Daylight began to forsake the room; it was past four o'clock and the beclouded afternoon was tending to drear twilight. The sun would shine one last ray upon the sacred tomatoes outside, the untouched piano and of course the lonely old man who would sleep, a picture cradled in his arms.
Lulled by the sound of nothing Jeonah at last dropped asleep; he had not long slumbered when an ear-deafening sound filled his ears.
"Craaaaaaaaw" it would shriek and screech until Jeonah could stand it no longer, roused from his prolonged sleep, he tottered to his backyard. It was there he saw a creature which would change his ways, force him better, teach him about life and the art of moving on.
"Why, you awful bird! Stop eating my tomato! You go away you hear! And don't ever come back you filthy crow!" almost waiting for a response, Jeonah waited.
Instead the raven flew, promising to return.
Walking down Albony Road, Jeonah noticed in the distance a flicker of shining blue; the sun followed it, bounding the object with an orange glow. It was Cheryl.
"Hello Cher." He twiddled his thumbs and chose imperfections in near-by fences.
"Jeonah! I love it when you call me Cher..."a soft sweet sound came from her mouth, wafting around Jeonah's face, the sound filling his ears.
"Morning walks," he sighed "don't know the reasoning to them. Not like I'm going to lose some weight." He mumbled, touching his stomach but looking at hers.
"Speaking of walks, you know there's this park I've always wanted to go to, it's a great area for a picnic, but I just never found someone to go with. Would you mind?"
Immediately a cloud of guilt hung over Jeonah's head, a picture in his mind appeared and memories flooded in his mind running rampant.
"Sorry Cher, maybe next time." He walked away, the sun setting, the cloud increasing and his smile fading.
"Arrrrrghhhhhhhhhh" he rose from his bed up in a right-angled position. He could not block out the awful sounds coming from the beast. Again he walked outside to find the crow staring deep into his eyes and the remains of the eaten tomato covering its beak.
"Damn crow."
"Jeonah! Why you must be tired, you've got bags hanging from your eyelids!"It was Buster, the neighbourhoods 'Ladies Man"
"This stupid crow, comes to my house every night. Eats a tomato, disturbs my sleep and flies away. Happening for weeks, don't know what to do. Tried everything I tell you, everything...."
"Gee that sounds terrible, have you tried barbed wire?"
"Yea, the damn thing wiggles its way through the holes."
"Scarecrows?"
"I made five"
"Invincible crow...who would've guessed?" A moment of the men deep in thought passed. "Have you tried shooting the thing?"
"No."
The sky was black, a single white glow amidst it all. The tomato plant stood tall, the house was quiet and Jeonah was asleep in the bushes, a BB gun clenched tightly in his hands.
A bright beam of sunlight penetrated through Jeonah's eyelids, his body stiff from the morning cold. He could see the crow.
It had pearls for eyes, its fur rarely differed from the colour black, and a full tomato was standing next to it. He sat down on a lawn chair and he reminisced in a memory that had been tattooed in his mind.
The smell of his favourite soup wafted in the air, leaving a trail of delicious footprints to the kitchen. Busily cooking and singing to Elvis was Jeonah's wife; Mary.
"Love me tender, love me sweet....." she would hum.
"Morning sweetheart. What's for breakfast?" Jeonah gleamed as he asked what he already knew.
"Your favourite; tomato and basil soup"
He sighed, leaving a trail of kisses along her cheek.
She giggled, smiling.
"Oh shoot! We've run out of basil! I'll run to the store!" ripping off her apron and grabbing her phone she ran out the door, making sure to blow a kiss to Jeonah as she left.
It wasn't until moments later he realised she had forgotten her purse. He ran outside a woman's purse tightly fitted in his hand.
On the road was a woman, a car just before her, a man calling the ambulance and moans weeping through the crowd.
Jeonah ran, his heart beating like wild African drums inside his chest.
"Mary..." he gasped.
Her lifeless body was sprawled upon the strip of road, her ring catching a ray of sunshine.
He felt her heart stop beating.
The tears clouded his eyesight, she left him unable to see, unable to feel, unable to hear, unable to love.
Jeonah woke from his dream, a single glistening tear falling on his cheek.
With the raven on his arm, he walked over to the tomatoes. He picked each one and made tomato and basil soup.
Clenching her photo he ate the soup, a tear occasionally falling as he did. Something changed, with every memory played over his heart would put itself back together, piece by piece.
"Hey Cher, I was wondering if you would come with me for a picnic to the park?"
"Really? Sure! Pick me up at five?" They said their goodbyes, each one smiling brighter than the other.
Throughout the once grave house a sweet melody flowed through it, waves of notes pouring out of the windows, smiles peering out from the door.
Inside was Jeonah, his picture on his piano, his fingers playing Elvis' song on the dusty piano.
To brave a new future, you don't always have to let go of the past.
