Ukulele Boy | Junhui

C h a p t e r 35

//

I smiled at my younger cousin as she grinned up at me. 

Our older cousin chuckled at our silly behavior. "You two best get ready for the picture of granddad will have our heads." We both stuck our tongues out before racing to sit with our family.

I smiled up at my parents as we sat in position, watching in amusement as granddad  ordered everyone into position.

"Okay! Ready?" He raced into the shot to sit right in the middle just as the picture was taken. 

I giggled as a blossom fell onto my mum's cheek. Dad kissed her on the nose before brushing it off. 

//

The next year we took the same picture in the park with the blossom tree, and the year after that. Until cousins grew up and moved away, until grandma died. 

Then it was just mum, dad, granddad and I left standing under the age old blossom tree. 

// 

I curled into my older cousins arms as they dropped the hundreds of blossom petals into my granddads coffin. That was the last time I had seen many of the family, the last time we were all together. 

//

I smiled at my father who sat next to me on the bench in the park.

Mum had ran back to the car to retrieve the camera we had earlier forgotten.

Although the family had stopped coming all together after granddad had died, my parents and I still continued to. Before that it had been almost all of the family. The blossom tree in the park, it had a special meaning to us after all.

The camera flashed.

//

I could barley register much going on around me as a photo was dropped into my fathers grave. 

Mum, dad and I were there. Our heads were tipped back in laughter, toothy grins all took over our faces. We were stood in front of the cherry blossom tree.

//

Years later I was there stood in front of my fathers grave, winter had started and a faint layer of front was sat on the smooth marble stone.

Particles of frost left my mouth as I turned away, wheeling my mothers wheel chair with me as we escaped the cold.