random short story

25 - Unforgettable

I was sixteen at that time and I was facing a lot of problems until I could not stand it anymore. So, I became alone. I detached myself from the others and spent most of my time crying on a bench near my house. One day, when I was crying, I heard a voice calling me, "Baka." I stopped crying and looked up. There was a boy standing in front of me; a thin boy who was slightly shorter than me. He was around my age. I asked why he had called me 'stupid'. He said I was stupid to cry non-stop, wasting my time as my problems would not be solved if I kept on crying. I was so angry that I wanted to scold him but as he turned to me, I could see his blue eyes. They were beautiful but somehow I could see sorrow and sadness in them.

After that, he told me he wished to have one more chance to live in this world, even if it was just for a day. I was curious and asked him whether he was going to die. Surprisingly, he nodded. I was shocked but he just smiled. He said he was thankful to God for each hour, each minute and each second that was given to him. He did not want to waste the given time as he was running out of time. I fell silent. A moment later, I found out that he had been sitting beside me on the bench without saying anything. But then, he took out a piece of paper from his pocket. He told me to take a look at the paper.

There were many numbers with a list of wishes written on it. I also found out that some of them had been ticked. He said he wanted to fulfil all the wishes he wrote and make sure all of them would be ticked before he was gone. He just had a few months to live and he would not give up trying even if he had only one more day left to live. I was touched. I felt sad and sorry at the same time. And at that moment too, he gave me light to move on.

From that day on, we became the best of friends. Every evening, he would wait for me at the bench. Together, we would check his list and I would help him to try to finish ticking it. We had a whole of a time doing everything according to the list. After that, we would talk. He told me stories and helped me to study and do other things. Sometimes, he would make jokes too and he made me laugh. He was very funny. He was also understanding, brave, strong and very kind towards me. He listened well. My life got better and better when I started to be his friend. He was such a gift from God to me.

I was friends with Naruto for almost five months. We became inseparable, very close. He was getting weaker and weaker but he still devoted his time to wait for me at the bench. When I arrived, he would smile. His leukaemia made his blond hair fall every day. Sometimes, I would cry when I saw his state but he would scold me and tell me not to cry. He was a strong person.

One evening, as usual, I went to the bench but I found nobody there. I sat and waited for him to come. Day turned to night. He still did not come. I went home. As I reached home, I got a phone call saying that Naruto was in the hospital and he was in a critical state. Quickly, I rushed to the hospital praying, hoping that I could see him again. But it was too late. He was gone forever and had left me without anything. My head wanted to explode. I had to force myself to accept the fact that Naruto was gone.

It had been a year since Naruto left. Now, my perspective towards life is totally changed. I have learnt to appreciate everything more: myself, my life, my family, everything. Now, I have just finished my high school and I have been chosen as the best student in my school. I also received offers from universities to further my studies. I have become more confident, strong, brave, determined and I do not easily quit. Thanks to Naruto for every success I have achieved. It is all because of him.

One day, I walked along the beach and sat on the bench where Naruto and I used to sit to watch the sunset. While I reminisced, suddenly I saw a tiny box that was tied at the right side of the bench. I untied the box and saw what was inside. My heart beat when I saw a paper that I recognised. It was Naruto's wish list. All of them had been ticked except for one wish at the bottom. Tears ran down my cheeks as I read the unticked wish.

'Want to say: I love you, Sasuke...'

-end-

(source: school magazine)

(song recommendation: Unforgettable by One OK Rock)