Return to the River

Chapter 5

The drive to my old home town took me about an hour from the town I was leaving later today. I remembered all of the little houses and passed by my old school where I left my best friend, Rumi. She gave me my first boquet of flowers, but I remembered being upset since it was the first time I ever got one and it was a goodbye present. I thought that was pretty depressing. 

Driving a little while longer after I had entered my old town, I made it to where the Kohaku River used to be. This was where I dropped my little pink shoe when I was younger and almost drowned in the river trying to get it. Luckily, the spirit of the Kohaku River carried me to shore. That was Haku. He saved me.

I got out of my car after parking along the apartment complexes that still looked new after eight years and ran along the curb hoping that maybe he would be standing somewhere along here. In the spirit world, he said he couldn't find his way home, so the chances of him being here were slim.

"Haku, are you here?!" I yelled a little farther past the complexes to avoid disturbing the people living in them. Still nothing responded back except the bark of the dogs in the complexes. "Oops," I muttered to myself. I ran back to my car, started the engine, and had one more place in mind. If he couldn't find his way home in eight years, then maybe he found a new one.

A long while later, I finally made it back to my current hometown and head straight for the river Hana took me and my friends to yesterday. It was the only river closest to where the old Kohaku River was, so maybe he found his way here and made it his new home. It was unfortunate that if it really was his new home, then he might lose it again. I know it hurts to get your home taken away from you. I can't imagine how he must be feeling if he made that river home.

Once at the river, I parked in the exact spot on the curb Hana parked at. I hopped out of the car and slowly made my way down the hill towards the edge of the river.

One more time, Chihiro. Last chance to try.

"HAKUUUUUUU!!!!!! PLEASE BE HERE!!!!" I shouted to the wind. "I'M HERE NOW!!! I REMEMBER EVERYTHING!!! WHAT ABOUT YOU'RE PROMISE?!!"

I waited. A few seconds passed: Nothing. I waited an entire five minutes: Nothing. I was met with silence for the third time today. Guess I had to accept that he couldn't keep his promise. I turned away to walk back up the hill to my car feeling the tears slowly fall down my face when the wind started to pick up. In no time at all, the wind was blowing so hard that it blew the tears from my eyes. The wind was pushing me back the other direction, so I closed my eyes against the wind and walked back to the level ground. Then the wind started to calm, and I could see some orange light behind my eyelids. I opened my eyes and slowly looked up.

There was someone standing in the middle of the river with the sun slowly rising behind him.

It was him.