Far Away From Home

Tzuyu knelt down and just stared at the gravestone in front of her. She didn't even blink as she stared at the writings on the gravestone.

She gently touched the gravestone, it was cold…just like how she held her the last time.

She stayed there lifelessly and soon she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up to see Sana's mom, kneeling beside her.

“Tzuyu…Thanks for staying through the funeral process.” The women who just lost her only daughter said that with a smile.

“No need to thank me…I could do anything for her…” Tzuyu breathed out slowly. She didn't even want to talk to anyone.

“She was really happy with you…She could always brag about you when she had the time.” Sana's mom said as she looked at the gravestone.

Tzuyu held the older women’s hand and gave it a squeeze. The women smiled at her and held her hand tightly,

“My daughter…I can't explain how happy she made us. When she was born…I couldn't believe my eyes…Her warmth when I first held her. Her first word…her first walk…She was the best thing that happened to me in this lifetime. My baby…she was this small…” The women sobbed along with her words.

Tzuyu felt choked up as she side hugged Sana's mom and patted her back slowly.

“I have to admit she is gone…my precious one is gone…I love her too much. Why did it happen to my daughter…I…I just hope to see her again…” She cried as she buried her head on Tzuyu's shoulder.

They hugged each other and cried for a long time. The tears soon dried but the emptiness in the heart was still there.

“We have to go…It's getting dark too.” Sana's mom said while rubbing her puffy eyes.

“I'll stay here for awhile.” Tzuyu said to the older women.

Sana's mom nodded as she stood up on her feet. She was about to go when she remembered what she had to give Tzuyu.

“I almost forgot…here, this is for you. She kept it in her drawer and it has your name in it…” Sana's mom handed the envelope to Tzuyu.

Tzuyu gave a small smile to her and took the letter. Sana's mom went away and Tzuyu just stared down at the envelope which had ‘TZUYU’ written on it.

“Geez her messy handwriting.” Tzuyu chuckled as she opened the envelope and saw the letter.

She smiled reading the first part of the letter. It read,

“Are you reading it? If you are, look at the sky and wink multiple times.”

Tzuyu shook her head and laughed at it. Nevertheless, she looked up the sky and winked….multiple time, yes.

Then she looked at the letter again and read it,

“Such a player, you're still winking at me while I'm up. Loser.”

Tzuyu laughed out loud, “Nana, you crazy idiot.”

She then read the letter again,

“I winked at you back, my Tzuyu. By now…I may no longer be there with you. I wanted to write this to you cause I miss you…and I will miss you forever. Let me start of the thing I want to thank you for. Tzuyu Chou, thank you for being there with me. Thank you for holding on to me. Thank you for never giving up on me…us. Thank you for loving me. Love, you made me feel it. You made me feel loved. I had given up on my life…I was ready to be gone but with you in my life…I felt alive. I felt the urge to live again. You aren't the light in my darkness…rather you are the one who caved into my darkness and stayed with me.”

Tzuyu held the letter tightly and sobbed. By reading the letter itself, Tzuyu's heart started to beat and those butterflies never went away.

“I love you…I love you so much. How I wish to have met you earlier. Maybe, I should've taken the dance club too…at least I could have gone to Thailand with you. Seeing you makes my heart flutter…it gives me different feelings, and it makes me happy. You make me happy. So, can I ask you some questions now?”

Tzuyu consciously answered while crying, “You can…”

“Did I make you happy?”

“You did.”

“Was I a burden to you?”

“’Never.”

“Do you love me?”

“Yes…a lot.”

“Can you promise me something then?”

“Anything.”

“Let go of me. Remember me as your first love, girlfriend. Remember me as a shooting star. Remember me as your Nana. Find happiness…Find your last love and a permanent star to your heart.”

Tzuyu started to cry harder. She almost crumbled the letter. This was hard…Letting Sana go was hard.

“Can you do that? Not for me but for you. I want to see you happy. I want to see you jumping around with your friends. I want to see you build up your life. I want to see you get married. I want to see you with your own family. I want the best for you.”

Tzuyu nodded her head hoping Sana was watching. She was breathing heavily alone in front of the gravestone.

“I will…I will try, Sana.”

“Then, that's all I got to say. One more thing, Tzuyu Chou, you own my heart and soul and I want to see the person who owns yours at last, I will be overwhelmed. I love you to the moon and back, Tzuyu. Thank you for coming into my life.”

“I love you too….I love you too.” Tzuyu choked as tears were brimming out of her eyes.

“Then, goodbye, my Chewy.

From, your Nana”

Tzuyu looked up to the sky which was already getting darker. She then looked at the gravestone and bowed deeply, her forehead touching the ground. She whispered,

“Goodbye, my Nana.”

Tzuyu stayed there beside the grave the whole night. She still loved the silence around her. She wished for Sana to be there and sit beside her in that dreadful silence though her beautiful Sana is already far away from home

THE END