Awaiting Your Response

Answers

We return to the restaurant and Nadia gives us both tea to calm down. Sing is sitting across from me gathering his thoughts. I can't believe it. Ash is gone. Ash. The boy who just wanted to be happy. The boy who just wanted to be loved. The light of my life. The only person I've ever truly loved. He's gone. He's free.

"It was as you were leaving." Sing breaks the silence.

I look up at him, giving him my undivided attention.

"After you gave me the letter I ran to the library to find him. I yelled at him for not going to see you off. He said that he wanted you to go back to your world and that his world is too dangerous. I tried to see if he had anything to say to you but... he didn't respond. After that I insulted him and came back to the airport. Later he was found dead in the library with a stab wound in his abdomen. Lao was found outside dead from a bullet wound." He pauses for a moment, debating adding the final part, "he was laying his head on your letter... that's how they found him."

I sit there and stare off into space, processing all the information. Ash. The library. Lao. My letter. It's my fault. "It's all my fault."

"What are you saying? It's not your fault at all. He could have gotten help."

"If I hadn't written that letter then he wouldn't have.... he wouldn't have let that happen. He must have been distracted by it." There are tears stinging my eyes.

"No if I hadn't given him the letter then he probably would't have run into Lao, if it'd talked to Lao before too, I could have stopped everything." Sing put his head into his hands, "I feel terrible about it still but I can't imagine how you feel just finding out."

I don't know how I feel either. I don't really feel anything. I just kinda feel... empty. "Where is he now?"

"What?" Sing lifts his head at the sudden question.

"Where is his body, was be buried?"

"They buried him at his childhood home."

"Oh..." at least he's home, "can you take me there?"

He takes a moment to think, "yes. It's the least I can do for you. When?"

"... now?"

"Now!?! Uh don't you think it's a little late to be heading out?"

"Please, Sing. I need to see him again."

"Alright, give me a minute to get things ready." Sing gets up and heads out, leaving me sitting alone in the restaurant. 

He returns a while later and gestures to me to come outside. When I get out there, he has a car waiting and a few of his gang members are standing around it. We get in and sit in the back while one of his gang members drives. I stare out the window into the darkness. Ash. Are you happy? You finally got away from everything. All the danger. All the fear. You're free. I drift off to sleep to the thoughts of Ash, I can see his smiling face and my heart aches to see him again...

Sing wakes me up a few hours later. It's still dark out but I can see the house we spent a few nights at. I know I wanted to see Ash but now, the emotions are just too much to handle. 

"Ready to go?" Sing turns to me with a worried look on his face.

I take a deep breath, "yes." Ash, I'm here.