Day 15 negative
That day at playground
Today marks the end of June. Tomorrow starts July. These years went by so fast and I’m going to be 18 soon. I wonder why it’s so quiet today. Maybe I finally get to be alone in my room.
“Finally! Some alone time. I going to have a lot of slee- ouch.”
“Hey Shiroy-kun, I here to play.” A voice calls out from the entrance of my house.
“Okay coming. AND STOP THROWING RUBBER BALLS IN TOWARDS MY ROOM! It hurts a lot!”
I get out of my room and go downstairs to say let my parents know before I leave.
“Maa, I’m leaving.”
And I left without hearing her reply. I walked towards the main gate because I couldn’t find him at the entrance.
“Huh! Where’d he go to? Maybe he left. No that’s like seeing a cat not try to steal fish.” I immediately knew he was trying to sneak up to me. “Gotcha!”
“Ah man. This time I tried to be extra sneaky.”
“You know, you should give up by now.”
This person here is Yoru Yamagi or how the Japanese say Yamagi Yoru. He is the only friend I have. But since he gets overexcited over everything, I just say we are good acquaintances.
“So, where are you planning to take me this time.” I ask.
“you’ll know once we get there.”
“Okay I guess.”
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
“Here we are!” Yoru exclaims.
“Isn’t it the children’s playground?”
“Yeah.”
“So why are we here again?”
“To play of course.”
“So, why here of all places?”
“You ask too many questions. Let’s just enjoy.”
“If you say so.”
Yoru was running around the perimeter of the playground as he says that it is just his warm up before playing. I on the other hand was just sitting at a bench under the shade of a tree I had known since the time I came here. I heard that this tree was planted the same day I started living here, so I felt an unconditional bond with it. Others don’t sit under this tree because they say that this tree carries insects that could cause itching. But it never happened to me, so I doubt that.
“Shiroy-kun, let’s go play.”
“Play what?”
“Why don’t we play hide and seek?”
“I’m okay with it, but it won’t be much fun for you.”
“Then what should we play?”
“Why don’t we just sit under ‘Vayu’ (I named that tree Vayu) and just chat.”
“You’re no fun, I know, why don’t we race each other. It would help you gain some spirit.”
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“Yeah, I’m okay with that. So, what are the rules?”
“Nothing much, just first one to three laps around the playground wins.”
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
“We start from underneath Vayu alright.”
“Yeah.”
“In 3! 2! 1! GO!” We both do the countdown and start running.
The perimeter of the playground is about 800m. That means that I have to run about 2400m to complete this race.
It seems like I lost before the race even began. How can I keep up with him after the second lap. I am terrible with long distance running.
It seems like my calculations were wrong. I can’t keep my pace after the first lap. Seems like I over estimated myself.
“Hey, what’s the hold up?” Yoru calls out to me halfway from his second lap.
“*huff* I…. give...*huff*…up.”
“I won’t let you till you complete all your laps.”
“Why you!” I use what’s left of me to complete my laps and alas I get to rest underneath the shades of Vayu.
I was almost gonna faint from exhaustion but then...
“Seems like you’re done.” Speaks Yoru with two cans of cola is his hand. “Here.”
“Thanks.”
“So, should we go home?”
“No, I’m too exhausted to walk. Let’s just stay here for an hour or two.”
“If you say so.”
Yoru sits down beside me and just stays shut for some time. But I knew he couldn’t stay quiet for more than a few minutes.
“So, Shiroy-kun. Why do you call this tree Vayu?”
“Because it provides me with wind. Back in India wind is referred as Vayu in old languages and also several modern languages originating in India.” I knew he couldn’t stay quiet.
“Ah, I see. So, why do you always sit here even though there are several trees upfront?”
“It’s because Vayu will get lonely. You know it’s rumoured to make anyone who seat underneath him feel extreme itchiness for days. And because he was the first I could rely on when I needed some company when I was new here.”
“Wow, what *sob* an emotional story. *sob*”
“You’re on the verge of crying. I-I think we could go home.”
“Okay.” He wipes his eyes with his arms and we get up from the bench.
“Goodbye Vayu, I will come back again.” I wave my hand at Vayu and leave.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
On the way home, we stop by at a convenience store.
“Why don’t we buy something to eat on the way home?”
“Sure, why not.”
I got myself a few instant ramen to eat at home and a rice ball. Yoru on the other hand got a large bag of chips and water because why not.
“Let’s go.” I say.
“Ok.”
With this we finally head to our respective houses.
“I’m home!”
“Welcome back.” Says my father.
“By the looks of it, you woke up late today and most likely get scolded.”
“You know me better than anyone.” He replies with a smile. “After all, you are my son. What you got there?”
“Oh this, I got myself some instant ramen to eat whenever I am bored. You can have some if you want. Just tell me if you do.”
I leave most of my instant ramen inside my personal cupboard in the kitchen, and take some to my room.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
“How’s your illness?” Asks my mother asks all of a sudden.
“Haven’t seen anything major this month. But it’s safer to not take any risks. The butterfly effect can take form anytime if I’m not careful.”
“Give that boy a break.” My father speaks.
“But-”
“Don’t worry, he is an amazing child. He could keep himself from breaking down all these years. There’s nothing that can stop him”
“Papa is right, maa. I will remain like this till the moment I die.”
“Don’t say things like dying. You will make me sad.”
“Sorry.”
With that my day came to an end.
Memory Lane
It was my second last year of middle school. I could learn enough Japanese to only understand what others were saying. I couldn’t speak properly except a few sentences. This made me different other than my looks.
No one talked to me because they though I couldn’t understand them. But it was only that I didn’t know what sentences to use to reply to their conversations. Some after month or so, I was alone. But I didn’t hate being alone, simply because if I would be alone, then there will be no reason for me to leave my house on my own accord and thus no calamity.
About three months passed, rumours started spreading around that anyone who talks to me will get bad luck for the rest of the year. I didn’t mind any of it, because I’ve heard worse. Within that time, I saw a boy get bullied by a group of three boys and two girls. I was hated by all, so I thought there’s nothing to lose if I saved that boy and I chose to interrupt them.
“what’s going on here!?” I shouted in my mother tongue.
“What do you want.” One of the boys said as if he was trying to intimidate me.
“Leave him alone.” I said as it is one of the few sentences I my father taught me.
“So, are you his saviour or something?”
I nodded.
“Then you should share the same fate too.” He shouted and can charging towards me in order to punch me.
I simply dodged his attack and kicked him on his right knee so that he would have trouble moving for a few hours. The other boys also attacked me and got beaten by me.
“Do you wanna fight too? I can give you one if you want.” I said to the girls in my mother tongue.
“You monster! I will complain about you to the teacher.” Shouted both the girls before running away. And by the time I looked back at the three boys, they too ran away.
“Daijoubu ka. (Are you okay?)” I asked that helpless boy.
He nodded and that’s how Yoru and I became friends.