The Cherry Blossom Tree
A group of eighth grade girls were walking down a quiet neighborhood a few blocks away from their school. They all seemed cheerful and excited that the day was over except for one. One girl was at the back of the group nodding silently at their conversation, but never seemed to talk. She wore a small smile and seemed liked the type to stay quiet. The young woman straightened out her uniform skirt and stopped walking; the group kept walking.
"Takara-chan, where are you going?" A pink haired girl asked, noticing Takara not following them anymore.
"Nowhere special." The friend replied and kept on walking.
She looked up at the sky and smiled, it was a nice day to visit the cherry blossom tree. It should be in full bloom at the moment and that thought always made Takara happy. She tied her medium long raven hair in a side pony tail and rubbed her eyes. School had just ended and no one was going to be home tonight which gave her a lot of freedom. Maybe it was a bad that she visited this tree so much, but something about it always beckoned to her. The road leading to the tree was rocky and narrow; probably it hadn't been walked upon for a decade or so. The path was bordered by stubby oak trees that were withered by weather. Naturally, for Takara, she went alone to this secret place and always prayed to her mother. Why in such a place? Well, that was because Takara's mother was buried under this tree.
The tree itself was beautiful and radiantly healthy, with its many broad branches and delicate pink blossoms, the sight would take anyone's breath away. Like always, Takara sat at the base of tree and opened up her book bag to start whatever homework she had, but instead today, she found someone sitting in her place. It was a boy about her age with dark evergreen hair and wore the same school uniform as her (excluding the skirt). He seemed to be asleep and had earplugs in his ears which were attached to an iPod that he held firmly in his hand. Takara squatted in front of him and studied his features. His skin was quite fair and olive toned, his arms partially muscular and face was well defined. She ventured a bit closer and he opened his eyes, the sudden action startled her.
"Are you some kind of pervert?" His eyes were a clear glacier blue.
"Eh?" She blinked a few times.
"Only perverts watch people while they sleep, not to mention study them extensively."
His tone wasn't friendly, but nor was it mean.
"I-I'm not a pervert."
"Right, anyway what do you want?"
"Nothing, you were just in my study spot."
"Why here of all places? I thought this place was a secret of mine."
"That's what I thought too."
"Well, I guess we can share it."
"Yeah, I guess. I'm Miyako Takara, nice to meet you." She held out her hand to him and waited for him to comply.
"You can call me Mizuno." He shook her hand and immediately she felt an electric jolt.
In his eyes, she could see the same golden flecks her mother had. They mocked her with such life and vibrancy that she had to turn away before tears could come out. Mizuno looked at her with an amused smirk and patted her head. The playful gesture surprised Takara and she immediately looked at him.
"You're really weird, but you seem familiar." He gave her a sympathetic look. "Why do you look so sad?"
His hand was still holding hers, the electric jolts continued to crawl all over her. The flecks sparkled and she felt herself being pulled into a different world.
"Mizuno-kun!"
Mizuno looked expectantly at a slender woman who was in her mid-thirties. She was glowing with happiness and Mizuno couldn't help but smile as well. He looked about a year younger and he was shuffling over to her. They were under the very same cherry blossom tree that Mizuno and Takara were under now.
"Miyako-sensei, what are we doing today?"
"No lessons today," She replied looking at the violin case he held in his small pale hands. "I wanted you to meet someone."
"Eh, who?"
"Mama! Where are you?" A voice called…it was Takara's own voice.
The sound surprised her and she watched the scene unfold. The younger Takara walked into the scene and ran into her mother's arms. Mizuno stood off to the side, staring at the young teenager.
"Takara-chan, this is Mizuno-kun. He's the violinist I told you about."
"Ehh? You're the professional my Mama is always bragging about?"
Takara's hair was much longer then, it even had a very healthy sheen compared to the dull color it had now. Her uniform was the same and she smiled at Mizuno who held out his hand to her.
"Yeah, I guess I am. I'm very pleased to meet you, Miyako-san." He bowed to her.
She bowed back, "You too."
When the flashback ended, she found that she was clinging to Mizuno and trembling. He looked equally dismayed by whatever had just happened and still held his arms around her protectively.
"What was that?"
"I'm not sure. But we've met under this tree before then?"
"Yeah, your mother was my teacher. She had the same disease as me."
"Y-You're a heart disease patient?"
"Yeah, your mom met me on one of her visits to the hospital. She saw me playing violin."
"How's your condition?"
Mizuno leaned back against the tree, an arm still around her, "They say my time is running out."
"Why don't you get a transplant?"
"I don't want my parents to be burdened with the money, but they've always been terribly worried. I heard my teacher was buried under this tree…I like to play for her."
Takara felt her heart break all over again. The memory of hearing that her mother's time was running out was still crisp and clear in her mind. It was sort of like hearing a bell ring in a room of complete silence. You can't ignore it nor can you tune it out; it claims your full attention.
"Would you play for me?"
The teen looked at her astonished, "Uh-Uhm..sure? I don't think I've ever played for you."
He poised the violin under his chin and started to play. She recognized the music immediately; the song was Sayonara Memories by Supercell. It was her mother's favorite song and instinctively, she sang along. They went on like that for hours; making music in honor of the woman who introduced them to each other. This activity put them at ease. For the rest of that week and three months after, they met everyday after school at the tree. It became quite a routine and it wasn't long before the two became inseparable from each late August evening, the two were staying at the tree late. Takara's babysitter wasn't coming tonight and Mizuno wasn't due at the hospital until tomorrow.
"So tomorrow will be your last check up?"
"Yeah, they say that I should be able to last awhile longer if I maintain my heart health like this."
"That's great news! I mean, maybe you'll overcome the disease."
What happier news could you want? Knowing that you're going to live another day is the best news possible.
"Maybe." He said with doubt clouding his response.
"What's wrong?"
"My heart is beating too fast now."
"Are you ok? Should we rest?"
"No, I like this feeling." Mizuno looked at her with such confidence that it sort of scared her. "How would you feel if I died right now?"
"Why would you ask such a weird question? I'd be heart broken and scared."
He tilted his head to the side. "Why scared?"
"Being alone is kind of scary, ya know?"
Mizuno held her hand and closed his eyes as they both began to lean against the tree. "I wouldn't mind dying. I'm pretty happy with my life or how I've lived it, I should say."
"Don't say that. Kami-sama might just take you up on that statement."
"At least if I died right now, I would be with you."
"Eh?" A slight blush crossed her face.
"At least I had my best friend right there by my side. It'd be kind of depressing to die alone." His grip tightened on her.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." She felt a painful twinge in her heart, of course he didn't mean anything more than that.
"Takara-chan?" His breathing was becoming uneven.
"Y-yes?" She looked toward him and noticed how hard his breathing was. "Mizuno-kun, shut up! Calm yourself."
All at once she forgot all she knew about dealing with heart disease. Pure terror and despair came over her as his breathing grew more ragged.
"Mizuno-kun.." Light tears were surfacing.
"Do you mind?" He asked motioning to her lap; Takara shook her head.
The young man rested his head on her lap and made sure his face was looking up at hers. He looked fairly calm and happy, almost completely at peace. Takara felt her heart break as she began to realize that maybe his time was finally up. Mizuno brought her hand over to his mouth and lightly kissed it, then reached up and wiped away her tears.
"Don't cry, Idiot. It's just a spasm."
"How do you know?"
"Just let me rest. I haven't been able to sleep recently."
"Why?"
"Nothing. It's a surprise." He said with a slight smile on his face.
In minutes he drifted off to sleep and Takara lightly stroked his hair away from his eyes. Mizuno was someone she couldn't live without, just like her mother. They were both too precious to lose and the thought of Mizuno possibly dying killed another part of her deep down inside. His breathing wasn't even and she worried that he was having another attack. Gently, she shook him awake and hoped that he was alright.
"Mmm?" Mizuno rubbed his eyes.
"Your breathing sounded abnormal."
"The usual I guess. But I'm fine-"He clutched his chest and his pupils dilating.
"M-Mizuno-kun!" She held his shoulders and tried to look for the same signs her mother had had when she was having a serious attack. "You have to get up!"
With much difficulty, Takara got Mizuno to stand up and started to hobble toward the main road. Once there, Takara was shouting at the top of her lungs for someone to come out and help them. Luckily, a neighbor was nearby and dialed 119 (the ambulance). Mizuno couldn't stand anymore and faltered to the ground, but fortunately the ambulance came just in time. The two teens were rushed to the hospital where he was usually treated when he got attacks. His doctor reported that he was going into critical condition and was rushed into the emergency room. Takara couldn't go any further than the emergency doors, the nurse had to hold her back from running after them.
She couldn't help but panic; was she going to be all alone again? The last time she was in this hall way was the night her mother died. After the nurse disappeared to follow the team of nurses that were attending to Mizuno on his stretcher, Takara started to sob and cry heavy tears. Her body was trembling and she rocked back and forth hoping that the doctor would come back with hopeful news. In about twenty minutes, one of the nurses came for her and brought Takara to the doctor.
"W-What's his condition?" Takara asked, wiping away her tears.
"He'll be fine if we can perform the heart transplant."
She blinked a few times, "B-But he said his family wouldn't get him that."
"They changed their minds. Mizuno said he wanted to live."
"S-So are you going to perform the transplant?"
"We can't contact his parents. We can't do the operation without consent."
"But if it will save his life, you have to operate!" She cried out, suddenly clutching at his lab coat.
He looked at the despairing girl and instantly recognized her, "You're Aki-san's child, aren't you?
"You knew my mother?"
"I was her doctor." He sighed and made her let go. "I'll operate; Aki would have wanted Mizuno-kun to live."
"Yes…thank you.": She started to cry again, but this time it was tears of joy. "But how c-can he have the operation so quickly? My mom wasn't on some sort of list so she could never get the operation."
"His parents always had him listed on the list to receive a heart. Mizuno-kun never knew."
"Thank you." Was all Takara could say.
He'll live, was the only thought that crossed her mind.
They rushed Mizuno out of the room he was in and into an operating one. They placed him on the surgical table and that was the last of Mizuno Takara ever saw of him before they closed the double doors. A nurse, the one who stopped her before, sat beside Takara and squeezed her shoulder.
"Your mother spent a lot of time here."
"I know."
"Mizuno was almost like a son to her, and was always keen on trying to find possible donors for him." She sighed. "He's been in this hospital since birth. Everyone knows him here."
Takara's sobs subsided for a moment and she tried to picture her mother sitting at one these computers and researching all the heart donors available. The nurse had said that the doctor would try his hardest for both Mizuno and Aki.
"How long?"
"Surgery usually takes about four hours — longer if there are complications during the procedure. Mizuno will have some pain after the surgery, but don't worry the Doc will provide the best medication to compensate that. He'll also have a ventilator to help him breathe and tubes in his chest to drain fluids from around his lungs and heart."
"That's good to know." She smiled, but the next four hours were going to be the most agonizing era of her life.
They passed by slowly; she fiddled with her hair, shoes, clothes, and even the chair she sat in. The nurse had left her thirty minutes after explaining to her how long the process would take. The loneliness bothered her and she decided to pace the hall way. It was eerily silent; the only sounds you could hear were that of the beeping monitor. The operating rooms were probably sound proof in case of a patient waking up from drugs. Takara's heart was thumping loudly in her ears and knew it was time to go back to where she came from. After a few wrong turns, Takara made it back to find the nurse waiting for her again.
"Were you looking for me?"
"Miyako-san, the operation was a success!" The nurse beamed and threw her arms around Takara,
Her whole body started to react and she felt hot tears running down her cheeks.
He's going to be fine!
The next day Takara was allowed to see Mizuno, he was asleep when she entered the room. Mizuno was provided with a private hospital room at his parent's request. It was small and the walls were colored with a salmon orange. There were tubes connected to him and she felt a pang of despair. Did they hurt? Did he feel the tubes that were connected to him? She sat in the chair that was provided in the room and scooted it over to Mizuno. His hand was warm and she thanked God that he was still alive. Maybe this was her mother's gift to her.
"Takara-chan?"
"I'm here, sorry, did I wake you?" She asked with an apologetic smile on her face.
"No, no, you didn't:" He smiled and squeezed her hand. "I guess this isn't much of a surprise anymore, but I changed my mind about the heart transplant."
"I'm glad you did." She sighed in relief at his confession, and brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it. "But why?"
"It's your fault really." He said with a laugh.
"Eh? What did I do?"
"You made me want to live." The tone in his voice was so serious and certain that she believed him right away.
"Now how could I possibly do that?"
"You made me look forward to tomorrow. I thought it was pretty obvious that I don't really have friends."
"No, I always thought you had a group of guys that you knew at school."
"I'm in the hospital too much to make a solid relationship," He looked up at her. "Until now."
"You're so corny."
"Only because it concerns you." He laughed.
She kissed his cheek and whispered softly as a few tears escape, "Please don't scare me like that ever again. Don't ever leave me."
He wiped them away with a smile, "Never."
2858 words.