A Single Rose
The man got onto the old bus. He walked with a quick bounce in his step. He wore a long, dusty overcoat and a stetsen hat. He had a gray, neatly trimmed beard and wore thin rimmed glasses. And in his hand, he held a single, red rose. Ellie smirked. He looks like some guy off an old 1930's detective story, she thought.
He looked around the bus, looking for an empty seat. He spotted Ellie alone, so he walked that way. As he got there, he took one look at her and cracked a grin. He sat down as the bus started to pull away from the station. He took her hand a shook it vigorously saying, "Hi! My name's Koushiro Izumi, nice to meet ya. You must be Ellie Hoffman, a reporter, if I'm not mistaken. I read your weekly column in the paper, I love it."
Ellie had to resist the urge to break out laughing. Here was an old she just barely met and already he introduced himself as if he were an old friend. She smiled, saying, "Yes, you're right. My name is Ellie Hoffman, a reporter, you're not mistaken. I do write a weekly column for the press, and I thank you for liking it."
Koushiro nodded with a smile. He looked out the window. "I love the winter. It's so wonderful, the snow, the lovely air...my wife's favorite season, dontcha know."
Curious, she pointed at the flower, "Is that who that rose is for? Your wife?"
Koushiro nodded, "Yes...this was her favorite flower, the red rose."
She sighed, "I love roses...they're so wonderful. What's your wife's name?"
"Hikari Kamiya Izumi, the most beautiful thing in the whole world." He looked out the window, "Seeing what the good Lord accomplished in a week, he probably fixed her up in two."
She laughed, "Did you have any children?"
Koushiro smiled, "Three. Three wonderful children...two boys, one girl. Now they each have there own to take care of. I'm a grandfather and lovin' it."
"Where do you live?"
"Obdia. But Hikari doesn't live with me anymore. She lives with her brother, to take care of him. Every week I go to see her, and every week I bring one rose with me, just to give to her." He leaned back in his seat, a dreamy look on his face. "He lives in a huge apartment. It's really a huge place...a lot of people live there. I'll probably be living there too, soon."
Ellie cocked an eyebrow, "Don't you go there to see her?"
"Nope," he answered, "We meet together at the same spot. Once every week. We chat, see how things are going."
"What's her brother's name?"
"Taichi Kamiya. Oh. Here's my stop." Koushiro got up. He turned one last time and extended his arm with the rose in it. Ellie had a puzzled look on her face. "Here. You take the rose."
"But..." she stammered, "That's for your wife...I...I can't take it."
Koushiro shook his head and smiled, "She'll understand. I promise. Now take it." Koushiro thrust the rose into her arms. And with that, he walked off the bus.
Ellie was curious. When she got off at her office, she walked in and strolled directly over to Bob Herman's desk. Bob was her superior, but yet he never acted like it. They became good friends since she joined, five years back. Bob walked in. He saw her, and flashed a grin, "Hey, Ellie! Where'd ya get the rose?" He walked over to where she was standing at her desk.
"From a charming old man I met on my way here. But anyways...could you do an identity check?"
"Sure," he answered. He sat down on his chair and started typing.
Login: Hoffman
Password: ***********
go to: IC
search params:
Bob turned, "Okay, who do you want to find?"
"Type in Hikari Kamiya Izumi. And cross that with Koushiro Izumi."
He started typing again.
search params: Hikari Kamiya Izumi X Koushiro Izumi
Bob hit enter. Words flashed across the screen. Finally, a window came up. At the top it showed a picture of a beautiful, young lady. Ellie grinned. She kissed his bald head. "Thanks, Bob. Print that out, will ya?" She walked over to the printer. A sheet of paper started printing out of it. After it was done, she read it over.
She was shocked, "Oh my god." Dropping the paper on the floor, she leaned over onto the printer and wept.
Bob drove Ellie up to the church. Bob followed her as she got out and walked behind it to the graveyard, rose in hand. She looked around for awhile, searching for a particular gravestone. She spotted it. She walked over to it, and knelt down. With a tear in her eye, she set the rose down on the snow. Then she got up and left.
Now Bob was the one who was curious. He walked over to the gravestone and read it. It said:
The man got onto the old bus. He walked with a quick bounce in his step. He wore a long, dusty overcoat and a stetsen hat. He had a gray, neatly trimmed beard and wore thin rimmed glasses. And in his hand, he held a single, red rose. Ellie smirked. He looks like some guy off an old 1930's detective story, she thought.
He looked around the bus, looking for an empty seat. He spotted Ellie alone, so he walked that way. As he got there, he took one look at her and cracked a grin. He sat down as the bus started to pull away from the station. He took her hand a shook it vigorously saying, "Hi! My name's Koushiro Izumi, nice to meet ya. You must be Ellie Hoffman, a reporter, if I'm not mistaken. I read your weekly column in the paper, I love it."
Ellie had to resist the urge to break out laughing. Here was an old she just barely met and already he introduced himself as if he were an old friend. She smiled, saying, "Yes, you're right. My name is Ellie Hoffman, a reporter, you're not mistaken. I do write a weekly column for the press, and I thank you for liking it."
Koushiro nodded with a smile. He looked out the window. "I love the winter. It's so wonderful, the snow, the lovely air...my wife's favorite season, dontcha know."
Curious, she pointed at the flower, "Is that who that rose is for? Your wife?"
Koushiro nodded, "Yes...this was her favorite flower, the red rose."
She sighed, "I love roses...they're so wonderful. What's your wife's name?"
"Hikari Kamiya Izumi, the most beautiful thing in the whole world." He looked out the window, "Seeing what the good Lord accomplished in a week, he probably fixed her up in two."
She laughed, "Did you have any children?"
Koushiro smiled, "Three. Three wonderful children...two boys, one girl. Now they each have there own to take care of. I'm a grandfather and lovin' it."
"Where do you live?"
"Obdia. But Hikari doesn't live with me anymore. She lives with her brother, to take care of him. Every week I go to see her, and every week I bring one rose with me, just to give to her." He leaned back in his seat, a dreamy look on his face. "He lives in a huge apartment. It's really a huge place...a lot of people live there. I'll probably be living there too, soon."
Ellie cocked an eyebrow, "Don't you go there to see her?"
"Nope," he answered, "We meet together at the same spot. Once every week. We chat, see how things are going."
"What's her brother's name?"
"Taichi Kamiya. Oh. Here's my stop." Koushiro got up. He turned one last time and extended his arm with the rose in it. Ellie had a puzzled look on her face. "Here. You take the rose."
"But..." she stammered, "That's for your wife...I...I can't take it."
Koushiro shook his head and smiled, "She'll understand. I promise. Now take it." Koushiro thrust the rose into her arms. And with that, he walked off the bus.
Ellie was curious. When she got off at her office, she walked in and strolled directly over to Bob Herman's desk. Bob was her superior, but yet he never acted like it. They became good friends since she joined, five years back. Bob walked in. He saw her, and flashed a grin, "Hey, Ellie! Where'd ya get the rose?" He walked over to where she was standing at her desk.
"From a charming old man I met on my way here. But anyways...could you do an identity check?"
"Sure," he answered. He sat down on his chair and started typing.
Login: Hoffman
Password: ***********
go to: IC
search params:
Bob turned, "Okay, who do you want to find?"
"Type in Hikari Kamiya Izumi. And cross that with Koushiro Izumi."
He started typing again.
search params: Hikari Kamiya Izumi X Koushiro Izumi
Bob hit enter. Words flashed across the screen. Finally, a window came up. At the top it showed a picture of a beautiful, young lady. Ellie grinned. She kissed his bald head. "Thanks, Bob. Print that out, will ya?" She walked over to the printer. A sheet of paper started printing out of it. After it was done, she read it over.
She was shocked, "Oh my god." Dropping the paper on the floor, she leaned over onto the printer and wept.
Bob drove Ellie up to the church. Bob followed her as she got out and walked behind it to the graveyard, rose in hand. She looked around for awhile, searching for a particular gravestone. She spotted it. She walked over to it, and knelt down. With a tear in her eye, she set the rose down on the snow. Then she got up and left.
Now Bob was the one who was curious. He walked over to the gravestone and read it. It said:
Hikari Kamiya Izumi
1990 - 2056
Loving Wife, Mother, and Grandmother
Died in a car crash with her brother
May you both rest in peace