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His name was Jiraiya. Fifty-four years old. Body paralyzed from a mild stroke, which disabled him to walk and move half of his body; but it did not hinder him to continue loving the person whom his heart was beating for.
I didn't know him personally. I just often saw him on the main gate of the cemetery every time I passed by there after school. At first, I thought he was just visiting his wife or a relative perhaps; but I was perfectly wrong when I discovered his story.
It was Valentine's Day. I had a date. Yeah, with my mom. We're heading to the cemetery to visit the grave of my grandmother when she asked me to buy flowers from the vendors selling nearby the main gate.
"Kindly buy two bouquet of flowers and candles honey, and then follow me inside," she said.
After getting the change, I proceeded to the main gate and saw Jiraiya. His wearing a formal suit and with him were irises- beautiful irises. He seemed to be waiting for a date.
Curious, I asked his nurse, who was packing their things on the bench meters away from Jiraiya. She said he's been waiting for a girl named Godaime Tsunade for 38 years. They'd agreed to meet each other in front of this cemetery which was formerly a park. They'd promised to be back after four years. He waited for more than four years-38 years to be exact, but no traces of her showed.
"Is that the reason why he's preparing those stuffs?" I asked talking about the irises and his get up. She nodded.
I looked at him with pity. What happened to the girl? Did she forget her promise? Did she found another lover in exchange of that poor old man? Did she have a change of heart? Several thoughts floated to my mind. I was in deep thinking when I heard my mom's voice.
"What took you so long?" she asked. "We need to hurry coz your dad's waiting for us!" she got the candles from me and lit them. She then got one of the flowers and put it on my grandma's grave together with the candles. I was about to put the flowers to the same grave when my mom pointed the epitaph beside us.
Annoyed, I asked," What now?"
"Put it on that grave," she demanded.
"Why?" I felt both my eyebrows arched.
"Do I need to tell you again how your grandmother died?" she started to get hysterical.
I didn't understand her answer. Okay, I put the flowers beside the epitaph of the grave next to my grandmothers'.
Godaime Tsunade
1954-1974
It was then that I remembered what my mom told me. Thirty-eight years ago, my grandma, together with a classmate, arrived here from Manila. It was said that they were meeting a friend on a park but was not able to do so because they were raped and killed before they arrived on the agreed meeting place.
Godaime Tsunade
JIRAIYA
Feb.14, 1974- Feb.14, 2012
~She's been here all the time.