Makoto was looking out of the window and counting - counting backward.
"Twelve," she said, and a little later, "eleven," & then, "ten" &"nine," and "eight" and "seven," almost altogether.
Lisa looked out of the was there to count? There was only a bare yard and a brick wall. An old ivy vine climbed half-way up the brick wall. The cold wind has ripped the leaves from the vine until its branches clung, almost bare, to the crumbling bricks.
'What is it, Makoto? asked Lisa.
"Six," said Makoto. "They're falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred. It made my head ache to count them. But now it's easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now."
"Five what, Makoto? Tell me."
"Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls, I must go too. I've known that for three days. Didn't the doctor tell you?"
"Oh, I never heard of such nonsense," complained Lisa. "What have old ivy leaves to do with your getting well? Take some broth now, and let me get back to my drawing so that I can sell it to buy some food for us."
"There goes another. No,I don't want any broth. I want to see the last one fall. I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of thinking."
"Makoto dear," said Lisa, "keep ur eyes closed and try to sleep. I must call Kyoichi up to be my model. Don't try to move till I come back."
Kyoichi was a painter who lived on the ground floor beneath them. Kyoichi was a failure in art. He had been painting for 15 yrs and yet has nowhere close to being a great artist. He had always been about to paint a masterpiece, but had not begun it yet. He earned a little by serving as a model to the artists in the colony. He was a fierce man but he was very fond of the two young artists in the studio above. Especiall Makoto , reason unknown.
Lisa found kyoichi in his dimly-lit den below. She told him of Makoto's idea & how she feared that Makoto would indeed float away when her last hold upon the world grew weak. Kyoichi, His eyes red with tears, shouted at the foolishness of such ideas.
The next morning , Makoto whispered, "Pull up the shades! I want to see.
Lisa obeyed.
To their great surprise, even after the beating rain and fierce gusts of wind that lasted through the long night, there stood out against the brick wall one ivy leaf. It was the last one on the vine.
"It is the last one'" said Makoto. "It wil fall today and I will die at the same time."
The day went by but the lonely ivy leaf clung to its stem against the then again that night a strong wind blew wildly and ther rain beat against the window.
The next morning, the ivy leaf was still there .Makoto lay for a long time looking at it. And then she called out to Lisa.
" U may bring me a little broth now and some milk. I wish to sit up and watch u cook."
The doctor came in the afternoon and said to Lisa, "She's out of danger. Nutrition and care now - that's all. And now, I must see another case I have downstairs. Kyoichi, his name is. Pneumonia too. He is a weak man ant the attack is severe . Therer is no hope for him but he is going to the hospital today to be more comfortable."
Two days later, Lisa came to Makoto and put her arms around her friernd.
"I have something to tell u, dear," she said. "Kyoichi died in hospital. The caretaker found him two days ago, helpless with pain. His shoes and clothing were all wet and icy cold. They could'nt imagine where he had been on such a dreadful night. And then they found a lantern, still lit, a ladder and some scattered brushes and as palette with gren and yellow colours mixed on it. And look out of the window dear - at the ivy leaf on the wall. Didn't u wonder why it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew? Ah dear, it's Kyoichi's masterpiece - he painted it there that night the last leaf fell" she finished "Maybe u should rest some" she tucked Makoto in took out a piece of paper words written in Kyoichi's handwriting
For my sister little sister Makoto.
'Aybe someday I'll tell u ur real relationship with kyoichi but it's not the right time'
The end