I placed my books on the table and went directly to the fridge for a drink.
I took out a handkerchief and placed it over the handle to open it. The
cold, frigid air greeted me strangely. I used the small white piece of
cloth again to take out a bottle of orange juice. I set it on the table
along side the bag of freshly baked bread that I had just bought from the
bakery on the way home. It was then that the slam of the door startled me.
I looked up to see my brother's best friend through the kitchen door. He
looked like he was in a hurry, panting I would guess from the walk up the
stairs.
"Hello, Ryu." I greeted. His face was a mask of seriousness.
"Where's Hayate?" The question was very abrupt, sudden. Indicating, at least to me, something importantly dire.
"I don't know, I was alone when I got here just a minute ago." I was worried by his expression. "Is something the matter?"
He eased his face as well as posture quite a bit. "No, nothing serious. It's just that I have to leave for the airport now and I was hoping to catch him to tell him goodbye."
"Didn't you call him in his cell phone?"
"I did, but he didn't answer."
"He probably just left it here." I said, thinking nothing at all strange. "He's always doing that. He goes out a lot, God knows where."
"Isn't he at work most of the time?" His voice showed a hint of concern. My imaginings would like to think it was for me, but I knew it was for my brother.
"He doesn't work anymore." I said, a faint trace of sadness for what my brother had become. "I always thought he was with you."
Ryu's face and voice turned grim. "I rarely see him anymore."
I became more concerned for my brother. My thoughts, though, went back to what Ryu had just told me. "Why are you leaving for the airport?"
"Oh, I uh, have to go to America." His eyes wandered on the floor.
"And you didn't tell us before?" I was a bit shocked, but mostly disappointed. I didn't know exactly why. Maybe it was because I had come to regard Ryu as much a part of the family as any of them. "This is kind of sudden isn't it?" To my bewilderment, the stress showing in my voice was more than I could explain.
"I just got a message from my father." His voice was strained, strangely determined. "You know he's disappeared, for a long time now. This is my first clue to where he is Kasumi, if he's even still alive." He inched closer towards me and touched my shoulder. "I have to go. You understand that don't you?"
The point of where his hand touched my skin burned, as if physically. I wanted to cry out from the pain. My mind screamed for an explanation, as if what he had said just wasn't enough. Instead all I could mutter was a whisper. "I understand."
"Thank you, Kasumi." He took out his hand, but the pain was still there. "I have to go now or I'll miss my flight. Tell Hayate and your father goodbye for me."
"Okay." I forced a warm smile, to some, as it is to me, just a way to hold back tears.
And as he was leaving though the kitchen door, Ryu turned to me and a smile crept to his face. "Goodbye, Kasumi. Don't worry, we'll see each other again."
He didn't wait for a response; he went down the stairs immediately. Another one of the few people I had in my life was gone. There was a sinking emptiness deep inside my chest - somewhere I think a person's heart would be. "Goodbye Ryu." I whispered, thinking as if my conviction in those words would make him hear it in his mind.
I only stood there for the longest time, arms to my sides, still and unmoving. It wasn't til' I felt that burning on my shoulders again, that I snapped out of it. This time though, there was an absence of the purity that came with the pain before. Now it was like a cancer attempting spread all over my skin.
I hurried towards the bathroom and quickly turned on the showers. As I went in under the hot scalding water, I laughed slightly in dismay. Even with someone as close to me as Ryu, I could not bear to be touched. Finally, I fell down as my tears were washed away.
"Hello, Ryu." I greeted. His face was a mask of seriousness.
"Where's Hayate?" The question was very abrupt, sudden. Indicating, at least to me, something importantly dire.
"I don't know, I was alone when I got here just a minute ago." I was worried by his expression. "Is something the matter?"
He eased his face as well as posture quite a bit. "No, nothing serious. It's just that I have to leave for the airport now and I was hoping to catch him to tell him goodbye."
"Didn't you call him in his cell phone?"
"I did, but he didn't answer."
"He probably just left it here." I said, thinking nothing at all strange. "He's always doing that. He goes out a lot, God knows where."
"Isn't he at work most of the time?" His voice showed a hint of concern. My imaginings would like to think it was for me, but I knew it was for my brother.
"He doesn't work anymore." I said, a faint trace of sadness for what my brother had become. "I always thought he was with you."
Ryu's face and voice turned grim. "I rarely see him anymore."
I became more concerned for my brother. My thoughts, though, went back to what Ryu had just told me. "Why are you leaving for the airport?"
"Oh, I uh, have to go to America." His eyes wandered on the floor.
"And you didn't tell us before?" I was a bit shocked, but mostly disappointed. I didn't know exactly why. Maybe it was because I had come to regard Ryu as much a part of the family as any of them. "This is kind of sudden isn't it?" To my bewilderment, the stress showing in my voice was more than I could explain.
"I just got a message from my father." His voice was strained, strangely determined. "You know he's disappeared, for a long time now. This is my first clue to where he is Kasumi, if he's even still alive." He inched closer towards me and touched my shoulder. "I have to go. You understand that don't you?"
The point of where his hand touched my skin burned, as if physically. I wanted to cry out from the pain. My mind screamed for an explanation, as if what he had said just wasn't enough. Instead all I could mutter was a whisper. "I understand."
"Thank you, Kasumi." He took out his hand, but the pain was still there. "I have to go now or I'll miss my flight. Tell Hayate and your father goodbye for me."
"Okay." I forced a warm smile, to some, as it is to me, just a way to hold back tears.
And as he was leaving though the kitchen door, Ryu turned to me and a smile crept to his face. "Goodbye, Kasumi. Don't worry, we'll see each other again."
He didn't wait for a response; he went down the stairs immediately. Another one of the few people I had in my life was gone. There was a sinking emptiness deep inside my chest - somewhere I think a person's heart would be. "Goodbye Ryu." I whispered, thinking as if my conviction in those words would make him hear it in his mind.
I only stood there for the longest time, arms to my sides, still and unmoving. It wasn't til' I felt that burning on my shoulders again, that I snapped out of it. This time though, there was an absence of the purity that came with the pain before. Now it was like a cancer attempting spread all over my skin.
I hurried towards the bathroom and quickly turned on the showers. As I went in under the hot scalding water, I laughed slightly in dismay. Even with someone as close to me as Ryu, I could not bear to be touched. Finally, I fell down as my tears were washed away.