If wishes were horses

by 20fourseven

Be careful what you wish for. That's the old saying. 'If wishes were horses...' that's another saying. Haruki and Kyoko visiting Sakura's grave experience both examples of these old sayings.

If wishes were horses... An 'I want to eat your pancreas' short story.

Be careful what you wish for. That's the old saying. 'If wishes were horses...' that's another saying. Haruki and Kyoko visiting Sakura's grave experience both examples of these old sayings.

Haruki and Kyoko were standing at the foot of Sakura's grave. "Hey Sakura, wake up!"

"Must you say that every time we visit?" Haruki asked.

"I just want her to know that we're here."

"If she didn't, she does now."

Haruki placed a bottle of plum wine near the headstone. He knew Sakura would like this because he and Kyoko had travelled all the way to the place where Sakura and he spent the night in the hotel.

Kyoko placed the flowers she brought next to it. Falling silent for a few minutes in their minds they each told her what they had been doing lately. "Are you ready?" Haruki asked.

"Yes. Bye for now Sakura. We'll stay a bit longer next time okay? promise." Kyoko said.

They turned and walked down the path towards the entrance to the cemetery. A small wishing well was now standing at the entrance.

"That's funny; I didn't see this on the way in."

Haruki looked at a faded plaque on the side of the well. Reading it out loud he began.

"If wishes were horses..."

"Beggars would ride." Kyoko finished.

"I thought it was 'Fools would ride.'

"No I'm sure it's beggars would ride."

"I like 'Fools would ride.' I'd gladly be a fool to spend just one more day with Sakura."

"Me too!"

"Let's make a wish."

They closed their eyes and made their silent wish.

"What did you wish for Haruki?"

"If I tell you it won't come true." He said.

Kyoko said. "I wished I could see Sakura one more time. I never had the chance to say goodbye."

As they continued to walk down the hill Haruki could hear the sound of horses hooves fast approaching. Turning to see if he was imagining things it was a horse, a big white horse and a young woman in a flowing white dress was on its back. As the horse came closer Haruki noticed it was Sakura!

The horse came to a stop and Kyoko let out a squeal of delight.

"My wish came true!"

Sakura climbed down off the horse and Kyoko ran to her but stopped short. "I don't know whether to hug you or punch you for not telling me your secret!"

"I'm sorry Kyoko, but as I explained in my letter, if I told you it would change our friendship. You would always look at me as if I was a china doll you couldn't play with for fear of breaking it. I couldn't bare that, so that's why I didn't tell you."

"Yes but you told Haruki!"

"He was the only one I told because he was the complete opposite of me. He was a loner in class; no one spoke to him so I figured I could trust him. He treated me like I wasn't sick at all even though he knew I was dying and I needed that sense of normalcy."

"Okay, I understand now. That doesn't mean I've forgiven you though."

Sakura looked down at the ground and Kyoko lifted Sakura's chin with her finger.

"Kidding! You're not the only one to prank someone you know!" She then wrapped her arms around her in the biggest bear hug she could manage. "I miss you Sakura, it's not the same without you."

"I miss you too Kyoko, I'm glad you made friends with Haruki, he really is a good guy."

The horse was waiting patiently behind Sakura this whole time but was now getting restless. Its snorts and whinnies were its way of telling Sakura that time was up.

"I-I have to go now Kyoko."

"Go where? Stay here with me Sakura, don't go!"

"I have to, you wanted to say goodbye to me, so here's your chance."

Tears spilling from her eyes, Kyoko nodded her head and said. "Goodbye Sakura, I'll see you again. Thanks for all the fun times, I love you Sakura!"

Kyoko fell to her knees and burst into tears. Sakura patted her on the head then mounted the horse and turned and rode away.

Haruki could hear the sound of horses hooves fast approaching. Turning to see if he was imagining things it was a horse, a big white horse and a young woman in a flowing white dress was on its back. As the horse came closer Haruki noticed it was Sakura!

Sakura reached out her hand to Haruki. "Come on, let's go!"

"Where are we going?"

"To the beach of course! That's where we planned to go before I... died."

"But the beach is miles from here!"

Haruki took her hand "When did you become so strong?" He exclaimed as she pulled him up into the saddle.

Holding a finger to her lips she whispered. "Shhh. That's a trade secret."

In the blink of an eye they were walking bare foot along the beach. Sakura had tied the horses rein to a fence. With the waves lapping the sand Sakura playfully kicked water at Haruki. "Oh is that the way you want it huh?" He kicked water back and she screamed with delight and ran away to avoid the splash. Haruki quickly caught up and grabbed her around the waist. She turned to him and they looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Haruki leaned in for a kiss and Sakura met him half way. When their lips parted she said. "Finally! What took you so long?"

"As I recall, you were the one who pushed me up against the wall in your room that time. Then chickened out."

"I know, I was afraid. I didn't want you to feel awkward. I didn't want to spoil what we had so I made a joke out of it."

"What we had even though it was so short was the best time of my life. Thank you Sakura." He said and leaned in for another kiss.

Sakura was thrilled to see organ meat on the menu at the little restaurant near the beach."I hope the horse will be okay there, I didn't have much money for the meter." She giggled.

"Well if a parking officer comes along I'll just tell them the ticket must have blown off."

After lunch they returned to the beach. Hand in hand with the horse trailing behind them, its reins in Sakura's free hand. The waves were lapping the sand and occasionally their feet. The beach was mostly empty now, it was getting late and the sun was casting long shadows.

"Haruki I really enjoyed today, thank you for wishing for it."

"Sakura, it was my pleasure, I had fun too!"

"Haruki? Boy it sounds strange saying your name. In all the time we knew each other we never called each other by our first names!"

"Well you said my name that time on the train, but I never said yours until I met your mother."

The horse chose this moment to start snorting and whinnying.

"I have to go."

"Don't go, stay here with me."

"I wish I could, but I can't. That's the rule."

Sakura climbed onto the horse's back.

Haruki looked at Sakura as she started to vanish in front of his eyes he heard himself yell "I love you Sakura!"and as he was sketching her face into his memory he blinked once and she was gone, but he heard her voice say 'I love you Haruki'

"Son, son, wake up now." Haruki felt someone lightly slapping his face trying to rouse him from the trance he'd found himself in. Blinking until his eyes re-focussed he was looking into the face of an old man he'd never seen before.

"Who, who are you?

"I'm the caretaker of the cemetery; I see you and your friend have had an experience with the wishing well."

"Wishing well?"

"Yes, it appears every so often, like Halley's comet, well more regular I guess. I've seen the result many times. Somebody reads the inscription on the side and makes a wish and their wish is granted. It's the strangest thing, but I've never been able to catch it in time, and I've worked here for a loooong time."

"Haruki, are you okay?" Kyoko asked.

"I think so." He replied.

"Well, I think I'll leave you now and get back to my work." The old man said.

Still with a puzzled look on his face Haruki said "I had the strangest day dream just then. It seemed to go on forever."

"You too? I dreamt of Sakura. She was riding a big white horse and I..." Kyoko's breath caught in her throat then she continued. " I got to say goodbye to her."

Looking at his watch Haruki noticed it was getting late. "We'd better hurry if we don't want to miss the next bus."

"Wait, you didn't tell me about your dream."

"I'll tell you on the way home, let's go."

Turning to leave, a single blossom fell from the sky and Kyoko caught it before it hit the ground.

"It's a cherry blossom." She said "But how? There are no cherry trees near here and it's not even the right season."

"It's from Sakura." Haruki said. "She's telling us she's with us now."

The End.