41. Grasping
"Hey, do you see them?"
"See what?"
"The stars, Len! The diamonds!"
"Stars? Diamonds? What are you on, Rin?"
"Look! In the tree, up there! See all the sky peeking through the leaves? They're like stars and diamonds in a green sky!"
Standing under a very large oak tree, the wind rustling his short ponytail, Len stares into the mass of leaves above. It's become massive over the last few years.
A few years. Has it been that long since she's moved away?
They were the best of friends. You couldn't find one of them without the other. Stuck together like glue, they were alike as well as different. Len found an interest in music, whilst Rin loved writing. She liked oranges, while Len much preferred bananas. They both enjoyed singing, and they could agree that strawberries were delicious.
Len used to be a bit of a pessimist. He doubted everything, fretted over small things.
But Rin heard one line of his 'concerns' and immediately took his hand and dragged him to this tree. There, she'd pointed up and said "See the stars, Len? It's almost like you can reach them, right? Never stop reaching for the stars, 'cause you never know how close they are!"
Even now, her words echo as if said just yesterday. Her departure had been abrupt; her mother's job required her in a far off state, and just as quickly as it was announced, Rin was gone.
Years have gone by, but he still remembers her big smile, her big white bow, and her unending optimism. Raising his opened hand up towards the blanket full of glowing stars, Len smiles softly.
"Don't worry, Rin," He says aloud. "I'll never stop reaching until I can grasp them in my hands. Then…"
"...I'll bring them to you."