"Hey, hey. Remember what we promised one another when we were kids?"
He looked forward and into the small clearing in the woods. A run down shack that was falling apart. It rested near a small stream and gurgled and lapped at the grassy banks. It was hot, the middle of summer, and the afternoon sun beat down on the back of his neck. The familiar song of summer ran in his ears. Cicadas chirped and called out to one another, the water splashed and ran its course, small animals rustled through the grass and climbed the trees. A deep feeling of nostalgia hit its course and he closed his eyes, plunging into a pool of memories from when he was young.
"Hey, don't ignore me when I'm talking to you!"
A smile fell on his lips and surfaced again, blinking a few times and walking towards the little shack. Inside still looked the same. Two old chairs sat across from one another, an old wooden table between them. There were words carved into the wood, but the years of weather made it difficult to read. He ran his fingers gently over the letters.
Let's write out a message to one another so we can come back and see them when you return.
There was a laugh that bubbled from inside him, but it wasn't enough for him to make a sound. He just breathed through his nose heavily and looked around. It had been a long time and things changed, but it still felt the same. It felt like home, a warmth he could not describe that enveloped his body. He closed his eyes and allowed it to wash over him again. He could smell the flowers, the trees, the rushing creek, and the sweet candies, sodas, and chips that had always been hidden to plunge into later on in the day. He could hear the background music of the video games that he use to play when he was younger.
Snapping back from the memories he searched the floor. His eyes were sharp and filled with desperation. The smile left his lips and he fell onto his hands and knees, running his hand across the ground until finding what he was looking for. The ground was crumbling away and he could easily push aside the dirt. Sweeping it away with his hands he found a small box still buried underneath the ground. It was left in the same position as it had been when it was buried. No one had found it and no one had moved it.
"Hey, let's read them together, okay?"
Inside the box were two pieces of paper and small object wrapped awfully in newspaper. The handwriting was scribbled messily down on the paper and it had faded with time, making it difficult to read. There was not much on either pieces of paper, but he read them both slowly. His expression changing carefully. It was gentle and soft. His lips pulled into a faint smile, but his eyes were full of pain. They began to water and the tears built. He couldn't barely finish reading the papers before he placed both on the floor.
"No peeking! It's a surprise!"
He didn't remember this being put in the box. He picked it up and carefully unwrapped the paper. Inside was a crudely made key chain. It looked like it was carved and he examined it further, laughing at its appearance. As he turned it in his hands, he saw that his name was carved into it as well and his laughing died down a bit and he felt his chest tighten. It was almost like it couldn't breathe and he clutched the small present tightly in his hand. His appearance crumbled as he lost his composure. He cried loudly and choked on his breaths.
As quickly as he lost his composure it was regained. The cries died down and the tears were wiped away.
"Hey, hey!"
The voice kept echoing in his head. He picked himself up, taking along the box and its contents. Outside it was still the same. The summer sun was bright, the creek kept moving, and the cicadas kept crying.
"I'm sorry, I almost forgot," he finally said with a little laugh.
"Hey, hey.. Thanks for remembering."
He looked forward and into the small clearing in the woods. A run down shack that was falling apart. It rested near a small stream and gurgled and lapped at the grassy banks. It was hot, the middle of summer, and the afternoon sun beat down on the back of his neck. The familiar song of summer ran in his ears. Cicadas chirped and called out to one another, the water splashed and ran its course, small animals rustled through the grass and climbed the trees. A deep feeling of nostalgia hit its course and he closed his eyes, plunging into a pool of memories from when he was young.
"Hey, don't ignore me when I'm talking to you!"
A smile fell on his lips and surfaced again, blinking a few times and walking towards the little shack. Inside still looked the same. Two old chairs sat across from one another, an old wooden table between them. There were words carved into the wood, but the years of weather made it difficult to read. He ran his fingers gently over the letters.
Let's write out a message to one another so we can come back and see them when you return.
There was a laugh that bubbled from inside him, but it wasn't enough for him to make a sound. He just breathed through his nose heavily and looked around. It had been a long time and things changed, but it still felt the same. It felt like home, a warmth he could not describe that enveloped his body. He closed his eyes and allowed it to wash over him again. He could smell the flowers, the trees, the rushing creek, and the sweet candies, sodas, and chips that had always been hidden to plunge into later on in the day. He could hear the background music of the video games that he use to play when he was younger.
Snapping back from the memories he searched the floor. His eyes were sharp and filled with desperation. The smile left his lips and he fell onto his hands and knees, running his hand across the ground until finding what he was looking for. The ground was crumbling away and he could easily push aside the dirt. Sweeping it away with his hands he found a small box still buried underneath the ground. It was left in the same position as it had been when it was buried. No one had found it and no one had moved it.
"Hey, let's read them together, okay?"
Inside the box were two pieces of paper and small object wrapped awfully in newspaper. The handwriting was scribbled messily down on the paper and it had faded with time, making it difficult to read. There was not much on either pieces of paper, but he read them both slowly. His expression changing carefully. It was gentle and soft. His lips pulled into a faint smile, but his eyes were full of pain. They began to water and the tears built. He couldn't barely finish reading the papers before he placed both on the floor.
"No peeking! It's a surprise!"
He didn't remember this being put in the box. He picked it up and carefully unwrapped the paper. Inside was a crudely made key chain. It looked like it was carved and he examined it further, laughing at its appearance. As he turned it in his hands, he saw that his name was carved into it as well and his laughing died down a bit and he felt his chest tighten. It was almost like it couldn't breathe and he clutched the small present tightly in his hand. His appearance crumbled as he lost his composure. He cried loudly and choked on his breaths.
As quickly as he lost his composure it was regained. The cries died down and the tears were wiped away.
"Hey, hey!"
The voice kept echoing in his head. He picked himself up, taking along the box and its contents. Outside it was still the same. The summer sun was bright, the creek kept moving, and the cicadas kept crying.
"I'm sorry, I almost forgot," he finally said with a little laugh.
"Hey, hey.. Thanks for remembering."
No comments:
Post a Comment