This was our rendezvous, me and him, together in an old house. This house had so many memories of us running around as kids, chasing each other, throwing our heads back, laughing. I could taste the happiness as I closed my eyes remembering those days. Though in a matter of minutes, it all changed to sorrow as I was starting to realize things were not the same, anymore. As I scanned the room, my eyes landed on a photograph of us holding hands on top of a drawer. I stood up and made my way toward the photograph. How long had it been? 2, 3 years? I hugged the rough battered frame againts my chest, breathing in the smell of dust...Though in my head I imagined smelling in his baby powder that he always used...The smell of jasmine and candy. The smell I had learned to love for ages. I missed him. I put the framed picture back, and I could hear the owl hooting from the outside. That owl had always been outside, staying on top of an apple tree, accompanying me while I waited for him to come. Something was telling me that he was not coming anytime soon. Well, this must be one of those days when he just ditched me and went for the forest instead. I made my way out of the house and headed to the forest.
The sweet smell of flowers welcomed me into the forest. It was almost midnight now; however it was always luminous whenever he was here. His glowing wings could literally light up the whole forest. I brushed away the hanging roots that blocked my view from the most beautiful angel. I was looking at him now, and our eyes locked instantly. We kept staring at each other for what seemed like forever. I heard the wind gush in his direction that caused some of his hairs went to the side of his face. Now I could clearly see his beautiful navy blue eyes. The sound of a bird chirping broke our staring moment, and a smile curled up on my face. He returned it with his. I came up to him and we started to talk. He told me how his life in heaven was, and how he wished he was still living on earth. I told him I liked the idea of him living again, but we both knew it would never happen. He gave me a honeysuckle and as our hands touched I could feel nothing but the texture of the flower. He couldn’t touch human. A human being like me couldn’t touch angels like him. I licked the sweet part of the flower and the sensation of sweetness exploded inside my mouth. We used to lick honeysuckles together when we were small. Flashbacks started to creep their way into my head. I wept and curled myself against a tree. He tried to calm me down but he ended up crying, as well. I saw drops of diamonds fell down from his eyes. We weren’t the same anymore. The bliss that I felt just now, had turned into gloom. The crying, the catching up…they had always been a routine for both of us. Minutes passed, and he told me that he would meet me in the house or forest in a few days, since he had a lot of “work” to do. The “work” that he had to do was neither something that I would ever want to understand, nor would I ever want to know, since it was an afterlife matter. I was still holding on to the hope that maybe someday he would be like me again. He would be a human again. He would be a boy that I had spent my childhood life with. We parted, and he took brightness with him as he made his way up, flying.
Depending on the moonlight as my guide, I decided to visit the cemetery. It was about 100 meters from the forest and I was familiar with the path leading to it. Soon I arrived, and I was looking at a lot of headstones…I went to the second row and made my way to the third headstones from the right. His was located under a frangipani tree. I slid my back against the tree, and looked at his headstone. “Rhy Jo” it said on the headstone; “a loving son, brother, and best friend”. Tears were forming inside my eyes, and soon they went down like a waterfall. It had been years yet I couldn’t move on, because he gave me so much to remember. I decided to lay back againts the frangipani tree and just stared at this whole scene of cemetery. They were all dead…I was the only human being alive at the moment. The chorus of crickets accompanying my thoughts as I suddenly saw a sharp wood located a couple of feet from where I was sitting now. I crawled my way to it and held it while trembling. The tears flowed once more and I could taste the saltiness of them. I had a bad feeling about this, but I would do anything to be together with him. I didn’t mind leaving this world since my reason to live had long gone. The sharp wood was now inches from my wrist, and I slit my wrist with it, maybe a little too hard then I intended to. I wanted to try first before actually killing myself. The world went all woozy and my eyes were heavy. Suddenly I saw a light, a beautiful light that I was familiar with. It was his light. I stood up, and ran to it, I ran to him though I wasn’t able to see him yet. I ran and I ran, and I before I knew it I bumped into him. I bumped into him. I could touch him! Without having a second thought, I hugged him so tight and smelled in the smell of jasmine and candy…His smell. He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head. I was hugging my world, right here…We hugged for a long time without saying anything, and then he suddenly put his mouth beside my ear. He said it wasn’t my time yet, he said that no matter where I’d be, he’d always watch over me although I wouldn’t be able to see him. He started to break the hug, and put his hands on my shoulder. He said it would be best for us to not meeting up in our house and the forest anymore. The eerie sound filled the gap of the voice that had just left from his mouth. I was shocked and what he said had left me speechless. He started to talk again and said it would make it easier for me to forget him by doing so. My silent had come to an end and I screamed and shouted, because I didn’t want this to happen. Then he took a hold of me and put his left hand on my chest. He said he would always be there, inside my heart. And someday the time would come for him and me to be reunited, once more. And he was gone in a flash and left me screaming on top of my lung.
I woke up in a hospital, hearing the murmur of the nurse talking abruptly. And as I looked up, I could faintly see, his beautiful navy blue eyes shining down from the lights above.
And I knew right then, that he meant what he said.
That he’d always be here,
In my heart.