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The cool waters of the ocean had already risen to her knees. How long had she stood here? How long would she remain here? She giggled for she already knew; she enjoyed rhetorical questions. She closed her eyes and fell away, deep into her memories. Her mind reflecting on his touch, his scent, his voice, the way he smiled like, he could see the future where they were together. When she opened her eyes again, the waves were retreating, leaving, as he inevitably did.
He came to her in a time of renewal, the New Year! A time where everyone lies to themselves, promising to change. She never made promises she couldn’t keep, what was the point? However, this year was special to her. 17 was her lucky number and this was her 17th year. Nothing would hold her back, knock her down or keep her from her ambitions, no matter how entirely impossible they were! She was set on becoming an actress and mastering the beauty that is the Japanese language, all of this in the upcoming 2016. That’s when she met him.
She spent 3 years working part time in a Hostel called Billabong Gardens, a name of which, to this day, she still doesn’t understand. Nevertheless, it was whilst she was working here, chatting to a few Japanese men about “What’s it like in Japan?” that she met him. An incredibly tall, lanky man who called himself Haruki, her special ‘Spring tree’. He captivated her, his English far better than her Japanese, not that that stopped him from trying to make her speak “NI-HON-GO” by any means! She’d catch him studying her with his chocolate-brown eyes, smiling to himself. She often wondered if he was blushing though, she could never see through that tan skin of his.
Offers were made, moments were shared, words were whispered… All of which had resulted in her standing before him, confessing in a tongue he understood, that she had come to care for him. “Suki…” –again “Suki…” His hand claimed her arm then, and she didn’t try to run away. His stare went straight down to her core, pulling at her heart. “If you like me… Kiss me.” –again “Kisu shite…”
She’ll never forget that kiss, not ever. That shy face of his when she pulled away, the only time she knew for certain he was blushing. But, that kiss led to the last… When he held her close to his chest as both of them fought back tears. What others saw were two lovers that had only known each other for a matter of days but, to them… It felt like years, a lifetime together. She still feels the pull, the weight of when he walked past that departure-gate at the airport, tears streaming down his face, a waterfall on hers. How she stood there for 10 minutes crying, waiting… Why? When she opened her eyes again, the waves were retreating, leaving, as he inevitably did.