Memories of Sakura and Spring
Gone but never forgotten
The alarm clock rang and Ayumu jumped out of her bed. “Today is the day!” she cheered as she ran into the bathroom. Brushing her teeth, she looked into the mirror, “Hmm, not bad, my teeth look really shiny today.” She spat a mouth full of water, smiled one last time at the mirror and walked back into her bedroom. She could smell the aroma of delicious grilled Maguro and miso soup wafting into the room. She opened her wardrobe as her tummy growled “Just a little longer, just a little longer.” she told herself. She picked up her favorite skirt and placed it on the bed. “What we wear, reflects a lot about who we are.” Granny Umi says and she is always right, Ayumu thought as she smiled to herself. She was ready, dressed up with her hair neatly brushed, her tiny little purse in one hand, she looked at the mirror one last time before she walked downstairs into the dining room. “Ohayō o bāchan!” Ayumu greeted her grandmother who was busy preparing breakfast. “Ohayō!” turning to her grand-daughter Umi replied with a smile, “Someone looks all ready for today.” “Oh yes-yes! Someone really is!” Ayumu smiled.
She couldn’t imagine life without her bāchan, they had been together for as long as she could remember. Her parents lived away, in Tokyo, where they worked in a business firm. They were busy almost all year round and she was only able to meet them during vacations but every moment they shared, they cherished. They gave her gifts and as much time as they could, she didn’t complain, she missed them but she didn’t cry, not even when the vacations were over and she had to go back because bāchan was always waiting, with her arms stretched wide, to hug her little grand-daughter. They lived in Kyoto, in a beautiful little house, decorated with beautiful paintings that her bāchan had made. “A picture can speak a thousand words my little Ayumu.” Bāchan always told her and even though she was only ten years old, she knew, she wanted to be a painter, just like her grandmother.
Ayumu finished her breakfast, her bowl of rice was now empty and with one last sip, so was her bowl of miso soup. Umi chuckled as her grand-daughter rushed to clean up the dishes, she could see a lot of herself in little Ayumu.
They walked along the streets, Umi had an umbrella in one hand and Ayumu’s little hand in the other. They smiled, greeting the people they came across. It was the beginning of spring and the pleasant breeze carried the fragrance of Yuri flowers, birds chirped in the distance, they saw squirrels leaping from tree to tree and finally they arrived at their destination, Hirano Shrine. Every year, they would go to pray at the shrine and spend the day enjoying the beauty of the Sakura trees that blossomed there. They looked at each other and smiled as they slowly walked ahead, looking at the Sakura trees that were blooming on the temple grounds, it was as if time had slowed down as the delicate petals gently glided all around them like beautiful pink snowflakes.
Many years have gone by, the world changed and so did Ayumu’s life but the memories would never fade. She still visits the shrine every spring, to honor the memories of her beloved bāchan and the beautiful moments they shared together.
A Tale from The Crimson Citadel @2020
