Appearance

A Peculiarly Divine Love

The store was jammed pack today that I had to do an over-time. Children’s day is coming very soon and all the parents are excited about it. My parents went to the temple during this time instead of celebrating lavishly like any other parents would. I know they were praying for me to live longer and to have a normal life. Though their wish was granted, I can’t seem to fall in normalcy. I have no friends, my teenage life was mostly consist of my alone time, I was home tutored, and I got my degree online. I really had no one but my little family.

“Yuki-chan! Don’t work too hard! Let me have a word with your boss” Grandma said on the phone. I had to call her about the over time I had to take.

“Grandma… I am fine really”, I said and I could hear my voice echoing the through the walls behind the supermarket. “I’ve got to go okay and don’t tell mom and dad about this!” I said before abruptly shutting my phone. I know the longer we are talking on the phone she is going to make me go home whether I was needed or not.

“Happy birthday”

I heard someone said. I turned around but I was the only one standing there. I was about to walk to the door when I saw him.

“Happy Birthday” he said again with a warm smile.

It was the guardian.

“You can see me don’t you?” he said while his hands are waving at me.

I nodded. I looked at his feet and I could see the bottom of the door. I looked up to him again and he was still looking questioningly at me. “You alright?” he asked.

I smiled in disbelief. “I am not sure if I am losing my mind right now or am I actually talking to a ghost”

“Highly likely it’s both” he smiled sheepishly. “I just wanted greet you that is all” he said backing away.

“Don’t go!” I said. I don’t know what I would say to him but I just want him to stay. “How do you know today is my birthday?”

But before he could answer me a colleague of mine opened the door. I watched him disappear into thin air. “There you are! We need a cashier for aisle three” she said but I think she noticed the stunned expression on my face. “You alright?”

I nodded and for a moment there I think I have had the first exhilarating moment in my entire life. “I think I’m going down with flu or something” I said simply.

 


 

I got home from work at nine in the evening and instead of leaving through the front door I went through the back hoping to see him again. I lingered around purposely waiting for him reappear but no matter how long I waited he didn’t show up so I decide to just head home thinking that maybe he’ll appear before me again. But as I was approaching the bridge, I could see him sitting on the rickety railings. I almost called out to him to be careful, you know, before he could injure himself but then I remembered he isn’t human. Amidst the dark surroundings, illuminated only from the little lights emitted by the hand-made street lamps, his figure stood out in his all white apparel. He noticed me approaching him and his warm smile greeted me.

“I thought you’d be scared of me” he said as he stood up but this time he revealed his see-through-bare-feet legs.

“Believe me I was shocked” I admitted. “Has anyone else besides me can see you?” I asked. He shook his head. Great… I’m going crazy.

“You’re a strong person Yuki-chan” he said suddenly.

Thank you but no thank you I thought. “Who are you?” I asked. I wasn’t pressing him to answer me. I just wanted to know how he had known me. “It’s not comforting to know that a ghost actually knows my name and all. You could be a ghost sent by someone to torture me for all I know” he laughed, and it was probably the most comforting laugh I have ever heard from a man—well, was.

“At least trust me on this” he said as he hovered away, gone were his legs and I could see the bridge’s floor in their place. “I wasn’t sent by anyone. You happen to be well-known around here and as a friendly neighbor I was just simply welcoming you”

“And you happen to know my birthday from who exactly?” and then it struck me again. “You were the one standing outside our front lawn last night?”

He nodded. “I love your grandmother’s garden. Since no one could see me, I usually hung out at your grandparent’s porch” he said while looking like a guilty mouse.

“I love it there too but I’ve never seen you—“, scratch that, “I never felt your presence before this”

He shrugged. “I guess that’s because this is the first time you actually been here after seventeen years. Am I right?”

What he said was true. The last time I was here was when I was seven; it was two years after my surgery. It was because grandma couldn’t come and visit us so we went to her instead. But there was something that made me didn’t want to come here anymore back then and I have totally forgotten about it.

“I had some issues with myself that I can’t really explain” I said.

He nodded but his face looked like he wants to know more but he didn’t say. “It’s already late Yuki-chan… see you around?” he said.

Though unsure and questioning my sanity I nodded. “You can come and visit the garden… you know, since you like spending your time there”

He smiled, “Thank you Yuki-chan”

But before I could let him vanish I need him to answer me something. “Can I at least know your name?”

He turned to me and shook his head. “You really don’t remember me do you?” he said and truthfully I shook my head. “People call me Ari-kun” he said before once again vanishing into the night air. Funnily enough, I walked through the night home feeling as if I didn't experience anything strange at all today. And funnily enough, I look forward to meeting Ari-kun again.

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FlowingFlame
#1
I think this story is progressing really nicely. I'll be waiting for the next chapters ^^