* (♛) Destiny ▬▬▬

Depending on the environment, cherry blossoms across Japan will bloom at different times. I still remember the exact time my cherry blossom tree would bloom; one month and three days after the first day of spring. On that day, every single bud would open up, and the tree would look like a place from heaven, and the tiny, pink angels from heaven would slowly flutter to the ground. My whole world would be in full bloom just like the tree and my problems would simply float away into the soft breeze that accompanied the beautiful scene.

I decided that I would not look at the cherry blossom tree until the day it fully blooms. I wanted to see it at its peak of beauty after many months of mere branches and flower buds, when it was ready to let me tell my story with only tears and emotions. Its sweet scent would get rid of my misery and despair. It was and always going to sooth me from the scars I earned from lies and betrayal at its worst.

Though I made such a decision, I had to control myself. In order to get to the market, or anywhere worth looking for dropped money, I had to walk past the tree. I knew it was hidden from sight; but I had to control my desire to simply run and take a peek at how it was going.

On the night before it would fully bloom, I couldn’t sleep at all. I tossed and the cold floor of my old house, my blanket scrunched up in a ball at my feet. I thought about all things that had happened, all the secrets I had locked up while it was gone and all the new emotions I experienced. What could I tell the beautiful blossom that next day? Somehow, I drifted off to sleep under the moonlight shining through the window; the perfect night, and in the morning, it would be the perfect day.

The suddenly chirping and squawking of birds suddenly woke me up. I blinked sleepily, wondering why they were in my house. But all my thoughts disappeared as I remembered what special day it was that day. It was the day I had been waiting for the whole year.

I stood up from the pile of blankets, brushing all the dirt and dust that had stuck onto my body as I slept. I looked out the window to see the rising sun barely above the horizon, the cloudless skies tinted yellow. I combed my rough, tangled hair quickly with my fingers and tried to flatten wrinkles in my tattered clothes. I wanted to reunite with a refreshed look, showing the tree how I had matured and grown as a person because of its help.

I excitedly walked down the path. I could imagine the sight already; the tall tree towering over me, smelling sweet and fragrant as ever and more beautiful than all the other wonders of the world. I couldn’t help but smile to myself, knowing that everything would be alright in a few minutes. My heart was thumping onto my ribcage like a drum and I felt as if it would burst from emotions.

As I walked closer, I felt something odd. The air didn’t seem right. I remembered the first time I discovered the tree, its sweet smell dominated the whole area and its petals could be seen dancing in the breeze from at least a street away. Yet that day, it was just as any other. The warm, spring air filled my lungs, and people did their business as usual.

I quickened up my pace, not caring about my appearance to the tree anymore. With every step I took, worry filled up my heart. I simply couldn’t imagine how I would live life without anything to protect. Everyone needs something to protect; birds would protect their eggs and mothers would protect their children.

As I finally headed up the path, I noticed something else that I found strange. Usually by the time I was at the path, the winding branches of the tree could be seen. But no matter how hard I squinted, I couldn’t see a single branch let alone the tree. My heart beat so fast it was painful. Tears formed at the corners of my eyes as I imagined what could’ve happened.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, eyes shut in determination. When I felt the familiar crunch of the emerald green grass, I stopped running. Beads of sweat dripped down my face as I gasped in air. I prayed as I calmed down, that the tree would still be with me, and the fact that the lack of sweet smell and magnificent petals were simply bluffs.

I opened my eyes, looking up to the place that the cherry blossom tree always waited. But it wasn’t there. I quickly searched the area on the spot, looking left and right, but it wasn’t there. As I slowly moved forward, still not accepting what was in front of me, I saw it; the large stump of the cherry blossom tree, the only thing that was left behind.

Shock raced through my mind, stopping all my thoughts. For a moment, I couldn’t feel or hear anything. I dropped to my knees in disbelief. Was this reality? Was I in the right place? I looked around me again, too surprised to even cry.

‘Ah, it’s you, the tree-hugger,’ a voice uttered from somewhere on my right. I quickly turned around to see one of the boys from the group that bullied me. ‘What do you want?’ I growled. He didn’t even look taken aback at my forceful words. Instead, he began walking towards me, smirking slightly.

‘You remember me don’t you?’ he asked me. I nodded wearily, not knowing where he was getting at. ‘Do you remember the last words I said to you before you made my friend cry?’ I simply sat there, picking and pulling my mind at all the memories I had, but I simply couldn’t remember what he had told me. ‘No!’ I screamed I frustration.

The boy raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised. ‘You don’t remember? Let me jog your pathetic little memory.’ I stared at him angrily. So many things were crowding my mind I couldn’t keep track of it. I swayed slowly on the spot, trying to stay focused as the boy’s words might have been important.

 ‘Hey,’ he said, moving closer to my ear, his voice turning into a whisper. ‘That tree, it’s going to be cut down next month.’ I suddenly remember the whole scene, and in instinct, I pushed the boy away from me. He didn’t do anything except smile at me amusedly.

That’s right; it was going to be cut down. I slowly trudged up to the stump, not caring about anything anymore. I lifted my arm and felt the wood on top. It had been a bit longer than a month since I last touched the rough wood of the tree. Before I knew it, I was crying uncontrollably, screaming out to the imaginary tree that once stood at that very spot.

It was over.

I didn’t know what to do. I felt empty and sorrowful inside as if everything had been taken away from me. I turned to the boy. ‘What do I do?’ I screamed at him hysterically my eyes wide open in fear. ‘What do I do now?’ He simply stood there, looking at me pitifully. I ran to the stream that always made the soft, trickling sound that I loved and scooped up water with cupped hands.

‘Help me!’ I yelled, pouring the little water left that I had in my hands. I quickly ran up and down, feeding the stump with the water, hoping that it would grow again. The boy slowly walked forward and sat on the stump. ‘What are you doing?’ I screamed carelessly, running towards him with my cupped hands. But before I could even reach him, I tripped. I slid across the grass, I knew I was bleeding but I had to save the tree.

Before I could even sit up, the boy walked over to me and rested his foot on my back. ‘Stop trying so hard!’ he yelled. ‘They already poisoned the roots! It’s not going to come back! Just accept the truth!’ As he let go of his foot, he kicked my side. I could feel my ribs throbbing in pain and my arms stinging from my fall as I tried to sit up.

I scrambled up to the stump, choking on my tears and sobbing as I knew that the boy was right; it was never going to come back. I don’t know how long I stayed there, maybe for a few hours, until nightfall, or maybe even until the next day. But as I walked back home, I vowed to leave to past behind and to stay strong and become the happiest person alive, no matter what. I was never going to go back to the wilted blossom I was before.

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