"Hey bruh! Go get the door!"
"Ok!"
"What is it?"
"Mail man."
"Is it another letter?? This fast??"
"Hurry up open it up!!", Tachibana says.
"Calm down everyone! Give me the letter. I'll read it."
"Ok, here."
"Ow it's from Tachibana Mistress's mom."
"What does it say?"
"Well, ok.... Umm... Oh no..."
"What is it??!"
"I can't read it. Here Tachibana, read it yourself.
"What!? Why?!"
Tachibana takes the letter and reads it silently. She becomes gloomy and leaves the room. I can understand what it's about. But the question is how much is it? I mean, is he...? I shouldn't think of the worst. Nothing happened. Nothing too bad happened. Right?
She didn't have lunch. Didn't even come out of her home. Aiko went to check on her. She won't even talk to her. Why did it have to be her? She is still so fragile and a good person. I go to the balcony when the sun is about to set. Another day ends in misery. Each day is having fare amount of everything. Can't it be unfair for once? Can't it only have happiness for once?
"Hey Dense!"
"Tachibana!!"
"What are you doing here."
"Thinking about life."
"Hm."
I look at her. She is still gloomy. Atleast she left her room.
"Have you eaten lunch by now?"
"No, I'll, in a while."
"Can I ask you something?
"You wanna know what happened, what was in that letter, right?"
"If you don't mind.."
"Well, my dad... died. Mom said that their base was attacked, they were able to save the base. But one enemy was still alive. He detonated a mine, dad was checking the bodies at that moment.... His body was...."
She stopped. She wasn't crying. The breeze blows her hair to one side, and I notice her eyes are all puffed up. No wonder she can't cry anymore even if she wanted to.
"The letter mom wrote was from 1 week ago. There was another letter with it. It said my mom died in a armed force drill 3 days ago. Her body couldn't be brought back while retreating. How interesting life can be, right?"
I stay silent. I don't what I should say. I've never had to condole anyone before. No, I have to. I can't leave her suffering like that! What should I do then!!? Before I could think anything else she jumps at me and hugs me tight.
"Why did they have to leave!? They could just stayed home! Why is this happening to me?"
Shall I hug her back? I think, so. I hug her back.
"Why!!, Why why!!"
She starts punching my chest. I wouldn't let her go. It hurts but I can't let her go! This is the pain she is feeling. If I can share atleast some of it, she can rest. After half an hour she stops punching. Her hands, her face are all red. She is warm and sweating. Her palm is bloody due to her nails. I'm not going to let her go. She can hit me more but I have to stay by her. It's the least I can do as I have no words to condole her. She falls asleep in my arms while crying, yet there wasn't any tears as her eyes are too dry. As I take her in my arms to take her to bed she says,
"You guys won't leave me like them? Will you?"
"Don't even say that!"
"I'm sorry."
She kisses me. Her lips feels so dry, a li'l salty too. Are these tears? I think so. Yet it feels so relaxing. Like someone is putting down a bolder off my chest. She stops, looks at me, smiles and says, "You'll leave me someday, relations are so fragile."