Aaron sits on a typical wooden bench, staring at the amber-fleshed leaves of the Golden Trumpet tree as it sways along with the wind. The soft breeze makes his brown-fleshed hair move along with the wind as it flutters through, his hair swinging on his forehead. Baron had something to attend that day, and Aaron just felt lonely all alone by himself.
A ball flies through the air while Aaron stares obliviously into the tranquil atmosphere. The ball hits Aaron's arms making his glasses fly through the air, falling a few feet away from him. He stupefies, flinching at the unwelcome flying object. A girl shrieks as she looks at the horror of her mistake as she tries to go after the ball.
The girl picks up Aaron's glasses from the ground. "I'm sorry, I was trying to practice serving, but I guess I need more practice." She hands the glasses, smiling sheepishly. Aaron flaps his hands at the ground, trying to locate them. "Here's your glasses. Again, I'm sorry for the trouble."
Aaron blows air on his glasses, attempting to hastily clean off dust and tries putting them on. "It's fine."
"You're okay right?" The girl mutters as she tries to dust off the dirt from Aaron's arms.
Aaron blinks twice as his vision clears up. In front of him, a towering, fair-skinned woman, her hair tied-up in a ponytail. Her ivory-white eyes stick to his while her pudgy lips protrudes obliviously. He flinches and composes himself. "I'm fine, I was just shocked."
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you or anything."
"Why w-were you practicing so hard under this h-heat?"
"Long story," The girl sighs as she sits on the bench along with Aaron, smiling sheepishly. She rests her head on her hands, her cheeks pressing on the soft texture of her skin. She stares at the leaves as they slowly fall from the tree. Aaron looks at her direction.
"I d-don't mind, I have nothing more to do for this a-afternoon."
She nods her head as she grabs the ball. "With you looking at me with those eyes, I guess I'll have tell you. I have no one to share it with anyway." She rolls her eyes in sarcasm.
"They say if you tell someone your problems, it makes you feel more at e-ease."
She lets out a modest smile. "Thanks for the offer, but it's nothing for you to be concerned about. I just have some financial problems that I need to get sorted out."
"L-like what?"
"Well, for starters, I have been working all around the clock lately, doing convenience store jobs, promotional marketing, you know— the usual gigs."
"Damn, what a b-bummer."
"I know, right?" She simpers. "Anyway, I have to apply for a sports scholarship for the university, so I have to be on the high school volleyball team to at least be qualified for their volleyball team tryouts."
"Ah, I see." He nods his head. "If you need help, you can just ask m-me okay? By the way, where are your parents? Why are you juggling so many jobs?"
"My parents?" She smiles torridly. "My mom died a month ago due to cancer."
"I'm so sorry for your loss, I'm super sorry to have brought it up."
She nods her head. "Well anyway, I am swamped with hospital bills lately."
"Swamped by how much?"
"Half a million."
"Wait, that m-much?" He replies in unbelief. "Wait, how about your father, how has he been holding out with the situation—"
"My mother is the only person I really consider as a family."
"Why is that—"
"My father left us when I was just thirteen years old. He was rarely present prior to that anyways. He had another wife to attend to." She smirks, her eyes moistens. "A legal wife."
"Don't you have any siblings or anything?"
"I do." She nods her head.
"Well, where are they?"
She slips out a wistful smirk. "Correction, they're my half-siblings."
"Ah, so they're from the other family?"
"Yep. The wayyy other family." She rolls her eyes.
"Good grief." Aaron sighs. "Anyway, is there anything I can do to help?"
"Well actually— I have been meaning to escape." She smiles at him coyly.
"An escape? What kind of escape?"
"Well, I just want to forget everything for just a little while. I want to go to a place full of smiles, laughter, you know the place called impossible."
Aaron smirks at her. "Impossible? I don't think so. I think I know just where that place is."
Confused, she asks. "You do? Wait, maybe I'm bothering you or something—"
"You aren't," Aaron cuts her off, snickering. Standing up, he offers his hand looking at her. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"
She grins in disbelief. After a moment of hesitation, she grabs his hands.
"Sure, let's go."
***
"The amusement park?" She stares in awe at the park gate, staring at the enormous rides— the rollercoasters, the Ferris wheels— the everything. The giant mascots, the hotdogs, and the pink cotton candies, all of the surreal things.
"Do you like it?" Aaron smiles. She smiles back.
"I love it."
Both of them entered the amusement park with smiles on their faces. For a short while, she was able to forget her problems. For a quick moment, she simply forgot her troubles, her life, and her reality. For a brief period, she finally has a reason to smile.
It's not because of the enormous rides.
It's not because of the food.
It's because, for the first time in a while, she realizes that somehow, someone does care.
In a world that's dark and gritty, someone does hold a candle. Someone does hold hope.
"Let's ride that." She says, pointing to a ride.
"The roller coaster?" Aaron's brows furrow while she stares and smiles, looking at the fast, adrenaline-inducing ride. "Can't we do that instead?" He he points to the sweet and steady, merry-go-around.
"Hell, that thing is lame. I want something exciting. I want something fun. I want to scream. I want to feel the thrill.
Aaron nods his head as his eyebrows continue to furrow in anxiety. "Sure. Let's do that." He answers apprehensively as he gulps down a cluster of saliva.
She drags his hands, trying to get him to ride the acrophobic nightmare. Both of them were locked-in on the ride when it tries to slowly scale through the high rails. At first, it slowly scaled and Aaron was able to sigh for relief for a bit. But as it approaches the top of the line, he slowly realizes that the real thrill is just about to come.
The rollercoaster zooms down— and up— and around— and down again.
Belting on the top of her lungs, she shouts through the zooming ride. "Someday, I will finally be able to eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet!"
"What? You haven't eaten on one?" Aaron exclaims as strong winds block their mouths, muffling both their voices.
"No, I haven't!" She screams as the rollercoaster runs through a loop. She screams at the top of her lungs as they approach an even bigger hill. "Someday, I'll be able to experience snow!"
Aaron snickers as he hears her sincere, yet very simple wishes. If only he had the money right now he would help her— but he just doesn't have the resources.
"Mum! Remember this! Someday I'll have enough money and will be able to put you in a proper columbarium!" She exclaims.
Aaron looks at her dejected grin. Her sorrow, her disappointment, her exhaustion— everything is apparent from that one grin. The bittersweet shine of the sun as it hits their skin reminds them that the heat is there to nurture them, to train them to help them become better people.
"Mom, I'm sorry!" She pauses as she sees the city's view from above, the sun setting, shining a citron ray through the atmosphere. "I'm so sorry for not being able to do anything when you were hurting. I'm so sorry for not being able to cook for you for the rest of my life. I'm sorry for not being able to realize that our moments were precious and limited— that they were my very last moments with you." A tear falls down her cheek as the shaky ride tries to shove it off. "Mom, I promise! I promise that when I find my special someone— someone as special as you, I'll cook for them for the rest of my life, to cherish our moments together, to be able to live with them till my death. Mom, until then, take care! Take care on your journey!"
Aaron tries to approach her as they reach the end of the line. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, don't worry about it." She mumbles as the ride operators automatically remove the safety belts. Both of them stand up, leaving the ride, and tries to walk through the amusement park's pavements. It was getting dark when Aaron spots a cotton candy stall below a huge sycamore tree selling to children, its colorful cotton candy-on-a-stick appeasing their eyes. He taps her shoulders.
"Let's get some of that," Aaron says, pointing to the cotton candy stall.
"Sure."
Both of them walked to the stall lining up for their turn. When they arrived out front, Aaron handed out a bill to the vendor. "Can we get two of that, please?"
"Sure."
The vendor hands out two blobs of cotton candy; one is pink and the other is teal. Aaron hastily grabs the two cotton candies, presenting them in front of her.
"Which one do you want?"
"I like that one." She says, pointing to the teal one.
"Sure— but don't eat it just yet." He sneakily eyes at her.
"Why?"
"Let's eat it while riding the wheel okay?"
***