"Good morning Grandma!"
I greeted her joyfully, it is now 8 in the morning and today's sky is a blue-grey brindle with the softest accents of white.
"Oho, what's happening, my Navi? You look delighted. What's going on?" She asked with excitement visible in her tone.
I sat beside her and hugged her tightly. She kissed my forehead and patted my head.
"It's nothing, I just felt that everything will become interesting from now on."
"Oh my Navi, you truly are growing up. you can expect the future now," she said jokingly as she wiped her non-existent tears. I then took the chance to confirm.
"Grandma, did I have a best friend before?"
"Oh? Why ask so suddenly?" She asked as she got away from my hug and puffed my cheeks.
"I am just curious," I smiled, intended to hide the reason. She then leaned on me and started.
"Well yes, you do. Do you remember when you were a kid? I'd say about 4 years old, you made your first ever best friend, every day she would show up to this very house and you'll play together. You would even nag if she has to go home," she told happily.
"What's her name? Where is she now?" I curiously asked.
"Ah Navi, you see, you two grew up together though you were separated for 5 years your friendship bloomed, even in high school you two were inseparable. She's an active girl who's always by your side... Unfortunately, she died young," Grandma told hopelessly.
My hug loosened a little and I could feel her hand on top of my head.
"Even so Navi, I'm sure she wants you to live peacefully and full of joy. She knows the adventurous you after all and she is your best friend, Xy-" she said softly but was interrupted by the knock on the door and the continuous doorbell.
"Delivery!" A guy shouted from outside.
"Hold on!" I stood up and got my wallet from the shelves intact to the wall.
"The food is here grandma." I ran to the door and faced the delivery man, he gave me the food. Mom usually orders breakfast on her way back home.
"Here's the-" I couldn't finish what I was saying when I gaped at his face and oh Woah oh, is it just me or recently I've been interacting with beautiful faces.
His exceptional deep blue eyes are too attractive to not notice. He looked at me, "Yes?"
"Ah, th-the money." I gave the payment as he nodded. "Hey, what's your na-" I was about to ask his name when the door suddenly closed shut making a loud sound that made me flinched.
"I didn't know it's now necessary to ask a deliver guy's name," Jack, who suddenly appeared and shut the door in the guy's face said sarcastically.
What's his problem?
"What? I'm just being friendly and why did you suddenly pop out of nowhere," I said as an excuse and he scoffed.
"Sure," he sneered. Why is this guy like this?
"Navi? Are you okay?" I heard grandma asked from the living room.
"I'm okay grandma, it's just the wind," I replied. I glanced at him as he's making an aggravated face. He calms down before telling me with a poker face.
"I came here to tell you that I won't be able to show up for about two days," he informed.
"Huh? Why?"
"Secret, you wanna know? Kiss me first," he joked.
"Okay sure," I let out which somehow made him flinched and then frown. I was half-joking, I mean a freaking good-looking boy is inviting for a kiss who would refuse?
"Hey Navi, if someone asked for a kiss don't just say yes straightforwardly, do you understand?"
"But it's you who asked," I played. What the fuck is wrong with me?! He looked stunned for a second which somehow captivated me before smirking.
"When I thought I was the flirty one in this relationship," he shook his head. He took a step closer to me.
"I'll go... for now, don't act too hastily and stop being clumsy. I'll come back..." He whispered sounding like his promising rather than saying.
"Alright," I smiled. He stared at me for a while as I wondered if I have something on my face which would be embarrassing because I also enunciate with the delivery guy.
Soon he smiled and was about to kiss my cheek when-
"Navi? Where are you?"
"Ah! Hold on, grandma."
He looked dumbfounded and upset at the same time as he plopped his head down to my right shoulder while a hand on my other.
"Can't even kiss your cheeks now huh?" He murmured something that I couldn't quite hear certainly.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Hey you like me don't you, you have a crush on me is that right?" I teased. I'm not familiar with how friends act or behave if it's natural to kiss each other's cheek or something but I just wanna see his shocked face or flustered face.
I was even smirking thinking about his expression.
"Yeah," his head who's still laid in my shoulder didn't move as his breath touches my neck's bare skin, his voice deep and husky reached my ears.
This time around I was the one who was dumbfounded. I blinked a lot and said, "Huh?"
"I guess..." He stood straight and soon bent down to reach my level.
"You could call it..." He touched my chin and went closer to my face.
"Love at first sight," he confessed and quickly gave me a peck, and before I could even react black particles started to appear as he slowly faded away.
I was left flustered in place. L-love?! Is that what you call flirting or was it real?! I was frozen in place that I didn't even realize that grandma came to see if I'm okay.
I said I was fine and helped her walk towards the living room and we ate. His words are still lingering on my mind. It's his fault that I can't even ponder on grandma's undeniably wonderful stories. Is this the side effect of flirting?
We finished eating and I washed the dishes. After I finished I cleaned some parts of the house still unfocused.
I was sweeping the floor while still thinking when grandma spoke.
"Navi, are you still tired?" My grandma asked worriedly.
"Ah no, not at all."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, why?"
"You've been sweeping the same floor for over five minutes already, sometimes while staring into space you would just suddenly fasten your phase while looking like a red tomato, look at where you're standing it's even shining now," she babbled.
I looked down and it may be an exaggeration to say but I could see my reflection.
"Ah sorry," I shortly said to the floor. Wait wha-
"My Navi you should get some rest for a while, I'll wake you up later," grandma said while pushing me to the stairs and taking the broom from my hand.
"But I'm not done yet."
"Shhh just go, it's an order," she said. I nodded and ascended the stairs. I even peaked but she gave me ominous eyes so I had no choice.
I went inside my room and lied down on the bed. What to do? I don't have anything to do now. I should've just continued cleaning.
I turned my head and felt the softness of the mattress and fabric then my guitar came into view. I sat up and walk towards it.
Even just standing near it, I felt calm. I brought it with me to the bed. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I started strumming.
My grandmother used to love this song...
"Till I met you~"
"I never knew what love was~"
"Till I met you, this feeling seems to grow more~"
"Every day, I love you more each day~"
"Till I met you~"
I opened my eyes and felt alleviated. I smiled as my heart began to beat as if it's telling me I'm alive, that it's great to be alive.
I caressed my guitar when I saw the words engraved on it. Usually, this name doesn't matter but as I saw it once more, I felt nervous.
'Wade'
"My name is Jack Wade. I'm a star spirit."
My heart battered crazily. Wade... Is he Wade?
I placed the guitar on my bed and ran downstairs. My eyes wandered desperately looking for grandma.
Once I saw a thread of hair in the kitchen I was about to run towards it but before I could even approach a bottle laying around met my feet.
I rolled downwards on the remaining steps and my right hand was downtrodden by my body and the floor.
"Ouch!" I cried. Grandma immediately came over to me once she heard noises and saw me on the ground.
"Navi, Dear G- Please be careful!" My grandma said alarmed. I stood up and steadied her down thinking about her mental and age health.
"I'm okay, I step on a bottle in hurry. I'm sorry grandma I'm not that hurt. I just crushed my hand, see?" I lifted my left hand and showed the rest of my uninjured body.
Even though I said that she checked thoroughly and touch every inch of me from the bottom to the top.
Once she confirmed I'm fine she brought me to the sofa and massage my hand.
"What are you doing running like that? Why are you such in a hurry, dear!" She confronted me. Ah right! My heart once again pumped loudly with the topic coming up.
"Grandma, who's Wade?" I straightforwardly asked. She gazed at me, her eyes filled with both anguish and solace.
"Oh Dear Navi, perhaps you finally remembered him? I should've told you about him earlier if it wasn't for the doctor's order to not tell you about anything that may trigger brain memory, I would have already described him." She said as she hugged me.
"Grandma?" I asked. Is he that important?
"Oh Wade, how did you remember?" She asks full of anticipation and happiness.
It's not that I remember, it's because I came upon someone with the same name and things have been strangely occurring and happening.
I honestly doubt someone will believe me if I tell them that they'll assume I'm crazy instead of being astounded.
"My guitar has the name Wade embroidered to it, and mother said that the hoodie I kept in my closet was also from him," I said as an answer. It's not a lie.
"Oh, how sweet! Jack Wade, that child truly is a charming youth," she said hand clasped together. I felt my breath chopped as if I couldn't breathe.
"J-Jack Wade?" I asked broad surprise in my expression.
"Yes, we call him Wade though." She continued massaging my hand. He's saying the truth. We did know each other before.
"Is he my friend?" I regain my composure.
"Oh no no no," she said shaking her head. He's not my friend? Somehow I felt disappointed, I was about to look down when she continued.
"You're more than that," she said as if she was teasing me, she was even pressing my side waist, tickling me. I felt my eyes largen at the moment. More than that?
"What?! Then is he my best friend?" I asked with full of eagerness. Grandma's face suddenly looked at me with disappointment, her mouth gaping.
I tilted my head as if asking 'what's wrong?' She shook her head and continued treating my hand.
"Navi, do you remember the story I told you about a boy named Caizel and a girl named Silvia?"
"Oh yes, of course, those two are my favorite couple," I responded and she smiled.
Wait don't tell me. I showed a shocked-realization expression to her and her smile grew larger as she slightly nodded.
"Grandma you- did you intentionally tell me those stories to trigger my memories, making the characters have different names as an alternative?" I was bewildered and lost in my thoughts, my heart still racing as if it's being chased when grandma suddenly told details about her stories.
"The girl named Silvia-no Navi, my grandchild, she was a sweet adventurous innocent girl. One afternoon she and her girlfriends decided to have a picnic at a top of a mountain, they were happily chatting when suddenly they heard footsteps coming closer to them. One of her friends screeches in excitement while you, Navi my dear, was confused."
"The two girls stood up from the picnic blanket, you were about to also stand up when they stop you and told you that you have to stay. You were confused but the two girls asked you to trust them, you trusted them and nodded, they went near down and you look at their back slowly going out of sight. You waited for them but it has been a while and they haven't returned yet but you remember that you have to stay because you trusted them thus the only thing she can do is sit and gaze at the sky," she started to tell the story again.
I felt my head slightly aching but I didn't pay any attention to it.
"While she was watching the sky, the footsteps came back. She thought it was her friends but when she turned around to look, a boy ascending slowly came into sight. The boy's right hand was in his pocket, the girl was in awe once she saw the boy's attractive face. He walked towards the girl and stopped aligned to her left about 5 meters away."
"It was quiet for a while as if they're getting to know each other's presence then the boy said 'Hey' in a husky tone. The girl's heartbeat so fast as she touches her chest. The boy walked towards her and asked 'Are you okay?', the girl smiled and said 'yeah good, you?', the girl offered the boy a sit and was the one to talk to him, the boy was just quietly looking at her smiling," she continued.
I was surprised, memories from last night slowly becoming much clearer.
"The girl noticed and asked 'Why are you smiling?', the boy smiled at her and said, 'You're much prettier up close. The girl was astonished but soon smiled back said 'Of course' bashfully and the boy just chuckled, the girl finds his smile attractive and comforting. In the middle of their conversation, a shot of camera can be heard, her friends have now come back along with another two boys, and that is how the boy Wade and the girl Navier have met on one afternoon and got to know each other through the night, the start of their loving adventure," she ended.
I was still and could not move until my grandma closed my mouth.
"Then who's Caizel and Silvia?"
"Those were the name of my favorite characters from a book back when I was just a child."
I looked at her, she was giving me a sad look, I was about to ask why when she pettily said, "I'm so sorry for your loss Navi."
I felt my heart shattering to pieces. "Oh dear," my grandma gently wiped my cheeks. "Huh?"
I suppressed the emotions that were coming up from my heart. I touched my cheek as I felt liquid flowing down. Teardrops we're falling drop after drop. What? Why am I crying?
I felt my grandma's embrace. My heart is in pain, why? I hugged her back and couldn't bottle my emotions up.
I cried loudly while still in her embrace.
******