Kami Korp Productions (K.K.P.) Presents:
Sakura
By: Maliko Wolfen
Once, there was a boy named Gale. He was 17 years old. He was in love with a girl named Carmen, who was 16. Gale was recruited into a war. A pointless, seemingly-endless war between the North and the South that he was forced into. Apparently, he was on the North’s team. One day, on temporary leave, he was on his way home and saw Carmen sitting under the cherry blossoms trees staring into the lake. She had long light brown hair and beautiful blue eyes and Gale couldn’t help but stand and stare. Finally, Carmen looked up and noticed him staring. Gale wanted to look away or run, but he couldn’t move. Carmen smiled and motioned for him to come over. Gale panicked. He was still dressed in his dirty uniform and his hair was messy. He knew that, looking like this, he couldn’t go near a girl like that, so he turned and ran. He changed out of his clothes and combed his hair, but even then, he couldn’t gather the courage to return and see the girl.
That night, Gale went for a walk in an attempt to clear his head and forget the girl and to his surprise, Carmen was still there. She was asleep under the tree. Gale thought something was wrong for her not to go home, so he ran over to her and shook her softly. She woke up and looked up in surprise. “You’re…that boy. From this morning. What are you doing here?” her voice was as soft and beautiful as her face. Gale was almost ashamed to speak back, but he took a deep breath and said “I just wanted to make sure you were alright.” Carmen smiled and whispered “I am now.” Gale smiled and could feel his face turn red. “I was waiting for you to come back.” she explained. “What? What if I didn’t?!” “Well, it’s not cold out. I probably would have stayed out here until morning.” she giggled. They talked for over an hour. They talked about Gale’s life, being in the army and how much he wish he didn’t have to go back. Even Carmen talked about her life. Her mother was sick and no one knew what was wrong with her. Every day, she’d take cherry blossoms home and pray for her. They were her and her mother’s favorite flowers. After a while, it started to get windy and cold, so they both went home. The next day, they both met up at the park again. They spent the entire day talking again, and the next day, Gale took Carmen to see a movie. He didn’t care that it was the most girly movie that he’d ever seen. As long as Carmen was happy. The days following, they went to plays, dinners and the carnival. Some days, they just sat in the park feeding the ducks.
But after Gale’s two months were up, it was time for him to leave and go back to the army. They met up one last time by the lake and they both cried. Carmen asked when he’d be back, but even he didn’t know. She didn’t know anything about the war, but she’d hung up posters and banners of the North side’s support, hoping to cheer him up. It didn’t. Nothing involving this war made him happy. He hugged her tightly, kissed her forehead and went home to pack his bags. Soon after he arrived back, he received a package. He opened it and there was some leaves, a flower, a piece of bark and a small bottle of water. He read the letter and knew it was from Carmen. She’s written that the leaves, the bark and the flower were from the tree they always met under and that the water was from the lake and that he should rub some on his face every morning for good luck. He did just that and he felt safer than he ever did. Every morning, he’d write a letter and send it to his beloved Carmen and every morning, he got another one back. It wasn’t about anything in particular. Just normal everyday conversation meant to entertain the other until they could be together again.
But one day, the letters stopped coming. He waited and waited, but they didn’t come again for weeks. Scared, he mailed one of his friends to check on her. A couple of days later, a letter returned. It said that Carmen and her mother had been attacked by a member of the South that saw all of her banners supporting the North. She was rushed to the hospital, but…she didn’t make it. Gale read the letter over and over, but it didn’t make sense in his head. Carmen…was gone? He couldn’t understand that. She was his angel. How could she die? He could sleep that night. He cried and cried, but his heart never lightened. The next morning, Gale didn’t get dressed into his uniform. He didn’t take any weapons. He didn’t rub the water on himself for protection. He just walked out into the middle of the battlefield with a target drawn on his chest. He closed his eyes and just like he planned, he was shot. It only took one hit, but he was dead.
Gale and Carmen ate meals together every day after that under the beautiful Sakura trees and fed the animals in the clear blue lake. The soft clouds under their feet kept the dark and the cold away, so they stayed there as long as they wanted, talking and having fun. After all, Carmen was Gale’s angel. I guess this time, it was true.
