Sakura

• Evan Szekely, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2010

I ran through the park, the pink petals of cherry blossoms shining around me. I felt like I was soaring through the skies, piercing the clouds like an eagle. I pass many faces, many people, but I pay them no heed, I’ve never felt so happy in all my life.
Arriving at the shrine, I throw in a bronze coin, clapping my hands while bowing my head. Giving thanks for all that had happened in the past hour. I stood there for about an hour, repeating the thanks in my head.
Leaving the shrine, I feel the glorious night around me, so very different from the nights at home, revelling in the crisp coolness of the air, my pumping blood heating me like no jacket would.
Calmly I head back towards the home I had known for only a fortnight, but had already come to love more than my home in Australia.
~
Earlier
I paced my room, thousands of thoughts going through my head, newly wrapped flowers in my hand. I wore my finest clothes, never had I been better dressed, never had I been more nervous. I kept repeating the phrases through my head, what I was going to say, what I was going to do, how I was going to do it.
Mercifully the time passed and I had to leave my small room, heading for the train station. But I still kept repeating the phrases in my head as I walked, like my brain had become a broken record, repeating the same thing endlessly.
Boarding the train, I re-checked my watch, making sure I would be on time, making sure the flowers were ok and making sure I wasn’t sweating too much. I must’ve looked a nervous wreck on the train, shaking like a fish out of water.
As my stop finally arrived I got off the train, trying to walk calmly towards the exit while holding the flowers out in front of me.
Struggling to simply walk, it was a miracle I made it to the park. Re-checking my watch I smiled to myself at being able to show up early. Around me the cherry blossoms were in full bloom; their bright pink petals looking amazingly beautiful as I examine them, like little rubies on stems, they sparkled out at me.
“They’ve bloomed beautifully this year,” a voice said behind me. Turning, I see her behind me, her beauty able to rival those of the cherry blossoms, like an angel among men.
“Indeed they have,” I reply slightly nervous, twirling my thumbs behind my back, my mind suddenly becoming very foggy.
“You wanted to see me?” she asked, looking up at me, her eyes a stunning blue against her tanned skin.
“W-well,” I stuttered, blushing, “I-I-I really like you, and uh, would you go out with me?”
Blushing, she slowly replied, “Ok,” then began to smile, the cherry blossoms falling around us.
~
Yes, I was going to like it here in Japan, I thought.