[Six-Part Series] Only the Heart Remembers: Part 1

Part 1 *This is a six-part short story series.

It seems I fell down the stairs.

That is what the doctor said.
I say "seems" because
I have no memory of it.

Which stairs were they?
Why did I fall?
What was I thinking?
I remember nothing.

"Ms. Sakura, do you understand?"

Because I hit my head hard,
I had lost most of my memories.

Only an empty heart
remained there.

Three days later,
there was a knock at the door.

It was a face I was seeing for the first time.

"Hello."

The person seemed to take a breath
just once before the door.
Had they not been sleeping?
There were faint shadows under their eyes.

Even so, the way he looked at me
tried to be gentle

(This isn't the first time...)

I thought that clearly
because my chest felt tight and constricted

It was so painful I could barely breathe

The man continued
"Are you okay?"

A gentle voice
He was genuinely worried about me
and I could tell he was in pain

The moment I heard that voice
even though he should have been a stranger
the back of my throat grew hot

Even though I can't remember his name
I felt like my body remembered how to cry

It hurts.
Why is this?
I even felt like I was going to cry.
I hurriedly looked down.

"...I'm sorry..."

When the man heard my voice,
he looked a little relieved.

"You don't need to apologize."

He smiled slightly.
The moment I saw that smile,
a tear fell.
I was surprised myself.

I am not sad.
I am not afraid either.
Yet, the tears just won't stop.
It is as if,
I have finally met someone I have wanted to see for a long time.

"I'm sorry..."
"No, it's okay."

He lowered his eyes just a little.

Then, in a voice too quiet for me to hear, he said,
"...I'm sorry, too."

The stranger
left the hospital room.

After the man was gone,
I placed my hand over my chest.

(What was that? This pain in my chest...)

Thinking about such things,
I closed my eyes.
It had been a very long day,
so I was exhausted and fell asleep just like that.

********

After leaving the hospital room, I hurried to my car.
That was because I felt like I was about to cry.
Once I got into the car,
I leaned against the steering wheel,
and cried out loud, all alone in the car.

She didn't remember.

Surely, not about that confession,
nor the beach we went to together.

The memories of the two years we spent laughing together...
not even me...

But the one suffering right now is her.
I stared at the ring on my ring finger.
We were supposed to become husband and wife next month.
I never thought something like this could happen in reality.

It hasn't been decided yet that her memory won't return.

I'm sure she will remember.

I had no choice but to think that way.

Believing that tomorrow,
she will surely return to her original smile...

To be continued