#ShirokumaLiteratureClub Prayer Entrusted to the Wind ~Short Fiction Novel~

I am participating in Kosuke Komaki's fun project, "Petals."

The deadline is Wednesday, 3/25, 23:59 apparently. Thank you for your support.

*This story is a work of fiction.

Prayer Entrusted to the Wind

When you release petals into the sky, they fly away as someone's wish.

Believing this, I sit on a park bench every evening.

Under the old cherry tree, I pick up the petals scattered on the ground.

I gently stroke them with my fingertips, press them to my chest, and breathe on them.

Then, I release them toward the sky.

In the spring of my seventy-fifth year, I lost my wife.

Not to a major illness or an accident, but just as if she were sleeping quietly.

From that day on, the sounds in the house disappeared.

Only the hands of the clock keep moving on their own.

My children live far away, and my grandchildren are busy too.

Even when they ask "How are you?" over the phone, the words don't come out right.

I can't say that I'm lonely.

Because I don't want to worry them.

That is why I started talking to the petals.

"I want to see my wife again today."

"I want to see my grandchildren's faces."

"I want to chat with someone, just for a little while."

The petals listen in silence.

And then, they catch the wind and fly off somewhere.

My small wishes will surely reach someone's heart.

That day, I was sitting on the bench as usual.

It was past the middle of April, and the cherry blossoms had turned into fresh green leaves.

But there were still small petals left on the ground.

Suddenly, a young woman sat down next to me.

She must be in her late twenties. On her lap was a boy of about three.

She looked tired.

Perhaps she is sleep-deprived from taking care of the baby, as there are faint shadows under her eyes.

"Grandpa, you're always here, aren't you?"

I looked up in surprise.

At this hour, I was almost never spoken to.

"Yes. I just love these cherry blossoms."

A little boy is staring intently at my hands.

I am making a small pile of the flower petals I have gathered.

"Are you collecting flower petals?"

A woman smiles.

I nod and pick up one of the petals.

"If you let these fly into the sky, your wish will come true."

The boy's eyes light up.

"Really? I want to try it too!"

I place a petal into his small hand.

"What will you wish for?"

The boy thinks for a moment, then looks up at his mother.

"I want Mom to always be smiling. And so she can do her best at work, too."

The woman's eyes well up with tears.

I feel my own heart grow warm.

"Then, let's let them fly together."

The three of us release the petals into the sky.

They catch the evening breeze and slowly drift upward.

White specks dissolve into the orange sky.

"Beautiful..."

The woman murmurs.

The boy is waving his hand.

"Off you go! Please deliver our wishes!"

From that day on, they started coming to the park from time to time.

Her name is Misaki.

She is a single mother, raising her son Shota while working a part-time job.

We began to share the time spent releasing flower petals.

Shota's wish: "When I grow up, I want to build something like my dad's car!"

Misaki's wish: "I hope I can keep smiling tomorrow, too."

My wish: "I hope everyone stays healthy."

The flower petals always connected us.

One rainy evening, Misaki came running in.

She was soaking wet, without even an umbrella.

"Grandpa! It's an emergency!"

She is out of breath.

Shota has come down with a sudden high fever.

She can't take time off from her part-time job, and she doesn't know what to do today.

I pulled an old umbrella out from under the bench.

"Use this. I'll walk you home."

We walked together under the cherry blossom trees.

The sound of the rain carried our words for us.

When we arrived at Misaki-san's apartment, I heard Shota's small voice.

"Mom, are you home?"

I handed her the paper bag I was carrying.

Inside were some Pocari Sweat and jelly I had bought at the convenience store.

"Eat these and get well soon."

A tear spilled from Misaki-san's eye.

"Thank you, Grandpa. Always... thank you."

Her words made my heart tremble.

They had the same warm resonance as when my wife was still alive.

On the next sunny day, Misaki-san gave me a small package.

"This is for you, Grandpa."

Inside was a handmade bookmark.

It was a cherry blossom petal preserved in resin.

"I made it so the petal would last forever. Just like our wishes, so they will last forever too."

I held back my tears and smiled.

"This is perfect. It will always be by everyone's side."

That night, I returned home and whispered to my wife's photograph.

"Hey, listen. The petal did a good job again today."

Outside the window, the wind was blowing quietly.

Surely, it was carrying someone's wish somewhere.

The cherry blossoms in the park were in full bloom again this year.

I sat on the bench and picked up a petal.

Today, I have only one wish.

"May everyone be happy."

I released the petal into the sky.

It slowly dissolved into the sunset.

~ The End ~

#Shirokuma Literature Club