2Remnants of a Broken Memory
When I was young I use to have a friend who had pitch black hair and the greenest eyes you'd ever see. He had a big round birthmark on his pale right cheek; there was also a small splash of freckles on the exact same spot. I use to call it a cookie and would lick his cheek; he'd always laugh and smile. I'd tell him that one day I'd eventually lick it clean off his face. He died when I was seven. I use to think that he just left without telling me. Now, I can't go past his old house without wanting to cry. But you know, he was just another casualty of the governments Population Control.
"What's it called?" his name is Rei; he has root beer colored hair and deep blue eyes. I keep telling myself that I won't get involved, but it seems I never learn.
"A parasite family." I wasn't much to look at; light brow hair that fell just past my ears and eyes the shade of purple. Nobody in my family has figured that one out yet.
"In my food?" he eyed the hamburger in his hands with obvious trepidation.
I reached over and grabbed the hamburger from Rei's hands. While sitting properly back in my chair I tore his hamburger in two. I placed the piece in my left hand down on the plate and looked at the half in my right hand. In the hamburger half, on the lower right, was a small round grey flexible disk, I handed it to Rei.
"That's why when eating at fast food joints you should never eat the meat. Cow or chicken it don't matter." he looked at the disk with something that was akin to childlike fascination.
"I don't think I'm hungry anymore." he put the disk on the try and pushed it away from him.
"And here you were wondering, why, not only me and my family, as well as half the community were poor farmers." I grabbed a fry and smiled knowing I was safe. Leaning back on my chair a bit, I watched Rei run his right hand through his already messed up hair.
"So you know how to farm?" he smiled at me and for a second I almost didn't register his question. Always quick on the ball I set chair properly on the floor.
"Yup, I've got the green thumb and just as talented as a leprechaun." I flashed him my habitual peach sign.
"Lord knows you're short like one." he grabbed his water and took a long drink from it. I watched momentarily as the muscles in his throat worked. Then in an instant I came back to my senses.
"Hey watch it buddy, I'm still taller than you!" he just shrugged and took another sip from his bottle of water.
Days had passed and Rei and I had became best friends I had given him some seeds the day he had asked. So he could try and grow something, anything. It was a mixed bag of seeds and I told him something was bound to grow. It was currently Saturday and Rei had called and asked if I could come over and of course I said sure. When I got there I met his parents, they were nice people, very homely which surprised me considering that they came from the city. But I guess everyone from the city isn't evil.
We went upstairs and into his bedroom, it was covered in posters. For a while we just sat in his room and listed to music; we talked of books things he'd read in class. He spoke of friends he'd had and the things they'd done and loved. It made me sad. It made me miss my only childhood friend. I ended up staying the night. We talked about things we'd do, places we'd see, what we'd be when we got older. It never seemed like a possibility that we'd never make it that far in life. I guess when you're young you always think of yourself as invincible, but at that stage in our lives we couldn't afford to be innocent forever.
I decided that I'd take a walk, wasn't sure exactly where and why. All I knew was that I'd wanted out of my house. When my feet had finally stopped I found myself outside a familiar place. You could tell there had once been a farm here, not too long ago. The fence I remember swinging my small legs from lay in old broken shambles on the yellow grass. I walked past the fallen "no trespassers" sign and slowly remember it as it use to be. Grass so green it matched his eyes, the wooden barn as if it was new, and the hay loft we often spent our time in. And now, the fields were covered in crows picking at dried tomato plants in the dirt.
I should have seen it as some sort of sign.
XXX
When I went to school I noticed the Rei wasn't there, I didn't think much of it; I mean come on everybody wants to miss a day of school every once in a while. It wasn't till I had gotten home did I find out the reason why. When my parents told me, I cried. I didn't understand. Why did it have to be Rei of all people? I honestly thought he was gonna make it.
His parents called me a few days later. Said, since I was his only friend that they wanted me to have their sons' things. The room looked like a hurricane had come through. All the posters on the walls had been taken down and bundled together by a small tan rubber band. Boxes littered the floor and paper was scattered everywhere. I sighed as I started to place the rest of Rei's things away.
It was obvious that his parents had tried to pack their only sons life into boxes and just couldn't bare it anymore and had hurt them the most. And somehow I had managed not to cry as I picked up what was probably some of Rei's most precious memories and put them where why would probably rest for the remainder of my life.
When I had finished it was nearly sunset. I stood up and picked up a red jacket that had been Rei's and slowly brought it to my face and inhaled the scent. It smelled like Rei. As if in a trance I slid into the soft cotton zipper-up jacket that had been my friends and laid down on his bed. I pictured him staring up at his ceiling at night wondering when he'd ever be able to grow something. Rei was never going to grow anything now.
I got off the bed and walked over to the small window and threw the French frames open. I looked out into the warm sunset of red, purple, and pink….it was beautiful. When I stretched out my arms I almost knocked something over the ledge, but managed to save it. How long had this been here?
I gazed down at a red potter plant and broke into hysterical laughter. I couldn't help it. I turned around leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. Once I hit the ground I started to cry.
In the red pot stood a small stalk of cherry tomatoes.
A/N: I got the idea for the story while I was sitting in the college cafeteria eating a hamburger and had taken a bite out of it and just stared at the part I bit into. I'd seen a small grey part, which was probably just fat, and thought hey…..and this is what was spawned. I've got one more I'll one day probably write. Maybe.
Tell me your thoughts please, even if you thought it was stupid.
-Sev