All The Summers I Spent With You

By johncabales

A NINE YEAR OLD GIRL was lost in the forest while they were having a school camp. She lost the way back to the camp when she followed a gold-winged butterfly. When the butterfly disappeared in her sight, that’s when she noticed the unfamiliar surroundings and that she’s all alone.

She called for help but no one has heard her. So she cried and cried. Afraid that no one will find her. Afraid of being lost forever. Afraid of wild animals that might eat her.

But an eleven year old boy saw her. He was going somewhere when he saw the girl crying.

“Why are you crying?” Asked the boy.

For a second, the girl stopped her tears and looked upon the boy. She doesn’t know him, but she jumped right into the boy. Hugging him so tight.

“I’m lost! I’m lost! I can’t find the way back to our camp!” Says the girl and cried again.

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll help you get back.”

The girl unlocked her arms from the boy. She looked at him. “Promise?”

“I promise.” The boy said. “But stop crying first. You’re ugly when you cry.” He teased her. “Come on, I’ll show you something beautiful.”

The boy brought the girl into a place she’d never knew existed. Gold-winged butterflies are flying around. Red and white flower blossoms. A greener grass on the ground. A beautiful garden. Like one in the fairy tales.

“I just go here every time I feel hopeless. Everytime my mom and dad fight. Everytime I feel lonely. So beautiful, isn’t it?”

“So much.” Said the girl who now stopped from crying.

“I’m Hiro.” Said the boy.

The girl gently smiled. “My name is Hana.”

That was the start of their friendship. Every first day of the month of summer, they start meeting each other at the place. The place which later became their secret place. Because nobody knows how to get there except them.

Every summer, the two of them packed foods for a picnic. They spent a little time talking about what happened to the days and months they did not see each other.

When Hana turned seventeen, a line of boys dreamt to become her boyfriend. But she doesn’t have feelings for them. Even though a lot of handsome boys are wanting her, there’s none of them she has ever liked.

‘Til summer came again . . .

“I loved her so much but then, it seems that I wasn’t enough. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I gave everything. I loved so much. But in the end, still no one stays.” Hiro said. His face looks so sad and his heart was breaking.

“Maybe she was never meant for you.” Said Hana. It pains her to see Hiro like that. Looking so down. Like he was going to fall apart. “And don’t ever say that no one will stay for you. Because I will. We’re best friends, right?”

Hiro started to smile again. Like a shining rainbow after the storm. He put his right arm over Hana’s shoulder and pulled her close to him.

“Thanks for staying.” He said silently and kissed the crown of her head. “So tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“Why don’t you have a boyfriend yet?”

Hana laughed. “Because I’m waiting for someone else. Someone who is willing to accept me beyond my flaws. Someone who will love me unconditionally. Someone who will stay with me until the end.”

MORE SUMMER HAD PASSED, they meet again and again at their secret place together. After Hiro’s break up with his girlfriend, he became happy again with Hana’s presence. Everything about Hana makes him smile genuinely. And later he realized he’s inlove with her. With his bestfriend. He knows he’s inlove because of the way his heart beats for her. Hana became the reason why he loved summer and came to feel excited for more summers to come.

And he decided that the next summer, he is going to confess his feelings for the lost girl he met crying and alone in the forest twelve years ago. His feelings are so clear to him. He loves her now. He’s inlove with the girl whom he spends his summers with.

SHE DOESN’T KNOW what’s wrong with her. Is she not beautiful? Or sexy? A lot of guys fall inlove with her. But why not him? Why not Hiro? The boy who saved her when she was lost in the forest when they were young. Maybe he doesn’t really like her. Maybe he only sees her as a bestfriend and nothing more. She wanted to tell him everything she’s feeling for him. But, how? She’s too afraid that if she confesses, she will lose him. She will break their friendship if that happens. And she doesn’t want it.

Maybe it’s fine for her to see his face every summer. Maybe it’s okay to be with him atleast once in every year. Maybe it’s alright to laugh with him for just one day. Maybe that’s okay.

So she crumpled and put the words she wanted to tell him inside the vault in her heart and locked them forever.

And the next summer came . . .

Hana packed a lot of foods for them and went to her and Hiro’s secret place. When she arrived, she found no one else there. She sat and arranged the foods in the blanket and waited for Hiro. She wondered why Hiro isn’t there when every first day of summer he was always the first one to arrive. But she waited for him anyway.

Half hour had passed, but he’s still not there at their secret place. And then one hour and two, still no Hiro appeared. So she went back home disappointed and angry. Why did he not come? She must have looked like an idiot waiting there for him. But he did not come.

When Hana was home, she saw a woman inside their house. Her eyes swollen from crying. The woman introduced herself as Hiro’s mother and wanted Hana to come with her to see Hiro.

At first, Hana did not understand, but when they arrived at the hospital, she knew something had happened to Hiro.

Her tears run across her cheeks as she walked to the sleeping boy lying in the hospital bed. His face was bruised. His lips were tainted with blood. His arms were pale and wounded. And he’s not sleeping. He was not sleeping.

Because he’s gone. He was gone. He’s not breathing. Hiro is gone.

Hana embraced Hiro’s body. Her shoulder shook as she makes a breaking sob. This is not real. This is not. But Hiro’s body has no warmth in it. Like the warmth she felt when they hug each other everytime they meet. She can’t feel his heart beating like how they used to beat when he surprisingly embrace her.

“Wake up!” She screamed. Could not believe all of what she’s seeing. “Wake up!” Her tears became unstoppable. She gently touched Hiro’s face. “We will have more summers to spend right? Right? You will stay with me until the end right? Don’t leave me. Hiro, please stay with me.”

Hana held Hiro’s hand. His hands were closed, forming a fist. Like he’s holding and protecting something inside his palm. She kissed the back of his hand and sobbed.

“Stay.” She wanted to say over and over again. But even though how many times she repeat the words in front of him, he will not hear them forever.

Hiro died in a car accident that day. The day he supposed to confess his love for Hana. But he did not made his way to their secret place. He did not made his way to her. He did not made it.

For a moment, Hana saw a small light glinting from Hiro’s closed hand. She touched it and gently open his hand. Curious of what was inside. And when it opened, she saw a silver ring sitting in Hiro’s palm. When she took it, she saw the words “I LOVE YOU” engraved in the ring.

And beside those engraved words was her name.

AFTER HIRO’s BURIAL, Hana went to their secret place alone and sad. And with tears still flowing from her eyes. She can’t help it. She can’t help herself from bursting into tears everytime she saw the ring on her finger.

Gold-winged butterflies hover around her. With regrets, she stopped in the forest and sobs.

Because he loved her. And she loved him. But they never had the chance to tell each other.

So right in the moment, she closed her eyes and drifted into their memories. On the first day where they met.

“Why are you crying?”

“I’m lost! I’m lost! I can’t find a way going back to our camp!”

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll help you get back.”

“Promise?”

“I promise. But stop crying first. You’re ugly when you cry. Come on, I’ll show you something beautiful.”

Author Notes: Thanks for spending a little of your time reading this :)

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