Chapter 6
After leaving the Jones‘ residence, I moved out of the apartment I rented.
I couldn’t die in someone else’s house to avoid affecting it to be rented out in the future.
I rented a small courtyard in the countryside.
I had found a piece of land in the wilderness.
On my birthday, I would go there to end my life.
Although it was regrettable that I could not be with my parents, it was comforting to have the same deathday with them.
There was one more regret, which was that I didn’t have a proper farewell with Cheyne. Anyway, he was my blood brother and had protected me for many years.
Just when I was ready, Cheyne found me a few days before my birthday.
He stood at the gate of the courtyard, silently watching me.
I’didn’t know why he came to find me, and how he found this place.
I had a lot to say, but when I actually saw him, all I could say was “Hello“. Cheyne sat beside me, just like an ordinary friend.
“How have you been recently? Have you been picky and not eating well?”
I shook my head with a bitter smile, “I haven’t been like that for a long time.”
We both fell into a long silence.
When I was a child, I was very picky. Cheyne always tried his best to coax me to eat a few more bites of vegetables.
The kids in the yard bullied me, and he would stand in front of me to protect me.
“This is my sister, I won’t allow you to bully her!”
He would hold my hand every time we went out, and kiss my face every night before bed, saying goodnight.
How did we, who were once so intimate, end like this?
“Cheryl, move back home!”
up
I was about to refuse, but I was hooked by his next sentence.
“It’s almost the Christmas, and we haven’t celebrated the Christmas together for a long time.”
I, who had already made up my mind, suddenly wavered.
“Being together” was an enticing phrase.
I had spent several years in solitude.
When facing death, I always wanted to take some beautiful memories with me.
I went back to the Jones‘ residence with him.
My bedroom was not redecorated.
There were new items related to Chibi Maruko–chan on the table, I didn’t know when they were placed there.
Everything in the house was still the same as before.
So, Brother, you still love me, right?
I dared not ask, for fear that all of this was just an illusion.
Winnie still had an expressionless face as always, but she took care of Cheyne meticulously.
He loved her not without a reason.
Well, at least after I died, there would still be someone accompanying him.
Cheyne seemed to know something. He never mentioned an apology, but he always took care of
- me.
He was like trying to make up for all the regrets of these many years.
He personally cooked the food that I loved.
Although I couldn’t eat much anymore, I still forced myself to eat it, and then vomited it out after I went back to my room.
He bought me many beautiful dresses.
But I had many scars on my body, and I didn’t want to show them to him.
He said he wanted to buy me a house and jewelry.
I refused. Those were all worldly possessions for the dying.
On my birthday, I secretly put on the white dress, wanting to end my life in the place where I
chose.
But early in the morning, Cheyne followed behind me.
He took me to ride the sky wheel.
When we reached the highest point and saw the lights of thousands of households beneath us, he spoke softly.
“Cher, I’m sorry, Brother didn’t take care of you well!”
In the darkness, my long–dried tears suddenly burst out.
Cher, a familiar yet unfamiliar nickname.
I almost forgot that there was someone who used to call me “Cher” with tenderness.
There were people releasing sky/lights in both sides of the river under my feet.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and watched the sky light flying higher and higher.
When I just lost my parents, I was helpless, crying every day to find them.
Cheyne brought me to the riverside, accompanied me to write words of missing on the sky light, and let it drift in the sky.
“Brother, can the sky light really bring my missing to my parents in the sky?”
“Yes, definitely.”
As a young child, I believed it and often came to the riverside to release sky lights when I couldn’t hold on.
Since I didn’t answer him/he turned to look at me.
“Cheryl, what are you looking at?”
I pointed to the sky light.
10:25
“Brother, if one day I also die, will you release a sky light for me?”
He rubbed my hair, and his throat seemed to be choked with something.
“It’s you who will release it for me. You are several years younger than me, and you always outlive
- me.
On the way back, we were silent all the way.
When we were children, we used to talk endlessly under a quilt. I never thought that one day we would be silent to each other.
When we arrived home, Winnie was still waiting. When she saw us coming back, she breathed a sigh of relief c.
“Brother, you should rest early tomorrow because there is a meeting tomorrow.”
Before entering the bedroom, Cheyne stopped me.
“Cher, happy birthday!
“Sorry, I will make up for the gift next time!”
Since I was ten years old, I have never celebrated my birthday again, and no one has ever said “Happy Birthday to me.
How can I be happy? How can I be happy!
For so many years, I have never eaten cake or ice cream again. I hate them!
Brother, what should we do? There is no future anymore!
The next day, Cheyne had already gone to work, but Winnie was waiting for me in the living
TOOM.
