The Girl Looking Out the Window

We handled the first semester of university with ease. Summer was a fun period as we got to venture with our families to a few vacation spots around Japan. Most notably, we went to a flower park in Hamamatsu, it was the busiest time of year.

Our peer outings turned into dates, and we revisited places we had already been, taking Delilah and Daishi with us, and went to new places around our home prefecture.

One day, when autumn was reaching the peak of November, I was sent on a mission to procure a slice of apple and key lime pie from the pie shop. On my way back, I had taken the route through the nostalgic street. I expected nothing new, but then there was a sign sticking out of the ground of a certain house.

I had heard a woman speak. She was using the English language. I wouldn't have known what she said if it wasn't for Dr. Shizuko forcing me to learn the language.

She had said, "Still no offers?"
She was standing in the driveway.

I looked at the sign, it said "For Sale!" and looked at the house it was referring to.
"Her house," I whispered.

The couple were walking back into the house, I needed to stop them.

"E-Excuse me!" I shouted with my poor English accent.

"Yes?" said the man in Japanese. "Can we help you?"

"Are you sellin' this house?"

"Why yes we are. We don't really spend too much time here since we keep traveling to other places. We found a really nice spot in Kyoto and decided to move there. Are you interested in buying?"

➼ ➼ ➼

A few days later, it was Ringomori and my birthday. We were walking to the pie shop for another birthday celebration. Little did she know the party wasn't there.

"We're eighteen! Hey, you finally get to use that money you got for your accident, correct?"

"Yes ma'am," I replied.

"Lucky, I wish I could've gotten some compensation for my accident. Bringing memories back doesn't come cheap. Do you know what to buy?"

"Yeah, I already made a purchase. Don't be mad, but most of my money is gone now."

"Already?!" she shouted and stopped in her tracks. "Wow, you don't hesitate. What could you have bought so quickly?"

"Well, I got it a few days ago, but I was charged today. Have a look for yourself."

Before she had realized it, we were walking down her old street. We took the same route and walked on the same side of the sidewalk just like elementary school. She had stopped in her tracks in front of her old home.

There was a streamer spread on the leaves of the blooming apple tree. It read, "Welcome home!"

How many times had it been until this moment that she allowed gravity to take control of her jaw. It had also taken the rest of her body, as she fell to her knees on the luscious grass of the front lawn. Her eyes took in the image of her home.

"Chamaru…"

"Yes, Yoru?"

"Is that…?"

"Yes it is. We're [You’re?] home."

The front door opened and both of our families came out roaring in celebration. Dr. Shizuko ran up to his daughter and put a party hat on her head and helped her to her feet. Dr. Takashi recorded the entire event on the camera. I couldn't wait to show a little someone this day.

"We love us," we said to each other, sharing a tender kiss.

On our eighteenth birthday, where kids grow out of the orphanage program, we had gotten together and shared the home that contained many memories of our lives. It was near the elementary school where we met, the pie shop that we frequented, the orphanage where we met again, and the houses of our families.

It was at this house that I drew an image of her standing in front of her windowsill with the apple cake and a regular apple to her sides. The captulescence of the autumn trees were prominent outside the window.

It was the house where we moved in together.
It was the house where we fed each other the apple cake.
It was the house where we became intimate.
It was the house where I proposed.
It was the house where we introduced a baby to the world.

I forgot who she was, but she reminded me. She forgot who I was, but I reminded her. We have a special bond together that causes us to fall in love with each other for the first time over and over again. I'm not afraid if she forgets me again, or I forget her, because I know we'll fall in love again and remember. We have a way to remember each other, we have our own method of communication.

To everyone, the sun always means day and the moon always means night.
Green means go, and red means stop.
The butterfly weeds recently mean return.
But the apple, only to me, means her. Only to her, means me.

She can restore my memory with apples.
And I can restore her memory with apples.
Though, to make it sound right, we have to use a different, more plural way.

Why?
Because that's just how we are. Whether I'm speaking about for myself, or for both, I can say:

We treasure our company.
We love us.

We Can Restore Our Memory with Apples

~Fin~