Written by Qiyou Chen, Taiwan
Translated by Satoshi Takashiro, inu.3-a.net
It was a rainy day, when the roads are rather damp, with the neon lights shining on them. We were just standing under an eave of a Qilou (A kind of Chinese Traditional Building). Across the street was a postbox, standing alone as well. A letter to my mum, who lived in the south, lay in a pocket on my white coat.
Sakurako offered to send the letter for me, with the only one umbrella. I nodded, passing the letter on to her.
“If only we had taken one more umbrella.” She said with a smile on her face. Holding the umbrella, she was ready to cross the street, only to send the letter. A rain drop fell down off her umbrella, directly into my glasses.
With a sharp screaming of a car, Sakurako flew silently into the sky, and then slowly landed on the wet cold street, exactly like a night butterfly.
It was more an autumn than a spring.
She was only crossing the street to send my letter. Such a simple action became so unforgettable. I opened my eyes softly, standing under the Qilou at a loss.
Hot tears filled up my eyes. All the cars stopped in the street. The crowd flowed to the center of the street. Among them were none knowing that my butterfly lay on the street. It was only five meters that she was away from me, which seemed so distant. A bit larger rain drop splashed on my glasses, into my whole life.
Why, only one umbrella with us?
Yet I saw Sakurako crossing the street again, in her white coat, holding the umbrella. She was sending my letter, a letter to my mum living in the south. I stood under the Qilou at a loss. I saw everlasting Sakurako on the center of the street. Actually, the rain was not heavy, but the heaviest in my life. I wonder whether Sakurako knew such a fact that the letter said,
“Mum, I am going to marry Sakurako next month.”
My Words
That's really a sad story. In my eyes, this short novel is quite unexpected, especially the ending. I have no more words to say. That's a novel, which doesn't need too much comment but just to be read and feel what the author expressed to readers. |