Chapter 7: Paper Roses
1290 Words
After the train moment, we are nowhere near our destination. We were on our way out, and I didn't know that they had decided to use this place as our picnic location. This is the place that my family used to go to and the last place where I had my last memory of Uncle Henry. I remain silent as each step that I take is each memory comes back to my head. As we reached the place, I saw Gill. He was looking at me and smiling. I didn't expect him to see me, but now I saw him again in this place. I don't know why he looks familiar to me.
‘’Gill?’’ I said, and then he hugged me. I don’t know, but I also hugged him back.
‘’Happy birthday.’’ He silently said to me while hugging. ‘’Thank you, Gill,’’
''Hey Gill, so close!'' Zyreel pushes Gill and we both laugh because they are now arguing.
''Happy birthday Annie, we know how you love this place and we don't want you to see this place as desolate. We want to change that and turn it into a bustling.'' Jenlyn said. I hugged her as a sign of thank you. I know that they did this to cheer me up. I am a lucky one.
''You did this, Gill?'' Zyreel said. I looked at Gill and he was scratching his head while nodding. ''Is it bad?'' Gill said. ''It's beautiful, thanks, Gill!'' I said and smiled at him.
''Hey, you are blushing!'' Zyreel said to Gill. ''I AM NOT BLUSHING'' he immediately covered his face and again we all laughed.
We are now sitting on the blanket and eating while laughing. Jenlyn and Zyreel are always teasing Gill. This is the first time that we were close to him. After all the years, we didn't have a guy friend because of Zyreel's attitude and Jenlyn's creepiness, and, of course, me being shy to communicate not just with the guy, but also with other people. I looked up at the sky and it was getting dark now. This is the time when my uncle and I talk. I suddenly remember what he said. I looked at Gill laughing with Zyreel and Jenlyn. I didn't know, but suddenly I smiled. He is so gentle and bright but I can feel that there is something behind those smiles.
''Oh Annie, before we forgot, this is not the only surprise that we have for you, of course, there is more,'' Zyreel said and she went to the trunk and got the big box. ''Happy birthday again my dear Annie!'' She gave me the box and I smiled at her. This is a huge gift that I have received in my entire life.
''Thank you Zy, this box is so big!'' Zy looked so excited about me opening this box. I opened the box and it was a huge gown, a heavy one. I lift it and it looks fairytale. ''That is the exclusive dress that you will wear at my fashion week. I know how you love this kind of dress.''
''You look gorgeous in that dress, Annie,'' Gill said. I hugged Zyreel, ''This is too much, Zy, but thank you! This beautiful cream fairy gown is lovely!'' Zy hugged me back after she said that. ''Anything for my Annie!''
‘’Okay that’s enough, it’s my turn!’’ Jenlyn said and she gave me a little box and she looked so excited about it, well they all are. I open it and it is a camera. ‘’I want you to capture every detail of your life, Annie. Capture all the memories that you have, live life, and enjoy it.'' She said, I hugged her immediately after she finished the sentence. I don't have that many photographs of my parents, and also myself with them. This gift is so lovely, I can make an album from my memory with this. ''We can start making some pictures today Annie!'' Zyreel gets the camera and immediately clicks in front of me. ''I am not ready Zy!'' I tried to reach the camera but she is too tall. She clicks again and again and again. In the end, we all tried running onto the field while using the camera. Lots of videos and photos were captured. Most of them are epics and we all just laughed about it.
''Oh my god! I am so tired!'' Zyreel said while catching her breath.
''We don't have any drinks here, let me buy some in the downtown store,'' Gill said and got his jacket. ''Can I come with him?'' I said to Zyreel and Jenlyn, they both nodded and smiled. ''We just wait here, can you buy me a coffee, it's too cold in here'' Zyreel added.
We are now walking down because there is no store in that area. Actually, somehow it is far from our area. We are both silent and only the wind and crickets can hear. I am just wearing a dress. That's why I immediately feel a chill. It's really cold in here. I was rubbing my hand when I felt that there was a jacket on my shoulder; Gills put his jacket on me.
''You don't have to.'' I was planning to give him back his jacket but he refused. ''I don't want our birthday girl to freeze on her day,'' Gill said and I laughed.
‘’How did you end up with Zy and Jen?’’ I said to Gill cause the last time I checked they were not close to him and we just met early when he pulled me to the rooftop.
''Well, I saw them earlier while I was walking and then I saw they had your cake. That's why I asked them if I could also go with them. Then that's it,'' Gill said.
''So, it's all coincidence, wow!'' I said. He smiles back and pulls something from his wallet. ''I am not ready for your birthday so I don't have a gift for you, but I have made this one.'' He shows me a rose made of origami. ''Gill, this is lovely! You are so artistic! How did you do this?’’ I said.
''I will teach you to do that soon, but now let's buy some coffee cause it's already late and I'm sure they will be mad for making them wait because of their coffee.'' He said, and we went to buy some coffee and talked more about him and then after that, we decided to go back.
''You have almost gone for 1 hour!'' Zyreel said while getting her coffee. ''Sorry, we are talking about how he ended up with you guys because I am shocked.''
''Oh about that. It's unexpected that we saw each other a while ago,'' Zyreel said and sipped her coffee. We are now looking at the sky and there are lots of stars. ''Yeah about that, how did you and Gill meet?'' Jenlyn asked.
I tell them about how Gill and I met, so they both cry at what I said and they just hug me and also Gill. They do not stop thanking him for what he said about me. After that crying moment, we end up lying down and pointing to all the stars in the sky. We laugh and laugh. We just stayed and after an hour we decided to go home. They took me home and the entire journey, I was just smiling. I enjoyed this day thanks to them.
‘’How dare you smile when this is the day that Henry died because of you b***h!’’ I was shocked when I heard her voice.
‘’Tita Lavinia?’’
- Writer
