The

Scent of Cherry Blossoms

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Table of Contents Chapter 1 .............................................................................................................................. 4 Chapter 2 .............................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 3 .............................................................................................................................. 10 Chapter 4 .............................................................................................................................. 12 Chapter 5 .............................................................................................................................. 16 Chapter 6 .............................................................................................................................. 18 Chapter 7 .............................................................................................................................. 20

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Outline I. The Beginning II. Getting to know each other A. Talking about family B. Stargazing C. Ice-cream III. Breaking up

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Kathy Lee Ms. Levin English Short Story 29 August 2012 The Scent of Cherry Blossoms Chapter 1 Cayn Park rested in the middle of the forest of high-rises, its flavorfully wild contrasts of pinks, blues, and greens providing a welcome sight in the organized grey of city life. The park constituted of several hundred acres of varieties of colorful trees and bushes through which winded countless paths, some wide enough to allow the occasional car, others so thin as to only allow two people, side by side. In the center of the park stood one of the greatest marvels of modern nature: the Cayn cherry blossom. Over three stories tall, the tree was the main attraction in the park. Its wrinkled yet perfect trunk forked into innumerable branches, intertwining to form a huge flawless shade under which, on a hot summer day, dozens of people could be found enjoying a picnic or reading a book. However, neither its insurmountable size nor its protective shade was the main appeal of the tree; neither of these two features could compare to the trees main attraction. No one knew whether it was a manmade feat of biological engineering or whether it was a unique natural occurrence, but one year, from the ancient tree began to sprout flowers with blood red petals. In the spring, whilst the rest of the park was covered with blossoming baby blues, radiant yellows, and soft pinks, the flowers of

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the Cayn cherry blossom were a deep red. Every year, when spring came around, the tree would appear to be covered in wounds as the blushing buds opened into ruby flowers. It was fall now. Cayn Park was an immense collage of reds, oranges, and yellows. The

majority of the cherry blossom flowers had long since fallen from the tree. The unfaltering shade that the tree once cast was pierced with gaping holes, and the soft grass below it where people once sat to share unforgettable moments was layered with the fallen blood of a thousand ruby hearts. For many people, the cherry blossom was a symbol of the summer past, of hot days spent in the cool shade, of blissful times spent in the quiet heart of a stressful city. A boy, sixteen or seventeen years old, strolled slowly down one of the narrow paths

winding through the park that opened up to the clearing that housed the cherry blossom tree. The wind tousled his raven hair as he walked through the thin trail, sized perfectly for two people, his head down, his eyes pensive... He kept his eyes on the ground as he advanced up the wide walkway deep in thought,

the edges of his slightly oversized black suit flapping in the wind. Occasionally, he would glance to his sides at the blossoming life, wishing that the fresh flowers and the relaxing green of the trees would clear his mind, part him from his troubles for only a second. However, regardless of his efforts, the feelings of dread would not leave him. He felt nothing but misery as his thoughts were filled with reenactments of that terrible day. He remembered the normality as he got out of bed that morning expecting the smell of frying bacon and worrying only about the history test that day; remembered the strangeness when he smelled nothing, heard nothing; remembered the dread as he tried to wake her but she would only lie there with her eyes closed. His memory

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was branded with the fear that dropped his heart when he discovered the unopened bottle of heart medication, the hatred that filled him when his father trudged in, his hands patting his stomach, as he demanded to know why breakfast had not been made. His mother had been the glue holding the family together. She worked over sixty hours a

week, yet still had time to craft delicious, mouth watering dinners, clean the house, and most importantly, negotiate peaces between him and his father. And now, she was gone. Without a warning, the one person that he had admired had been torn from his life. Keeping his head down and struggling to fight back tears, the boy walked quickly down

the large asphalt path, avoiding the parks other visitors. Even the fresh spring greenness and life around him failed to bring any serenity to his mind. As he rounded a corner, the path opened into the large opening in which stood the cherry blossom tree. The arrival of march had brought with it the small cherry blossom buds and now they were starting to split open, forming the trees famous glowing red flowers. The shade underneath the tree had begun to form and on a normal day, would already have been crowded with life, animals and humans alike. However, the cold, damp weather and intimidating dark shroud covering the sky had deterred most people from coming to visit the tree that day. Pulling his black suit jacket closed, the boy walked up to the edge of the tree, his head still inundated with powerful emotions and painful memories. His thoughts still lingered on the death of his mother, and his hatred of his father. Even at her funeral that morning, his father had been emotionless, lacking any lament or remorse for the terrible suffering he had put her through in her final days with his irrational constant anxiety and emotional instability. The

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constant stress his father had put on his mother had even caused her to have heart problems and was the reason she needed the medication in the first place. Yet, after her funeral, the only thing he had thought of was food as he patted his enormous stomach and wondered what to have for lunch. His fathers atrocious egocentricity had disgusted him, resulting in his leaving his father to pay a visit to the cherry blossom after the funeral. Stressed with worries of what would happen now that the one person keeping his life together was gone, the boy sat down against the cherry blossom. When he was younger, his mother would bring him there every spring to see the beautiful phenomenon and now, though hes grown, he still comes to the shade of the cherry blossom to clear his mind. With his arms cross on his legs and his head resting on them, the boy thought back to the terrible events of the past year. He recalled his failing grades, his being expelled from the soccer team, his fathers sudden anxiety attacks and emotional issues; yet, throughout all of his problems, his mother had always supported him, always been there for him when he needed her. And now, she was gone. He rested his head on his forearms, as he thought about the future, fearing what would happen now that the one person he valued was gone. Life seemed hopeless. Are you okay? He glanced up to find the unfamiliarly friendly face of a girl about his age standing over him Chapter 2

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As he sauntered along the narrow trail, the sky began to darken as it prepared for the coming night. In the dimming light, the oranges and yellows that had yet to fall were illuminated to give the illusion that a giant flame consumed the entire forest around him. Seeming not to have noticed the radiant scenery around him, he continued onwards, his eyes on the dirt path ahead of him, his vision focused on memories of the year past. As he walked, an orange leaf, an ember from the fire of reds, yellows and oranges around him, fell from one of the indistinguishable, almost barren oaks that lined the path. Almost instinctively, he extended his open hand and the leaf swayed softly into it. He stared down at the leaf, his mind clearly focused elsewhere as he brushed the leaf with his thumb He felt the smooth texture of the red petal before giving it a slight tug to pull it from the

flower. He turned around, away from the cherry blossom, still glancing at the petal in his hand. Amazing, isnt it? Apparently theyre really rare in the United States, he murmured,

glancing up at the girl standing a few feet in front of him for a second before looking back down at the leaf again. Yeah, it is. Ive never seen anything so beautiful before. Out of the corner of his eyes,

he saw her smile. Her teeth, though slightly misaligned, were a snowy white and shone perfectly. He grinned too when he saw her smile as he stared down at the deep, blood red petal that he noticed contrasted perfectly with her emerald eyes.

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For what was a few seconds, but what felt like several hours, they stood there, both of them despising the silence that split them, yet neither of them bold enough to break it. Finally, she spoke up. Im sorry about what happened with your mom, she said, her eyes lowering to the ground. I know its none of my business, but from what youve described, she sounds like an amazing woman. She was. She was the only person I could really count on. Another silence filled the air as they both looked down at the grassy ground. Glancing at her face and then back at the petal in his hand, the boy turned around and walked back to the side of the tree. Fully extended, he could reach up to almost seven feet high, just barely tall enough to reach the lowest branches of the tree. His knowledge of the tree guided him as he inspected the branches of the tree, looking for a pliable one that held a full flower. Within seconds, he had found a suitable branch. Though the branch was barely in his reach, years of experience allowed him to easily pull it down so that the flower was within his grasp. He expertly pinched the petiole of the flower and plucked it from the branch effortlessly, gently letting the branch slip back into place. He turned around to discover that she had been watching him closely the entire time. Here, you said you liked them, he said, turning way in slight embarrassment as he held out the cherry blossom flower in his hand.

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Thanks, she murmured blushingly as she extended her hand to take the flower. For a moment, their fingers touched and they both felt a shiver run down their spines. Embarrassed, the boy looked down at the grass again Chapter 3 The rounded pebbles of the rocky path crunched underneath his running shoes as he continued along the winding path, still holding the dried leaf in his left hand. The coming of fall had dried the once soft leaves of Cayn Park, causing each footsteps crunching of pebbles to be accompanied by the light crisp of shriveled leaves. As he rounded another meander in the path, an outgrowing root caught his foot, causing him to stumble He swung his arms forwards and backwards to try to maintain his balance and stop himself from falling face first onto the grass as he stumbled forward a few feet after catching his foot on a large root. Able to stop himself after a few steps, he looked up only to hit his head on the lowest branch of the cherry blossom tree. Hearing laughter, he turned around, rubbing the top of his scalp with his palm, and unsurprisingly found her laughing at his stupid accident. Turning his face away, flushed with embarrassment, he could not help noticing the way her brilliant laugh resonated through the air. I think youd better sit down, she told him, walking over to sit him down against the trunk of the tree and sitting down next to him, Are you okay? Yeah, Im fine, he reassured her as he massaged his head, Its nothing much.

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Here let me take a look. She reached over and, grabbing his wrist, moved his hand away to inspect the area of his scalp that had been hit, It doesnt seem like anythings wrong. You should be fine. I told you, He said teasingly, Its nothing much. Well forgive me for caring, She said indignantly, swatting his head, Maybe next time Ill just stand there and laugh. Starting to rub the top of his scalp again, the boy glanced to his right as her face for a second before turning to stare forward into the grass. He searched his mind for something to say, anything to break the silence that sat between them. However, the harder he tried, the more difficult it became to find any words, any clear ideas in his head. Despite his efforts, his mind seemed to have been emptied of any thoughts. Any attempt to generate an idea, a seed of a conversation, would become tangled, causing his conscious thoughts to trip over themselves and his mind to clear itself again. Finally, after the seeming eternity of a few seconds frozen by silence, words came to him. So, whats your story? he asked. Huh? she responded as she turned her head to look at him, confused, What do you mean? Tell me a little about yourself, he replied, sneaking a glance at her and looking back down at his hands resting in his lap.

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Uhm she stuttered. He felt her hesitation and he saw, in the fringe of his vision, her unease as she decided how much of her history to reveal to this boy she barely knew, this stranger she had barely met the day before, yet had felt a connection with. Well Chapter 4 He smiled lightly, sadly as he was bathed in unforgettable memories of the past months, filled with faint traces of emotions that were once felt so powerfully. Careful to avoid tripping over any more of the numerous out growing roots, the boy kept his eyes on his ground as he made his way through the now rougher path. He was reaching an older part of the park; the collection of trees through which winded the path was becoming thicker and much taller as he continued along the trail. He smiled as he reminisced the first time she opened up to him, the first time they shared her stories. He remembered how she had turned her soft green eyes downwards as she told him about her loving mother, about her busy, ever working father whom she barely saw but was so proud of, about the slight disagreements that had grown so that the rare, small disputes evolved into recurring shouting arguments that went late into the night, every night, about the eventual split that came as a surprise to everyone but her. He recalled her sweet half-smile and how he had vicariously sensed her excitement as she described to him all of the places she had gone with her father. He could never forget her joy and energy as she used her words to paint him the towering skyscrapers of New York, the intimidating massiveness of the memorials in Washington DC, the mysterious magnificence of herds of untamed bison that owned Yellowstone, and the thin, loosely placed streets that cut through over a century of history in

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San Francisco. He empathized with the loneliness he felt from her as she conveyed to him the pain of having to constantly transfer schools because of her fathers work, of always having to leave old friends and try to make new ones. He pitied her when she explained how she had learned after too many painful goodbyes not to open herself up to anyone, never to become too attached to any one person or place because commitment had only caused her heartache; yet, he took slight selfish satisfaction in hearing this, in discovering that he had been the rare person with whom she would trust her stories. His memories brought a bittersweet smile to his face, one filled with happiness to be able to have such memories, yet also layered with a bitter longing. Turning yet another corner in the path, he came in sight of a bench resting on the right edge of the pathway, its peridot paint only a few months old yet already starting to fade. Though the bench, meant to sit two, was a deep teal in clear light, the sunset dyed it with a thick orange, causing the wood to appear a murky brown, the color of beach mud seen through polluted seawater. He stopped and stood by the bench for a moment, allowing it to lure out and focus unclear and near forgotten memories. Trying to call back happier times, he reached down and put his hand on the left armrest of the bench He pulled back his arm as a pricking pain pierced his left ring finger. Sucking in a sharp breathe of air, he raised his left hand up to his face to discover that the cause of his pain had been an inch long wood splint that had dug into the tip of his finger as he was setting his arm down on the arm rest.

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Are you alright? she asked, trying to hold back laughter, Youre always getting hurt. Yeah, Im good. He responded. Despite her attempts to hide her amusement with his constant clumsiness, he could easily see it in the slight grin on her face. He had gotten used to reading the emotions hidden in her face, become accustomed to the way she twitched her mouth when she tried to bury a laugh, the way she dimmed her eyes when she was troubled by something, the way her eyebrows rose and her eyes glowed when she was excited. Now, as they sat together on the bench, ice-cream cones in hand, he found joy and calmness in her comfortable smile and bright eyes. So, thanks for the ice cream, she said a little hesitantly. You dont have to thank me, he replied, Without you, I probably would have failed most of my classes, so its the least I can do. Whether it was the tint of the setting sun, or a result of his reply, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her cheeks redden. They sat there quietly for a while on the small teal bench by a secluded trail, alone yet not lonely, listening to the whistling of the soft wind through the woods. After just a few short weeks spent together in Cayn Park, silence no longer divided them when it came. Instead, it only served to bring them closer together, to give them a moment to appreciate each others presence. As the wind snaked its way through the rather thick forestry, it brought along with it the sweet scent of cherry blossoms, a distinctive reminder of the tree that stood just several hundred yards down the winding path.

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The boy sat back against the bench, enjoying his ice cream and taking in the cherry blossom scent while sneaking a glance out of the corner of his eyes at the girl sitting next to him. For once in his life, he was truly happy. Right then, his phone began to buzz against the bench. He reached into his pocket and pulled the phone out, glancing at the name of the contact. Dad. Almost subconsciously, he moved his thumb over to the deny call button and pressed it then put the phone back into his pocket. Who was that? she asked hesitantly. Just my dad. Are you sure you dont need to answer it? she inquired worriedly, What if its something important? Yeah, but, hes never got anything important to say. Besides He stuttered. Hm? Nothingnothing he has to say can possibly be more important than being here with you, he said nervously, smiling endearingly at her. Never before had he attempted to become this close to anyone before. His heart pounded in his chest as he waited for her response. It felt like it mustve been hours, but it was only a few seconds, a few seconds during which his sudden spurt of confidence was turned into a starving fear of rejection by his own imagination.

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Thanks, she replied, looking back at him with an endearing smile, and hesitated before continuing, I cant think of any place Id rather be. He was filled with sudden shock as her words reverberated throughout his body. Then, almost instantaneously, he felt warmth throughout his body and a soft joy inundated him. For a short while, his mind was frozen, unable to comprehend the moment and incapable of outputting any sort of reply. Finally, after a split second of mental incapability, he could think normally again. Me neither, he finally murmured with a gentle smile. Their empty hands, lying on in the open space between them on the bench, slowly slid closer to each other. Finally, he felt her gentle touch as their fingers intertwined and she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulders as they shared the final moments before the sun crawled down below the horizon Chapter 5 Drop. Clearing his eyes with the palm of his hands, he moved on, continuing on the path away from the bench. The sun had almost set now; there couldnt have been more than fifteen or twenty minutes of sunlight left. However, he did not fear that the sun would set before he reached his destination; he had been down that path more than enough times to know that there were less than a couple hundred yards left. As he walked, he habitually anticipated the scent of fresh cherry blossoms. However, he knew in his conscious mind that the scent he

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remembered so well would not come. It was already mid-September and almost all of the cherry blossoms had long since hit the grass. Letting out a melancholy sigh at the realization that something so sweet had been lost, he glanced upwards at the sky, taking one last chance to reminisce before reaching his destination. The setting suns reach had already shrunk to less than a quarter of the sky. The constellations had already begun to populate the sky as the stars flickered and gleamed at him There, he said as he pointed up into the sky, See those streaks? Those are meteors. Thin, barely visible trails of light flashed across the night sky. Wow, thats amazing, she whispered in excitement. He felt her grip on his hand tighten slightly as she gazed up, her eyes locked onto the spectacular lights printed onto the black of the night. Nearing the end of a summer of intense joy and becoming closer than either of them had ever been with anyone else, they were sharing a walk down that thin, rocky trail he had showed her months ago. Though it was dark, the faint light of the lantern he carried in his free hand was enough to reveal the pathway and prevent them from getting lost while still allowing them to enjoy the magnificent view. Yeah, amazing, he muttered, his eyes focused not on the meteor shower, but instead on her shining eyes as she looked upwards in wonder. Sensing the heat of his gaze, she diverted her gaze from the meteor showers towards him. Embarrassed, he immediately turned his head

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and eyes away, though not before their eyes met as she spotted him looking at her. He heard a soft laugh as once again, she tightened her grip, bringing their interlocked fingers even closer together. Startled by this sudden strengthening of her grip, he looked back at her to find her gentle smile and beaming green eyes illuminated by the faint lantern light. Their eyes met. For a while, they gazed into each others eyes. He saw in her eyes happiness and gratitude as well as memories of the summer they spent together, becoming a necessity in each others lives. In her eyes, he saw love, trust, and an inviting closeness he could never forget. Suddenly, her grip closed even more on his hand as she pulled on down on his arm, turning her body to face him. Willingly, he bent to her tug, allowing her sudden force to bring his upper body down so that they were face-to-face, no more than a few inches apart. He closed his eyes slowly as she began to shut hers and allowed her final tug to pull him down just enough to close the few inches between them. Their lips touched Chapter 6 Just as he lowered his head from gazing at the stars, he came to the end of the thin trail. Without really noticing it, he had reached the mouth of the trail and right in front of him, it opened up into the rocky perimeter of the grass field surrounding the cherry blossom. By this time of year, just about every entire cherry blossom flowers had fallen off of the tree. The only remaining flower, growing near the top of the highest branch, was hanging by a tiny green thread from the edge of its branch. The ground below the tree, usually green with

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grass, was now covered with layers of what seemed like blood droplets. The occasional whisper of gust moved just a few petals in the pile, giving it a flowing appearance that only added to its resemblance to a large puddle of blood. As he approached the tree, the boy stopped by the fringe of the grassy circle to kneel down and pick up a petal, and feel its surprisingly still soft texture He held onto the cherry blossom petal, brushing its softness with his index finger and thumb as he listened intently to her words. He rubbed the petal in mindless disbelief as he listened to her tell him with empty eyes about her fathers position change and her having to move. His mind was frozen, unable to imagine how he could possibly get along without her. He winced as her words tore a hole through his chest, his heart dropping at the thought of perhaps never seeing her again. He waited, emotionless and stunned, for her to say she was just kidding. He longed to hear her ringing laugh and see her emerald eyes as she teased him about how gullible he was. He waited. Yet, nothing happened. So, I guess this is it? he asked, still in shock. Yeah, I guess so, she stuttered back, her voice broken by heavy emotions. They stood there, by the cherry blossom, sharing the sweet scent one last time before she turned and began to walk away. Im sorry, theres nothing that can be done about it. Stunned, he could do nothing but stand and watch as her figure faded into the distance

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Chapter 7 Slowly, he approached the Cayn cherry blossom, its once majestic red flowers all fallen except one. Turning around, he sat down in the piles of dead petals against the trunk of the tree and pulled his knees close with his forearms. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white piece of paper folded in half, an improvised card. Emotions flooded his consciousness as his mind flashed through countless memories of the blissfulness of the past couple of months. Then came the terrible, bitter sorrow of having lost something so sweet, so precious as he opened the card. On it were written five simple words: Jim, I love you. Goodbye. Just as he opened the card, a slight gust caused by a plane flying low overhead breezed by, carrying with it the dying scent of fallen flowers, finally breaking the last cherry blossom from the tree. As he read the note, the flower slowly floated into his lap. He began to cry.

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References The History of the Cherry Trees. National Park Service. National Park Service, 30 June 2012. Web. 29 August 2012.