PURIN LOVES YOU, TOO
Purin opened her eyes and stretched, yawning. As she rubbed her eyes, she glanced at the calendar. She could already feel herself becoming more depressed at the date that the calendar showed. It was the anniversary of the day he died.
Purin sat up, rubbing her golden-brown eyes. “Today isn’t going to be fun, na no da.” She whined to herself, pulling open her closet door. The fifteen year old searched through the depths of her closet. “Here it is!” she exclaimed, pulling out a plain black dress. “I haven’t worn this since last year, na no da.” She sighed. “Purin only wears black today, na no da.” She pulled on the dress, making sure not to tear it.
Purin stepped out of her room. “I’m going out!” she called to her siblings. She could hear her brothers snoring. HeiCha walked up to her older sister. “You’re leaving, na no da? Should HeiCha come with you?” The younger girl looked up to her big sister with wide, sad puppy dog eyes.
Purin smiled. “No, no, HeiCha! I have to do this on my own. Take care of your big brothers while Purin is gone, okay?” Purin grinned, despite the depression and despair she was feeling.
HeiCha slowly nodded. “Okay, Onee-chan.” The twelve year old gave her best smile. “When you come home, let’s go out for ice cream, na no da!”
“Yeah.” Purin said, turning as she walked out the door. “But I have to go to work after, na no da.” She started to run before her little sister could give a reply.
Soon, she came to the spot on the hill, the hill that they had always been together at. At the top of the hill stood a tree. “This is the tree we said goodbye at.” Purin muttered. She then started to climb up the tree. For the monkey girl, it was easy. “Where I gave him the candy drops.” She dropped her head and let the tears come. “I learned that you died two years ago, Tar-Tar. Were you watching me?”
That day, two years ago, when Purin was happily working in the café. Kish had staggered into the café, bandaged and teary eyed as he fell to the floor.
“Eh? What’s Tar-Tar’s friend doing here? Do you want Ichigo? She’s not here right now, na no da!” Purin chirped, kneeling next to the alien boy. “Do you want Purin to make you a drink, na no da?”
Kish looked up. “It’s you…….The yellow mew-mew…...”
“Yup! That’s me!” Purin laughed. “How’s Tar-Tar doing? Will he visit soon?”
“No….He can’t.”
“Huh? What do you mean, na no da?” Purin leaned down, helping Kish up. “Is he busy?”
“No…..I……I’m sorry, Purin-san…..” Kish choked up. “But……Taruto……He……He’s dead….He was killed………After we brought the Mew Aqua to our home planet, there was…..a great war…..for power. We fought to keep peace. Taruto….He was one of the many who died. I’m sorry.”
Purin’s world went black after that.
“Yeah….I remember that, na no da. Kish-san was very sad……So sad…….” Purin’s eyes were downcast. She sat down in the tree. “Purin never got to see Tar-Tar again, did she? Purin can’t even…..Go to your gravesite. It’s so very far away, and expensive too. So I hope Tar-Tar can hear me right here.” Her delicate fingers traced the tree branch. “Can you hear me, Tar-Tar?” she leaned against the tree base. “Can you hear me? I love you too.”
“Taruto….His last dying words were……’I love Purin……Tell her I love her……For now and always….’”
“Purin loves you, too.”
