All We Have Is Now!

Second- first meet

"Felicità" our treehouse. Felicità is an Italian word that means happiness. This was not just a regular treehouse to me but a much-cherished treasure of beautiful memories. Memories that holds the once shared happy times, the laughter, the stories between two families, two old friends, two people who spent their entire childhood here. I still remember when I first came here. This forest didn't have many dense trees. They were all of the average height. But there was this one tree which was in middle standing all alone yet looked a lot stronger than others which were circling it perfectly to give the required shade in the middle. It had a thick trunk, its branches were perfectly spread in all directions and its crown was full of leaves which made it look so perfect and strong.

I don't exactly remember why did I choose this tree to make our treehouse maybe because it used to look so strong, strong enough to withstand all the storms, heavy rainfall and every disaster. It was very well connected to the ground. I used to thought it would protect me forever. It used to make me feel safe. It made me believe in the strength and forever. I used to think the same about certain bonds and relationships as well.

When we grow up we realise everything we used to believe in as a child was so extraneous. It was a lot distant from how things work in reality. This tree was a symbol of strength to me in childhood and now when I look at it I find it so weak, old and dormant. I wondered whether it would be able to hold my body weight anymore. Not only people, everything changes with time. But it's okay, it would take only a few minutes. We'd meet, talk a little and leave.

As soon as I started climbing the stairs, my heart started to beat faster, nostalgia hitting with every step I took. It took me way too long for the first time through the stairs to the door. After reaching the entrance, I opened the door with trembling hands. The door opened with a creek sound as always. I have never felt so ambivalent in my whole life. Everything looked so familiar yet foreign, maybe it was because I came here after years. But still, the whole room was decorated with mint green and lavender aesthetics. The set of two chairs were there and in front of them was mint green and lavender striped carpet, on top of which was a table. There were few books and a beautiful cherry blossom plant rested on the table. Even though I was never good at remembering things but I clearly remember this plant was never here before. And just in front of them was hanging a hammock where a set of two names imprinted cushion was kept, close and together. One of the cushions had my name on it, it was the other one's name that made me smile. The sunlight was coming directly from the big window has made the room look a lot brighter. I didn't know maybe it was the cherry blossoms scent or the sun's lustre, I had been mere five minutes here and I was feeling a lot confident and happier than before.

No matter how far you try to go from some things, they would always pull you towards themselves in their own way. The memories attached to any particular place or person always drench you into a puddle of nostalgia which would make you get completely soaked and you couldn't get out even if you want to. In between remembering the happy childhood and admiring the place, I lost the track of time. I casually took out my phone to capture some pictures of the place that's when I saw, it's been an hour since I came here. He was supposed to come an hour ago but he was not there till now. Was he going to come or did he decided to back out at the last moment? I should have confirmed before coming here. Not that I would blame him if he didn't show up after all this was what I have been doing to him for years. It would be justified. I got up to leave but an inner voice was constantly asking to wait a little more, without giving it much of a thought, I decided to wait for fifteen minutes more.

Strange, how easily your heart always managed to do what it wanted despite you waning it or not or maybe you somewhere wanted it too. I do want to see him before I leave. Before my thoughts could wander anymore, I took the cherry blossom plant to look at it more closely instead something else caught my attention. Something was written in that place where the plant was kept. I leaned to take a closer look and I was surprised. Our names were carved on a wooden table with a tree drawn around it. I wasn't good with remembering things but I know this wasn't here before either. That's when it clicked, how did this place be so clean when I didn't come here for years, this changed yet the same decoration, these carved names, cherry blossom. Did he do this, did he used to come here. I shook my head at the possibility, why would he come when he never liked this place much. I didn't realise when my fingers started moving on the names written on the table.

"How have you been?"

I have replayed a dozen times how to respond to this question in my mind since I asked him to meet but now nothing was coming out. My heart started to palpitate wildly. Even though I was sitting I could feel my legs were shaking. My palms became sweaty. My whole body felt so weak. I wanted to reply but no words were coming out. Trying to hold me together as much as I could, I tried to look there. It was him.