Lavender | Wakatoshi Ushijima

Prologue

March 2004

"Could you grab the watering can from over there?"

"Here!" I handed it to him.

We were watering the little flower sprouts in my backyard during the loose ends of the approaching spring season.

While he was carefully watering them, I looked over to the old tree in the backyard. It's always been there, untouched. I noticed a little flower, a sprout rather.

Curious, I said,

"Come on, Wakatoshi! Look! There's something up there!"

"What are you talking about, Hana?" He called.

I ran up the little hill. Peeking past the vines scattered down the branches, I screamed,

"Wakatoshi, you've got to come and see this!"

"What is it?" He asked curiously.

"Come and see it for yourself."

He put the watering can down, quickly ran up, and crawled over beside me where I was sitting. We sat under the ivy, resting our backs on the thick trunk.

There it was.

The most breathtaking view, a short meadow. With flowers and sprouts in every corner and crevice, the refreshing breeze came along and blew through our hair. Though spring was still on its way, the flowers in the meadow were preparing for a time of joy.

I looked at him since he hadn't said a word. His eyes were shining while adoring the view, the wind tossing strands of his hair.

"This is amazing!" He looked over at me and smiled too. A smile brighter than the stars.

"Is that our school? See the rooftop over there?"

"Which one?"

"Over there, over there!" I pointed, hoping he would see it.

"Next to the brown roof?"

"Yes!"

After a little moment, I remembered the flower that brought me here.

"I came up here to see a little flower. Ah, there it is!" I pointed to it.

We came up close to the little sprout.

"Which flower do you think it is?" Wakatoshi said.

"Hmm."

We paused, just staring at each other as if an answer will pop up.

"We should check the book you have about flowers!"

"Good idea! We'll find out which kind it is."

He went and quickly got the book.

We sat close to it. He began flipping through the pages about sprouts while I observed it, eyes squinting.

Growing and taking care of flowers while learning about them was what I found most fascinating, it's still my favorite thing to do. So it's no wonder I was eagerly curious to find out which flower this was to properly take care of it. I would nurture it.

Only for Wakatoshi to find the same sprout as the one in the book. He looked at the book then at the sprout, then at the book again, then at me.

"Hana, I found it!" His lightly freckled face lit up.

"Which flower is it, Wakatoshi?" I asked eagerly.

Beaming, he said,

"A Lavender."