The Crossroad

This a story written by Karen, one of my Japanese students in 2007.

Daisy, a stray cat, and Hal, a pet dog, were good friends. They first met in one of the crossroads of their village. Since then, these two were always together. Daisy used to come to Hal’s house. They always had a good time.

But one day, Hal could nowhere to be found. Daisy looked for him.

“Where? Where is he?” she asks herself. She started to feel lonely at that time.

She looked for him desperately as if she won’t see him anymore for her dear life. “Won’t I meet him anymore?” and her eyes were flooded with tears. “No way!” she sobbed.

At that time, she was tired to move.

On the same crossroad where they first met, she stopped for a while to take a rest. Without her notice, a stray dog was also resting beside her.

“Why do you look so sad?” she spoke to Daisy.

“I’m looking for someone.”

The stray dog admonished. “I’m Olive. You don’t need to look for him. You already met him, right?”
Daisy could not understand her statement.

That night, Daisy dreamt of memories with Hal.

“I envy you,” he said. “You have freedom. You can go anywhere you like. You don’t have the master to dictate you where to go.”

But Daisy argued, “Don’t say that. You haven’t suffered hunger, have you? That is because you have the master who can take care of you!”

When she woke up, she regretted. “Why did I ever say so? If only I knew he would leave me, I’d never said those words to him.”

While she was remembering about him in the crossroad, she felt so sad. She wanted to apologize to him. She has many things to give him. His absence made her sorrowful.

“You seem brood over your failure,” Olive appeared and stole a curious look. “I know your feeling because I also have an experience like you,” she began to talk about her past. “I was a pet dog until my master died. He was not only my master but also my friend.” Olive was musing about her past memories. Daisy also reminisced about her good old days with Hal. She gazed mournfully to Olive.
By: Akiko Ishibashi (Karen)

“The worst thing friends can do is leaving. And we will never understand their importance unless they leave us.”

Olive smiled, “Friends never leave.” She continued, “My master said before he died, ‘Don’t feel lonely. We have shared bonds and memories together.’ Don’t you think that encounter with Hal is precious for you? Yes, he left but good memories with him remain. He may be far beyond our eyes, but he is close deep in your heart.”

Daisy thought of Hal under a starry sky. She closed her eyes and asked him in the air, “Are you happy now? If so, I am heartily glad of your happiness.” At that very moment, she decided to stop looking for him and went on her own way. She also stopped asking herself a question why Hal had to leave.

She left Olive and began to move a journey. She believed that one day she will meet him again on a crossroad.

How many crossroads does she need to pass before she meets him again? Or, will they be given another chance to meet again?