The end of the world
I stared down at the quivering body at my feet, knowing that I was unable to do anything, except to hold her until it was too late. I kneeled down and gently put my arm around her, careful to not put her in any more agony. She was shaking like a scared puppy, whining like a lost child hoping for the pain to end soon.
“It’s okay… It’s okay…“ I whispered to her over and over again, although we both knew it wasn’t.
I knew especially that it would never be OK again.
She looked up at me, the tropical blue in her eyes slowly being clouded by the tears of pain, the tears of grief.
“Max. “
I watched her mouth try and form the words, pushing back my sorrow as to listen to everything she had to say. The last things she had to say.
“I… I’m sorry…“
“For what? “ I couldn’t help but feel surprised… What did she have to be sorry for?
“Remember your kite? The blue one with the white tail? “
“Yeah, I do…“ I did, all too well. That was how we met - how our friendship came to be. That blue kite on that windy day… I don’t think it was just chance that she just happened to be there.
I think it was fate.
It was a blistering Sunday afternoon, when Mother Nature decided to set what felt like a tornado upon our sleepy little village. The branches from the trees were being pushed and pulled by the wind’s grasp, and the howling through the narrow streets and desolate parks set up a perfect scene for a cliché disaster movie.
This weather was also the perfect time to fly my kite. It was a small blue one with a white tail that my mother bought from me before she passed away. First, I was hesitant about using it; what if it blew away or got stuck in a tree or broken? But then I realised that my mother would’ve wanted me to use it – she was a bit of a weather nut after all.
So, I set out, through the roaring winds to the fields I spent hours of my time at as a kid.
I could barely see through the chaos of the weather – leaves would attack me from every angle, while my hair would continuously flick in front of my face as a complete nuisance; it was a nightmare, to say the least.
Eventually, I survived my ordeal, and before long, my kite was free into the atmosphere. It soared like a bird of prey, scouting the land without a fear in the world. The magnificent blue coat contrasted the dull muted greys and browns of the countryside to make it seem like he had captured the beauty of the sun, sea and the clouds.
It was exhilarating to fly such a magnificent beast, its tail floating in the stormy conditions. It was a thrill! All I wanted to do was run and run and run and –
Bang!
I hit the floor like a ton of bricks, firmly planted my face into the cold damp floor. The thrill was gone, the chase was over. I sat up, angry at whatever decided to ruin my adventure. My arm was cut on something and I was coated in mud. I was ready to get up and shamefully walk home until I noticed what I had run into. It was a girl, roughly my age and height, and it appeared that she too had no idea what just happened.
“Uh… Sorry…“ I said sheepishly, unaware of whose fault it was.
She looked up, puzzled, holding a similar expression.
“No, no! It’s fine! It was my fault! I should’ve looked where I was going!“ We were quiet for a moment, still sat on the cold ground, until she interrupted the awkward silence; “I caught your kite. “ Miraculously, it never blew away. Somehow, through the chaos of the collision, she was able to catch it and stop it blowing away.
“Oh! Thank you!”
And that was the start of our friendship. The start of something special. And now it’s ended like this – my best friend, dying in my arms.
It really is the end of my world.