To My Sunflower - Chapter 89

The drive had been uneventful and the day turning out mildly humid but sunny. They relished the cooling breeze from the car’s wound down windows as they drove. Even Tama was enjoying the whip of wind to her cheeks as she sat on Tyne.

They passed through quaint countryside, going by locals who were focused on their own business and making their own way down the roadsides on foot or carry carts. The quaintness became a bustle of other vehicles, buses and horse drawn carts as they neared the distant vista of Hiroshima City’s tall buildings from the view of the Enko River.

Kei cursed abruptly when the car began to shudder, and he had to pull over to one side near a field of wild flowers and tall grasses.

The car shuddered to a complete stop.

“Out of fuel?” Tyne listlessly commented.

Kei sighed and got out to check for damage.  He lit up cigarette whilst popping the boot.

A snarl screwed up his lips when he saw that the radiator was smoking. He’d need to wait until it was cool to top up the water.

Eiji went to the bonnet to get some water and returned to Kei with an empty water container.

“Guess we need to find water.” Sean sighed.

The four men starred at the line of river in the distance, figuring there might be a connecting brook or stream nearby.

So they went on foot, through the tall grass and fields near a belt of trees, to look for a water source.

Tama frolicked in the grass, pouncing and playing with insects as she followed the men.

Eiji and Tyne stayed close to her as they leisurely strolled through the calm and cosy bushland. The mellow warmth from the sun and lulling insect drones, eased some of their earlier tensions and worries.

“Hey Eiji. You’re my friend no matter what happens between our countries.” Tyne blurted.

“Save your girly moment.” Eiji joked and laughed when Kei freaked out at seeing a dead spider in Tama’s mouth.

“Tama! Get that thing out of your f’cking mouth!” He cursed when he picked her up to shake the dead spider out of her stubborn mouth.

She instantly let the dead insect go when he replaced it with a dried fish from his pocket. Kei sighed and gave her a warm smile. He flicked Sean a rude finger at the sight of the man’s smirk and fawning eyes.

“You don’t scare me with your tough boy act.” Sean laughed as he hurried to catch up to him and tease him some more.

They eventually found a small brook to fill up the water container.

Once the container was filled, they headed back to the car using the same route through the calming and mellow grass lands.

Eiji looked to the bright blue sky, relishing the cosy day. Tyne sighed dreamily at the tiny vista of Hiroshima City visible along the river horizon.

Their car was nearby.

White.

A blinding white; a flash from heaven.

Sean looked up to Kei’s back. His eyes widened as Tama flew for him.

“Kei.” His voice carried his friend’s name.

He reached out his arm to pull him back from the oncoming whiteness.

“Kei!” His voice was snuffed out by a deafening roar.

The ground quaked.

It went stilled.

A dead silence.

A heat was melting the world around him.

White flashes burned his sight until he was seeing black.

Hot winds claimed one word from his mouth before he lost consciousness.

Kei.