Push For My Heart: Chapter Five

 

 

Time past day after day, much like the last day. Aiya was never allowed to stay over at Maruki’s over night again. School passed as it should have, boring and uneventful. After the students stopped with their strange façade over Maruki and Aiya, they seemed to accept them more. Maruki felt that it was all just an act on his peers part, but that was in the past. Still with only one friend, and being the teachers’ pet, it was no wonder Maruki had a shut-in personality.

Aiya never when on his date with Miyuki, thought his feelings for her still remained. Just like a good friend should though, Aiya chose a friend over a girl. Aiya opened up, trying to talk to Miyuki every once in a while at school. The tall quiet boy in the end, remained the tall quiet boy. Only one person could break that silence and that was the one that held the title of, friend.

The first year of middle school was the fastest. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and due to the extra curricular classes that Maruki had picked up, it went even faster. Not seeing a friend most of the time after school was hard, but they both found their ways to sneak around the rules. For Maruki, there was no problem at all for him to see Aiya. It was Aiya not being able to see him. Going to the movies or the park after school almost became a daily routine. Then the day came that Aiya’s mother found out what he was doing after school. Even around her they found their ways to hang out and talk daily.

Over time, due to Aiya’s mother’s stubborn personality, they only got to see each other at school. Even with that limit, times seemed to have warped by. It was that time of the year, final exams that decided if a student was to stay back, or advance to the final year of junior high. Neither Maruki nor Aiya were worried about their grades or the exams. Straight fives throughout ever class for Maruki, including physical education. There was no wonder why Maruki was the top of the school year. Aiya on the other hand, had all fives, except for physical education and language, where he had a four, and a four and a half. Aiya was not far behind Maruki, he was in second place for the top of the schools academics.

 With little surprise, both Maruki and Aiya advanced to the last year of middle school.

Returning from that half day, final ceremony day, Maruki was surprised to see both his parents home, it even frightened him a little. Having been restrained from Aiya this past year was hard enough as it was. And his parents were about to drop a bombshell on Maruki’s supposable happy day. Have his class advancement sheets in hand, shoes weren’t even off his feet yet, Maruki was not ready for what was about to be told to him.

Maruki’s father was a supervisor at an office he worked at. Recently he was offered a promotion of vice president at a new location that was currently being built in another city. It came with a salary increase of two-hundred and fifty percent and full free benefits for the entire family, despite their location in the country. But in order to take the position, they would have to relocate. Given Maruki’s age, his parents had no intention on leaving him behind in the city alone. The relocation was to Okinawa, islands over from Aiya.

Maruki could not take the news of his family having to move, he ran upstairs to his room, crying. He had no idea how he was going to tell Aiya that he was moving away. His only best friend was going to have to be left behind, just like that. How could his parents even think that this was happy news?

To took hours and many small naps of crying himself to sleep to gather up the strength to call Aiya. Maruki crawled over his bed to the footboard where his blazer hung. In the pocket was his cell phone, which had a couple small smiley faces dancing around the screen as his background. Maruki sniffed softly, taking in a final deep breath before dialing Aiya’s number.

It took a few rings before the other line answered, Maruki was thankful that it was Aiya who answered the phone.  With just a simple ‘Hello’ Maruki already couldn’t contain himself again.

“Ai?” it was nothing but a small managed to force itself over the bump in Maruki’s throat. It was not normal for Maruki at all.

Aiya knew something was wrong, he propped himself up on the couch and turned the TV on mute. Aiya was preparing himself for bad news.

“Maa-chan, what is it? Are you okay?” Standardized question even though he knew Maruki was not all right.

A couple of seconds had past of trying to swallow the large bump in his throat, but he had no such luck.

“We… We’re moving Aiya. To a new city.”  The small fact left Aiya speechless and got Maruki crying again.

“Maru-chan, you cant leave me!” The thought of losing his best friend was horrible, it was almost as bad as him passing away. Aiya felt the instant pain of heartbreak, his eyes welling up with tears.

“Aiya I am so sorry. I don’t want to leave, but I know my parents wont allow me to stay here alone.” Even though he was not alone, his sister was not fit enough financially to take care of her little brother as well as herself. Maruki’s face was wet and his eyes were puffy, he couldn’t even imagine what Aiya looked like at the moment, he was hurting as much as it was, and now Maruki could never be there for him anymore.

The two talked about it for hours, discussing how they would keep in contact, talking nonsense of running away together instead of having Maruki move away. Coming back to reality, after a while, they both decided that their thoughts were impossible. Having finally calmed down now, Maruki was finished with his crying, though his eyes were still puffy and swollen, they hurt that’s for sure.

The day finally came, the moving day. Everything was packed up in the moving truck and Maruki’s parents were waiting in the car for him while he said his final good-byes. Holding Aiya tightly in a hug, he didn’t want to let go at all.

“Ai, I promise I will keep in touch. Promise.” Maruki was holding tears back as hard as he could, finally letting Aiya go Maruki looked at him silently. If he said anymore, he was sure to cry.

Aiya forced himself from the hug, he wanted to stay like that forever, he didn’t ever want to let go.

“You better promise Maa.” Aiya had a single tear run down his puffed cheek. Aiya felt the need to beat Maruki down, just so he could stay, but that would never happen.

“I’ll miss you Maa.” Aiya threw himself at Maruki one last time before he left.

Impatiently waiting, Maruki’s parents honked the horn telling him to hurry up. Maruki pulled away from the hug away painfully. This was the last time he would see his friend in many years he wanted it to last.

“I have to go Ai.” Not but a mere whimper, Maruki made his final comment to Aiya.

“I’ll miss you too Ai.” Ant that was that, Maruki slumped himself to the car and got in the back. With the car pulling away, the moving truck was close behind. Maruki watched his childhood home and his childhood friend get smaller and smaller. Aiya was left of the side of the road like a lost puppy that had to be left in the forest. Even as he drove away, Maruki could see that Aiya was painfully and hysterically crying.