The willow's tears

The village hadn't changed a lot since my last visit. I still asking me what the hell I was doing there and why I wanted to come back to that place full of memories that I was trying to forget.

From my car, I could see my old neighbors looking at me surprised and suspicious, and it wasn't strange. Maybe that place hadn't changed a lot, but I was. Nothing was left of that child who came one day to only see her. Or at least, that was what I was trying to believe. What was I supposed to do? Why I was suddenly feeling so nostalgic?

Finally, I saw my destiny. The waste ground that once was a park. And in the middle of that place, there was the willow. Even when the people had forgotten about the old park, someone seemed to still worried about the tree, and that surprised me. I parked the car in front of the willow and I got off. I sat in the bonnet, with my hands holding my head and my eyes looking at the tree's trunk.  The tears covered my eyes, and I had to blink several times to get them away.

-Hi!-a strident voice frightened me.

I looked around, but there was nobody there. I was completely alone.

-Are you sad?-the little voice spoke again.

I looked again at the willow and I saw her there. Behind the trunk, there was a little girl with curly, golden hair and big brown eyes. It was me o that little girl looked like a fog? The girl left her hidden place with mistrust, moved by curiosity, and I couldn't help screaming.  I understood what my eyes had seen. I could see through her body, and she was so pale-skinned.

A ghost, a roaming spirit, just a memory of what she was once in life. 

-Are you scared of me?-she asked getting closer carefully. She seemed insecure.

-No, no!-I immediately said so that she didn't feel offended. Wait a second. Could ghost feel offended?-Is just...

She waited impatiently for my answer. I looked around, searching for something that could save me from that uncomfortable situation. I looked again at the willow and the memories that I was trying to forget hit me again.

-Is just that this place brings me a lot of memories.-I smiled-And I feel a little surprised when I saw that there was someone else here.-ok, calm down. It's a dead girl!

In her lips, it appeared a smile.

-It's curious because I've been always here.

-How? Since when? I mean... When you... When you di...?-I feel interested.

The little girl started to count on the fingers, extremely focused on it.

-It has passed a long time and I'm not sure.-she confessed with sadness-The last I could remember is that I fell down (or maybe someone pushed me?) and then, something hit my head.

Yeah, I've remembered that story too. In the village, people said that a girl was murdered in the willow a long time ago. We used to talk about that when we were together. 

-And why I haven't seen you yet?

-Maybe because you haven't felt so nostalgic like now.-she shrugged her shoulders-Since that day, my spirit has been bounded to the willow. And the willow is only fed by the sadness and the homesick of others. My mother came here so many times too, like you now. Well, I also miss a lot of things. For example, I'll love if I could drink a lemonade again! And see my mother again, obviously. Sometimes, the willow is fed by my sadness too.

Before I could do something, the tears started to fall down onto my cheeks. At least, all that pain would be useful, I thought ironic. An authentic banquet for the tree. I wondered if she had come too if she had cried in front of the willow. If she would miss me like I missed her. 

A small electricity hit suddenly my veins. It was such a warm, but also cold, hug, that was covering my leg. There, I saw once again her curly, blonde hair. I was taller than her, so she only could reach my knee. She was trying to comfort me, and that made me smile.

-Do you do this often?-I asked her smiling.

-Sometimes. But the most part of the time, people run away.-she said upset. I understood why, but I prefered to not comment on anything-She came here too.-she said suddenly, and my heart beat faster inside my chest-I don't know what happened between you, but you should solve that. She misses you too. 

-Thank you.-I murmured, with my tears still falling to the ground. 

She smiled.

A few years later...

A few years ago have passed since that particular talk in the willow, and I still don't believe how much my life has changed since then. 

Now I live in the village. In effect, I came back. And if you are wondering how the talk with that girl was, yes, it was fine. In fact, it was really fine. 

Now, I wear a ring in one of my fingers and I'm holding the little hand of a child. He is holding with the other one a vanilla ice cream. I'm about to eat another one too and I have a bag with other things that we have bought from the shop. 

We arrive at the willow and I can't help feeling nostalgic again in that place, even with the pass of the years. I extract of the bag a lemonade and I let it by the willow's side. 

-When you feel sad,-I say to him, holding his hand with affection-don't doubt about come here. You'll feel better. Ah! And don't forget about bring lemonade too.

-Why, daddy?-he asked confused. He must be thinking his dad is crazy or something like that. 

-She'll thank you for that. And the willow will do it too.