Graduation
Q-kun's graduation was close at hand when he died in an accident, around the middle of February when snow was still falling.
He had been a member of the soccer club, and even after he seceded, he went out on the sport grounds every day after school to coach the junior players. But when he was doing pass practicing, the ball took an unexpected trajectory and flew out of the school gate. He chased after it, and in an unlucky occurrence found when he got there that the ball had bounced amongst the cars.
There was a harsh collision sound, and all of us who were nearby hurriedly ran over to see. He was there on a cushion of white, thinly piled up snow, his lying-down form embracing the ball. He looked just like he was sleeping, but from what we heard afterward, it seemed the sorry circumstance was that he had died instantly when hit.
He had been everyone's favourite person, and of course everyone in the class mourned his death. Even the junior players and the teachers were pretty shocked and after a little while couldn't hide their grief. But one week later the mood seemed like nobody would touch upon that subject. I too was being dragged down by sorrow in the depths of my heart, but I tried to put on a smile as much as possible.
On the appointed day of the graduation ceremony, the blue sky seemed to discolour after the morning, and droplets that streamed from what little snow still remained were glittering, basking in the light of the sun. Us graduates were soaking up the refreshing atmosphere and overflowing with emotion, and as our names were called by the school principal, we shouted back to him with all our might. However, as we received our diplomas and came down from the stage, I saw Q's mother in a chair where all the parents and older siblings were sitting. At that time the grief, that until now was like nothing, gushed forth within me, and I was desperate to endure against my tears. Q's mother was embracing her boyfriend, who was smiling, but she held a handkerchief to her eyes and her shoulders were shaking.
After the graduation ceremony closed and everybody returned to their respective classes, it seemed that everybody had the same feelings; the girls were crying, and the boys were just hanging their heads in silence. But there, Q's mother was entering the classroom with our homeroom teacher, and even the girls' sobbing voices were running out. A stillness hung in the air like water out of place, and the teacher quietly began speaking.
"Everybody, congratulations on your graduation. And now, would you all like to have a graduation ceremony again here for Q's sake...?"
Everyone silently nodded at those words from the teacher, and handed back the diplomas that they had received not too long ago. The graduation ceremony for only this class had begun. The teacher was calling out each name, and handing diplomas to everyone respectively, accompanied by brief comments. As though it may have been a sign, the kids he handed diplomas to were sobbing, but surprisingly, the boy with dyed brown hair who was known as the class clown was the first whose face crumpled and started crying.
When the diplomas were handed out to everyone and we all sat down,
"We expected that Q, surely...would graduate too, with everyone... therefore, instead of Q, his mother has come, to join us today..."
Everyone started crying again all at once in response to the disconnected words from the teacher while he choked back tears. But in the next moment everyone stopped breathing, and it was just like time itself stopped. When the teacher called out Q's name, we could hear a resounding answer inside the classroom. That voice which was so loud, so powerful, that it shook the window curtains, was Q's energetic voice.
It seemed everyone in the classroom could hear that voice. Nobody could move or speak for quite some time, but Q's mother walked from her corner of the classroom to the teacher and he handed her the diploma. With words of "Congratulations" from everyone to Q-kun, time returned to normal again like coming to our senses after a dream.
Despite that everyone experienced this miraculous incident first-hand, nobody would ever speak of it. When us classmates, who were lost in grief until then, settled our final burden, we put on cheerfully smiling faces and put behind us the classroom that had shown us favour for three years.
Of course, with that loneliness, I too wondered how I could begin a fresh life afterward, filled with hope.
"Thank you, Q-kun. And, goodbye..."
He had been a member of the soccer club, and even after he seceded, he went out on the sport grounds every day after school to coach the junior players. But when he was doing pass practicing, the ball took an unexpected trajectory and flew out of the school gate. He chased after it, and in an unlucky occurrence found when he got there that the ball had bounced amongst the cars.
There was a harsh collision sound, and all of us who were nearby hurriedly ran over to see. He was there on a cushion of white, thinly piled up snow, his lying-down form embracing the ball. He looked just like he was sleeping, but from what we heard afterward, it seemed the sorry circumstance was that he had died instantly when hit.
He had been everyone's favourite person, and of course everyone in the class mourned his death. Even the junior players and the teachers were pretty shocked and after a little while couldn't hide their grief. But one week later the mood seemed like nobody would touch upon that subject. I too was being dragged down by sorrow in the depths of my heart, but I tried to put on a smile as much as possible.
On the appointed day of the graduation ceremony, the blue sky seemed to discolour after the morning, and droplets that streamed from what little snow still remained were glittering, basking in the light of the sun. Us graduates were soaking up the refreshing atmosphere and overflowing with emotion, and as our names were called by the school principal, we shouted back to him with all our might. However, as we received our diplomas and came down from the stage, I saw Q's mother in a chair where all the parents and older siblings were sitting. At that time the grief, that until now was like nothing, gushed forth within me, and I was desperate to endure against my tears. Q's mother was embracing her boyfriend, who was smiling, but she held a handkerchief to her eyes and her shoulders were shaking.
After the graduation ceremony closed and everybody returned to their respective classes, it seemed that everybody had the same feelings; the girls were crying, and the boys were just hanging their heads in silence. But there, Q's mother was entering the classroom with our homeroom teacher, and even the girls' sobbing voices were running out. A stillness hung in the air like water out of place, and the teacher quietly began speaking.
"Everybody, congratulations on your graduation. And now, would you all like to have a graduation ceremony again here for Q's sake...?"
Everyone silently nodded at those words from the teacher, and handed back the diplomas that they had received not too long ago. The graduation ceremony for only this class had begun. The teacher was calling out each name, and handing diplomas to everyone respectively, accompanied by brief comments. As though it may have been a sign, the kids he handed diplomas to were sobbing, but surprisingly, the boy with dyed brown hair who was known as the class clown was the first whose face crumpled and started crying.
When the diplomas were handed out to everyone and we all sat down,
"We expected that Q, surely...would graduate too, with everyone... therefore, instead of Q, his mother has come, to join us today..."
Everyone started crying again all at once in response to the disconnected words from the teacher while he choked back tears. But in the next moment everyone stopped breathing, and it was just like time itself stopped. When the teacher called out Q's name, we could hear a resounding answer inside the classroom. That voice which was so loud, so powerful, that it shook the window curtains, was Q's energetic voice.
It seemed everyone in the classroom could hear that voice. Nobody could move or speak for quite some time, but Q's mother walked from her corner of the classroom to the teacher and he handed her the diploma. With words of "Congratulations" from everyone to Q-kun, time returned to normal again like coming to our senses after a dream.
Despite that everyone experienced this miraculous incident first-hand, nobody would ever speak of it. When us classmates, who were lost in grief until then, settled our final burden, we put on cheerfully smiling faces and put behind us the classroom that had shown us favour for three years.
Of course, with that loneliness, I too wondered how I could begin a fresh life afterward, filled with hope.
"Thank you, Q-kun. And, goodbye..."