Chapter Eleven: Yoko:

I blinked. “What are you doing here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” she asked. I looked at the cemetery behind her.

“I guess… How long has it been?” I asked. Yoko counted up in her head.

“About… Five years? Or six?” she suggested. My face kind of dropped. Oh. More memories about Yoko started to come back. Honestly, it felt awkward to see her again. I might as well have been staring at a ghost.

“What?” Yoko asked. I backed up and shook my head.

“Nothing. It’s just…” I said. She raised her eyebrow.

“Just?” she asked. My eyes shifted over to the gate. I pressed my lips together for a second.

“I thought you died. Four years ago,” I said, almost to myself. I looked over to see Yoko frowning at me.

“Your jokes aren’t funny anymore,” she said in a serious tone.

“That wasn’t a joke,” I said. Yoko narrowed her eyes as if she were studying a new species. I felt like I needed to say something. That was one thing about her. She always thought I was funny or joking. Don’t ask me why. I wasn’t trying to be funny. She was the one who introduced me to Yoko. I don’t remember what I said, but Yoko ended up laughing at me.

“I don’t think I’m that funny,” I said. She laughed and patted me on the shoulder.

“You made me laugh,” Yoko said in a whisper. It’s been that way ever since. I don’t get it to this day.

“How is your mom doing?” I asked.

“She hasn’t changed,” she said, her eyes shifting away from me. “She barely leaves the house anymore.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. We stood there awkwardly. That part of our dynamic hadn’t changed either. It was much easier to talk when it was just the three of us together. She did most of the talking and helped make things so much easier. I don’t know how she did it.

“What have you been doing these days?” Yoko asked. I shrugged.

“Not much,” I said. “I work down at the volunteer center in the city and I live with my fiancée and her family.” Yoko’s lips turned up into that smile I remembered from high school.

“What?” I asked. I predicted what was coming next as I held up a finger.

“Don’t you dare!” I blurted out. Yoko tried her best to hold back her laughter. Her cheeks puffed up as laughing snorts escaped from her nose and mouth. I sighed and rubbed my forehead. I should’ve known that she was going to do this. I threw up my hands in the air. It didn’t take like for Yoko to erupt with laughter. I smacked myself in the forehead.

Just like in the old days. Damn it!

Yoko laughed for about three minutes before she calmed down and took a breath. Her face looked so red.

“That’s a good one!” she said at last. I frowned and shook my head.

“I wasn’t joking,” I said.

“Oh,” Yoko said. Always the same response when she realized that I wasn’t joking. We stood there awkwardly.

“So… what have you been up to?” I asked.

“Just came from visiting Hajime’s grave,” she said.

“Oh… How long has it been?”

“Ten years.”

“That long? I’m sorry for your loss.”

She pressed her lips together and nodded. I could’ve sworn that she looked away to cry for a second before she turned back to me.

“Is this the first time you are visiting their graves?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. I held the flowers by my side. Yoko lifted her chin as she cleared her throat.

“Well… I’ll leave you to it, I suppose,” she said. I nodded.

“Yeah,” I said.

“See you around?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said again. I bowed my head and walked past her to the cemetery gates. I wasn’t sure why, but I kept feeling her eyes on my back.

Once I walked through, I turned and looked over my shoulder.

How did she disappear that quickly?