Willow found herself on the aged park bench she used to look at from their apartment window. It had always seemed so lonely and tender like it had lost something and didn’t know where to look for it. Now, she understood that feeling. The feeling of knowing you’d lost something, knowing it could still be there, but not knowing where to look for it.
She watched the group of crows mill around the concrete next to the fountain. She gazed at their glossy black feathers and saw Cade’s hair in her mind’s eye. His hair had always smelled like the Neah Bay, where his people upheld their reservation. She remembered burying her face in his long hair after he died, remembered how the smell of pine and salt was still strong even through the odor of the hospital.
Willow’s memories were shattered by an innocent voice asking, “Is this seat taken?” She lethargically replied that it wasn’t and wiped away the tears that had blurred her vision.
“What’s your name?” the stranger asked of her. Willow turned just enough to glimpse the unfamiliar person’s profile, realizing that it was only a child, she patiently supplied her name.
They both sat in silence watching the crows peck at each other. Willow tried to suppress her tears but a few continued to flow pass the rims of her eyes.
“You shouldn’t cry for him,” the girl said. Willow turned to look at her. She couldn’t have been more than twelve. She had brown hair and extremely bright yellow eyes.
“How do you know who I’m crying for?”
Ignoring her comment the girl carried on, “My name’s Arella by the way, I live in the apartments across the way with my parents.” She pointed a long finger towards an apartment building on the opposite side of the courtyard from Willow’s. “Mom told me what happened to Cade. She said you two had only been married three months.”
Willow fumbled with her gold wedding band as the girl continued, “Did you know that most cultures have deep beliefs in crows.”
“No, I wasn’t aware of that,” Willow stated.
“Yeah, most people aren’t, but crows always signify something:
One Crow Sorrow
She watched the group of crows mill around the concrete next to the fountain. She gazed at their glossy black feathers and saw Cade’s hair in her mind’s eye. His hair had always smelled like the Neah Bay, where his people upheld their reservation. She remembered burying her face in his long hair after he died, remembered how the smell of pine and salt was still strong even through the odor of the hospital.
Willow’s memories were shattered by an innocent voice asking, “Is this seat taken?” She lethargically replied that it wasn’t and wiped away the tears that had blurred her vision.
“What’s your name?” the stranger asked of her. Willow turned just enough to glimpse the unfamiliar person’s profile, realizing that it was only a child, she patiently supplied her name.
They both sat in silence watching the crows peck at each other. Willow tried to suppress her tears but a few continued to flow pass the rims of her eyes.
“You shouldn’t cry for him,” the girl said. Willow turned to look at her. She couldn’t have been more than twelve. She had brown hair and extremely bright yellow eyes.
“How do you know who I’m crying for?”
Ignoring her comment the girl carried on, “My name’s Arella by the way, I live in the apartments across the way with my parents.” She pointed a long finger towards an apartment building on the opposite side of the courtyard from Willow’s. “Mom told me what happened to Cade. She said you two had only been married three months.”
Willow fumbled with her gold wedding band as the girl continued, “Did you know that most cultures have deep beliefs in crows.”
“No, I wasn’t aware of that,” Willow stated.
“Yeah, most people aren’t, but crows always signify something:
One Crow Sorrow
Two Crows Joy
Three Crows a Wedding
Four Crows a Boy
Five Crows Silver
Six Crows Gold
Seven Crows a Secret
Never to be told.”
Arella recited the poem and glanced at Willow. “How many crows do you see by the fountain?”
“Seven,” Willow replied.
“Do you see any anywhere else?” Willow glanced around and noticed one lone crow on top of the fountain. She pointed him out to Arella. “Do you know why one crow stands for sorrow,” not waiting for an answer she continued. “Because when you die one crow carries your soul to heaven.”
After a few more minutes of silence, during which Willow continued to sob to herself, Arella said, “I should go home now, but don’t cry over Cade. I’m sure he’s all right now.”
The girl got up from the bench and walked past the crows. Halfway across the street to her apartment building Arella turned around and said, “By the way, he loves you Willow.”
She watched, in disbelief, the girl’s retreating back. She didn’t understand the transaction that had just passed; but then again, Willow didn’t understand much these days.
The next day, Willow was on her way home from work, when she decided to visit Arella and meet her parents, she walked across the courtyard to Arella’s apartment building. She ambled up the steps and looked at the buzzers next to the door, and noticed that there were no names beside them. She glanced through the thin windows on either side of the door and saw paint buckets along the side of the walls and stairs that looked like they were in the process of being recovered with carpet. Willow backed up and saw a sign on the door that stated, “East Olympia Apartments closed for renovation.”
Dazed, Willow retreated back through the courtyard, heading towards her own apartment building. Suddenly a rustling noise caught her attention. She turned to the fountain and saw a crow. Its feathers were glossy and its eyes were a tremendously bright yellow. Willow had never held true to superstitious believes, but as the crow followed her through the courtyard, and watched her as she walked through her door; Willow realized that some things are secrets, never meant to be told.
Arella recited the poem and glanced at Willow. “How many crows do you see by the fountain?”
“Seven,” Willow replied.
“Do you see any anywhere else?” Willow glanced around and noticed one lone crow on top of the fountain. She pointed him out to Arella. “Do you know why one crow stands for sorrow,” not waiting for an answer she continued. “Because when you die one crow carries your soul to heaven.”
After a few more minutes of silence, during which Willow continued to sob to herself, Arella said, “I should go home now, but don’t cry over Cade. I’m sure he’s all right now.”
The girl got up from the bench and walked past the crows. Halfway across the street to her apartment building Arella turned around and said, “By the way, he loves you Willow.”
She watched, in disbelief, the girl’s retreating back. She didn’t understand the transaction that had just passed; but then again, Willow didn’t understand much these days.
The next day, Willow was on her way home from work, when she decided to visit Arella and meet her parents, she walked across the courtyard to Arella’s apartment building. She ambled up the steps and looked at the buzzers next to the door, and noticed that there were no names beside them. She glanced through the thin windows on either side of the door and saw paint buckets along the side of the walls and stairs that looked like they were in the process of being recovered with carpet. Willow backed up and saw a sign on the door that stated, “East Olympia Apartments closed for renovation.”
Dazed, Willow retreated back through the courtyard, heading towards her own apartment building. Suddenly a rustling noise caught her attention. She turned to the fountain and saw a crow. Its feathers were glossy and its eyes were a tremendously bright yellow. Willow had never held true to superstitious believes, but as the crow followed her through the courtyard, and watched her as she walked through her door; Willow realized that some things are secrets, never meant to be told.
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