Her Birds

Sis' Letters

Catharsis for them both.

She told me that the place was really nice and that she'd be coming home, when she was better or, rather, "better enough". I don't really remember how long she was there but I do know she came back after a while. Until then, she had me stay at Mako's house because I couldn't stay in her house, especially after—No, that didn't happen. Sis is just sick is all and she got real sick enough to need to go away.

She would write me letters from her "retreat". I don't think I read them all but I did take to stashing them, at first. Mako suggested that I visit the address she sent 'em from but I just couldn't. For the letters I did read, I would write her something back but I didn't have much to write. Actually, I'm no good at writing letters. I think, after a point, I started to read 'em and then I got better at writing back but I still wasn't that great at writing letters.

In one of her letters, she told me how, from her room, she spent a lot of time watching birds. Of course, she told me that she always did that but she did it more during her retreat. I read this one to Mako and Mako suggested that we get her a birdfeeder so she could watch birds. I think putting up the birdfeeder was the only time I could back to her house without her being there.

If she didn't write letters, sometimes, she called. Her voice would different than what I was used to. No, her voice was like a whisper, when I'm so used to it booming like thunder. "Someday, I'll be home with you." I remember her telling me, while, in another call, she told me how she was at that moment. She told me she was making "progress" of some kind and that, whatever the hell it was, her "progress" meant she was closer to coming home.

She's back home but I still ain't got anything to talk about. I feel like I can stay in her house, now. Most days, it's just quiet but I told her that I got her letters and that I'm sorry if I'm not good at writing them. She put her hand on mine before she smiled.

"It's alright, Ryuuko."

At times, when she's not doing anything, she's watching the birds.