Kyoto's Light

I am Toy. I live in a city called Kyoto in the country of Japan. That is all I know of who I am. I have a little house that I built out of the remaining debris left around after the end of the 4th nuclear war. I guess the year is 2151. I can't really remember. Today is special. It is the time when the little florist shop at the end of my home path has fresh flowers. The flowers bloom along the green patch next to the large cherry blossom tree. This is the only green patch left around Kyoto. Everything else is dark, burned, cold, and in ruins. I always go on today to buy the fresh flowers because they have a light within them that I seem to have lost within myself. I gather my satchel and my handmade spear and began down the path to the florist shop. The shop is visible from my home, but the journey is always difficult. I must pass by the last place my mind remembers of Kyoto before the war. It is the only place where my sorrow, love, happiness, and life seem to flicker with fogged memories of my identity. It is the only cherry blossom tree that flourishes, and right next to it is the flower shop. As I am walking down the path, I can't help but feel a tug at my emotions as I get closer to the tree. I cannot remember how many times I pass it on this special day, but this time and this moment, sends a rush of calmness and a feeling of dread all at the same time. I longed for the scent of the blossoms to enter my nose, but my senses just can't smell them. I want to run right up to the tree and just stare at its magnificent beauty and touch the branches. It was so alive, and I was so dead in the inside. I decided that I will give in to my emotions and just walk up to the tree before I go to the little flower shop. I could no longer fight it. I was only a few steps away when I felt the heat. It was like a burning inferno within my bones, searing and incinerating my soul. I collapse at the base of the tree's trunk and as I roll over on my back screaming in agony, through half dead eyes I see the brightest orange light. It illuminated the pale pink flowers of the tree turning them a peachy tone. It was the most breathtaking glow of life and warmth. I closed my eyes and let go.

I am now floating in darkness. I have no perception, no understanding, or substance. I float for and endless amount of time until the darkness starts to clear away to what looks like an aerial view of Kyoto. But this time, the city is thriving. I float around gliding and soaring through fields of glorious Japanese gardens, shops, and vibrant homes with happy families. I can see the life of Kyoto for miles, and it is amazing! Except, I just don't understand how or why. I soar above a lovely little cluster of shops that gives me a sense of some familiarity. I decide to try to center myself above a little cottage that seemed to intrigue me. The task of lowering myself to the ground was a bit horrendous as I seem to be light as a feather and would flow out of control with the slightest breeze. Once I mastered grounding myself, I am gliding down the little paved road and up to the cottage. A little girl was in the front yard with her dad and they both were lying under a massive cherry blossom tree coloring. I called out to them a few times, but they never even looked my way. I realized that they couldn't see or hear me. But something told me that they felt me. As, I glided up to them they both stopped their intense concentration of coloring and looked around. They looked at each other and smiled. Suddenly, the little girl asked, "Papa, can we go and buy some flowers? I think today is the day we should buy some." Her Papa smiled and nodded. He then knew himself that today was the day. I curiously decided to follow them as this moment seemed so... familiar. It was almost as if I was living through this little girl. I glided behind them as they walked down the little paved road to the flower shop. "THE FLOWER SHOP," I thought. Then I remembered. This was my home. This was my life. The cherry blossom tree rustled its branches as if to confirm my thoughts. It was a slight rustle only small enough to be understood that it was caused by the breeze. But I knew it was confirming my thoughts. As we made it the little flower shop, the little girl asked the florist for a bouquet of sakura. "Now why would you ask for sakura if you already have them in the garden?" her papa asked. She giggled and said, "Papa we can't touch those. They are a part of Toy." Her papa stared at her contently, shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. "Ok." he said. "We definitely don't want to touch them then." The florist handed the little girl her bouquet and as she started to skip away, the florist asked the little girl what she meant by the sakura in her garden being a part of Toy. The little girl turned to her and said, "My grandma told me that Toy was a woman that survived the 4th war. She had a special gift. When all of Kyoto was destroyed by the war, nothing was able to grow. Kyoto was a wasteland just like the rest of the world. Toy wasn't the only survivor, but she was the only one left in Kyoto. Toy wandered around for a while surviving off of whatever she could eat or drink. One day she found a spot of green grass and a beautiful cherry blossom tree. It was just standing out among the ruins. The tree was slowly dying and Toy felt that this was the last place she will be as she was slowly dying as well. She made a little house not to far from the tree and over time it started to bloom. She never really went near it but she always felt connected to it. As time went on flowers began to bloom in the patch of grass and around the tree. The more Toy began to wither away the more the tree grew and bloomed. At some point, life began to flourish again as people started to slowly come back to Kyoto. First came the man who opened the florist shop. He said that the flowers around the tree were special. He would always trade with Toy a few items of need for a bouquet of flowers that Toy would take back to her home. He said that it gave her a sense of life. One day, on the special day like today, Toy never made it to the flower shop. Grandma said that the man who ran the shop found ashes at the base of the cherry blossom tree, and he never saw Toy again. But after that, everything started growing. More people started coming back to Kyoto because it was said that you could smell the cherry blossoms blooming and that is where life started over again. So, my great, great, great, grandma and grandpa decided to build their home around the cherry blossom tree and make sure that no one ever cuts it down or move it as it is what brings life to Kyoto. My grandma said that when a world is in a dark place, it chooses someone special to bring back the life that once was. To embrace something new. She said that Toy was chosen to be the one to bring life back. She was dying because her life in the old world was gone. She used her divine energy to bring life back to what was unknown to her after the war. She had a spiritual connection to sakura and that is why we do not touch it. We let it bring us life. The florist looked at the little girl through teary eyes and said to her, "My great, great, grandfather owned this flower shop. It was passed down to me. I have never known why he named the shop Kyoto's Light and now I finally do.