天瞳

My childhood friend drowned when we were in elementary school.

On the day of his cremation, I remembered how much he loved roasted sweet potatoes, so I placed two in his coffin. Then I realized, sweet potatoes need to be cooked before you can eat them, he wouldn’t be able to eat them raw.

The people at the crematorium told me that once it went inside, the potatoes would be roasted, and my friend would be able to eat them hot.

And then…the smell of roasted sweet potatoes wafted out from the crematorium furnace.

That night, as I slept, I kept feeling someone pulling on my braid, calling me “Old Six” in my ear.

The only person who would do that was my childhood friend, but he was gone.

It must have been a dream, yes, it must have been.