I took advantage of my Mom's habit of waking up late to leave early in the morning for a long walk to the forest, leaving a note to not worry her.

For a change of the city, this town was very oxygenated, something I had missed a lot from home. 

The streets were quiet ; I would cross path with only a few residents and we would exchange a respectful head up or a "Good morning".

It was getting more deserted as I was getting closer to the woods ; the soft souffle was playing with my put on hood completely shredded by my branches ; the music I had chosen was perfect for the setting of this peaceful neighborhood. 

I thought, in this moment, that if death wanted me I would accept it, for there were nowhere else on earth that would comfort me as such.

My used shoes followed the dirt road leading to a darker light under the branches, where leaves hid the levitating clouds.

Strangely enough, it was as if this wooden bench had been waiting for me. Sat on it, the nape of my bark stretched to watch the green sky. 

This place was telling me "It's okay".

 

The wind was whispering "I will always be there." 

The soil was echoing the inaudible words of the trees. It's okay, here I was okay. Here, the empty was not only within me, finally.

I lowered my gaze to the deepest of the forest thinking in my loneliness that I sometimes wished I could become part of this eerie painting.

The fact that I felt closer to the wind than real people would forever feed my bottomless solitude.

As I looked around, a person froze "Ah-" 

It was the purple man. 

I froze as well to the one who had stolen my peace. 

There was no point in staying here anymore, I left the bench, feet turning towards the entrance- 

"Wait" 

Something grasped my shoulder so I soullessly stared back. 

Isaac was looking everywhere but at me. I got out of his grip while slowly facing him. 

Once again, "Erm never-mind" I had made someone uncomfortable. 

He stepped back, a scowl forming "Erm...You...When-....What..." 

I kept silent, not preventing Isaac from burying himself even deeper. 

"What...." His shoulders dropped with an annoyed sigh. "What are you listenin' to ?"

"Hi"

A carved crook smile "Hi...?"

"The song" 

Hands in pockets he lightly leaned back "Coool" Surely having no idea of what was cool about that.

"___"

I couldn't help my gaze from being completely void of emotions, which was not the first time. As always, I became over-conscious of it. 

Tensing up, Isaac's eyes staggered to the left "Erm..."

"Is it about me seeing you guys ?" My voice came out hoarser than intended.

Once the lifeline was thrown, Isaac began letting it all out.

"Yeahhh, man I was scared I got the wrong person and you were acting like I did get the wrong person but you were just, standing there, dude this shit was mad awkward" He exhaled loudly "I mean why didn't you say anything until now ?" 

To my silence he cleared his throat and continued, "So yeah, 'bout last night erm, I've never seen you before. I guess there won't be any problem but just avoid oversharing stuff, it's a small town y'know, rumors go fast and this kind of thing...I don't a misunderstanding to fuck everything up. So yeah if you could keep quiet, like even to your family or friends- I'm not saying you can't trust them but yeah y'know sometimes people don't think before talking and they can't keep shit to themselves- A-anyways yeah that's...pretty much..." His head tilted like a dog "it ?"

"I won't say anything" It was really not my type to do so. This virtue was thanks to mom. She wasn't perfect, because no one is, but she was a good person at heart.

The frow relaxed a bit "Thanks man" Isaac threw a thumb up. "So...You're new ?"

"Visiting my Mom" 

"Cool, your mom lives near here ? I don't see who you're talking 'bout"

that was probably because I didn't look like her at all.

 "Our house is the closest to the wood, well- we literally live in it, so I should know"

I shrugged.

"Ermm....Well have a nice time here" He tapped my shoulder then headed further behind the trees while I headed to the opposite way.

-

When I came home, Mom was taking her breakfast. 

She wasn't in any hurry for she had took vacations to enjoy my presence, thus, since it had been a while, I bent to her will and we spent a lot of time together everyday. 

I would always wake up before her to enjoy the fresh air of the nature then we would take our breakfast near 12 pm as talking about all and nothing, which was a bit tiring.

If we were hungry enough for Lunch, Mom would make something or we would go to one of the two restaurants in town. 

We would take some walks from time to time, watch movies on the couch at night ; look at countless old pictures dating from when her passion for film photography was still there ; bake cookies together ; do gardening ; play board games ; do the groceries.

To resume, we were back to the peace that once was when I was a kid, and this time Mom was not taken by her long work shifts.

After a day out of town to see an exhibition of a beautiful garden full of uncommon plants and bush statues, I was worn out, so the second I finished my plate I told Mom I would head upstairs.

She said "Already tired of your Mom ?"

I shook my head negatively accompanied by a smile, but maybe due to the tiredness my attitude turned heartless, heartless as she used to describe me as. 

My heartlessness probably ruffled her feather the wrong way for she suddenly let out a "Are you mad ?"

I said I wasn't, ready to avoid this conversation and climb the stairs.

Knowing that I was leaving in two days, I hoped I would escape the bitter and only remember the sweet ; I didn't know the hopes would leave today.

As always, our relationship was bittersweet.

Mom made this expression I could never describe as in my eyes it made no sense "Stop shutting yourself away all the time"

I refuted her assumption, unable to keep my nice composure.

"Why are you mad ? "

I said I wasn't mad.

"Why do you react like that, do I annoy you that much ?"

Assumptions, assumptions, assumptions. The empty in me was boiling. 

Mom and I were opposites, we didn't understand each other which is why the more she talked the more her words couldn't reach my ears that heard an unknow language.

No matter how hard I tried I genuinely had no clue of what she was saying. It was scary, as if I was becoming senile. 

If it hadn't happened before I probably would have started shaking and questioning if I was dreaming, but I had already overcome this broken side of me and simply, with a forced quiet smile, I suggested this was a misunderstanding. 

"I'm tired so I will go to bed, good night"

As my consciousness was vanishing, it still caught Mom's muttered cries.