If I can have one wish

If I Could have One Wish
Elliot / Pearla

Away from the active and bustling plaza of Kalmari Town, holds something special for many of its local residents. They have come to know said area as a place of wishes. A small grove of bamboo, where time and time again, visitors write their wishes down on a piece of paper before tying it to one of its leaves. It has been a routine for most of the town, and no one knows that better than its gatekeeper, Elliot.

Elliot, a young Squid who moved to Kalmari at quite a young age, has been its keeper for several years once he planted them. In the beginning, many would notice him tying pieces of paper, and inquire him about it. They’ve soon come to learn of the story of the wishing bamboo. And how if someone ties their wish on one of its branches, there could be a possibility it may come true.

What was once something only Elliot did, now became a small hot spot for many locals, and on rare occasions, outsiders. By the end of each week, the grove of bamboo would be covered completely with strands of colorful paper. Elliot would take it upon himself to gather the pieces of parchment at the end of each week. He’d gently place each wish in a hand woven basket before taking them home and properly discarding them. Depending how many wishes there were, the process may take several hours to fully clear the grove. But Elliot doesn’t mind- it’s something he’s gotten used to in his weekly routine, and always looks forward to it.

——--

Elliot gives a breath of contentment after placing the last piece of paper into his basket. He sets down his scissors and takes a moment to stretch after spending 2 hours trimming the line of bamboo. The stars are already starting to appear in the sky, which tells Elliot he needs to head back within the hour before it gets too dark for him to navigate his way back home. Before he leaves, however, he has one last stop to visit.

The squid leaves all his belongings behind before heading much further into the thickets behind the line of bamboo. It’s a special place no one but him visits, and he's been visiting said place for years after realizing the residents of Kalmari use his bamboo for their own wishes. Like mentioned before, he doesn’t mind. But the truth is, he has his own reasons for growing the bamboo. And now that everyone uses it, he has no room for his own….

Elliot glances down at a piece of paper clutched in his hand. It was something personal. Something he didn’t want to share with others. And because of it, he had to grown another grove where no one would be able to utilize it. Over the years, the bamboo he planted began to grow into a forest of its own. And ever since, Elliot would visit this place once or even twice a day, and tie the same wish on their stalks. Once he ties the wish on, it stays- never to be removed until his wish comes true.

The forest has become a sea of colorful paper. Thousands of strands, it was truly a sight to behold. It makes Elliot happy each time he sees it before he adds another strand in hopes one day his wish would finally come true. And today would be no different. While everyone in Kalmari has the grove to rely on, he has his very own forest. He gives a prideful smile, proud of what he’s done- even if no one but him knows. He prefers to keep it that way.

As he makes his way into the clearing, something immediately catches his attention. Usually he’d easily be able to hear the sound of paper fluttering in the wind, but….

All is silent.

He finally looks at his surroundings and his heart begins to feel heavy. His papers, all of them- thousands of wishes that dangled like wind chimes were gone. No traces of paper, nor string.

No, no no.

What happened?! Where’d they all go?! !

He inspects several of the bamboo and doesn’t see any trace of damage to them. Surly a Demon Beast couldn’t cause it- someone had to intentionally take time to cut each and every one of them. But why? For what reason? He had well over a thousand of individual pieces of paper, and yet they’ve been removed in less than 24 hours.

Tears begin to well up in his eyes- years and years of routine and hope. . .

Crushed.

He had made this place specifically for him. He gave the entire town their own place to wish. A place where he tends and takes care of week after week, so why couldn’t they just leave him alone and let him have this one place to himself?

His grip begins to feel weak, and the lone paper in his hand falls to the floor. He stands in silence for awhile to take in the reality setting in. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he doesn’t speak a word and decides to head back home. Elliot takes less than several steps before something catches his eye.

He spots someone further into the thicket. He can’t make out who it is exactly, but knows it’s a Squid like him. Slowly, they reach out to grab something tied to the bamboo- one of Elliot’s wishes, he can conclude, before freeing it from its hold. And this strikes a nerve with him. Someone found out about his secret spot and wants to claim it as their own. How disrespectful, how dare this Squid remove years of hard work, how DARE them think it was okay to do such a thing!!

With no regards to his safety, Elliot charges forward to see who was responsible for it. He doesn’t care what happens, all he wants is to land a few good punches at the one who ruined his hopes and dreams. As he makes his way closer to the figure, his voice roars out with a mixture of pain and fury.

“GET OUT OF MY FOREST!!! GET OUT OR I’LL—“

And Elliot freezes in his spot.

In the center of the forest, she looks at the note in her hand. She does not look his way at first, only fondly smiling at the piece of parchment. She then holds it out, and looks up as it begins to fade into the night sky. Finally, she looks his way.

“You did all of this...for me?” Her voice is just like he remembered.

His wish….

It’s… finally come true.

Elliot begins to move without realizing- blinded by confusion, shock, waves of emotions crashing against him with little time to process. This doesn’t feel real, this doesn’t seem true. Is he dreaming? Is this actually happening?

Whether it’s real or not, Elliot does the first thing he’s been wanting to do ever since he wrote his first wish years ago. He reaches out, holds out his arms, and hugs her.

He feels like a child again. A child who just wanted to see his mother once more. To show her he cares, to show her he never stopped thinking about her since the day she left, to show her how important she is to him.

“I miss you, Mom.” He manages to get out. His chest burning, and his head feeling very light with each word he speaks. “I miss you so much.”

Elliot has so many things to tell her. His mind is racing, what should he say? Years and years of emotion building up, he couldn’t help but sob into her arms.

“I…..” He struggles to let out. “I…..”

“I want to go home!!!” He cries out, the wall he’s built up since he lost her begins to shatter. “W-we didn’t have much, but we were together. Wasn’t that good enough? Why…why did you….”

Elliot pauses to catch his breath. He clutches on to her tighter as his world begins to narrow. He doesn’t want to let go as everything around him starts to fade. Elliot does his best to keep talking.

“I miss going to the beach and collecting shells. I miss your cooking, I miss hearing your voice. I miss our little cottage that overlooked the ocean.”

Elliot’s chest hurts. His body feels numb. But he keeps talking. He wants her to know how he feels.

"It keeps me up, and I still get nightmares from it. I feel so alone. I’m sad, I’m scared. Alba never talks about it. It’s like she doesn’t even care. But…how could she? You were our mom.”

The world blackens, and Elliot can’t seem to find the strength to stay up any longer. He lies down on the floor, as everything begins to spin.

“I...never stopped thinking about you.” He whispers as several more tears fall. “Do..you still think about me? Don’t you ever miss us?"

Like a child being tucked into bed; Eyes closed, the world fading- Elliot still manages to feel a gentle kiss being placed on his mantle.

Warm, calm, but most of all- reassuring. The simplest of gestures only a mother could pull off. He knows never to take one for granted.

And Elliot smiles.

His worries, his cares. It’s gone.

“Goodnight, Mom.”

—--

“Elliot? Elliot!!!!”

He feels someone shaking him. Her voice is frantic, and she’s calling out to another. He stirs, and groans before opening his eyes and sitting up.

“Alba? W…what are you-“

“Looking for you, you idiot!” Tears are in her eyes. “We thought you were hurt! Everyone’s been looking for you! Do you know how worried I was?”

“I….I’m sorry.” Was the only think he can say.

“Well, you better be. And you better apologize to Bate and Gordon too. They’ve been searching the outskirts for hours.” She holds out her arm, and he takes it.

“Yeah…sure.” He replies.

As she begins to dust him off, she notices something next to his foot. Elliot doesn’t have time to realize what she’s going before she overlooks the parchment. A frown visible on her face.

“Is…that why you came here?” She hold up the lone paper with the wish to see their mother again written on it.

Memories of earlier being to flood back, and Elliot quickly turns around to scan his surroundings. The forest of bamboo they were in- not a trace of paper in site. All of his wishes, gone.

He briefly shakes his head. Was it just all a dream? That doesn’t explain all his wishes disappearing. Maybe….maybe just…

“Hm…” He slowly nods, eyes focusing on the floor. “She's…been on my mind. A lot…lately...”

Alba’s hardened features begin to soften, and she looks at the paper in her hand. “I see….” She says.

“Do…you ever think about her?” He hesitates for a moment, knowing Alba doesn’t particularly like engaging in such a subject.

“I….” Alba pauses. “I…..”

She focuses on the piece of paper again. “Sometimes….”

“That’s just a nice way of saying no…” Elliot slightly turns away, slightly angered. “Then again, why am I not surprised…"

And Alba is slightly taken aback from his reply. “Elliot-“

“Well it’s true!” He doesn’t give her time to respond. “You always tell me never to talk about her! You tell me you hate her anytime I bring her up! I can’t ever talk to you about her, Alba. So don’t even try to lecture me about Mom when you want nothing to do with her.”

The forest goes quiet, said for Elliot’s ragged breaths. Alba is shocked at first, but closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She opens them after, and takes a step forwards. Elliot backs up, and Alba stops.

“You’re right.” She says. “She left us, and I hate her for it. We lost everything that day because of her.”

Elliot stiffens at her reply.

“But….that’s no reason for me to act the way I do every time you want to talk about her. I’m your older sister, and…I guess I haven’t been acting like one. It’s been so very hard for us after her passing, especially for you.” She takes another breath and slowly reaches out to caress his mantle. “And I’m sorry if I’ve taken my frustration out on you anytime you bring her up. I know how much you love her.”

“She loves both of us…” He says. Alba flinches back, and withdraws her hand to her chest.

“Maybe your words will ring the truth for me one day….” She softly says. “I could only hope.”

“I hope so too.” He steps towards her and embraces the elder squid. “Thank you, Alba.”

“Of course….” She smiles before pulling away. “C’mon, let’s head home. We gotta let the others know before they start turning over buildings.”

“Hm.” He nods.

“Ah-“ Alba stops, and turns around with Elliot’s wish still in her hand. “Before we leave. Do…you want to tie your wish on one of the stalks?”

She gently hands it back to him, and Elliot stares at the parchment for a brief moment. He instinctively reaches up to his mantle where his mother kissed him- a faint blush on his cheeks appear. Only his mother would be able to make him feel better during times like these. But…

There’s another, now. He looks up at Alba patiently waiting. He still has family- his older sister.

Just maybe, he’ll be okay.

“It’s fine, Alba.” He shakes his head. "I..think I’ll be okay, now. Thanks.”

Alba smiles back, and the pair leave the bamboo forest. The last and final wish falls to the floor.

Yes.

He’ll be okay.

-The End-

Artist Comment:

October 17, 2023

-----------------

So. I have a lot to discuss. Reasons why I wrote this, and personal reasons as well.

Let’s start off with something important about Elliot. I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ll say it again. He loves his mother to bits. He’s a momma’s boy who adores Pearla, and would do anything to make her smile. He lost her quite young, and its has always haunted him since that day. Not being able to talk to anyone about it- his grandparents couldn’t stand Pearla, and Alba harbored much resentment for what she’s done. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, their entire backstory is here.)

That being said, Elliot and I share similar traits. One being how very close I am to my mother. I love my mother with all my heart, and I’d do anything for her. She is not only my mother, but my best friend as well. I look up to her, and I strive one day to be as strong as her. She is my pillar, and my rock. And without her, I honestly don’t know where I’d end up.

So…something recently happened last week where I almost lost her. She was stuck by a speeding car who ran a red light. And it really made me think about a lot of things. How scared and terrified I was to almost lose her in such a way. It was so sudden, the day was so normal prior to it. I was drawing, enjoying my time with some friends, and then I get notified of the incident. And my world was on the brink of shattering. Rushing to the hospital, painstakingly waiting to enter the ward. So many unanswered questions, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see her again. And I felt so helpless- like a child. A child who just wanted to see her mom and tell her that her daughter loves her so very much. It’s not a way I wanted to part ways with her. Not in a hospital, not where I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye. Not where she’s all alone without her children and family nearby.

It was a VERY difficult night for not only me, but my family as well. Many people came to visit. Family friends, co-workers. Having a close community has helped. To have such support. To know you are this loved by everyone. My mom is an amazing person, and I’m not the only one who thinks that.

She is recovering now. Sustained many injuries, and memory issues, but she’ll be okay in time. I’m taking care of her. My sister and I. Taking shifts, late nights. I took off work for the rest of the month to care for her. Everyone has been super kind. I found comfort in family, and in my own little network of friends. Some who live in different timezones, who have made me feel so much better about everything. Everyone needs someone to lean on, and while I help my mother get better- I know my friends will always be there to keep me afloat.

Life is crazy. Things can change in the blink of an eye. And everything important to you can disappear just like that.

So with that, I would like to leave you with this.

Please tell the ones you love how important they are to you. Hug them. Let them know they matter. Spend time with them. Because you’ll truly never know when they’ll depart this world.