Chapter 38 - The Picnic
"Why didn't you come?"
"…My brother said girls are just a hindrance and that I shouldn't come."
Opal had been so happy when her brother's friend, Claude, invited her on a picnic. But on the day of, her brother told her not to tag along. Thoroughly sulking, Opal had hidden in her favorite spot. More than the fact that she was only five years old, it was the reason that she was a girl that had made her so angry. Claude, apparently back from the picnic, had come looking for her, but even when he called her name, Opal refused to show herself. Then, she heard Claude’s disappointed voice.
"You shouldn't have listened to him. I invited you because I knew you would be fine, Opal."
"…Because it was me?"
"That's right. Because you're very brave, Opal."
"Brave…"
Those words swayed her heart considerably. But the words that followed hardened it once more.
"So stop sulking and come on down, Opal."
"No way. I'm not sulking!"
"I see…"
When Opal shouted from her favorite spot, high up in the spreading branches of a large tree, Claude replied with a sigh. A short silence fell, and then she heard the sound of footsteps. Startled, Opal quickly peeked through the branches and saw Claude walking away.
She shouldn’t have been so stubborn. It was too late for regrets. Claude had come all this way for her, and she had rejected him and driven him away. She half rose to climb down and chase after him, but then she sat back down. What if she chased him and he rejected her? Realizing just how cruel her own actions had been, Opal shivered.
The time that followed was even more painful and sad than before. She was angry at herself for being so stubborn and unable to be honest, and her mind was consumed by the fear that Claude would reject her forever. But amidst the chaos in her head, one thought grew steadily larger.
"I have to apologize."
She was the one in the wrong. So even if he ended up hating her for it, she had to at least apologize. Mustering her courage and steeling her resolve, Opal shifted her weight to climb down from the tree when she heard footsteps again. This time, they were coming closer and closer. She looked down and saw the top of Claude's head. While she stared, wide eyed, he deftly climbed up the tree.
"Opal, hold this for a second."
"…Okay."
Claude held out the basket he was carrying, and Opal took it, puzzled. It seemed it was in the way as he tried to settle onto the branch that served as his usual spot. Opal shifted her gaze from Claude and peeked inside the basket, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Claude, this is…"
"Yeah, I asked Marcia for it."
"…Are we going on another picnic?"
"Isn't this a picnic?"
Claude, who was now sitting almost right next to her due to the arrangement of the branches, reached for the basket. He took out some thinly sliced bread and cheese that Marcia, the housekeeper, had hastily prepared. The basket also held fruit and a corked bottle of fruit water.
"Here, let's eat. You haven't had lunch yet, right?"
"…Yeah."
Opal's reply was faint as she took the bread from Claude. She felt like she was about to cry, but she didn’t want to ruin their special picnic with tears. With that thought, she managed the brightest smile she could muster.
"Thank you, Claude."
"You're welcome. It's a little unbalanced and hard to eat up here, but you can handle it, right, Opal?"
"Of course!"
When she thanked him, Claude replied with a smile. That smile gave her courage.
"Claude, I'm sorry about before."
"It’s okay."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"…Why do you always forgive me so easily, Claude? Don't you ever get mad?"
Time and time again, whenever Opal did something wrong, Claude would forgive her as soon as she apologized. She found it strange.
"That's because you always apologize. When you know you've done something wrong. So, I don't get mad."
"…You’re strange, Claude."
"You think so?"
When Opal mumbled her thoughts, Claude laughed cheerfully. Seeing his gentle smile made Opal happy, and she stopped thinking about it, focusing instead on her food.