HE SAW ME?

Life is short but still full of wonders. Too bad I just realised that now. Now that I am no more. Ever since I have died, my spirit has been roaming around. Funny to say but I have visited up to 100 countries. What I couldn't do when I was alive. Being a ghost is not quite bad but being a lonely one is terrible. For a 15-year-old ghost, I wonder why I haven't been reborn yet. Further, I wonder why my family hasn't come to pay me respect. Is it that they are dead or have they just forgotten about me? Or they are lazy to come here?.

Sitting on my grave is far more than being lonely. It is exasperating and thwarting. It is annoying waiting for someone to come and pay my soul respect but still alas no one came. Every year, I wait expectantly but I still get disappointed. My hopes get shattered.

"Look at our friend being all lonely again when he has handsome friends around" I turned my head to the man that spoke. My mood dampened seeing him.

"Stop teasing him already, you know he is different from us" I heard the other guy say. I pouted my lips watching them fight sillily.

"Will you two just stop it? I am sad here" I sulked. They stopped. 

After I died I found myself in this cemetery and met three friends. Arthur, Dan and Earth. Out of these friends, the only reasonable one was Earth, my namesake, while the other two are pains in the ass. They are like fire and ice. Fighting and arguing here and there.

"Earth, don't be so downhearted...you have me, right? I love you" Arthur told me. I know he was teasing me but I didn't mind. I was used to him already.

"For once Arthur uttered something wisely...I agree with him Earth, you have us right but you still wait every year for your family but still get disappointed in the end" Dan said next. But probably his words hurt Arthur that the man suddenly receded from sight. I could not help laughing. What will I do without these friends of mine?. Just like me, their families didn't pay their souls respect. They have been here for almost 30 years.

"Namesake, those two lovebirds are going to drive us crazy one day" Earth whispered in my ear and I nodded at his words.

"I've no taste in playing hide and seek with those two," I told him when I saw Dan, moreover, disappear. No doubt to search for his man. Earth tittered and rubbed my thick black curly hair. I flinched from his touch.

"You are becoming cute lately...I love it" He said making my cheeks red. I lowered my head to hide the burning and bit on my cheeks. Why was he always saying endearments to me and repeatedly caressing my hair? Is he flirting with me? But I am a guy and he is too.

Earth focus ok. He is just fond of you.

..............

A year passed swiftly once again.

Like every year, I waited near my grave. Maybe someone will come. My eyes flew to other graves and saw them decorated by their families. I will wait for my turn. My eyes glowed when I saw a young boy walking in my direction. Immediately, I sat upright and smiled.

Someone came for me.

I leapt towards the boy to touch him but my hand didn't touch him, instead, it went right through him. I blinked repeatedly and sighed. My heart dropped when the boy bypassed my grave. Maybe because my grave was tattered, so he couldn't recognise it. I disappeared and appeared in front of the boy. Mysteriously he stopped. 

"You are going the wrong way...do you hear? That's my grave there...are you hearing me?" I restlessly explained to him. The boy turned around and stared at my grave. Soon I smiled thinking he understood me but my smile relinquished again when he tramped inside my body and left

My heart juddered dreadfully when I realised where he was heading to. The new grave of last year that had a huge sacrament. He must be that young boy I saw with a girl. 

So he isn't my family.

I sighed and depressingly retired back to my grave. I looked at the sky and frowned.

Should I give up now? I can't keep getting my hopes up. It's been 16 years now but still no one. I lowered my head to the turf and gritted my teeth.

"Hey what's with that grave?" 

"It looks desolated"

I raised my head at the voice. I tilted my head when I saw the previous boy surrounded by four other kids.

"Maybe because his family doesn't come to visit him" I heard the boy say and unknowingly, I nodded my head.

"I am weary of this place, the guards are waiting for us" I heard a girl say and coincidentally, it is the same girl from that ceremony. I saw them staring at my grave...I also stared at the dirtied tomb and sighed. Who wouldn't feel sorry for the poor grave?.

Just when I sat back on my usual spot, I felt something atypical, like someone was looking at me or inspecting me. I turned in the direction and met eyes with an emerald one. Those two set of deep emerald green eyes was staring at me. Weird. Can he see me?. I frowned.

Testing the waters, I asked "You see me?" but the minute I asked, the boy looked away and left.

That's eerie.

Why did it feel like he saw me?.

.............................

I went to my friends and explained to them what happened but as always, they didn't believe me.

"I swear, he was staring right at me" I was still trying to convince them.

"Oh come on Earth, no humans can see ghosts...have you forgotten you are a ghost?" Arthur muttered while eating the fruit he stole from a grave.

"You are not my friends at all...at least you can pretend you believed me or something" I pouted.

Earth wanted to say something but I derided at them and vanished.