“ Mother, Yuri, I’ll be back in an hour!” Simon Kowan called, climbing into the red Fiat. The car pulled out of the Kowan’s driveway in Sacromento, California.
Yuri did not need to guess where her brother was going. He was going on a date with his beautiful girlfriend Jenni. She stared wistfully at the fading car, and wished she had Simon. People often said Yuri did not resemble her family, and they were not wrong. After all, she was an adopted child. Yuri had beautiful black hair and a slim body fit for a fifteen year old, while Simon’s handsome features and slick blonde hair resembled his father, who died years ago. Mrs. Susan Kowan, the kind widow, as most people called her, was not beautiful for a women of forty eight. But her kind face had no wrinkles and her blonde hair showed no specks of gray.
Yuri had a crush on Simon for three years now, and she loved him far more than a brother. His blue eyes could catch any girl’s heart, but Yuri knew in her own heart that she loved Simon more than anyone else in the world, even Mrs. Kowan.
Yuri spent the hour reading and waiting for Simon, as she always did. The clock ticked noisily and the sounds of Mrs. Kowan’s knitting and her chair rocking could be heard throughout the house,
Late into the night the sound of keys in the door was heard and the door creaked open. A boy Simon of age eighteen stepped in quietly as a mouse and went up to his sister, who had fallen asleep waiting for him on the couch, her book across her lap. Silently, he went up and put her head on his shoulder. The sleeping girl stirred but fell back into her slumber. Simon stroked Yuri’s head gently for a while, then kissed her cheek. The moments of silence were broken by the loud chimings of the grandfather clock, indicating midnight.
“ Yuri, I know of your feelings toward me,” Simon whispered into the night and to his sleeping sister. His voice was so soothing, like a lullaby.” I am sorry I am unable to love you back as more, but I will always love you, almost as I love Jenni. You are a beautiful and gentle girl, like the night breeze that lures me to sleep each night. I have to go for a while now. Sleep well.” Simon slowly lifted Yuri’s face up to his, then gently placed his lips over hers. It was a short kiss, but a true one. Seconds later the boy left again. Yuri opened her eyes and gazed at the empty driveway, trying to recall the kiss that she only half remembered, then fell back asleep.
The quiet dawn house of the Kowans were once again disturbed by the shrill ringing of the phone. Yuri rose from the couch and picked up the phone that rand at two o’clock. A male voice spoke.
“ Miss Kowan, this is Officer Jyo from the Sacromento Police Department. I think you’d better come down to South Street. There has been an accident with your brother.”
Then he hung up.
Yuri was still for a moment, before she threw down the receiver and screamed.” Mother!”
Two ladies, one young, and one old, arrived at South Street minutes later. Police cars were everywhere, and there was an ambulance. A small crowd was huddled around two bodies.
Yuri and Susan Kowan rushed and pushed through the crowd, where three officers were examining the two bodies. One was a stranger, whose head was heavily bandaged and stains of blood were visible through the bandage.
The other was Simon. The boy’s head was bleeding heavily and blood stained his body, where cuts amd bruises were located. Two more officers came with a stretcher and lifted the stranger onto it.
“ Emergency room immediately. There still might be hope.” An officer said.
“ What about my brother? He needs to go to the hospital, too!” Yuri screamed, her voice shaking uncontrollable as she stared at the bloody heap of her brother.
“ He needs to go! Somebody, bring a stretcher!” Yuri was shrieking, tears streaming down her face as she wrung her hads desperately.
“ Miss Kowan, I’m sorry. There is no need for Simon to go to a hospital.” The officer said, trying to soothe the frantic girl.
“ Why not! That person got to go! Ther’s still hope!” Yuri cried, shaking her head.
“ Simon Kowan is dead.”
Yuri froze. Susan Kowan fainted, but Yuri didn't. Before she knew what she was doing, she grabbed the officer’s shirt.
“ You’re lying. Simon said he was only going out for a little while. He’s coming back!” Yuri cried shrilly. At that moment all she wanted was for her brother to come back. She thought she was going crazy.
“ I’m soory. But he is dead.” The officer replied, looking somber. He loosened himself from Yuri’s grip and walked away.
Yuri stood, then knelt in front of Simon. She stroked his soft blonde hair as he did to her, staining her hands with blood from his hair. Her tears spilled and she hugged Simon to her. The crowd slowly parted, leaving Yuri and the dead Simon. The officer came over and patted Yuri’s shoulder gently.
“ Miss Kowan, we have to take your brother.” He said. The officer waved his hand and two other policemen gently pulled Yuri off Simon.
Yuri didn’t know why she didn’t object. But she didn’t argue as Simon was lifted onto a stretcher and covered in a white cloth. The sirens of the ambulance and police cars softened as they slowly drove away. Yuri felt a fresh wave of tears come to her eyes, and she stood staring at the disappearing vehicles.
Simon Kowan died on December 14th.
