File 45 - [Memory Lane | Video Post]

[truthinfortune]

[See a young Naoto (about nine years old) wearing her father's cabbie hat, now much too big for her head. Her hair is cropped short in a shaggy, boyish cut. She's dressed in a white nightie and kneeling in front of a large plasma screen TV. There appears to be a news report.]

[The news caster, young man, very professional:] I'm here at the scene of

Comments

[stripping]

Naoto, I...

[truthinfortune]

I suppose it was only a matter of time before something like this showed up...

In one week, it will be seven years to the day since my parents passed away.

[stripping]

I'm so sorry.

[truthinfortune]

I thank you for your condolences. Perhaps you might say a few prayers for them? You are a monk, after all...

[noirnoshirayuki]

Naoto-kun... Losing one's loved ones is never easy, especially at such a young age.

[truthinfortune]

The media played out the footage almost constantly for over a month. I became a bit desensitized to it. Such is the power of television, I suppose...

[noirnoshirayuki]

That doesn't make it any less tragic. A child should not have to see their own parents buried.

If you don't mind me asking, Naoto-kun... what were they like?

[truthinfortune]

I always thought the saying was that no parent should ever have to see their children buried?

No, I don't mind. My father... He was kind but firm when it came to discipline. He was a bit of a romantic at heart, sentimental. He loved music, was a genius with the violin. He was generous with his wealth and would give you the shirt off his back if you asked.

My mother, on the other hand, was almost the complete opposite of my father. She was the analytical sort, an intellectual. Words and language was her specialty. She loved to garden.

They were both the sort of people who attracted others to them effortlessly. Very social. They made friends with people from all walks of life. The turn out for their funeral numbered in the hundreds. I had never seen so many people at the estate than I did the day they were buried...

[doomedyouth00]

...

I'm sorry.

[truthinfortune]

It seems that I am not exempt from this recent rash of viral videos...

However, I thank you for your condolences.

[doomedyouth00]

Same here. You have to wonder how the community knows.

[truthinfortune]

It's hard to say. I'm beginning to think more and more that the community might have some sort of omnipotent consciousness if it's able to watch us all the time, even peek inside our thoughts...

[tyki_tock]

Naoto...

[truthinfortune]

It's all right. It happened such a long time ago. I've always known that a detective's work can be dangerous...

[tyki_tock]

It's a bad way to find out your parents are dead, though.

[truthinfortune]

There are worse ways, I suppose. The media played the story so much that I became desensitized to it all. It was the best way for me to cope, at the time. If I just focused on the time when they were alive, then I wouldn't have to think about their death...

[clockmaster]

...

[truthinfortune]

...They were killed in the line of duty while pursuing diamond smugglers. The media claimed it was a tragic accident, and the police report supported that theory.

[clockmaster]

I see.

Are you alright? And don't you dare to tell me 'it was some time ago, I'm over it' because I wont' buy it.

[truthinfortune]

No, I wouldn't say that. Because I don't think anyone can just "get over" the death of a loved one, no matter how much time has passed. You learn to cope and deal with your loss. I suppose that contributed to my drinking problem...

I try to focus on the time when they were alive, to think of all the happy memories we shared together. I have to admit, I tried very hard to block this particular memory out entirely.