Farewell Ceremony

That's the title for episode 25 of Fullmetal Alchemist which I just watched. It was one of the most beautiful episodes of the series ever. The absolute sadness, and the feeling of a good life wasted for various reasons that comes across is amazing. When the episode ended I sat staring at my computer screen for the longest time ever. I couldn't believe it.

What happened? I shouldn't spoil it for anyone (though I think the people who read my blog don't watch FMA) so I shall not say much. I will say that one of the main characters was killed in this episode. There've been deaths before of course. But this was a really significant one, in my opinion. I was totally shocked!! At first, when it showed him gracefully falling to the ground after being shot (HA!! BIG spoiler), I thought, "Ack! Is he going to die? Nah... He's one of the more important ones, they'll probably show him happy and recovering in the hospital at the end of the ep or during the next episode." They did that flashback thing, where they showed that ONE significant memory in his life. So I thought I was right about the cliche.

Next thing I knew, the scene was a funeral. Yet even then I thought, "Heh... Must be for someone else. It's only one of those passing scenes to scare the audience." I was wrong.

Don't know why, but after watching that episode, I suddenly felt like writing. Not just to write my feelings about the ep, but also because the episode made me think. The title was eerily fitting. Throughout your life, people will just appear in front of you, then they'll leave, and maybe they'll come back again. Happens so often that sometimes you start to take everyone in your life for granted, even the coming and going. You start to assume that sooner or later, you'll see everyone at some point again. Then suddenly they leave, and they never come back. Without warning. Sometimes you don't even realize they've left until it's too late. And you've never really told them how much you actually did appreciate them. What do you do then? Forget about it? Cry? Just move on?

Learnt recently that the grandfather of someone I used to be good friends with passed away. I haven't called him yet even though the final ceremony was on Saturday. We used to be quite good friends. Things have changed since he graduated. We never really said goodbye. I don't know what to say to him if I called. That things will be ok? That I went through the same thing when my grandmother passed away? I don't know what to say. Until now. I still can't say goodbye.