A Life With Ritsu

Chapter 1: The End

I never really understood what happened on the day my parent died. I was five years old at the time. It so happened that on that fateful day we were going out for the morning as a special treat, they both said that we should cherish every moment of our lives and live them as if they were our last. If only I knew the truth in their words, it was almost as if they were planning for this day to happen.

My Dad was a writer, so he spent most of his time at home working on his book. There was always time in his day for him to spend time with me; to play, talk and draw together. Mum on the other hand came and went like a stray cat that didn't really belong to a set place. She never really told me what she did when she went away for hours to days at a time; all I knew was that it made my Dad very jealous. I guessed at first that she was having fun with her 'friend' who we had never met, and that was why dad was the way he was. Later I found out that she really wasn't having fun at all.

One time she came home with bruises all up her arms and around her neck, so whatever it was that she was doing couldn't have been enjoyable at all. Mum said it was work, I didn't know whether to believe her.

At a young age my mum asked me to memorise her 'friend's' name and number, for reasons I didn't know then. What I did know at this time was that she must have been important or very dangerous, or both to be with mum whenever she got hurt like that.

The crash took all of us by surprise. Mum and Dad were having a quick smooch in the front. The road was relatively straight and there was no traffic so they didn't worry too much about safety. I guess that one small kiss wouldn't do any harm. I covered my eyes. I mean yeach, who in their right mind at the age of 5 would want to see their parent kissing.

Then I felt the atmosphere suddenly change from peaceful to frighteningly cold, even my insides felt frozen. Mum had yelled "Watch out!" and the car swerved all over the place. I curled up as tight as I could, frightened by the screeching tires and frantic screaming. Then it all stopped. I climbed out of the car as quickly as I could manage and I tried to open the door to get Mum out of there, but there was no door to open. Confused I ran to the other side that Dad usually occupied but there was no door there either. Then I realised, the whole front of the car was missing, it had been completely crushed flat against the side of as tree. I was really scared so I ran to find help and by 'find help' I meant a phone. A ran as fast as my little legs would carry me about a mile down the road to where a broken down gas station lay abandoned. I was lucky enough to find an old phone box just out the front.

Without hesitation, I called the number that I had so recently memorised. I waited for someone to pick up the phone and was shocked when I heard a man answer it, claiming that he was Ritsu. I had always presumed that Ritsu had been a female friend of Mum's not a guy; well no wonder Dad was jealous. I gathered what strength I had left and told him all that had happened. Soon after he had pulled up at the gas station and took me far away from the crash site.

"But Mum and Dad are back that way!" I cried out pointing with my little fingers in the opposite direction. Right now all I wanted to do was hug them tight. I felt so alone, especially now that I was with this strange man.

"The police are dealing with that, you just need a place to sleep for the night, we'll deal with all of this in the morning." Ritsu answered in a somewhat stiff tone.

"But..." I started to sob, I missed them so much.

"Stop your crying, it doesn't solve anything." He snapped, flinging a tissue in my direction. "Dry your eyes and blow your nose." He snapped again.

It was then that I realised that this was not a man to argue with. I went silent but I turned away so he couldn't see the tears that wouldn't stop falling down my face.