A Misunderstood Memory

Chapter One – Realization

I heard a gentle knock on the paper door. I jostled awake and quickly looked around. I glanced at the alarm clock sitting next to me. It was 2:00 AM. Who would be knocking at this time?

Cautiously, I opened the paper door. Staring from a foot below was my grandson, Naotu.

"Obaa-san, I can't sleep. It's too hot. Can I sleep with you tonight?" Behind him he pulled a rather large sleeping bag.

"Of course." He followed me into the room, and laid his sleeping bag flat on the floor. I began to slip back into my covers when Naotu-chan hopped onto my bed. "Naotu-chan? Aren't you going to sleep now?" I asked.

"I want you to tell me a bed time story, Obaa-san. Ojii-san used to and it helped me sleep better."

I sighed. Even though a month already passed, I still couldn't grasp the fact that Shigure really passed away. Smoking had always been one of bigger things on my nerves, but I'd never believed it could really kill him. Every day I wished I had convinced him a bit more to quit.

After his death, all of the zodiac members came to visit and mourn. He was the first to die in our banquet, and even though our bond had already been broken, all of us felt it when Shigure-chan passed.

I turned to Naotu-kun. "Did Shigure ever tell you about the Zodiac curse?"

He nodded. "He was the dog, he told me."

"Do you know how the curse broke?"

Naotu thought for a moment. He shook his head.

"Oh. So you don't know about Tohru Honda-san?"

He cocked his head to one side. "Who's that?"

I pulled him onto my lap, then began.

"Some say that the most beautiful days are mean to be what they are; beautiful, yet peaceful and quiet too. In my experiences, I choose to believe the second group of people; that the beauty of it all is a mere disguise for something earth-shattering to happen. I would have a very different answer before that day. But very much can change in very little time, such as what I have experienced.

That day, the sun was shining brightly alongside fluffy cumulus clouds. I gazed out of the window, staring at the green grass, the tall trees, and the light reflected so bright that it hurt to look at for more than a few moments. I should really go outside, I thought. But as I coughed into a tissue, I knew it couldn't happen. If I stepped outside, even for a moment, my fever was bound to jump sky-high. I rubbed my temple and seated myself back down with a groan.

'Will someone get me some broth?" I called out. 'I'm hungry!'

In the hallway, I heard feet shuffling around, then a voice called back distantly. 'Right away, Akito-sama!'

I sat expressionlessly waiting in my bamboo chair until a servant came and place my meal on the table. 'Is there anything else you may require, Sohma-san?'

'No. You can leave now.' I picked up the spoon and lift the broth to my lips. It was much too hot to my liking, but delicious nonetheless. I put the spoon down, and reached for the novel on my bedside table. Your grandfather was one of the worst writers in the world." I laughed. "But in my boredom I was willing to read anything to keep myself entertained, no matter how horrible or perverted."

Naotu's eyes popped open wide. "Ojii-san was a famous writer? Wow!"

I smiled. "Not quite. He loved to mess with his editor."

Naotu frowned. "What does perverted mean?"

I laughed, and continued.

"Despite everything, I was so absorbed into the novel that by the time I lifted my head, it was already afternoon and my broth was cold.

Broth wasn't supposed to get cold, as I thought then. I stood up to call a servant to warm it up, but before I could, Shigure walked into my room, with a mischievous smile on his face. 'Good morning! The weather is beautiful out. Why are you sitting indoors? Not another fever?'

Anyway other day and I would have slapped your Ojii-san senseless. He was such a tease. But I was too weak and too frail to do much but glare. 'What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working?'

Shigure leaned against the paper door, arms crossed, with that stupid smile lingering, as though I were the intruder. 'There's been a few changes that have been made recently, and I just wanted to discuss them with you, if you're willing to listen.'

'Why didn't you ask for my permission to change things?' I struggled to keep the anger and annoyance out of my voice.

Shigure ignored me (how dare he!) and kept on talking. 'We have decided to allow someone to live in my household for a bit of time. Her name's Tohru Honda. She was recently orphaned and the people she was living with are remodeling their house. We found her living in a tent on Sohma family property, and we decided to offer her a living space until remod-'

'Why didn't you tell me this earlier?' I interrupted him. 'You should have asked for my permission!'

Shigure looked down sheepishly. 'Well, that's what I'm doing right now, right?'

That's another thing about your grandfather that made him so cunning. You should never try to reason with him. He twists your words and fools you into thinking you were the one that messed up. I tried not to look like it, but I was deeply thinking about this Honda girl. What if she discovered the Sohma family curse? She would have to lose all of her memories, which, while it wouldn't really bother me, it would cause trouble for the whole family. What if she tried to tear Yuki, Kyo, and even your grandfather away from me? Or even worse, what if she tried to break the curse?

I shook my head. I didn't think any human girl wouldn't want anything to do with a bunch of men who changed into animals. And if she didn't find out about the curse, she wouldn't be able to tear Shigure, Kyo and Yuki away from me. And why would she try to break the curse, when she didn't even know about it? There weren't any risks in allowing her a living space. Or that was what I thought, anyway.

'Fine,' I said curtly. 'She can stay in the house for as long as she needs.'

'Good,' Shigure smiled. 'I will be sure to tell Tohru-kun the good news.'

Shigure turned to leave. But just before he stepped out, I said, 'Wait.'

He turned back around to face me. 'Yes?'

I wanted to say something, anything. That I loved him, that I missed him, that I didn't want him to leave, anything to pronounce our relationship. And from the look on his face, Ojii-san was thinking the same thing. That lit a tiny flame within me. There was no way I'd do exactly what a dog like him expected. No way. 'I want Kyo-kun to stay with you too.'

Ojii-san tried not to let the disappointment show through. 'Okay.' He said. He turned and walked out, more hesitantly this time. Not that I cared. He didn't deserve any confessions from me, when he was clearly the one at fault. I took another sip of broth, and watched as the sun disappeared another cloud.

And that's all."

Naotu yawned. "Obaa-san, you're good at telling bed time stories. When did you meet Tohru Honda-san?"

I glanced at the clock. It was nearly 4. "How about I tell you tomorrow? Come earlier and I can tell you all about it. And even if I don't, we still have all summer."

Naotu nodded, then slowly drifted off to sleep.

I smiled. Good night, Naotu.