The August sun was merciless and promised endless heat. I reached a hand up to my face and rubbed my left eye with effort. My feet were sticky with sweat and uncomfortably plastered to the bottom of my sandals. I glanced fleetingly at father's bearded chin above my head.

"When are we there yet?"

He looked down and ran his rough fingers through my messy hair.

"Tired already? There's still a good two hours."

Slouching down, I looked out the window of the fast moving train. Trees, houses and fences on the sides of the road all whirled by. Fluffy clouds drifted in a distance in the pale sky. A few mountains loomed, its peaks startling white.

"Midoriko, sleep for a bit."

Father ignored my scowls of protest and lifted my up from under my arms. I tried to wriggle out of his arms but sleep overcame me. Tiredness washed over my eyelids and finally I closed them without struggle.

It seemed only a second later when I was woken by the steady drumming of rain. I popped open an eyelid, then quickly the other as I grew conscious of my strange surroundings. I was no longer in a train but a spacious room with stained white walls. Tall, brown boxes were piled everywhere, some were empty and scattered across the dark brown wooden floor. The light was dim from a sole bulb hanging loosely from a wire from a hole in the ceiling. Outside the narrow windows, the sky was gray with pouring rain.

A fearful thought flashed through my mind. Where were father and mother?

Anxiously I glanced around for their familiar figures but tall boxes blocked my view. Urgent to find them, I slipped a small sandaled foot across the box I was lying on, and then moved the other foot. After taking a feeble breath, I jumped.

The box was too high and I landed with an awkward thud. It was too much, too much to take for a girl so young and I burst into tears.

Through my tear blurred eyes I caught a glimpse of a familiar gray coat. Father moved quickly towards me and picked me up as I sobbed.

"Midoriko, What happened?!"

Mother came hurrying after, her eyes clouded with anxiety. She held out a tissue and wiped father's face. She paid no attention to me until she saw my mud stained sandals

"Don't let those dirty things touch you."

She complained to father, eyeing the sandals that he bought for me on my fourth birthday. I didn't dare look at my mother. Tension crackled in the air and I felt father stiffen, too.

Through the edge of my eyes I caught father giving mother a hard look, but she only returned it with a meaningful stare. I didn't know why, but mother just didn't like me. Sometimes, when my friends back at home bragged and told stories about what their mothers bought for them, I would feel very left out.

However, mother loved father very much.

She turned and walked away until I couldn't see her with all the boxes blocking my view. Father's gaze followed her thoughtfully. I shivered, not quite sure why.

"Where are we?"

He looked down at me and managed a smile.

"Home, Midoriko, we're at our new house."

I gave a single nod and glanced down at my muddy sandals, suddenly aware of how dirty they were. Somewhat embarrassed, I shuffled my feet away, hoping that father wouldn't realize how dirty his daughter's feet looked.

"Don't worry, Midoriko. They'll be as good as new once we tidy this mess up."

I looked up with flushed cheeks as he smiled at my intentions.

"Let's get something to eat, you must be hungry."

I gave a cheerful nod and father set me down on the wooden floor. He took hold of my small hands and gently led me out the room, grabbing a red umbrella on the way. Outside was a narrow hallway carpeted with dark red. Warm yellow light flooded the passage and we stopped at the elevator. For the first time, I scanned our new home with observing eyes. This is the place where I will live from now on, and I think I liked it.

The elevator door opened with a deep groan sound and I tightened my grip on father's hand.

"We live on the fourth floor, Midoriko."

Father smiled as he pressed the 1 button. The star beside the number 1 gleamed with red light.

The first floor was a lobby with gray tiles and paler walls. A row of metal mail boxes on the left reflected the rainy gray sky outside, through panes of windows. The transparent glass door slid easily to the side as we stepped outside.

Father pulled me close as he opened the umbrella. Its redness reflected on my face.

A silver car roared by and splashed thin droplets of rain water across the sidewalk. For the last but not first time, I was grateful for father's presence.

"Midoriko, we're going to cross now. Remember, when you hear me say 'cross', you walk with my steps, alright?"

I felt his hand resting on my shoulder and glanced up to see his broad head scanning the road for passing cars. I tensed, preparing to cross as soon as he gives the signal.

Cross.

It happened all in split second, but everything seemed to have slowed down. I struggled to match his firm pace when I heard a distance rumble. Panic was rising when I realized it was a van coming straight for us and I longed to run.

Father's eyes were trained on the other side and he continued his steady pace.

Ten metres, six metres, two metres.

He jerked his head suddenly and seemed to have realized what was happening. Without hesitation father gave me a shove with his big warm hands which sent me stumbling forwards and collapsing in a puddle of rain and mud.

Pain shot up my knees where it collided with the rough pavement because of father's push, but I was no fool. I spun around immediately and wished I hadn't.

I turned just in time to see the bulky speeding van crash into my father. It sent him flying across the road, splattering scarlet blood everything. The van stopped dead and so did I.

"Father!"

I raced forward, stumbling across the bumpy rough. I collapsed onto his side, paying no attention when the deep pool of blood flowing out of him slowly seeped through my white dress. I shook his shoulder with all the force my tiny body had. His face was uncomfortably pale and a line of blood trickled down his mouth, tracing its way down his neck. His body lay limp as I shook and screamed in his ears.

With trembling arms I lay my hands on his chest where his heart should be, and I was horror stricken to feel dead silence.