A Father's Day treat for all of you readers. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: You know whom Bionicle belongs to, but Jessa and her relatives belong to InTheLight-Hija. I own Jen.
"Jessa!" the shrill voice of a woman called. Said girl winced as her aunt came down the stairs into the basement that served as her room. "Jessa, get ready. We're going to the store." Jessa inwardly groaned; it was the third time this week that they had gone there, each for a different reason. Once to get groceries, and another for hygiene products. She had once questioned why they didn't get all that they wanted in one trip, only to get glared at by her aunt and her older cousins.
"Yes, Aunt Lucy," she said quietly, getting off of her bed and slipping on her shoes. She really saw no purpose for the things; they made her feet hurt and gave her an even greater feeling of being enclosed in an unwelcome place. She silently followed her aunt upstairs and into the driveway where the twins were loading into the car.
The two of them argued enough to make her uncles look like they had gotten along all the time. Now they were bickering over "cards" that they would get their father.
"What are the cards for?" she asked curiously, completely confused. The twins stopped arguing and looked at her incredulously. Morgan's face twisted into something that could have been best described as a Muaka's smile.
"For Father's Day, stupid. Even though he lives somewhere else, we still send him cards."
"That's right," Beverly piped in. "Father's Day is when we give our fathers special appreciation. Didn't you already know that?" Jessa knew better than to answer so she just kept quiet the rest of the way while the twins picked up their argument where they had left off, about who would get their father the most special card.
'Father's Day,' she thought, tears forming in her eyes. The image of a certain red-masked Toa came to her mind, along with his warm smile and arms. 'Daddy.'
Moments later, they found themselves in the card section of the local drugstore, trying to pick out cards. Well, the twins were. Jessa's mind kept spinning from the information that Beverly had said. She wanted to get Vakama a card to be able to give to him when and if he came to get her. She looked through the cards on the opposite side of the rack of where her relatives were, wishing that she were able to read the human language. However, she was not alone.
A young woman was down at the end, looking at different cards for her father. Her golden hair glimmered in the dim lighting of the store, making the younger think of Lhikan's golden mask. The most intriguing feature was her deep blue, almost sapphire eyes, eyes that made Jessa think of the Protodermis Sea around Metru Nui. Those eyes held the feelings of the elder, changing from laughter to sadness as she picked up and read card after card. Slowly, as if finally feeling Jessa's eyes on her, she turned her head and locked her in her piecing gaze.
"Hello," she said. Her voice was quiet and pleasant, like she had known Jessa all her life, but was still afraid to speak to her. Jessa quickly looked away, not sure how to respond. Her mother had always told her not to talk to strangers, no matter how friendly they seemed. She had already made the mistake once of not listening to Nokama when she spoke to Darius. And look where that got her.
"You must be Jessa."
It was a statement, not a question, but nonetheless, it caused Jessa to jump, startled, and face the woman. There was gentle warmth in her gaze and a small smile on her face as she looked down at the young teenager. Jessa, afraid not to answer, nodded, asking, "H-how did you know my name?" The smile grew even more as she knelt down to the little girl's height.
"When you get back to your world, ask your family about the special traits of the leader of the Seven Points of Light. My name is Jen." Jessa looked into her eyes and found a sense of peace beginning to wash over her. The gentleness in Jen's eyes showed that not all humans were as they seemed. She gestured for the girl to come over to her and began to speak.
"I know it's hard being separated from the ones you love. That's why I'm here." Jessa cocked her head to one side.
"To get a card for your father that you'll give to him when you see him again." Jen chuckled a little, a soft light sound.
"No, Jessa, that is why you are here. I'm here to get a card for my father to put on his grave."
"Oh," Jessa whispered, feeling extremely embarrassed at having assumed that her new found friend's dad was still alive.
"Now, now, I don't mind. You didn't know, so don't feel upset." A sigh escaped the elder's lips, sadness returning to her eyes; her hair even seemed to dull, despite that they were standing underneath one of the brighter lights of the store.
"He's been dead for many years now, but every year, I always do the same. I always pick out a card for him, sign it, seal it, and lay it on his grave, his name on the envelope. And you know what?"
"What?"
"Every year, the day after I give him his card, I find it opened and the card gone. He's reading them and placing them on his mantle above his fireplace, though I cannot see it." Tears shone in Jen's eyes as she recalled the tradition that had been established between her and her father's spirit. Jessa hesitantly hugged her, feeling sorry for her. Her father was still alive and no doubt trying to find a way to her, but Jen's father would never be coming back.
Jen smiled slightly before pulling away. "Thank you, Jessa," she said. "Now let's see if we can find a card that your father might like."
So, they spent the rest of the afternoon, even after Lucy and the twins left to go home with their cards. Not that Jessa minded; if she could only have a few hours away from them, then she was happy. She and Jen both finally found the cards that they wanted. The latter then paid for them along with some bottled drinks for the two of them to share while she drove them back to her place. Jessa had gotten permission from her aunt that she was allowed to spend the night with Jen. As they left the store and got into her car, Jessa couldn't help but read and re-read the card that she had chosen for Vakama.
On the cover, it read, "A father is always making his baby into a little woman." When opened, the inside read, "And when she is a woman he turns her back again. Happy Father's Day." She had chosen it because she knew that Vakama wanted her to grow up to be a strong individual, but she would always be his little girl. Jen pulled into her driveway and cut the engine. As she and Jessa got out of the car, the latter couldn't help but marvel at the home that her friend lived in.
"You live here?" she asked in awe. To her, it was like being invited to see an actual princess. Jen turned and smiled at her, eyes shining with mirth.
"Yes, yes I do. It's actually very simple, the way I like things to be. It seems as though acting and being a chef has its advantages." Jessa only continued to stare at the house until it clicked in her mind what she had said.
"You're an actress? Like, in plays?" The woman chuckled.
"Indeed, I am. Though only for plays; I don't do the movie thing. Mainly because I know I'd get stuck with a director that would only try to make me join his army of the undead." Jessa giggled at her friend's voice change, making her think of how Matau changed his voice to tell stories. Jen unlocked the door and flipped on the light. "Sorry about the mess, I haven't fully unpacked yet, and I'm still trying to find a place for everything. Now then, how does fettuccine in Alfredo sauce sound to you?" There was something about the smile on her face and in her eyes that gave Jessa the feeling that she simply couldn't refuse.
After dinner (which Jessa thoroughly enjoyed), they got out their cards and signed them before sealing them in their respective envelopes. Jen then showed Jessa where she could sleep for the night, laughing at her look of having her own room. When Jessa was ready to go to sleep, Jen came in with a nightdress on and proceeded to tell her a story about a girl who dressed as a man to take her father's place in a war.
"Jen?" she asked when the story was finished.
"Yes?"
"Do you think they'll find me?" It didn't take long to figure out that Jessa was talking about the family that had raised her and that she had been taken from. She pulled the teenager into her lap and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
"Let me tell you something, Jess. 'Ohana' means 'family'. 'Family' means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten. Now get some sleep, I'll take you back in morning." As Jessa snuggled down into her pillow and closed her eyes, Jen smiled before shutting off the light. Once she was sure that the girl was asleep, she pulled out her cell phone and speed dialed one of the numbers.
"Hello?" a male voice answered.
"Darius? It's Jen. You were right; she doesn't belong here. Find one of her relatives in the city you rescued her from." A sigh escaped the other end.
"I never should have taken her away in the first place."
"You were only trying to do the right thing. And now, if you're able to get her back, you will be doing the right thing. Talk to you later." With that, she ended the call and looked into Jessa's room.
"Sleep well, little one. You'll be going home soon."