Ishida Yamato sat on a bench in the park. Snow covered the ground in the early morning of Christmas Eve. A small girl sat next to Yamato. She looked around the age of twelve and had long light brown hair and blue eyes that were framed with her antique blue glasses.
She wore blue jeans and a light blue, dark blue Old Navy sweat shirt. Yamato could see the her blue striped socks that were covered by her black and white sneakers. "I can tell when people are down." the girl said, unexpectedly. "What?" Yamato asked, surprised.
"Something is troubling you. It's in your eyes." She said and looked up at the seventeen year old blonde haired boy. "Spill it. I like listening. It helps if you tell someone."
Yamato dug the tip of his foot into the snow and begun, "I hated Christmas since I was fourteen. I always hated Christmas because I lived with my dad and he always had to work on Christmas. But when I was fourteen, my mom got really sick about ten days before Christmas and we took her to the doctor. He said that she had liver cancer. I couldn't believe it. Neither did Takeru."
"Wait up, who's Takeru?"
"Takeru is my little brother. He lived with my mom, Takaishi Nancy. And the doctor said her liver was failing and you know. She was pronounced dead on Christmas Eve. That is the Christmas my life turned to hell."
"Whoa. That is over whelming." The girl's eyes looked sad and worried. "You remind me of my friend, Takenouchi Sora. She is always caring." Matt smiled but his eyes were filled with tears.
"As I was saying, the next Christmas, my friend's little sister and my little brother's secret love got really sick. Her name was Yagami Hikari and she was always filled with light. And when she was barely alive, Takeru had hope." Matt stopped and wiped the tears away from his eyes and continued.
"He lived with dad and I since mom died and he told me he was going to see Hikari since it was Christmas Eve. I said all right but be careful 'cause it was really snowing. He took off and about an hour later, I got a call telling me that Takeru died in a car accident. I drove to the hostipal where I saw Taichi, Hikari's big brother. He said that Hikari died."
"That's terrible!" the girl whispered, her small childish voice full of emotion.
"I told him what happened and he says Hikari must have went to be with Takeru. That got me smiling for a bit because I knew those two loved each other. I went home. And then the phone rang, it was dad, saying he was at a scene of a suicide and that I knew the person. I kept begging for him to tell me but he wouldn't. He finally told me. It was Tai."
"I guess with his sister dying... it was too much." She said, like she understood.
"That Christmas Eve only. Three people I cared about dying. On Christmas, Takenouchi Sora must have heard the news and was driving down to see me from Tokyo's college and was hit by a drunk driver. I got to say good-bye to her."
"Oh, I thought my life was tough." The girl looked down at the snow. Yamato looked up, the sky was bright and people were walking by. Time just flew by. "That's the enemy. Time slips away from people so easily. It's Christmas Eve and no one died. Yet. Who knows? My dad could get killed while reporting. Time and death work together to make sure I have the worst Christmas."
"I am really sorry. I bet my mom wouldn't mind another at the dinner table. We are having a Christmas Eve dinner. I live right over there." The girl pointed to a huge apartment building. "I will be waiting! By the way, my name is Kau!" Kau yelled as she ran across the street, waving to Yamato.
A black car near Kau started to swerve and headed right towards her. She was turned to Yamato and didn't see it. Yamato seen it though. He jumped up and yelled, "Watch out, Kau!" The twelve year old turned to see the car coming towards her and jumped backwards into the grass as the car hit a pole.
A crowd formed around the car and Kau. Yamato pushed his way through the crowd and helped Kau up. "I guess your luck changed," Kau smiled. "I guess it has. I think you are more like my brother, always some hope in there." Yamato put his hand on the small girl's shoulder. "Besides, what would friends do without hope? By the way, I am Ishida Yamato."
She wore blue jeans and a light blue, dark blue Old Navy sweat shirt. Yamato could see the her blue striped socks that were covered by her black and white sneakers. "I can tell when people are down." the girl said, unexpectedly. "What?" Yamato asked, surprised.
"Something is troubling you. It's in your eyes." She said and looked up at the seventeen year old blonde haired boy. "Spill it. I like listening. It helps if you tell someone."
Yamato dug the tip of his foot into the snow and begun, "I hated Christmas since I was fourteen. I always hated Christmas because I lived with my dad and he always had to work on Christmas. But when I was fourteen, my mom got really sick about ten days before Christmas and we took her to the doctor. He said that she had liver cancer. I couldn't believe it. Neither did Takeru."
"Wait up, who's Takeru?"
"Takeru is my little brother. He lived with my mom, Takaishi Nancy. And the doctor said her liver was failing and you know. She was pronounced dead on Christmas Eve. That is the Christmas my life turned to hell."
"Whoa. That is over whelming." The girl's eyes looked sad and worried. "You remind me of my friend, Takenouchi Sora. She is always caring." Matt smiled but his eyes were filled with tears.
"As I was saying, the next Christmas, my friend's little sister and my little brother's secret love got really sick. Her name was Yagami Hikari and she was always filled with light. And when she was barely alive, Takeru had hope." Matt stopped and wiped the tears away from his eyes and continued.
"He lived with dad and I since mom died and he told me he was going to see Hikari since it was Christmas Eve. I said all right but be careful 'cause it was really snowing. He took off and about an hour later, I got a call telling me that Takeru died in a car accident. I drove to the hostipal where I saw Taichi, Hikari's big brother. He said that Hikari died."
"That's terrible!" the girl whispered, her small childish voice full of emotion.
"I told him what happened and he says Hikari must have went to be with Takeru. That got me smiling for a bit because I knew those two loved each other. I went home. And then the phone rang, it was dad, saying he was at a scene of a suicide and that I knew the person. I kept begging for him to tell me but he wouldn't. He finally told me. It was Tai."
"I guess with his sister dying... it was too much." She said, like she understood.
"That Christmas Eve only. Three people I cared about dying. On Christmas, Takenouchi Sora must have heard the news and was driving down to see me from Tokyo's college and was hit by a drunk driver. I got to say good-bye to her."
"Oh, I thought my life was tough." The girl looked down at the snow. Yamato looked up, the sky was bright and people were walking by. Time just flew by. "That's the enemy. Time slips away from people so easily. It's Christmas Eve and no one died. Yet. Who knows? My dad could get killed while reporting. Time and death work together to make sure I have the worst Christmas."
"I am really sorry. I bet my mom wouldn't mind another at the dinner table. We are having a Christmas Eve dinner. I live right over there." The girl pointed to a huge apartment building. "I will be waiting! By the way, my name is Kau!" Kau yelled as she ran across the street, waving to Yamato.
A black car near Kau started to swerve and headed right towards her. She was turned to Yamato and didn't see it. Yamato seen it though. He jumped up and yelled, "Watch out, Kau!" The twelve year old turned to see the car coming towards her and jumped backwards into the grass as the car hit a pole.
A crowd formed around the car and Kau. Yamato pushed his way through the crowd and helped Kau up. "I guess your luck changed," Kau smiled. "I guess it has. I think you are more like my brother, always some hope in there." Yamato put his hand on the small girl's shoulder. "Besides, what would friends do without hope? By the way, I am Ishida Yamato."