A Messenger's Worth
Knock.
There was no sound of any attempt to open the door whatsoever.
Knock.
"Go away," a voice called from within. "Whatever you're selling, I ain't buying."
Knock.
An old man stepped up to the door, throwing it open.
"What do you want?" the man yelled.
"Are you Mikan's grandfather?" I asked calmly.
A long pause.
"No way..." Grandpa said. "Come in."
He motioned for me to step inside, and so I did. It was interesting to know that this was the man that Mikan had grown to love and respect. After all these years, neither of them knew the true story behind her birth... How tragic, especially for a crazy romantic like me.
"Sit down, please," Grandpa said. "I'll go make some tea."
"That won't be necessary," I interjected quickly, "because I can't stay for long."
"No, I insist," the Grandpa said, hurrying off somewhere.
I sat there obediently with the stack of Mikan's letters heavy in my hand. I sighed, staring at the cold, blue sky.
Yuka...I want to find out what happened to you after you left the academy. I'll extract whatever he knows from him.
After a while, the old man returned, tea in hand. There was a long silence while we both sipped on the tea, and I'll have to admit, even though this tea was incomparable to that of Alice Academy's, you could easily tell that a lot of heart went into making it. It tasted good regardless.
"Do you remember, what happened on the day you saw Mikan?" I asked carefully, without looking at the man.
It was probably a painful memory for him to recall as it took a while before I got any response out of him whatsoever.
"I...there was a girl," he said. "I found her outside in the cold alone with a baby in hand. I invited her inside for shelter, and learned that the baby had a high fever. Since the girl seemed to be a new mother, she didn't know what to do and I volunteered to take care of the both of them for the night."
"I see...and then?" I pressed on.
"Some people came knocking at the door, and the girl panicked. She started to sweat like a wild beast until she finally couldn't take it anymore," he said.
Sir, please! Please take care of Mikan!
"And then she disappeared into thin air," he said.
I nodded. It was to be expected that Yuka would've been chased like that. I never thought that she would've been able to separate herself from her only child with sensei like that. What a horrible life she has come to lead. Yuka...
"I've answered your question, now please answer mine," Grandpa said. "Who are you? What do you know about that girl? And how's Mikan?"
I gently placed my cup down onto the table and began my explanation.
"My name is Narumi L. Anjo. I'm a teacher at Alice Academy. I technically shouldn't be here, but I've been more or less convinced by that child to make this trip. So here I am," I explained.
"Alice Academy...what kind of monstrous place is it? Stripping children of their parents and guardians," Grandpa complained.
"Please don't misunderstand the Academy. It's just that we have to work to protect these special children, and the only way to do that is if we cut off their connection to the outside world," I explained.
"Then why are you here?" Grandpa asked.
"I'm here of my own will. I want some answers to my own questions and I thought that I might be able to make someone else happy along the way," I said. "Here, these are all the letters that Mikan wrote for you at Alice Academy. Read them while I explain."
The old man immediately grabbed the pile and started tearing through them, visibly trying to restrain himself. What a touching bond between two people that were never supposed to meet.
I sighed. I'd already decided a long time ago that I'd change the Academy from the inside, to prevent the accumulation of this dreadful separation experience.
"That girl that you met that day a long time ago was probably Mikan's mother, and my former senpai, Yuka Azumi," I explained. "She had to escape the Academy under difficult conditions a long time ago and somehow found her way here. But please, sir, you cannot tell anyone else this information because it's highly classified."
He nodded, still listening intently.
"As for Mikan, she's doing absolutely fine at school. She's made a lot of good friends. Honestly, she's got a great personality. No matter how much she's stepped on, she always finds the will to continue. I greatly admire her for that reason; however, the day will probably come when Mikan will also have to escape the Academy like her mother. That's what I'm guessing right now," I said. "It's a tragic path to take, but it's her fate and most likely unavoidable. I'm sorry."
The Grandpa listened, tears streaming down his cheek at the same time.
"There was so much I wanted to teach that kid," he started.
"I understand your feelings," I said, "but wouldn't it be better if she got to meet her real mother?"
"Yes, I suppose so," the Grandpa admitted.
I sighed again.
"Anyways, I can't stay for much longer," I said. "Please take your time and compose a reply for Mikan. I promised I'd bring it back for her."
The old man sat down, pulled out some paper and began to write a letter on it. I sat and waited patiently as he eventually sealed the envelope and handed the letter to me.
"Thank you for your understanding," I said, "and goodbye. Don't worry, if it's Mikan, she'll definetly find a way back here one day. You can count on it."
Without another word, I strode out the front door, mind heavy on the sequence of events that occurred today. The strange thing was, I didn't look back.