Chance Meetings
"I hope I didn't forget anything" I muttered while juggling my various assortments of bags from the market.
I had just gotten my first paycheck since leaving the probending arena as general maintenance worker. After spending 2 years cleaning up rubble and mopping water up off of scorch marks with my uncle I had finally saved enough for a small apartment and got a new job further in the city at a small flower shop owned by my uncle's friend . I adored walking into the shop each morning and smelling all of the delicate blooms. Sure Hadeki was a little rough around the edges but he was truly a teddy bear at heart, he was also the only known man to be able to grow both a Panda Lily and a Fire Lily in the same place.
Shaking my head to clear the thoughts of the flower shop I glanced around my bags double checking all their contents.
"Coffee, tofu, broccoli, meat, berries, blah, blah, blah" I murmured under my breath as my eyes glanced over each item. Once I was sure of each item I shifted the bags to try and get a better hold on them while walking toward my apartment humming slightly under my breath as I walked.
"Pabu?" A voice a ways behind me exclaimed worriedly.
All of a sudden a little whirl of auburn fur climbed up my leg and onto my shoulder. Almost dropping my bags I struggled to not drop anything but also not hurt the new creature on my shoulder. Slowly turning my head to examine the creature I prayed it wasn't a tiger monkey.
"Hmmmm, ringed tail and auburn fur. You're not a tiger monkey" I thought as I cringed remembering when there was a tiger monkey in the training areas of the arena. I racked my mind for what the name of the creature might be.
"What are you little buddy?" I asked jokingly as I shifted my bags and started walking a bit slower to my apartment. It's something ferret, but for the life of me I can't remember what.
"Pabu?" The voice from earlier exclaimed again, but this time sounding a little more desperate. It was vaguely familiar as well, though I dismissed the voice while I pondered the creature's identity.
"Perhaps you're a fire ferret. What are you doing scavenging around here?" I jokingly asked the creature after indeed realizing what it was. Feeling a little silly for not realizing what it was initially, I turned to the building I had reached my new apartment building. I briefly thought about what to do with the little ferret on my shoulder. On the one hand it got cold in the city and I didn't want the little guy to freeze, yet on the other I was bringing a random animal into my apartment, I couldn't recall if Mrs. Zameira had said anything about keeping pets in the building either. The little ferret began to nuzzle my neck and made my decision for me. I shifted my bags to reach for my key to the building, nearly dropping a few bags in the process, bringing my new friend inside with me.
"I'll bring you in and give you a warm place for the night and then you and I will sort out something more permanent in the morning okay?" I turned to the ferret, as if expecting an answer only to have the ferret crawl onto my other shoulder instead, I then smiled and entered the building. Turning to shut the door I saw a guy about my age hanging posters on a lamp pole nearby.
After reaching my apartment I began to set down my bags while the little ferret jumped off my shoulder and explored my messy living room. I watched him bounce around the room while I put away the groceries and placed a new flower in the vase on the center of my table. Afterwards I turned on the radio and began to flip through the channels before turning it off in favor of the sounds of the city. The little ferret seemed to have calmed down a little so I set out a dish of berries and a small pillow for him.
"So little buddy, what are we gonna call you?" I asked as he curled up on the pillow and let out a little yawn. As he nodded off I got up to double check the locks on my door, straighten the living room slightly, readjusting the photo of my family by the window before gazing at it reminiscently. Plopping down on the cushy sofa I looked out onto the streets of the city before also letting out a yawn.
Getting up from the couch, I pet the ferret's head before once again glancing at the locks on the door for a third time, then turning to enter my bedroom. Shimmying off my clothes and pulling an oversized tee over my head I looked at my sparse bed before climbing into it and feeling the sounds of the city lull me to sleep.
"Mommy, why are we seeing uncle at the arena? Doesn't he have a home" I asked, dawdling around next to my mom. Watching the SatoMobiles wiz by beside us on the road, I looked up at her and took in her smiling face, soft laugh lines, deep chestnut hair, and warm welcoming brown eyes. She had always kept me safe when we visited the city; she was always slightly on edge about the hustle and bustle of the people and the SatoMobiles.
"Because he has work in the arena today sweet pea, now keep up I want to get out of the city as soon as possible." She replied while gripping my hand a little tighter. Out of the corner of my eye I saw two little boys, one seemed really serious while wearing a bright red scarf, giving off a very somber and protective aura. Beside him was a boy seemingly around my age but slightly slimmer and hungry looking, yet despite that he had bright green eyes that seemed to glow of happiness. He turned to grin at me and I saw he was missing the same two teeth I was. I smiled back at him before reaching into my little pockets, only to find them empty.
"Mommy, may I have my allowance now please?" I blurted looking up at her, she looked at me questioningly before following my gaze, her face fell slightly upon seeing the state of the two boys but then seeing my pouting face she nodded and handed me 5 yuans. I let go of my mother's hand briefly as I approached the boys nervously, turning back once to look at my mother who in turn smiled tensely and motioned me to hurry up. As I reached them the big kid with the scarf gave me a glare and moved closer to the other kid.
"Hi." I mumbled hesitantly to them, the scarf kid's glare seemed to soften slightly before he seemed to become suspicious of me, meanwhile the other kid seemed to perk up more his eyes mesmerizing me before the other kid's voice broke my trance.
"What do you want?" He asked quickly as if expecting the worst.
"I have some yuans if you'll take them" I replied while I felt my face flush as I extended my hand hurriedly with the money, feeling very self-conscious under the other boy's curious gaze.
The scarved boy's face seemed to warm slightly and he almost smiled as he reached for the money from my extended fist.
"I'm Mako, and that's my brother Bolin." Mako said to me after pocketing the money quickly and motioning towards his brother. Bolin hopped up and reached to give me a hug before his brother stopped him.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Lillah that means flower." I beamed at them.
All of a sudden we heard a car screech and a loud crash, I began to turn to see what happened but Bolin jumped up and gave me a surprisingly strong hug before I could turn completely.
"What just happened? Bolin you're squeezing me really tight." I gasped through the hug, looking desperately at Mako's shocked face. When Bolin eventually released me I turned around fully, only to see a SatoMobile half on the sidewalk, a red puddle, and the form of my mother on the sidewalk. The last thing I could remember was hearing my name before my vision faded to black and the world seemed to swallow me whole.