At the entrance of a small church, undertakers of the graveyard were held up a small coffin on their shoulders. The whole town were there, dressed in black mourning clothes, some of them were weeping and crying. One of the undertakers turned his head to the church door.
"Are you ready, Miss Himiko?" Himiko stood at the door of the church, wearing a borrowed black dress given to her by the wife of the priest. Her black hair was pulled up in a ponytail and adorned by the hairpin, the final gift her mother gave her. Her hands were tumbled as she clutches onto a white lily.
"Yes..." she said, trying to fight back her tears. Slowly, the procession made it's way to the graveyard. With every step Himiko took, her heart become heavier and heavier as her eyes were turning lifeless and in a sense, dead. As the procession continued, everyone was hanging down their heads in respect to the woman who helped them. They now believe that she was truly an angel God sent to them when their lives were full of turmoil. Some of the men even volunteered to carry the coffin the rest of the way.
"Damn it, we should have done more! Ariana didn't deserve to die and Himiko shouldn't have to lose her at such a young age." one of the men stated in a hushed voice.
"I agree with you...but what more could we have done? We tried every doctor in the blasted city, even giving them our hard earned money to them! None have kept up their end of the bargain!" said another one among the crowd.
"Hush, if Himiko hear about this, she will try to repay us back. Poor little thing, she worked to the bones to earn enough money for a doctor to see her mother. The last thing we want her to do is pay us back when her mother has done so much for us." Despite speaking in hushed voices, Himiko could hear what they were talking about. How could she heard them among hundreds of people remain her secret and her secret alone. After reaching the graveyard, she watches as her mother's coffin was lowered into the ground as an undertaker shove soil on top of the coffin. Once buried in the earth, Himiko walked up to the wooden cross that served a grave marker. She kneeled down and placed the white lily in front of the grave. She sat there, staring at her mother's grave with her soulless eyes. The townspeople offered their heartfelt words and apologies as they leave one by one until only Himiko remained. Time slowly ticked by as Himiko sat there. Meanwhile, a 1966 Imperial Crown was driving towards the graveyard with spectators watching the car as it drives by.
"We are almost to the graveyard." said the driver to the two men, currently in the car. Sitting in the back of the car, an elderly man carried a bouquet of white roses on his lap.
"Are you sure about this? I mean, she doesn't know who you are." said another elderly man in the passenger's seat.
"Yes...I promised Ariana that if anything happened to her, I would protect Himiko in her stead."
"Alright, but if she doesn't want to come with us?"
"It's her choice...If she does not wish to come with us, then I will respect her wishes." With a simple nod of the head, silence fills the air as the car draw closer to the graveyard. The sun soon reach it's highest peak in the early afternoon, Himiko remain rooted where she sat and unaware of the day passing by. Then a rough hand grabbed her arm, snapping her out of her trance. She turned around to see a stern looking pink-haired lady in business type clothes and a mask covering her face, glaring down at her.
"Stand up!" the lady commanded, gripping tightly on Himiko's arm.
"Who are you?" Himiko demanded as she stood up.
"I am with child's services and you, my dear are heading to a new home." She started pulling Himiko away from her mother's grave. Himiko was shocked by the news, but was even more shock by the woman's lack of emotion for her sorrow. Her blood begin to boil as angry took over her emotion.
"Let go of me!" Suddenly, orange flame emerges from her palm and started burning the lady's sleeve. The lady let out a loud yelp, letting go of her arm to put out the flames. With her release of her arm, Himiko run as fast as she could from the lady until she bumped into somebody.
"I'm sorry." she apologized, looking up to see an elderly gentleman with slick back grey hair and warm brown eyes. He wore a brown pinstripe suit and carries a fancy wooden scepter in one hand and a bouquet of white roses in the other. Next to him was another elderly man, dressed in a suit and tie with a strange steel arm.
"Stop right there!" Himiko turned around to see the child's service lady rushing towards her. She quickly hid behind the stranger as the lady stopped in front of him.
"I'm sorry, sir, but that child has to come with me." Himiko's heart was pounding against her chest, knowing that the stranger is going to hand her over to the scary lady.
"That won't be necessary." he said, confusing both Himiko and the lady.
"Good sir, you do realize that she is an orphan?"
"My granddaughter, an orphan? I think not." Himiko's eyes widen in surprise as she stared up at him.
"But-"
"I said it won't be necessary." he said in a more serious tone. His voice sends chills down her spine, causing her to break out into a cold sweat.
"Yes, of course...Sorry for bothering you." The lady bowed and quickly left.
"Is it true?" He turned around to Himiko who was holding her head down.
"Are you really my grandfather?" she questioned.
"Yes...I am." he answered softly. Himiko clutched the skirt of her dress, her hands shaking. He thought she was angry at him when he saw tears falling down on the green grass. Handing the flowers to his companion, he kneeled down in front of her and pulled a plain handkerchief from his pocket.
"You were scared, won't you?" he said, offering the handkerchief to her. She lifted her head, showing him her jade green eyes, brimming with tears. She took it from him and continued sobbing and hiccuping.
"I was so scared..." she began to say.
"When Mother was still alive, she would come and get me when I got lost or when the sun was setting." Her mind flashbacked to first time she got lost, which was in the forest.
'She was looking for white roses, her mother's favorite flower. One of her neighbors told her about an abandon tea farm that grew white roses for their tea blends which lies in the forest. When she obtained the flowers, the sun was already setting and the darkness of the night flooded the forest. Any sound she heard would cause fear to shake her down to her very core. She hid herself inside a small cave, hugging her knees and crying.'
"Now that she's gone, I was scared that no one would come and get me. I felt so lonely and frightened that no one wanted me anymore." The emotions she experienced that day came flowing back to her. Then she felt a pair of strong arms wrapping around her and hugging her very tightly.
"You are not alone, Himiko. You were never alone." Himiko gripped onto his jacket and continued sobbing.
"Hey!" They turned their attention to an angry mob approaching them.
"How dare you make our little Himiko cry!"
"You guys..." she whispered.
"We won't tolerate people who make that kid cry."
"She may act tough, but she stills just a child!" Hearing the crowd's ranting, left her grandfather puzzled and Himiko smiling.
'On the day she was lost, her mother grew worried about her when the sun started setting. When she couldn't found her, she asked everybody in the town to aid her in the search. Everyone agreed and in the few moments that Himiko was hiding in the cave, the group found her and returns back to the town. After her mother scolded at her, she hugged and held onto her tightly. That day, Himiko spill out all of her emotions of being alone and the fear of nobody looking for her.
"You are not alone, Himiko. You were never alone." her mother whispered.
"Look around you." She saw the faces of the people that surround her and her mother.
"See the people that help find you. They came because they were worried about you." Happiness and joy fill her heart as more tears fell down from her eyes.'
After explaining to the mob that the stranger was her grandfather, the entire mob apologized for the misunderstanding.
"We are so sorry; we didn't know that Himiko had a grandfather."
"No, it's okay. If you don't mind, I wish to pay respect to my daughter in law."
"Of course, go right ahead." Her grandfather took back the bouquet of white roses and kneeled down in front of the grave, placing the flowers next to the white lily.
"I am sorry, Ariana. I should have saved you, for Himiko's sake." Himiko kneeled next to her grandfather.
"Was there a reason Mother didn't want me to know about you?" she asked. A long silence ensued between grandfather and granddaughter.
"Himiko...the world I live is the reason your father is dead and your mother hiding secrets from you." he said, breaking the silence.
"Your mother saw the terror that my world have brought her and vow to raise you safe and happy. I respected her wishes, but on the day you were born, I promised her that I would look after you, if anything happen to her."
"Mother is gone now...Are you really going to honor that promise?"
"Yes, for family is very important to me." She looked up at her grandfather. She could see hints of sadness and remorse in his eyes.
"He must have seemed death, more than once. His eyes look so sad." she thought.
"I wish I can help cheer him up, but...if I go with him, then that means I'm leaving my home and all of the people I know and love."
"You are not alone, Himiko. You were never alone." her mother's voice echoed in her mind.
"Maybe it's time for me to help someone, like how Mother helped save this town."
"If I go with you..." she said, causing her grandfather to turn his attention on her.
"Can I ask you for a favor?"
"A favor?"
"Yeah, there is this abandoned tea farm and factory that used to make the best tea blends, but the owners mysteriously vanished. People here want to start up the factory again, but lack the tools to do so. If you can provide them the tools, then I can leave, knowing I repay them back for their kindness they show towards me and Mother."
"Is this what you want, Himiko?"
"Yes, plus it would be a great investment since the tea is growing on fertile land, creating a new blend of tea that grown on italian soil. It would make a good trademark." Her grandfather stared at her and started laughing.
"I see you have a mind for business for someone so young, Himiko."
"Mother used to say I have the mind of a 30 year old trapped in a 7 year old body." Both of them laughing together, sharing a grandfather and granddaughter moment
"You have a deal." he said, extending his hand towards her.
"Pleasure doing business with you!" she joked, taking his hand and shaking it. They half-jokingly started making plans for the newly revived tea farm that day.
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