err, this chapter is kind of awkwardly written.
Her daughter tried to stay up late in the night, waiting for her mother to come home. They were quite close, you know; clutching onto each other after the death of Mr. Ukami and bearing the hardships they went through after that. The rent, the taxes, finding jobs, college funds- Those were only
a part of the problem.
"I pray to you, God sir," She whispered, holding her blanket nervously. Aya didn't have many conversations with Him, "Please let Light's father live."
She didn't tend to sleep after that. Flipping and flopping on her mattress, the only child went deep in thought.
'What if my mother died? How would I bear the feeling? I would commit suicide... No, suicide is for idiots... Right?' She got up from her bed and walked down the hallway, twiddling her fingers to get something that would cool her down.
Her mother's eyes were sensitive to light, so they had the house painted in dark colors. The hallways were gray and crimson. Positioned in the middle of the long carpeted way was a grandfather clock, the one Mr. Ukami was always so fascinated with. When Aya was younger, she and her father would go out for a stroll in town. There was a pawn shop they would always stop by. Mr. Ukami admired the expensive clock, but hadn't had enough to purchase it. Eventually, after his tragic death, Mrs. Ukami took the liberty to buy it in memory of her beloved husband despite paying off debts.
"Everything's going to be fine... Really... You just have to have hope... Right?" She comforted herself, turning on the television set with a glass of warm milk. This time, she didn't drink from the carton. She refrained herself from trying. The entire neighborhood was quiet. She didn't even hear the blaring sounds of japanese drama from the program Sayu watched or the scolds Mrs. Yagami gave to her children next door. Three large windows were built near the TV like a three-way mirror. All were closed- except one, which was hardly opened. After watching some anime, Aya couldn't lift her lips. No smile, giggle, or chuckle came out of her lifeless mouth when Naruto did his classic 'sexy no jutsu'. Her eyes drooped with slight insomnia lines below them.
"I'm... so tired..." She whispered to herself, "I think I should... I should rest for now..."
Closing her eyes, she drowned out the tv volumes, not even caring about the electricity bills. With the last of her tired voice, she whispered to nobody in particular, "Oyasumi..."
*Oyasumi, neh? This girl is sure strange...*
Ryuk chuckled, leaning on the television set.
A slight breeze went into the room, as he stepped outside, carefully eyeing the sleeping figure of Aya. His eery phantom eyes faded in with the darkness of the night.
*I'd really like to find out why Light is drawn to her... Nah, he's probably just gonna use her. Keh keh.*
"Air, vous vivrez avec nous maintenant." A man with jet black hair leaned down onto his knees and smiled at a little girl who was holding a stuffed rabbit. ((Air, you will be living with us now.)) He then gazed upon the young child. "Nous manquerons votre prescense, Air." ((We will miss your prescense, Air)) The little girl looked at the floor with a frown, then up at the elder with a bright smile and gleaming eyes. "Svp, ne pas tre triste. Je visiterai bientt. Je promets, Watari." ((Please don't be sad. I will visit soon. I promise, Watari.)) She turned around, eyeing three suspicious people hiding behind the wall. "Near, Mello, Matt." She spoke, clutching the rabbit tighter, trying to hide her face. The three children walked out of their hiding places. "You just had to call us in order, huh?" Mello scolded, glaring at a random direction. "Sorry." Watari rose his right brow, "You can speak English, Air?" The little girl turned around and said, "A bit-ah, Watari. From ze, ah, vidjeoh games?" He sighed, "Better than nothing." Air looked back. "Will you miss me?" she asked. Matt and Mello looked at each other and shrugged as Near was about to finish a puzzle, then stopped. "I will," Near said, slightly looking up at her. Air smiled. "Very well to hear." "Very good to hear, Air," Her new father corrected, "... I think that's correct." She looked back at her new father and smiled, "We visit soon?"
The little girl gripped her rabbit firmly and spoke, "tes-vous mon pre?" ((Are you my father?))
"Oui, et toi sont ma fille.", The man nodded and chuckled. ((Yes, and you are my daughter.))
He got up and turned back to an elder in a suit, waiting for him to say something.
"You will be her legal parent as soon as you write down her name on this certificate." The older man sighed.
The man smiled, "Of course."
"Your daughter has improved greatly. She has mastered all of the standards and the first semester has not even finished yet." Aya's principal stated as he grazed out of his office window.
"Good job, Aya!" The Ukami's praised, "We're very proud of you."
She did not utter a word, and clutched onto her old stuffed rabbit.
"Although she is quite young, I'd like to offer the option of having her skip a grade level or two." The man continued. Mr. Ukami stood up and shouted, "SKIP?"
The professor looked back, "Yes, sir. Skip. Nobody in this school has ever skipped before and we are quite shocked. Although we would like to keep that reputation, I suggest you transfer her to another school."
The professor sneered. The little girl winced and clutched the doll tighter.
"It brings shame to this school." He continued, "To have a girl that carries a stupid rabbit everywhere she goes, keeping quiet and staying silent as if she's mute!"
At that moment, Aya's mother stood up.
"This school already has been put to shame, sir." She spoke softly, "We already decided to move to Japan you see-"
"Then leave!" He turned around and slammed his fist onto the desk and gritted his teeth.
Aya then slid her chair out and jumped out of the chair, turning around from the adults, heading towards the door.
"Sir, if you did not wish for me to skip, then why did you accept me right away in this school? No person would be so... light-headed."
"WHAT? I AM A FINE MAN INDEED!" The principal shouted as lightning struck.
"Not enough to get a girlfriend," Aya's father winked and nudged his wife.
Their daughter ignored his rude comment, "I hear that the top students of the world are from there... I look forward to the trip, papa!"
Her father's eyes gleamed and sparkled, "Oh you'll just love it, Aya! Japan- the country I've loved and grew up in."
"Hurry along and go back to your chinaotwn," The annoying teacher sneered, lighting his cigarette. Mrs. Ukami clenched her teeth and fists.
"That's very racist!" She yelled, banging her fist on the desk, almost breaking it in half. Back then, Aya's mother was still serving as a policewoman. She was a tough cookie. Once the Ukami's stepped out, a second before closing the door, the mother held her middle finger up and stuck her tounge out at the principal.
With two words of devious remark, she snorted, "Bite me!"
Somewhere far from the Ukami residence, at the top of a private hotel, a boy typed on his computer.
"Search for Ukami, Aya's profile in the orphanages files. Watari-san." He said, sipping his sweet tea in the darkness. His baggy eyes shifted, staring at different areas of his laptop.
"Right away sir." An electronic voice replied as a window popped up on the mysterious person's computer.
"Ukami, Aya- Born on May 15th, 1990. Also known as 'Air' when growing up in Wammy's Orphanage. She was adopted by the Ukami family. Skipped two grade levels when first started 3rd. Got kicked out of school in the UK and succeeded elementary in Japan... What a lady."
"Ah, thank goodness the profile provided her phone number. She could be much of use in the Kira case, don't you think, Watari-san?" The boy better known as L replied slowly.
"Yes, sir. I'm sure she'll be overjoyed to see you again, L. Good-bye."
Before closing his laptop, he whispered, "Oyasumi."
"Okaa-san..." The girl tugged on her mother's sleeve as she slept as if she was a little child again.
"Mmm... What is it?" The parent asked, fumbling around on the mattress.
"Okaa-san... Wake up... Please..." Her child wept.
"Nani? What is it?" The mother woke up and stared at what seems to be her child's face, covered by the darkness.
"Yagami Light... His father... He's in the hospital..." She whispered, "The hospital called us... Mother... He had a heart attack."
"NANI?" Kyoko Ukami san, the parent of Aya Ukami, shot up from her bed and looked at her daughter.
"Yagami Souchiro is in the hospital? A heart attack you say?" A gleamer of light shined from Aya's brown eyes. "Hai..."
They were tears.