Wetdry, I'm sorry if you were disappointed. Your idea was really amazing though and I wish I had thought of it myself. It would have made a great twist to the story. James Birdsong, Thank you! ZaXo Ken'Ichi, Thank you very much! :)
Seven
I don't think I will ever be able to say that I have gotten over Aika's death. She was like my other half. Without her, I feel incomplete. Without her, I feel like I have no reason to speak… No reason to breathe… It was the hardest thing I ever had to deal with and it hurt so, so much. Because I was no longer needed as Aika's interpreter, I felt like I had no purpose in life. So, basically, I shut down.
For a long time after Aika's funeral, Sakaki's parents couldn't get her to leave her bedroom. All she did was sit up there and cry or stare at the ceiling. She didn't eat and she started to get really sick. Her parents were worried, but there wasn't much they could do. She refused to talk to them and she refused to venture outside of her room. It had gotten so bad that her father threatened to kick the door down and have her shipped off to a hospital several times. But Sakaki always knew that he was just saying those things out of anger and grief, so she stayed where she was. It was hard for her to sleep at night because her thoughts always kept her awake. When she did sleep, it was because she had passed out from exhaustion, and her sleep was always plagued by nightmares.
When she finally came out of her room, her mom cried. Sari sat there sobbing, holding Sakaki tightly and made her promise to never do anything like that again. But she couldn't promise her anything for two reasons. The first reason was that she wasn't sure if she would ever get better. It was always possible for her to become upset like that again and completely shut herself off from the world. The second reason was that she couldn't bring herself to speak at all. Every time she opened her mouth and tried to say something, it just felt wrong. It almost felt as if she were betraying Aika. And that was pain that she just couldn't bear.
Sakaki's dad desperately tried to help Sari and his daughter move on and make their family seem whole again. But it was nearly impossible. They couldn't seem to fill the void that Aika left in their hearts. Nothing he tried worked and Sakaki felt sorry for him. She knew how hard he was trying to make life normal and easy for them again, but they couldn't bring themselves to smile and be happy when someone so precious to them wasn't there to share their joy. It just wasn't right. But her father never gave up. He kept pushing them. He planned family outings and nights where they would spend quality time together. Eventually, he won Sari over. It took a bit of time, but she was finally able to laugh and smile again. Sakaki, however, proved to be the biggest challenge because even after two months, she still refused to speak.
The school year was coming to an end. Sakaki's grades never faltered, amazingly, but she didn't really care either way. She didn't bury herself in her studies, but she didn't completely blow it off either. She just went through her daily life as if she were on auto-pilot. She didn't think about what she was doing, she just did it. Her parents and teachers always told her how proud she should be that she was able to maintain such good marks while still recovering from such a tragic loss, but their words meant nothing to her. Sakaki wasn't proud of anything. She was just a hollow, empty shell. And she was just fine with staying that way. She didn't want to open up to anyone anymore. She didn't see the point. She figured she was just going to lose them all over again, and she wasn't prepared to deal with that.
During the summer break, Sakaki mainly stayed in the house. The only time she really went out was when her father had planned little outings for them, such as picnics or a day in the park. Once he took Sari and Sakaki to an amusement park, but Sakaki didn't go on any of the rides, and they ended up going home early. After that, her father yelled at her for a little over an hour. He told her that he understood the pain she was going through, but that she needed to at least try to move on with her life. He was tired of watching her waste her life away. He then said that he had signed her up for a summer program that was being held at the high school she was going to start attending. There was no way for her to talk her way out of it. Sakaki tried. She cried every day and begged her parents not to make her go, but they wouldn't give in. They said that she needed to go out into the world the world to get fresh air and clear her troubled mind.
And so, Sakaki started the Summer Athletes' Program at her future high school. The first day was terrible. She showed up and was instantly petrified at the sight of all the other athletes. She had always been pretty decent at sports, but these people were here to prove themselves and compete. Sakaki wasn't looking for a competition. She didn't even want to be there… For the first day, she just sat to the side and watched the clouds. The coaches and instructors tried coaxing her out onto the field to play, but it was no use. They told her father about how she refused to do anything and he scolded her for such actions. She was told that she had no choice but to play the next day.
And so, the following day, Sakaki did as she was told. She ran races and jumped hurdles. She shot basketballs and hit baseballs. She did exceptionally well and the coaches kept trying to encourage her to sign up for teams for the high school. But, no matter who asked her, she always said no. She didn't want to join any teams or clubs. She just wanted to be alone. She wanted to sulk in her misery and grieve for her little sister.
But someone changed that. On the last day of the Athletes' Program, families of the athletes came to watch their child compete in different activities. Sakaki's mother and father were two of the many proud parents that were cheering for their child. Sakaki was sitting on the lush grass, waiting for the race she was competing in to start. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and her chin was resting on top of them. She stared miserably at her mother and father, wishing that Aika could be there as well. She let out a quiet sigh. Suddenly, there was a tap on her shoulder. Sakaki jumped and looked over her shoulder to see who had approached her. She was surprised to see a woman, who seemed to be in her early thirties, standing beside her.
"Hello," she said in a soft voice. "You're Sakaki, correct?" Sakaki simply nodded. "Do you mind if I sit beside you?" the woman asked. Sakaki shook her head and the woman took a seat. She smoothed out her yellow sundress and smiled at the younger girl. "I guess you don't remember me, do you?" When Sakaki shook her head again, the young woman nodded. "That's understandable. My name is Atsuko Miyamoto. I was Aika's kindergarten teacher."
Sakaki's eyes widened with shock and she could feel tears prick the corners of her eyes. She couldn't believe that Aika's teacher from so long ago remembered who she was. She also couldn't imagine why the woman would want to sit with her. If she was here, surely she had a child she was supposed to be cheering for, right…?
"Listen, Sakaki… I know that you and I don't exactly know each other very well, and you may not think that it is my place to say something like this, but I heard about Aika. I'm very sorry that your family has suffered such a terrible loss. Aika was a beautiful, bright, young girl, and she will be missed so much by so many people. I've kept in touch with your mother since having Aika as a student because the little girl was very dear to me, as were you, Sakaki. I don't know if your mother ever told you, but whenever we got on the topic of Aika, I couldn't help but praise you for how much you loved your sister and how you took care of her. I will never forget the day that you came into my class and figured out that Aika wasn't feeling well, and then took her to the nurse."
Sakaki blushed. She didn't expect to be remembered for such a little deed. She was just taking care of Aika, like she was supposed to. She never really thought that it was a big deal.
"I hope you don't get angry with your mother for telling me this, but she mentioned that you have become a bit of an introvert since your sister's passing. She told me how you don't like to talk or go out and spend time with other people. Sakaki, I just wanted to come over here and tell you that I think you should reconsider your actions. You see, I may not have been able to understand Aika as well as you, but I could see the way she looked at you and how much adoration she had for you. And, well, I don't think that she would like to see you living this way. I really think that she would much rather you lived your life to the fullest. Make high school a brand new start for you. Don't shy away from people because you are grieving, but don't forget how much you loved your little sister either. Make lots of friends and have a lot of fun. Aika wouldn't want you to do anything else. And, besides, she's never truly gone. She will always be in your heart and she will always be watching over you."
Tears spilled down Sakaki's cheeks as Ms. Miyamoto spoke. Her words truly touched the young woman because she knew that she was speaking the truth. Aika would be very disappointed if she knew that Sakaki was locking herself away from the rest of the world.
"Anyway, I just really wanted to talk to you about that. I suppose I've bothered you long enough. I really hope you take what I said into consideration. Have a good day, Sakaki. I'll be rooting for you." With that, the teacher stood up and walked away.
I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!
Mew Painappuru
