Chapter 10:

We two lit our cigarettes and in hailed the toxic smoke. The nicotine began to swim through our veins and catapult itself through our hearts. By the time we crumpled the burned paper and tar we were half way back to the farmhouse and the sky was beginning to darken.

My dad's grey hair was just tickling his soft mousy brown hair and wrinkles dotted his face, but his hands. They were calloused and strong, like he worked everyday of his life on a farm. To be truthful we both were like that, and as mom always liked to say 'You can tell a person just by looking at their hands.' And she's right, my father and I both had the hands of manual laborers. Or as we like to call them, farmers.

We entered the house and glanced around, my mom would usually be setting out the meal on the table. Or at least be preparing it, but she was nowhere in site.

"Mom? Mom? Where are you?" I called up the steps.

"Nami! Nami!" My dad called her name, but he didn't seem as worried as I was.

By the time I had run up the stairs searched the upstairs and came back down, my dad had found the newspaper and settled down at the kitchen table.

I stood there flabbergasted. "Dad shouldn't you be worried? Mom is missing?! For Christ's sake she could be kidnapped, or old-lady napped!"

"Phil sit down. Relax." He patted the cushion next to him without looking up.

"RELAX? How can I relax when my mother is out there in a place she doesn't know and she could be lost!"

"Don't worry son, she'll come back."

"COME BACK! Dad the mountain took me days to navigate and map out! How can a fifty-year old woman navigate it without even going in there with a native?"

"Just sit down Philip, she'll come back. She usually does this."

"WHAT!" I sat down next to my father and stared at him. "Your telling me, she just goes wandering about around dinner time and you just let it fly?"

He neatly folded his paper and rested it down quietly. "Of course I worry. You wouldn't believe how I felt the first few times. She just sort of picked this up."

"Picked it up?"

"Yes. Around a week or two after you left she just started to wander around town aimlessly. No real place she needed to go, she'd just wander around. Sure I got worried. I even told her she should walk with me, but in the end she went alone.

"Son, your mother is getting old. I'm getting old. We just have different ways of copping with it."

"It?"

"Death, son, death."

"Your dying Dad?" I leaned in closer.

"We all do one day. And your mother and I are nearing that day." I sat back, resting on the palms of my hands and let it all sink in. It never occurred to me that my parents wouldn't be here any more. It just always seemed like they would always be here to support me when I failed once again.

I ran a hand through my auburn hair and watch my father lift up the paper again and begin to read.

We were silent and what needed to be said was said.

I believe twenty minutes went by before my mother came in, her sleeveless blue shirt over her orange dress was a tad dirty but not too much. Her hair was a little bit messy and some leaves dotted her hair but she was alive and home.

I immediately got up and hugged her. She felt so small all of a sudden. Her petit body hugged my torso and her little red head tucked into my shoulder. Her body was frailer than when I last saw her, but she was still mom.

"Hey." I smirked as she caressed my cheek.

"Hey." Her voice was sweet and old. Just the way I like it.

…

We were just strolling by Kana's house as my father spoke up.

"Nami where are we going?"

"I found a lovely old woman in town who said she owner a restaurant. I thought we could eat there tonight." She swung their entangled hands as I trailed behind them.

It was always like this. I mean when I was younger, sure I held hands, but they always led the way holding hands never letting me. I guess they didn't think twice about it, but one day the three of us swinging hands it was only the two of them. I never brought it up, I mean just man up right, but how could I? It was like a small part of my heart got left behind along with me, always lost behind the both of their love.

I watched them. They really were still in love. Even after all those years of fighting and staying up late waiting for me to come home. Worrying their brains out if the crops would fail or the farm would fall into yet another slump. Every year, year after year, they hung on strong and stagnant. It's hard to see them without each other. My mother on her own, or my dad as a bachelor again. It really is odd.

Marriage is such an odd thing. It's mostly just a signature on a piece of paper, but why do people make it into such a huge deal. Why do parents have to choose a head of time who their unborn kids will marry? Why don't some parents approve of their child's choice of partner? What is all the fuss about?

We crossed past the doctor's office and made our way over to the restaurant. You could tell from the red lanterns, Ying was just hanging. She stood on her tiny toes just reaching the hook. When she slowly fell backwards. I pushed past my parents and snatched up the tiny frail girl.

"Hi Philly!"

"Hey who said you could call me 'Philly'."

"Awwww can't I?"

I paused for a bit then sighed. "Fine. Here, Ying put the lantern on the hook." I lifted up the frail girl as she hung the lantern on the metal hook. Her little arms reached the top hook and slid the red paper lantern on to the hook. I put the girl down and grabbed my lighter from my pocket.

I lit each lantern and watched them shimmer in the orange sunlight.

"Thank you Philly! It looks wonderful!" the small girl squeezed my leg and giggled.

"Alright Ying, I got to eat now. My parents are probably starving."

I pointed to behind me expecting my parents to still be standing there; rather only the early evening air was left.

"Who?"

I scratched the top of my head in confusion, "They must have gone inside already. Come on Ying." I pried the girl off my leg and took her by the hand.

…

My parents were sitting in a small booth along the edge of the restaurant. They sat on one side together as they both examined the menu Yun must have given them. As soon as Ying caught sight of her grandmother, she ran off towards her. Left behind, I trudged over to my parents' table and sat across from them.

"Hey."

"Aren't you going to look at a menu?" My mother just barely said looking up at me.

"Naw. I come her a lot. I already memorized the thing."

"oh…"

Ying came skipping over a small note pad in her hand and a panda pen tucked behind her ear.

"Hello and welcome to Yun's Tea House. Can I start you off with a drink or are you ready to order?"

"Dad?" I questioned as he folded his menu.

"I'll take one dark beer, and a glass of water."

"I'll take hot green tea please." My mom's voice had become surprising quiet from her usual self.

"Green tea too, please." I replied as Ying scribbled down our orders on the note pad.

"Ok! I'll come back in a few!" Ying's young voice rung through the surprisingly quiet restaurant. There were, surprisingly, very few customers in the restaurant that evening. It was odd; Kana usually took Lillian out to dinner those cold fall nights. Even Hiro mentioned he got Nori to go to the restaurant on one of those nights.

I watched the frail girl skip away. Her small braid bounced on her back it was odd. How could something so small be so happy? Yun had told me about her sickness, she was fragile and needed clean air for her lungs. She was getting surgery on them in a few months.

You could see the innocence in her like the sun. Her shinning black eyes that would twinkle in the light. The way the world seemed so big and beautiful, it was like I just wanted to trap her into our small world we have in the twin villages. Everything is so perfect and perfect. No evil that could hurt her fragile hands or her silky complexion.

There was a small candle of light on her heart that could easily burn out if someone or something touched it. I could see her easily taken down. Some boyfriend could easily take advantage of her fragility. Even thought we were not connected in any shape or form I just wanted to kidnap her and keep her locked up on my farm for the rest of my life. Or until I knew she wouldn't be hurt. Then… then… I'd….

"Philly?" I flipped my head around to see her. I could feel my eyes bulging out of my head, my mouth was open and my breath –man- that was heavy as shit. I was staring at the specific little girl, the same one that I was planning to kidnap for the rest of my life.

My head twitched my parents were staring at me with confusion on their faces. "Philip?" My mother's voice trickled out of her lips.

I swallowed. The restaurant suddenly felt like the whole city had came in. The walls were crashing in on me. "Philip? Aren't you going to order?"

All of a sudden I couldn't breath. I chocked out a breath, I could feel myself slipping into the bottom of the booth.

I reached out for the table; my hands were clammy with sweat as I slipped further into the darkness. My bottom jaw bounced and quivered in fear. All of sudden I bolted for the door. I pushed the little girl that I wanted to kidnap to the ground and pushed past the tourists that had just begun to come in. I threw the sliding down open and tripped over the small stoop that helped the older folks climb to the door. I fell to the ground.

Hi everyone! I hope you all liked this chapter! Yeah... Philip's mom is Nami... i just thought 'doesn't Philip resemble Nami's son from awl?' ... well so does Lillian... oh well!

Review!