Old Friends
Haru's Perspective
My dad, Tyro, was with the Council, again. He's been stuck into his job since we got back from Zuko's coronation. I was hoping that when we got back, I could learn more earth-bending techniques from him. Of course, mum was working too, at the inn. She was especially busy when the Fire Nation had a hold of this place. But it's better now, because our village is free again, and people have registered to help work at the inn.
Today was sunny, the clouds were few, and there was a humid breeze that just made the smouldering heat of day worse. It was unbearable inside the house, and worse out here. But this old apple tree outside our house provided good shade. I climbed up the trunk and perched onto one of the lower branches. My back rested on the trunk, while my legs hung down, freely swaying in the warm wind.
The breeze weaved its way through the tree, rustling the leaves that spread out to form nature's umbrella. The dense canopy kept me cool and shaded. My eyelids soon got heavy, and I supposed I dozed off for a few hours. When I woke, I got up with a slight shock, realising that had fallen asleep. When I saw it was just before sunset, I sighed in relief. I'd hate to be caught asleep in a tree!
My parents would be coming back home soon. I used to have to sleep at the inn, because only my mother was there to work and monitor it through the night. But now she had people working night shifts, so we return to staying in our own house. Things were definitely better now. Life was better. And I don't think it could get much better than it was.
I sat in the tree for a few more minutes. Soon, some people approached our house, one of whom I recognised was my father. His magnificent build was hard to overlook. I tried to make out the other figures following him, and noticed with a start, that it was the Avatar and his other friends. Well, I wasn't expecting another visit from them so soon, but I wasn't exactly interested. It'd be all the usual talk; peace and order.
But when they entered through our front gate, one figure stood out before the others, and I didn't just mean it literally. Could it be? I sat disbelieving for a moment, but then our eyes met, and I was fully convinced that it was her. "Mi Li!" I whispered to myself, as I felt the feeling of pure joy fill me. A smile, which I had not smiled in a long time, was instantly etched onto my face. I swiftly jumped out of the tree and planted my feet softly onto the ground.
I planned to walk towards Mi Li at a measured pace, but I began running instead! Her face brightened into a smile that I missed so dearly, and she too began to hasten towards me. I opened my arms, preparing to pull her into my embrace. My hands met her waist, and I lifted her light frame off the ground with ease.
Her hands were placed lightly on my shoulders as I spun her around in midair. I slowed and carefully set her back down. We laughed, gazing into the other's eyes. Then I pulled her into my embrace, with a feeling so natural, it was like the transition of winter to spring.
We both laughed with glee, and her fluttering voice enchanted me. It was one that I thought I would never hear again. I then remembered my previous statement; it had been proven wrong in a matter of moments. Life was getting better the longer I lived it! We pulled away from each other so we could look at the other's face. She giggled delightfully as we held hands for a minuscule moment. I wanted to stay like this forever.
"Ahem," I heard my father's deep voice. I turned to look at him, as Mi Li pulled her hands away from mine, much to my dislike. I then saw her cheeks turn to a most striking shade of pink. She had blushed and turned slightly away from me, with a coy smile across her face. I stood there, a statue, momentarily mesmerized.
"I think we should all go inside now," my father suggested, with a sly grin on his face. I led the way, since I was closest to the door. I reached the handle and thrust the door open. I gestured for Mi Li to go in first. She accepted and stepped inside with her gaze fixed on the ground. The others followed, as I waited for them all to go through.
They all gave me varied expressions; Dad gave me a proud wink, Katara seemed thrilled, Toph looked oblivious, Aang had an amused grin, and Sokka and Suki shared an entertained look. I was a bit embarrassed, knowing they were all watching. But for once in my life I was actually, truly… happy.
Everyone sat down at in the living area. I wanted to sit next to Mi Li, but Tyro and Katara had already sat down on both sides of her. I was a bit annoyed. I hadn't seen her for so long, so I should have been allowed to sit closer to her. I wanted to hear about how she had survived all these years. I seized the next closest seat available; I sat on the couch that was positioned so it faced the fireplace, ninety degrees from Mi Li's couch. Toph, Suki and Sokka settled onto the other three-person couch, opposite Tyro, Mi Li and Katara. Aang took his place beside me.
"Well, tell us Mi Li. How have you been?" Tyro began the conversation. "Very well, thank you," Mi Li replied with poise. "How about yourself Uncle Tyro, I know what happened at the village while I was gone; Aang told me. He said the village was claimed by the Fire Nation," her voice expressed empathy. "Yes it was, but all is well again. Aang and his friends all helped to extinguish the Fire Nation's control," my father stated with relief.
"That's good to know. How's business at the inn?" she changed the subject. "Oh, very good, people are returning to our inn. And we have enough people working there as well. These are most definitely, good times," Tyro answered proudly. "I'm happy for you," Mi Li gave Tyro a respectful nod, as did everyone else. "Thank you, Mi Li," father nodded his head in thanks.
The conversation began to go quiet, and I saw the awkwardness reflecting in Mi Li eyes. I decided to speak, "So, Mi Li, where have you been all these years?" I asked with genuine curiosity, and slight concern. She seemed hesitant, but answered, "I've been in the Fire Nation, working secretly as a maid. After Zuko was crowned Fire Lord, it was safe for me to reveal myself. Aang, Zuko, Iroh, Katara, Toph, Suki, and Sokka were all there, they listened as I gave the account of my life. Afterwards, Zuko decided to release me from my services, and Aang has agreed to help me search for my parents," she paused. Her last sentence shocked me. She continued.
"It's actually the reason why I'm here. I was hoping, maybe, you would know something about where they are," she looked at me, then my father, with a tinge of hope in her sparkling violet eyes. It hurt me, to hear her ask where her parents were. My heart felt like it was being constrained to the point of bursting from the pressure.
Of course, I knew the answer, but I couldn't bring myself to tell it to her face. I couldn't bear to watch her in agony, knowing how hard her life had already been. I remained silent, as did my father. I supposed he felt the same way. When our silence began to worry her, Mi Li asked, "So, do you know where they are?" she asked, her innocence, tearing into my heart.
My father sighed deeply, and lied, "No, Mi Li. I'm sorry, we don't know where they are," his voice full of regret and guilt. Mi Li smiled weakly, "That's alright. I'll just have to keep on looking for them," she spoke with false optimism, as her words bore into my soul. Everyone remained silent for a long moment. Then Tyro broke the silence, "Well, seeing as it's getting late, I should organise your accommodation now," he attempted at changing the mood.
"Well, our house doesn't quite have enough rooms for everyone, so how about some of you stay at the inn?" he asked with an exhausted smile. Aang and the others agreed, following Tyro out the door to walk to the inn around the corner. Mi Li was about to stand, but I stopped her, "Wait, Mi Li! You can stay here with us," I excitedly said. She gave me a gratified smile, "Thank you, but that really won't be necessary. I'll just get in the way," she made a poor excuse.
"Not at all, stay! I'll be greatly honoured to have you in our house again," I spoke with confidence and pride. She considered my words, before giving me a submissive smile, "Very well, Haru! I'll stay here," and I couldn't help but feel triumphant. I quickly grabbed her hand to lead her upstairs. I choose the guest room next to mine. I opened the door and led her inside. I turned around to see her reaction.
"So, what do you think? Do you like this room?" I asked as she examined the room. "It's nice, I like the view," she giggled and walked to the window, overlooking the backyard. I heard her gasp when she saw the yard, "You have a courtyard, and a pond, and a huge plum tree, and so many colourful flowers in the garden! It's beautiful!" she stood, captivated.
"I want to go outside! Come on, take me there!" she turned to me and exclaimed in excitement, shaking my hand with anticipation. "Okay, follow me," I said while I laughed at her childishness. I briskly led her downstairs with our hands still entwined. I opened the gate leading into the backyard. We walked onto the paved path that led into the centre of the garden, where there was a square courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard was a small pond, of which there were colourful carp fish.
She skipped to the pond, her long dress flowing with the air, and kneeled down by the edge to see into the water. "Wow, they are so pretty," Mi Li breathed. Then she saw the huge plum tree, and pulled me towards it. It was just in the middle of spring, and the pink blossoms were in full bloom. We stood there and inhaled the strong fragrance in the air, "It smells so nice!" Mi Li stated cheerfully, gazing up into the branches of the tree.
She then spun around with her arms flinging freely as she twirled. Her hair seemed to drift with a feathery lightness, and her cherry dress flowed frivolously. Suddenly I noticed a beauty within her that I had never seen before. Mi Li had grown up, and she had changed in so many ways. But it was still the same, familiar Mi Li; her kindness and sincerity was her unique attribute.
She continued twirling in the gentle evening breeze, a most uplifting scene. Then she seemed to float onto the grass surrounding the base of the tree, heaving lightly from the dizziness. I walked to where she lay on the grass, and dropped down onto the ground next to her. I put my hands under my head and stared up into the collage of pink. A thought then came back to me, as I lay, contemplating on the soft grass.
"Mi Li, do you remember when we were kids? I know the garden didn't look this good back then, but we lived in serene times," I chuckled and turned my head to look at her. She stopped gazing into the tree and turned her head to the side, to stare into my eyes. "Yes, I remember. Things weren't great, but they were good. They were… innocent times," she spoke, deep in thought.
"They were innocent times. You were innocent," I stated in a serious tone. I turned to look back up and sighed, "I remember, when you used to get bullied by the other kids in town. They said very terrible things about you," just being reminded of the thought got my blood boiling. For a moment, I had a brief flashback of a memory:
"Stop it, leave me alone!" Mi Li screamed at them. "What are you going to do about it? You're a weak and strange little girl that doesn't belong here," a boy with a big frame said to her, before laughing devilishly. I quickly hurried to Mi Li. Soon his friends joined in, erupting into laughter when the boy with the big frame, pushed Mi Li onto the ground. But I caught her just before she could touch the ground, and helped her to stand up.
When she stood, she burst into tears and clinched onto me tightly. I stared at the bullies with rage, just as the leader of the group spoke out, "Oh, is that your girlfriend? You're a perfect match; two hopeless misfits," he laughed with malevolence. Then I couldn't take it anymore. I launched a wave of earth at them, which they didn't expect in their overconfidence.
They all ran away; a bunch of cowards and fools. I carefully walked Mi Li home that afternoon. From then on, I made sure I was always with her at school. I turned my head to see Mi Li's expression. "Yeah, and you saved me, many times," Mi Li said, still gazing at me with a grateful smile, before chuckling quietly. "Like that time, when some girls teased me in the school courtyard while I was having lunch," she returned to gaze back up into the tree. I remembered that one very clearly, I was proud of that rescue.
I was still in my classroom because my teacher had kept all the pupils inside for not completing class work. I anxiously scanned outside to check on Mi Li; she sat on a bench and had begun eating her lunch. But to my distaste, a group of snobby girls had approached her. I had no doubt they were there only to make fun of her. I so desperately wanted to leave the room, but I had to wait patiently. I listened intently on their conversation, which was actually loud enough to be heard from the room:
"Why are you here, Mi Li? You are a strange girl who has no friends. Just look at your eyes, they are so bizarre; who ever heard of purple eyes? Perhaps it's because you come from the isolated nation of the freaks!" she spoke loudly, and with false apprehension for Mi Li. "Go away!" Mi Li shouted at the girls.
"No! Who's going to make me, huh?" she spoke callously. Just then, the teacher excused the class and I ran to Mi Li's location. Upon seeing me, the lead girl changed her tone to one of charm, "Oh, hello Haru, want to join me and my friends? We'd love to have your company," her face exhibited a sweet smile, but I knew what lay behind that mask of gentleness.
"No, Mi Li is my friend. If you won't accept her, then I won't accept you!" I spoke sternly to her. My height intimidated her even more, and she walked away in an extremely aggravated fashion. Mi Li didn't cry that time, but she was deeply dismayed. I stayed with her throughout the rest of the day, and escorting her home had become a routine exercise.
"The girls teased about your eyes; they said it was strange," I stated unemotionally. Mi Li nodded sadly, "Yep. Unfortunately, I think that about myself too," she sighed. "No! Your eyes may be strange, but they are beautiful," I said passionately and looked deep into her eyes, as I felt our souls connect. "Thanks, Haru," she smiled, moved by my compliment. There and then, something magical stirred inside of me, and suddenly there was this unfamiliar urge.
I leaned onto one arm to face her side-on. She continued to gaze intently at me, as I gradually inched closer to her. Soon, our lips were a centimetre apart. Just when I began to feel each other's breath on our faces, she turned away, her face turning the same shade as the plum blossoms in the tree above us. I slowly backed away to lie back in the grass, feeling very foolish.
Unexpectedly, she rose and began walking towards the house. I sat upright and watched her curiously. She glanced back to give me a charming smile, "Come on Haru, the others will be back for dinner soon," she called to me. I swiftly jumped up and followed her inside. The others returned within a few minutes, accompanying my mother, and the ladies prepared dinner.
That night we had a filling feast, before everyone headed over to their accommodations. I lay on my bed and listened to the crickets chirping. The wind blew placidly, quietly rustling the leaves of the trees outside. I could only think of her that night, before I drifted into deep sleep. Still, in my sleep, I dreamt of her. Not for a moment, did my mind not think of her.