love letters addressed to anonymous

.30. ([ Under the Rain ])

She had warned her not to look but she knew Téa couldn't help it. The man's shouts were too loud to ignore and Sani herself desperately wanted to rescue the frightened boy cowering under his glare, mute in shock. Téa shivered as the man snatched up the boy's small hand, shaking it with white knuckles. Like the other bystanders, Sani tried to ignore them and the voice in her head commanding her to stop the infuriated man.

The grocery bag lying between them was suddenly lifted on a sudden gust of wind and the man paused his lecture to watch it fly over the street. The peaches and apples the boy had accidentally dropped lay ruined on the sidewalk. Under the rain, the vivid splash of color brightened up the grey setting but Sani knew her silent pleas to quiet the father were painting her perspective optimistic. Her granddaughter clung to her skirt, watching from the safety of the umbrella as the boy shivered beside his father, face red and eyes downcast. Sani could only guess it was his father. In a day and age where correcting a parent is a sin, none of the people around the man could tell or ask if the boy was really his to reprimand.

The cars on the road slowed to a halt, showering a few droplets over their shoes and Sani tugged Téa's hand to move her forward. She heard another comment from the man and bit her lip to keep her thoughts inside. A sudden flash of movement turned her head and she saw the boy had ripped himself from the man's grip and was darting down the crosswalk. The man began running towards him, bellowing a stream of curses. Sani shook her head sadly and tightened her grip around Téa 's hand but stopped when the child refused to move. She glanced back and saw that Téa was crying, shoulders quivering.

Téa was the kind of child who found birds with broken wings and kids crying in the mall without their mothers. She had a keen maternal instinct that got her into trouble as often as she saved others from it. One day, Sani always complained to her embarrassed daughter and her husband, she would get herself into a situation there would be no way out of, and it would be because she just had to meddle. Saving people was one thing, endangering yourself was another.

Crying was just as bad as being slapped and screamed at because a day was spent after either trying to restore a lost smile. And now Téa had seen a child hurt by his own father run away and she didn't know where he'd go and if he'd be alright. Sani crouched, her knees creaking, and started to brush the tears away.

"T-th-that boy needed help! Why was- no one was helping him Nana!"

A pang echoed through her chest, reminding her that hiding guilt from the innocent was the worst crime of all.

"You can't save everyone in this world, dear," Sani said, distress underlining every word. "When you grow up, you will be older and stronger and wiser. Then, you can help many more people. But there are days and times when interfering in other people's lives will hurt you."

"We should have-should have run a-after him-"

"And if something happened to you, what will happen to me?"

Téa's brow wrinkled as she resumed sobbing and without another word, Sani smoothed back her hair and then took her hand, standing up with effort. They slowly began to cross, the drivers allowing them to pass although the light had flashed green a moment before.

"Nana?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Will he be okay?"

Sani glanced down at Téa, her young face stiff although the rain had washed away the dried trails of tears.

"Yes dear. I'm sure he is," she whispered. Téa said nothing more and Sani knew the girl didn't believe her.

A/N:

Yes, I'm so nice that I posted another piece for you guys. :) In return, I want reviews...pretty please? I see all these hits and not very many reviews (everyone who has reviewed, I love you!) so can I please read your comments? I want to see what you guys think! :D

Anyways, I started writing this because I love/hate the "two destined people met when they were children" idea. When done properly, it should have significance but avoid the whole "it was fate" thing. And since I wrote in the first arc piece that Téa and Joey actually met when he bumped into her in the hallway, I knew that as kids, they would have no cutesy interaction. So I wrote this ;)

Hope you enjoyed!