She hoped when she wakes up, it was all a silly dream. Instead she foundd herself in comfortable white bed sheets, instead of the ratty, holed ones she hated. From the violet tinge of the sky, she could tell it was dawn.
It's dim and it scared her. What if a man was right behind her? If he cusped his sweaty hand on her mouth? She ran on the marble floors of the manor. Kanae is better company than her own thoughts.
She saw a sembleance of light from another room. She took a peek of it. Alfred was also early, preparing something in a pot.
"Happy Easter Mistress Shinobu!" Alfred said cheerfuly. She smiled like her sister would. "Happy Easter to you too Alfred!"
Alfred served her an early breakfast on the kitchen islet. He placed a bowl of oats on the table.
Shinobu fed spoonfuls of the oats oats to her mouth. Another bowl of oats will make her puke. She doesn't feel hungry despite not eating at all yesterday. She just wanted to make a face to him.
"Don't put everything in your mouth all at once," Alfred lightly scolded. Kanae would also scold her with a smile. The bowl was half full. Shinobu already felt bloated. Just another spoonful…
Jason sat beside her. Unlike her he wore a big grinn on his face. He was a street child before all the luxuries. She isn't surprised when he greeted little good things like treasures. Kanae also loves everything no matter how simple or small.
On Kanae's birthday, Shinobu gifted her socks. Socks. Kanae deserved more than socks. Yet Kanae still smiled like mother. It also made Shinobu smile too despite the mediocre gift.
"What did you do with Kanae's money?" she asked. Jason's grinn turned upside down. She might've ruined his mood. Too late to run away now.
"It's alright if you don't answer," she quickly added. She stuffed more oats in her mouth.
"Stolen by the way," Jason finally answered. "I'm sorry," So Kanae's alms were a waste afterall. They all died as she did. This was it.
Nothing could live on forever…
Her eyes were tired from last night but it still managed to leak a tear. Crying all day won't help. Kanae's deeds were brushed off the world like nothing. But crying about that won't help at all…
"Kanae why did you give money to that boy, Jason," Shinobu asked. She was a bit pissed the ten dollars was with him. "It was simply the right thing to do," Kanae answered.
"Then what made you do it?"
Kanae eyes gazed to Shinobu's. "When I saw that boy, I see you Shinobu,"
"Me? How?" she couldn't be like him. She doesn't steal or do anything as reckless as that.
"I see his anger, and beneath that a scared little child like you," Kanae said. "Before they died, our parents used to tell me to 'Be that light for others'. I think you didn't remember,"
Shinobu rememebered her parent's sermons like bystanders' faces. All she understood as a child was scolding and punishment but they were gentler than the social workers.
"I disapointed them, didn't I?" Shinobu asked. Her parents might not be proud of her beating a homeless boy as Kanae was. Kanae shook her head.
"No, it's because of you we made a new friend!" Kanae shifted to a cheerful and joking tone.
"What?!" she exclaimed. Kanae laughed. "Come on, let's keep on going!" After one month, she'll never see that face again.
Looking back, perhaps Kanae is right. Jason is their new friend. She'll make sure Kanae's kindness lives on. Her kindness shall never be extinguished. What do kind people do?
"Thanks Jason," she said as clearly as she can, avoiding her tears to turn to sobs. She smiled. "Your in a better place now, Kanae can rest well,"
At least she hoped so… Something tug at her heart. A gentle reminder of the day that changed everything. From the window, a red-laced smile plastered onto it.
"Shinobu," Jason's voice pulled her back to reality. "I appreciate it but are you ok? You stared at the window for a whole minute,"
She cleared her throat. "Fine," she answered.
Here is chapter 5. This took the longest to write.