5: Mother and Son
Series*
Shiine·etc*
General*
AftertheWedding*
The eager audience finished their desserts very slowly, as if wanting to judge every grain in each ingredient of the recipe. Sooner or later, they would want to leave, having visited all the booths and exhibits in the mini-fair Cha-cha made for them, therefore we decided to end the party. It was three in the afternoon, as we found out, when it finally hit us to know the time. It does fly when you're having fun, because I did have the finest time of my life today, and only following it were all those days when Cha-cha was with me.
However, that thought shattered into a million fragments and vanished when, seeing my mother's and father's eyes shining less brightly than usual, I realized I had to leave, most likely in the next few days...or maybe even tomorrow...neither returning nor visiting for at least a whole year. I felt weak all over and was unable to neither move nor speak. I wanted to run away to the castle and hide in one of the rooms where no one could find me until they would give up and decide not to leave anymore, when I felt a hand resting on my shoulder. Unaware who he or she was, I moved away fiercely from that person's touch. "Leave me alone!" I cried out.
"Wh-what's wrong, Shiine dear?" a familiar voice asked, frightened and at the same time concerned. It was Miss Dorothy.
"S-sorry," I said shamefully, turning away.
There was a long pause, but she decided to break it. "I know what you're thinking. You're scared to leave Cha-cha and your friends, right?"
I did not argue, although I had to admit she was right, and she knew it too.
"Shiine, you're leaving for a very wonderful reason. Your mother is going to have a baby! Don't you realize that that is one of the most special gifts we receive in a lifetime? You must be very lucky to have a baby brother or sister. You're even more fortunate than Cha-cha or any other of your friends. You're the first one among the six of you to have another child in the family!"
She went on, her eyes filled with concern and worry. "Keep in mind that you'll eventually come back, although it will take a longer time. With that in mind, how can I allow my dearest boy not to visit for a time that long?"
"Y-you'll miss me?"
"Who wouldn't, dear! We've shared a special bond--like mothers and sons--throughout these years, you know, and I would not consent myself to let it just slip away."
She came even closer and embraced me tightly. I didn't actually take her seriously when she had spoken so sentimentally, because most of the time only commands and scolds came out of her mouth. But seeing the shine in her eyes, a shine that meant she was close to tears, I wanted to melt. Oh, Teacher...
"You just can't survive doing the household chores since I won't be around, right?" I teased her.
"Well--"
"Admit it, Teacher! That's the main reason why you don't want me to leave."
"Okay, I admit that I can't cook."
I stared at her.
"And clean."
"Yes, yes, and iron the clothes, wash the dishes, do the laundry, water the plants...I give up!"
I laughed victoriously at her for a moment, but I was surprised at the same time because her temper didn't turn into anything unpleasant this time.
"Listen, I can learn how to do those things when you'll be away, especially since I'm married to Seravi now," she debated with me desperately, but got more serious and kneeled in front of me while putting both of her arms around me. Then she whispered, "I will miss you because you have been like a son to me, a great son every mother must be proud of."
I could not reply anymore. Maybe it was the statement that was too much of a praise, or that I'm not the kind of person who would accept what she had just said and then later on brag it to the whole world, but I was really affected by what she said to me.
Mother. Son.
I felt two hot teardrops on my shoulder fall from her face. My eyes welled up, too, and then I cried my heart out. "I love you, Teacher Dorothy! I love you! No way I'm going to leave you now."
She pulled out a pink satin handkerchief and blew her nose. "If I could only agree with that, Shiine...but I can't. You must remember that you have to obey your parents before me. Besides, isn't this a great opportunity to get to know you mother and father even more."
"If you think so," I said hesitantly.
"That's my boy! Now, dry you eyes and go finish the party."
"Yes, ma'am!" I answered more cheerfully this time, and headed towards the stage.
"Shiine?" she called out before I went out of her sight.
p>"Huh?"
"You did an amazing job today!"
I smiled slightly, still an air of depression around me, and left her.
"Where were you the last twenty minutes, Shiine?" Riiya scolded me bossily.
"We just didn't know what to do. The guests were about to finish their desserts, so we got worried that we might mess things up," Cha-cha clarified more kindly, and then turned to Riiya. "You shouldn't have got mad at Shiine like that!"
"That's okay, Cha-cha," I called out, astonishingly defending the person I hated the most. "But he's right. I shouldn't just disappear and then reappear."
She nodded without speaking.
I smiled sheepishly. "The problem is, how do we end the party anyway?"
Suzu, Marin, Yakko, Riiya and Cha-cha all gaped at me. "Hey! I'm not in charge of this party, right? I'm the guest of honor!"
"And since you're the guest of honor, you get to give to closing speech for the party to end," Cha-cha concluded, her eyes lighting up.
I was to applaud her that it was a good idea, only if I wasn't the guest of honor.
"Me?"
All five heads nodded.
It's just a speech, you say some sentences, go further, and you're done...
...Yeah, right.
"Come on, Shiine, everybody's counting on you!" Cha-cha reminded in a singsong voice as she pushed me to the center of the stage and went back to her place at the side.
There I was, all alone, now the center of attention, whom they directed all their concentration. Absolute quiet and stillness drowned the whole area, making my knees wobble and my teeth chatter. What was there to be terrified about? I have gone up the stage and spoken to the audience just minutes ago.
Be yourself. Loosen up a bit, okay Shiine?
"H-hi...Sh-shiine here," I began. "I have to be honest with you...I really don't know what to say. But whatever it is, I'll keep it simple, because I know you want to go home right now."
I took in a great amount of air, and let it out slowly.
"I'm just thankful for having been born into a very friendly and loving world...where all of you exist," and at this point, one or two laughed. "I'm also grateful for having met my teachers...and classmates...and the King and Queen...Teacher Seravi...my parents..."
"...My most precious friends...Yakko, Marin, Riiya, Suzu, and Cha-cha, who cared enough to throw this grand a party in my honor. Through all kinds of circumstances, we held on to one another...bore one another...lived with one another...but at least we had one another. 'Feels really good to know that you're being loved, and that there was someone for you no matter what happens."
All five of them sniffed at the same time.
"But most of all, I would like to show a huge lump of appreciation and gratitude I've always had in my heart," I paused, held a trembling fist to my chest, and moved my eyes to a pink-haired lady who silently released an endless stream of tears down her cheeks without even bothering to wipe them away. Somehow catching the virus, I cried too, and choked her name out. "To my Teacher Dorothy."
Teacher Seravi held her hand for the first time I could ever recall before their marriage, and, looking at her tenderly, he calmed her down.
"For twelve years I grew up to know her as my mother, until a couple of months ago, I learned that my father was a knight working for the evil Lord Daimarou, whom we reformed through the Magical Princess. Not long after, we saved my mother who was trapped in a cave. They finally left Mochi-Mochi Mountain to continue living peacefully once more, visiting us as often as they could."
"Miss Dorothy taught me everything I know now, from cooking dinner to casting spells...She cared for me to the best of her ability, understood all my actions and thoughts...and though Teacher Seravi says she is the worst cook in the world..."
I glanced straight at Teacher Seravi, who was still holding her hand, looked up unsuspectingly. Teacher Dorothy smiled. I winked at her.
"I would know better than that. Right, Teacher Seravi?"
His whole face turned red. The audience laughed, getting the hint.
I waited for the noise to die down. "And from what I experienced today, I think that if there's anyone who should have a party in his or her honor, it would be Teacher Dorothy. This is for you, Teacher!" I called to her, and made a large bouquet of moist, red roses appear before Teacher Seravi. He automatically gave it to her after an affectionate kiss on her lips. She mimed 'thank you' to me in return, and as I left the stage, the crowd applauded.
* End of first half, Mother and Son!
APotBiB © iced*