Chapter Fifteen- Children, What a Beautiful Thing
Ken and Jesi sat in Ken's bedroom the next day playing chess. Ken sat with his hand on
his chin pondering his next move. Then, he moved his queen two spaces to the right.
"Check mate."
"Ugh! Why can't I ever win!?" Jesi said.
Ken smiled, "You'll get better, just keep practicing."
"Kids, lunch is ready," Mrs. Ichijouji called from the kitchen.
Ken and Jesi went into the dining room and sat down next to each other.
"Your mother makes the best lunches," Jesi said as she ate. Ken smiled.
Mrs. Ichijouji stood in the kitchen pouring Lemonade into two glasses.
"Ken is so happy, he smiles so much" she though to herself. "I'm so glad he has such
good friends now." Mrs. Ichijouji's eyes started to water.
"Oh by the way Ken, my little cousin is coming to visit tomorrow, and I'm supposed to
watch her. Do you want to come to the mall with us?"
"Of course, I'd love to spend the day with you."
"It would be like our own little family." Jesi smiled
"Family?" Ken stopped eating. A sweat drop formed on the side of his head.
"What's wrong?"
"Um, nothing."
The next day, Ken and Jesi arrived at Jesi's apartment and hearing a crashing sound coming
from inside.
"What is that?" Ken said, looking rather confused.
"Oh um.. Well that's my little cousin, Meiwaku. She's a but.. Um.. hyper."
Ken and Jesi opened the door to see a little girl with brown hair in pigtails, running through the apartment. She had knocked over a vase and it had shattered on the floor.
"Meiwaku! It's time to go!" Jesi called to her. She stopped and walked up to them.
"Who's this loser?" she said as she looked at Ken.
"Hey! That's not very nice! Apologize right now."
"Fine, I'm ssoooooooorrrryyy."
"That's better, let's go." Meiwaku stuck her tongue out at Ken when Jesi turned around.
Ken tried not to worry about it. "She's just a little kid after all," he thought.
Ken, Jesi and Meiwaku walked down the street to the mall. Meiwaku stopped in the
middle of the sidewalk and pressed her nose against a store window.
"Hey look, it's the toy store." She said.
"Meiwaku, we aren't going there today, maybe tomorrow."
"Ken, buy that for me!" she said as she pointed at a doll through the window.
"I... don't think I have enough money with me." He said softly.
"I want it now!!" she screamed. Meiwaku turned around and punched Ken below the belt.
Ken's eyes opened wide as his knees went weak and he bent over. Jesi turned around.
"Meiwaku!! How could you!?"
Meiwaku stuck her tongue out and Jesi and ran past her into the toy store.
"Hey! Come back!" Jesi ran in after her. Ken, slowly, stood up and ran after Jesi.
Jesi was standing in the main entrance of the huge, colorful toy store. She looked around
frantically.
"I don't see her anywhere!"
"Wait, over there," Ken said. He pointed to a huge bin of balls tipping over and bouncing
out onto the floor. Then Meiwaku jumped out and ran into the right side of the toy store.
"Oh!" Jesi ran after her little cousin and Ken followed her. The next room was filled with
giant stuffed animals and dolls.
"She could be hiding anywhere!" Ken and Jesi stumbled through the piles of stuffed
animals looking for Meiwaku.
Jesi turned around when she heard a giggling behind her and saw Meiwaku running back
out into the main entrance.
Jesi climbed out of the teddy bears and dashed after her.
"Meiwaku come back!!" Jesi and Ken sped through the toy store. As they turned the
corner Ken ran into an old lady carrying a bunch of boxes. The boxes tumbled over onto the floor.
"Oh sorry, sorry!!"
Jesi ran into the left side of the toy store after her cousin.
"Aren't you Ken Ichijouji? Hey look everyone, it's that genius Ken Ichijouji!!" The old
lady yelled. Ken was lost in a crowd of people wanting to meet him.
Jesi jogged through the mass of toys trying to catch Meiwaku. She giggled as she ran and
hid from Jesi behind boxes and racks of toys.
"This is not funny anymore!" Ken ran up behind her. "Where were you?"
"I got slowed down by some.. Eh fans."
"There she is! Ken you go to the left and I'll go to the right."
Meiwaku dashed around the toys but when she reached the other side she ran right into
Jesi. Jesi grabbed onto her wrist
"Hey! Lemme, go that's child abuse!"
"Don't go running away like that! This is a big city and you could get lost."
"Hmmph." Meiwaku turned away and snubbed her nose up at them.
"Come on, let's go." Jesi and Ken walked out of the store and Jesi dragged Meiwaku
along behind her.
As they walked down the street, Ken whispered in Jesi's ear. "Does she always act like
this?"
"She's just a little hyper that's all."
Ken, Jesi, and little Meiwaku reached the downtown mall and walked up to the mall map.
"Where should we go for lunch?" Jesi asked.
"This Chinese restaurant looks good," Ken said, pointing at the map.
"Ok let's go." Jesi smiled, but then Meiwaku tugged on her arm.
"I want some candy!" She walked over to a candy machine and pressed her face against
it. "Ken, buy me some candy!"
"No candy before lunch!" Jesi said. She grabbed Meiwaku's wrist and pulled her along
behind them.
As Jesi and Ken walked through the mall Jesi spotted an interesting store.
"Look Ken, you can try a virtual reality game here."
"That sounds like fun," he said. They sat down in the seats and put on the virtual reality
goggles and gloves.
"Meiwaku, stay right there," Jesi said. Meiwaku sat down on the floor and pouted.
The virtual reality machine turned on a select screen came up. "Let try to beach one
Ken." Jesi said.
"I just hope there aren't any Mammothmon on this beach," Ken laughed.
The machine started and a lovely beach scene appeared. "It looks so real," Jesi said. "I
can hear the ocean." After a few moments the machine turned off and the beach disappeared.
"Oh, I guess you can only use it for a little while," Jesi sighed.
Ken stood up and looked behind Jesi, "Um, where is Meiwaku?" he said. Jesi spun
around.
"Oh no! She's run away again!"
"I think I know where she is," Ken said. Ken and Jesi ran through the mall and reached
the candy machine. Meiwaku was standing there pounding on it trying to get some candy to fall
out.
"Meiwaku stop it!" Jesi yelled.
"I don't have to listen to you!" she said as she shook the candy machine.
"I'm taking care of you right now so you have to listen to me." Jesi tried to pull her away
from the machine.
"Why don't you and your dorky lookin boyfriend just leave me alone." she said.
"That's it!" Jesi smacked Meiwaku across the face.
Meiwaku stood in disbelief for a second... and then started the cry. She screamed so loud
she made half the people in the mall turn around and look.
"WAAAAAAAA--" Meiwaku stopped crying when Ken slapped a bumper sticker on her
mouth.
"Thank you," Ken handed some money to the man at the souvenir stand.
"Let's go eat lunch now," Ken smiled.
"I don't think Meiwaku will be eating for a while!" Jesi laughed.
