K.J dropped his hammer and pulled a hand across his sweat-covered brow. Frowning, he pulled at his white muscle shirt, which was sticking to his back. K.J didn't mind hard work, he rather enjoyed it actually, but the heat bothered him. He sat back for a moment, rocking on his heels. Thankfully, he only had another hour to work. Mr. Miyamoto's daughter was coming from the vineyard to stay for awhile, and he wanted the men off the worksite and cleaned up to meet her. K.J sighed, grabbed his hammer and got back to work.
Karen arrived an hour early. Everyone was still working, and her uncle was nowhere in sight. She eyed the area skeptically for a moment. She glanced at a man – a boy?– hammering nails into a piece of board. He was noticeably younger than most of the men. 'In a lot better shape, too' Thought Karen, catching sight of a man four times her size. The man hammering glanced upward.
K.J found himself face-to-face with a girl slightly younger than him. Mr. Miyamoto's niece, he assumed. He stood and brushed the dust from his jeans, sending a smile in the girl's direction. K.J walked over to her and stuck out a hand. She eyed his hand for a moment, frowning. K.J flashed his eyes towards his greasy, muddy hand. "Oops. ." He said, grinning sheepishly. K.J pulled his hand back, wiping his palms on the legs of his jeans.
Karen stood blinking for a moment in front of the boy. He smiled and introduced himself.
"You must be Mr. Miyamoto's niece." He said. "I'm K.J."
Karen nodded. "Mm-Hm. You can call me Karen."
The two stood in awkward silence for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say. Just then, Mr. Miyamoto walked toward them.
"Karen! I didn't expect you to arrive so soon!" He frowned a little. "I see you two have met." He added, glancing at K.J.
"Yessir." Said K.J, Staring at his suddenly interesting feet.
"Work's over for the day!" Mr. Miyamoto called to the men. "Everyone is to be cleaned, dressed and in the dining room by 6:30!" K.J breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have an excuse to go home.
Karen watched K.J walk away towards one of the several little houses. 'More like shacks than houses' she thought, frowning. Mr. Miyamoto put an arm around her, smiling. "Let's get you inside and cleaned up." He said, taking her bags in his other arm.
K.J opened the door to his house, smiling as a little dog bounded out to greet him. "Heya Taz!" He said, grabbing the little dog up in his arms. He walked into the kitchen. He grabbed some clothes from a crate in the corner; a white Tee-Shirt and another pair of jeans. K.J slipped into the clothes and glanced at the clock. He still had another hour. Grabbing some colored pencils and paper from under his bed, K.J began to draw.
At 6:47, Karen leaned back in her chair and sighed. She was hungry, and she was tired of waiting. Several minutes later, K.J rushed in through the door. He sat down with his head tipped. She couldn't help but notice how much he looked like a child being scolded. But no one else seemed to notice his lateness. Mr. Miyamoto poured him a drink as Mrs. Miyamoto served supper. Apparently K.J had a habit of being late. Karen shrugged it off, beginning to eat her supper.
K.J woke early the next morning. He didn't have to work at all that day, and he was going to spend the day just relaxing near the lake. He put his pencils and paper into a yellow rucksack and slung it over his shoulder as he dashed out the door.
When he reached the lake, K.J noticed Karen sitting beneath a tree. She looked rather bored, and didn't notice him. K.J watched as a soft blue butterfly pitched on her finger. Karen's mouth dropped open in surprise. A moment later, when the butterfly on Karen's face became a smile. With that, K.J sat back and began to draw.
On her way home that evening, Karen was thinking about the butterfly. It had come out of nowhere and landed on her finger so gently. She remembered the soft blue color of it's wings, and how it had contrasted perfectly with–
*Smack!*
–Karen found herself sitting on the ground, blinking. Sitting in front of her, also blinking, was K.J. "S-Sorry!!" She blurted. "I guess I wasn't watching where I was going. . ." She trailed off, leaning forward to pick up the pencils and papers he must have dropped. She stopped to look at several of the papers. "Hey, these are pretty good!" She remarked, looking at a sketch of a girl with a butterfly on her finger. A girl with brown hair and green eyes. And a soft blue butterfly. It was her@ Karen was speechless. She just stared at the picture for a moment. Karen held the picure up to show K.J. "This is me!!" she exclaimed, stabbing her finger at the girl in the picture.
"Er, Yeah. . ." Said K.J, laughing nervously.
"How come?" She questioned curiously.
"I dunno. . ." Said K.J, avoiding eye contact. "I just draw things I like, I guess. . .Do you want it?" He offered, motioning to the picture.
Karen nodded a little, smiling. "I'd like that very much, thank you."
When Karen got home that evening, she framed the drawing and put it on her bedside table. She wished she had something to give to him in return. She thought for a moment. The only thing she had was a bottle of wine from her family's vineyard. Perhaps not as personal as a drawing, but it would do she supposed.
K.J had just finished supper when he heard a knock at the door. He wondered who it was; Mr. Miyamoto, or the other men, wouldn't have bothered knocking. He opened the door, smiling as he saw Karen standing there. "Hey." He said. "What brings you here?"
"I came to give you this." She said, holding out the wine. "You know, in return for the picture and all."
K.J laughed a little. "I didn't need anything in return! Want to come in for a bit?"
"I guess so." Said Karen, stepping inside the door.
"Make yourself at home." He said to Karen. "I'm going to see if Mr. Miyamoto has some wine glasses to lend us."
Karen nodded, setting the bottle down on the table. K.J was gone for about fifteen minutes when Karen began to look at some of the different books on the floor. Most of them looked like sketchbooks. She picked up a small, hard-covered book, flipping it open. A small snapshot of a little boy holding a tiny baby girl fell out. She picked it up, studying it carefully. The little boy was definitely K.J, there was no mistaking those deep brown eyes and that messy brown hair of his. But the girl. . . ? His sister perhaps. She tucked the picture back into the book and turned the page. The next few pages had family pictures. They were each caption for a different year. The little girl was only in five pictures. In the last picture that included her, a young K.J and his family were gathered around her bed, all smiling a forced smile. Two pictures later, the father also disappeared. The last picture was dated to four years ago. It showed K.J standing next to a frail mother, holding her hand gently. There were barely any smiles in this picture. At that moment, K.J walked in. Startled, Karen let the album fall to the floor.
"S-Sorry!" She stammered. "I didn't mean to– I just–. . ." She felt as if she had invaded something very personal to him.
"It's okay. . ." Said K.J quietly.
She gazed into his eyes for a moment. They had seen much pain. Too much. They were eyes that knew suffering and hardship, love and heartbreak. They knew things they shouldn't, and wished they didn't. Seeing this, Karen hugged him tightly. He held her close for a moment before kissing her softly.
As their lips met, they both knew one thing for certain; this would be a Kiss to Build a Dream on.
Karen arrived an hour early. Everyone was still working, and her uncle was nowhere in sight. She eyed the area skeptically for a moment. She glanced at a man – a boy?– hammering nails into a piece of board. He was noticeably younger than most of the men. 'In a lot better shape, too' Thought Karen, catching sight of a man four times her size. The man hammering glanced upward.
K.J found himself face-to-face with a girl slightly younger than him. Mr. Miyamoto's niece, he assumed. He stood and brushed the dust from his jeans, sending a smile in the girl's direction. K.J walked over to her and stuck out a hand. She eyed his hand for a moment, frowning. K.J flashed his eyes towards his greasy, muddy hand. "Oops. ." He said, grinning sheepishly. K.J pulled his hand back, wiping his palms on the legs of his jeans.
Karen stood blinking for a moment in front of the boy. He smiled and introduced himself.
"You must be Mr. Miyamoto's niece." He said. "I'm K.J."
Karen nodded. "Mm-Hm. You can call me Karen."
The two stood in awkward silence for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say. Just then, Mr. Miyamoto walked toward them.
"Karen! I didn't expect you to arrive so soon!" He frowned a little. "I see you two have met." He added, glancing at K.J.
"Yessir." Said K.J, Staring at his suddenly interesting feet.
"Work's over for the day!" Mr. Miyamoto called to the men. "Everyone is to be cleaned, dressed and in the dining room by 6:30!" K.J breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have an excuse to go home.
Karen watched K.J walk away towards one of the several little houses. 'More like shacks than houses' she thought, frowning. Mr. Miyamoto put an arm around her, smiling. "Let's get you inside and cleaned up." He said, taking her bags in his other arm.
K.J opened the door to his house, smiling as a little dog bounded out to greet him. "Heya Taz!" He said, grabbing the little dog up in his arms. He walked into the kitchen. He grabbed some clothes from a crate in the corner; a white Tee-Shirt and another pair of jeans. K.J slipped into the clothes and glanced at the clock. He still had another hour. Grabbing some colored pencils and paper from under his bed, K.J began to draw.
At 6:47, Karen leaned back in her chair and sighed. She was hungry, and she was tired of waiting. Several minutes later, K.J rushed in through the door. He sat down with his head tipped. She couldn't help but notice how much he looked like a child being scolded. But no one else seemed to notice his lateness. Mr. Miyamoto poured him a drink as Mrs. Miyamoto served supper. Apparently K.J had a habit of being late. Karen shrugged it off, beginning to eat her supper.
K.J woke early the next morning. He didn't have to work at all that day, and he was going to spend the day just relaxing near the lake. He put his pencils and paper into a yellow rucksack and slung it over his shoulder as he dashed out the door.
When he reached the lake, K.J noticed Karen sitting beneath a tree. She looked rather bored, and didn't notice him. K.J watched as a soft blue butterfly pitched on her finger. Karen's mouth dropped open in surprise. A moment later, when the butterfly on Karen's face became a smile. With that, K.J sat back and began to draw.
On her way home that evening, Karen was thinking about the butterfly. It had come out of nowhere and landed on her finger so gently. She remembered the soft blue color of it's wings, and how it had contrasted perfectly with–
*Smack!*
–Karen found herself sitting on the ground, blinking. Sitting in front of her, also blinking, was K.J. "S-Sorry!!" She blurted. "I guess I wasn't watching where I was going. . ." She trailed off, leaning forward to pick up the pencils and papers he must have dropped. She stopped to look at several of the papers. "Hey, these are pretty good!" She remarked, looking at a sketch of a girl with a butterfly on her finger. A girl with brown hair and green eyes. And a soft blue butterfly. It was her@ Karen was speechless. She just stared at the picture for a moment. Karen held the picure up to show K.J. "This is me!!" she exclaimed, stabbing her finger at the girl in the picture.
"Er, Yeah. . ." Said K.J, laughing nervously.
"How come?" She questioned curiously.
"I dunno. . ." Said K.J, avoiding eye contact. "I just draw things I like, I guess. . .Do you want it?" He offered, motioning to the picture.
Karen nodded a little, smiling. "I'd like that very much, thank you."
When Karen got home that evening, she framed the drawing and put it on her bedside table. She wished she had something to give to him in return. She thought for a moment. The only thing she had was a bottle of wine from her family's vineyard. Perhaps not as personal as a drawing, but it would do she supposed.
K.J had just finished supper when he heard a knock at the door. He wondered who it was; Mr. Miyamoto, or the other men, wouldn't have bothered knocking. He opened the door, smiling as he saw Karen standing there. "Hey." He said. "What brings you here?"
"I came to give you this." She said, holding out the wine. "You know, in return for the picture and all."
K.J laughed a little. "I didn't need anything in return! Want to come in for a bit?"
"I guess so." Said Karen, stepping inside the door.
"Make yourself at home." He said to Karen. "I'm going to see if Mr. Miyamoto has some wine glasses to lend us."
Karen nodded, setting the bottle down on the table. K.J was gone for about fifteen minutes when Karen began to look at some of the different books on the floor. Most of them looked like sketchbooks. She picked up a small, hard-covered book, flipping it open. A small snapshot of a little boy holding a tiny baby girl fell out. She picked it up, studying it carefully. The little boy was definitely K.J, there was no mistaking those deep brown eyes and that messy brown hair of his. But the girl. . . ? His sister perhaps. She tucked the picture back into the book and turned the page. The next few pages had family pictures. They were each caption for a different year. The little girl was only in five pictures. In the last picture that included her, a young K.J and his family were gathered around her bed, all smiling a forced smile. Two pictures later, the father also disappeared. The last picture was dated to four years ago. It showed K.J standing next to a frail mother, holding her hand gently. There were barely any smiles in this picture. At that moment, K.J walked in. Startled, Karen let the album fall to the floor.
"S-Sorry!" She stammered. "I didn't mean to– I just–. . ." She felt as if she had invaded something very personal to him.
"It's okay. . ." Said K.J quietly.
She gazed into his eyes for a moment. They had seen much pain. Too much. They were eyes that knew suffering and hardship, love and heartbreak. They knew things they shouldn't, and wished they didn't. Seeing this, Karen hugged him tightly. He held her close for a moment before kissing her softly.
As their lips met, they both knew one thing for certain; this would be a Kiss to Build a Dream on.