As Sihate opened the door to the living area, she found her sister playing chess with Father Jamison.
The small girl heard the door open and before turning to find Sihate and Gohan she said excitedly, "Mommy?"
The priest frowned. They all knew now, that the little girl did not understand her mother's passing.
She stood and ran to Gohan, hugging him. Picking her up, he swung her onto his shoulders. Gohan had been more of a big brother to Hala, than one of her sister's friends. He, along with Sihate's immediate family and the doctors were the only people in attendance when Hala had been born. Since Gohan had been around so much, while she was growing up, Hala thought of him as nothing less than family.
She laughed, then asked, "Sihate, When is mommy coming back?"
Once again Sihate found herself, desperately trying to hold back her tears. She hung her head. "Mommy, isn't coming back." She said, taking her sister down from Gohan's shoulders.
"Don't be silly Sihate. Of course Mommy is coming back." The girl laughed, and wiggled her way out of Sihate's grip.
Sihate could not bring herself to correct her sister. She would explain everything to the child later. For now she would leave her in her happy propaganda.
"I'll be at the church, along with the other priests. We have a meeting with the embroidering women this evening, so if you don't mind, you two will be left on your own. Though, if you feel you need me, I'll cancel the meeting, and stay here." Father Jamison told them.
"No, you go to your meeting. We'll be fine here." Sihate insisted.
"If you're sure," He said, and exited the room.
"You can come to my house for the evening." Gohan suggested.
"Oh, no. We'll be fine here," Sihate told him.
"Please! Please, can we go? I want to see Goten!" Hala pleaded with her sister.
"Alright, alright," She turned to Gohan. "As long as you're sure it's okay."
"I'm positive. We have lots of food. You can have some of mine, and I'm sure Goten will share." This was a sure sign that Gohan really wanted them to come. A saiyan doesn't often offer their food to others.
"Hooray!" The child exclaimed. "I love Lady Son's cooking!" Hala always called Chi-Chi, Lady Son. "How are we going to get there, Gohan?"
"Well, I was thinking me and Sihate could take the nimbus while you fly." Gohan mused.
They had discovered a long time ago that Sihate and Hala were also able to use the flying nimbus.
"No silly! I can't fly!" The child giggled.
"No? Well, then I guess you'll just have to ride the nimbus."
Hala squealed with glee, then turned on her heel and ran down to her temporary room.
The two left in the room exchanged questioning looks, before letting a slight snigger escape from their mouths.
Hala ran back into the room with a scarf around her neck and a winter hat in her hand. "In case it gets too cold." She stated, and walked to the back door.
Sihate wrote a note to the priests, explaining where they would be, before she left.
When Sihate walked out of the house the nimbus was right in front of her face. "But, how did it get here so fa…" she trailed off, seeing the guilty smile on Gohan's face.
He helped Hala onto the yellow cloud.
"Okay, how about we race you to my house." He suggested, once Hala was securely on the nimbus.
"Okay," The small girl smiled. "Go nimbus!" She yelled, and took off.
"Cheater!" Sihate yelled, then flew after her.
Goku had taught Sihate how to fly when she was very young so that she would not have to wait for Gohan to bring the nimbus to pick her up every time she wanted to visit the Son's home. She and Gohan had been trying to teach Hala how to fly before their mother died, to no avail.
They let Hala win the race to Gohan's house.
Upon their arrival, they were greeted by an excited Goten. The boy ran up to his small friend. "Hi Hala. Hi Sihate, I haven't seen you in a long time. Why didn't you come visit in so long?" Goten asked.
"Goten! Be polite. Mind your own business." Gohan knew that Sihate would not want to answer this question.
"We were waiting for mommy to come back." Hala stated, ignoring Gohan.
"Where did she go?" Goten asked.
"I don't know," The small girl took a moment to think, "but I'm sure she'll be back soon."
The two small children ran to the back of the house, to play in the woods.
A slender woman walked out of the house. Her black hair tied back into a neat bun, away from her beautiful, but aged face.
Reaching Sihate, she pulled her into a hug, before flashing a brief and pitiful smile.
"You're staying for the night?" Chi-Chi more told Sihate, than asked her.
"No, we'll just stay for the evening."
"Don't be foolish, Sihate. Of course you're staying the night. Besides, I need another woman around the house. I get lonely for some feminine company." Chi-Chi insisted.
Sihate knew that Chi-Chi was just trying to make a reason for Sihate to feel she was needed, but nonetheless it worked. "Can I help with anything around the house?"
"No, you four go and relax." Chi-Chi told them, before turning and walking into the house.
Sihate and Gohan walked back behind the house, to find Hala and Goten, playing tag.
The small girl heard the door open and before turning to find Sihate and Gohan she said excitedly, "Mommy?"
The priest frowned. They all knew now, that the little girl did not understand her mother's passing.
She stood and ran to Gohan, hugging him. Picking her up, he swung her onto his shoulders. Gohan had been more of a big brother to Hala, than one of her sister's friends. He, along with Sihate's immediate family and the doctors were the only people in attendance when Hala had been born. Since Gohan had been around so much, while she was growing up, Hala thought of him as nothing less than family.
She laughed, then asked, "Sihate, When is mommy coming back?"
Once again Sihate found herself, desperately trying to hold back her tears. She hung her head. "Mommy, isn't coming back." She said, taking her sister down from Gohan's shoulders.
"Don't be silly Sihate. Of course Mommy is coming back." The girl laughed, and wiggled her way out of Sihate's grip.
Sihate could not bring herself to correct her sister. She would explain everything to the child later. For now she would leave her in her happy propaganda.
"I'll be at the church, along with the other priests. We have a meeting with the embroidering women this evening, so if you don't mind, you two will be left on your own. Though, if you feel you need me, I'll cancel the meeting, and stay here." Father Jamison told them.
"No, you go to your meeting. We'll be fine here." Sihate insisted.
"If you're sure," He said, and exited the room.
"You can come to my house for the evening." Gohan suggested.
"Oh, no. We'll be fine here," Sihate told him.
"Please! Please, can we go? I want to see Goten!" Hala pleaded with her sister.
"Alright, alright," She turned to Gohan. "As long as you're sure it's okay."
"I'm positive. We have lots of food. You can have some of mine, and I'm sure Goten will share." This was a sure sign that Gohan really wanted them to come. A saiyan doesn't often offer their food to others.
"Hooray!" The child exclaimed. "I love Lady Son's cooking!" Hala always called Chi-Chi, Lady Son. "How are we going to get there, Gohan?"
"Well, I was thinking me and Sihate could take the nimbus while you fly." Gohan mused.
They had discovered a long time ago that Sihate and Hala were also able to use the flying nimbus.
"No silly! I can't fly!" The child giggled.
"No? Well, then I guess you'll just have to ride the nimbus."
Hala squealed with glee, then turned on her heel and ran down to her temporary room.
The two left in the room exchanged questioning looks, before letting a slight snigger escape from their mouths.
Hala ran back into the room with a scarf around her neck and a winter hat in her hand. "In case it gets too cold." She stated, and walked to the back door.
Sihate wrote a note to the priests, explaining where they would be, before she left.
When Sihate walked out of the house the nimbus was right in front of her face. "But, how did it get here so fa…" she trailed off, seeing the guilty smile on Gohan's face.
He helped Hala onto the yellow cloud.
"Okay, how about we race you to my house." He suggested, once Hala was securely on the nimbus.
"Okay," The small girl smiled. "Go nimbus!" She yelled, and took off.
"Cheater!" Sihate yelled, then flew after her.
Goku had taught Sihate how to fly when she was very young so that she would not have to wait for Gohan to bring the nimbus to pick her up every time she wanted to visit the Son's home. She and Gohan had been trying to teach Hala how to fly before their mother died, to no avail.
They let Hala win the race to Gohan's house.
Upon their arrival, they were greeted by an excited Goten. The boy ran up to his small friend. "Hi Hala. Hi Sihate, I haven't seen you in a long time. Why didn't you come visit in so long?" Goten asked.
"Goten! Be polite. Mind your own business." Gohan knew that Sihate would not want to answer this question.
"We were waiting for mommy to come back." Hala stated, ignoring Gohan.
"Where did she go?" Goten asked.
"I don't know," The small girl took a moment to think, "but I'm sure she'll be back soon."
The two small children ran to the back of the house, to play in the woods.
A slender woman walked out of the house. Her black hair tied back into a neat bun, away from her beautiful, but aged face.
Reaching Sihate, she pulled her into a hug, before flashing a brief and pitiful smile.
"You're staying for the night?" Chi-Chi more told Sihate, than asked her.
"No, we'll just stay for the evening."
"Don't be foolish, Sihate. Of course you're staying the night. Besides, I need another woman around the house. I get lonely for some feminine company." Chi-Chi insisted.
Sihate knew that Chi-Chi was just trying to make a reason for Sihate to feel she was needed, but nonetheless it worked. "Can I help with anything around the house?"
"No, you four go and relax." Chi-Chi told them, before turning and walking into the house.
Sihate and Gohan walked back behind the house, to find Hala and Goten, playing tag.