I Guess We Already Flew a Bit, Even Without Wings
"Akane, Kai, wake up now please!"
Slowly a fourteen-year-old Kai opened his eyes and looked into the face of his mother. It was dark so he couldn't see her well, but he did saw she was badly hurt.
"Okaa-san, you're bleeding!" he said a little bit loud.
Quickly she put her hand over his mouth.
"It's nothing Kai, don't worry, now please be quiet and grab your stuff as I wake up Akane."
"I'm already awake mom," she said, opening the door to Kai's room.
"Demo, why should we take our stuff, it's not time for school is it?" she asked.
"You're not going to school," she said.
"Hontou, sugoi!" they both said.
"Shush! Now quickly grab your most precious belongings, I already packed the rest."
"Nani?" they asked.
"We're going away from North City to South City...."
"South city?" interrupted Akane her.
"Yes, I already saved money for it, now come on, before your father wakes up."
They did what she told them and with soft steps they went outside, closing carefully the door of their past, heading for a new begin. They walked to the city with their bags on their backs and there they took a cab to the suburbs of South City.
"This is great, otousan will probably never find us here!" he said excited.
"Sou desu ne, Kai," said their mom happy as she opened the door of their new house.
It was nothing fancy, but it was the best she could afford and it looked fine to them with its cute, little windows. Akane did not look too sure about it as she stared to the sun and some birds flying circles. Suddenly one of them landed on her hand and she stroke over its wings.
'I guess we already flew a bit Kai, even without wings,' she thought and she threw the bird up in the sky again towards its friends.
"Come sis, let's scan the neighborhood, I want to see how beautiful it is here!" yelled Kai.
"Yoshii, I'm coming onii-chan!" she laughed and followed him.
"Don't get lost!" their mom just yelled and she looked happy to them running through the flowers in the light of a new sun.
'Maybe even we can be happy too...'
"Onii-chan, I'll race you to that tree!"
"You're on!"
They both ran, with grinning faces to a great apple tree as fast as they could and they ended in a draw.
"I never knew you could run that fast sis," he said a bit tired.
"Well, what about you?" she asked laughing.
They both looked up to the tree and saw some beautiful red apples in it.
"Wow, they look delicious!" he said.
"Yeah," sighed Akane too. "Demo, we can't take them."
"Deehhh? Why not?"
"They're not ours, we should not make trouble with the neighbors yet, Kai."
"Well, guess you're right," he muttered.
Akane nodded pleased.
"Hey, do you hear that too?" he asked suddenly.
"Hear what?"
"It sounds like a kitty."
"I don't see one."
"It must be stuck in the tree. I will get it out, okay?"
"Okay, but it better not be any trick to steal an apple!"
He laughed.
"I promise it isn't," he said and climbed in the tree.
"Be careful Kai," she said a little bit frightened when she saw him climbing higher and higher.
"Daijoubu, daijoubu!" he said. "I'm almost there."
"Kai, somebody is coming, he looks pretty mad!" yelled Akane.
"Pretty mad is always better then ugly mad sis! I almost got the kitty," he yelled back and he crawled one bough higher. "Come on, little kitty. I won't hurt you, come on."
The kitty did not listen to him, it just crawled further away from him, Kai kept on moving closer and stretched his hand out to the scared animal, when...
"Ite! He scratched me! Baka neko!"
"Kai, hayaku!"
"What are you two kids doing there, get out of my tree!!!!!!"
The mad man stood at the root of the tree and had grabbed Akane by the arm.
"Let my sister go, sir. Akane has done nothing wrong!" yelled Kai.
"Hah, what a laughing stock! You were trying to steal my beautiful apples! Now get out boy!"
"That's not true!" said Akane as she tried to loosen herself.
"Nani?!"
"My brother was just trying to rescue a scared cat that was stuck in the tree!"
"I don't believe you, I've seen more of you kids. Always trying to steal my apples!"
"But it is true, look for yourself, the cat is here!" said Kai.
"Where? Well boy? I don't see a cat, you are lying!"
Kai turned around to look at the cat, but saw nothing. Then he searched the whole tree but there was still no cat.
"Sonna!" he said. "I'm sure he was here, he even scratched me!"
"Konokagi! Where do you live? I will discuss this matter with your mother immediately!"
Kai gave a defeated sigh and jumped out of the tree, landing next to Akane.
"Nobody ever believes us Kai, what should we do?"
"I don't know, it's just not fair! We did nothing wrong!"
"Urusai!" the man yelled and took them along.
"Gomen, gomen nasai!" said their mom as she heard what happened. "I don't know what to say, my kids have never done such things."
"That's not an excuse lady."
"I...I know," she sighed.
"Demo, Okaasan. We did nothing!" said Akane.
"Be quiet now kids, please."
The man looked pitiful at the scene and huffed.
"I see what's going on, those kids clearly miss the strong hand of a father-person!" he said harsh.
"Nani?!" they both said.
Their mother looked like she was about to pass out at that regard and leaned against the table. Her face was completely white.
"Okaasan!" yelled Akane and she went to get some water for her.
"My kids aren't thieves, sir. I'm sure that they thought it was a public tree, ne?" she stuttered and smiled faintly.
Akane and Kai nodded. The man lifted one eyebrow and took his coat back on.
"Fine, but the next time that I will see them in my tree, I will not be so kind. And lady, look better after your brats, will ya?!"
Then he left the scene smashing the door behind him.
"What an attitude that man has!" said Kai and stuck out his tongue.
"Mom, you believe us don't you? We truly didn't mean to steal some apples, we only heard a little cat, honestly!" said Akane and tears were welling up.
Her mom looked in those eyes, but could see nothing. Slowly she stood up and stroke over her head.
"I ....I believe you Akane-chan," she said soft.
But her eyes said different.
"You're lying, you don't believe us at all!" said Akane.
"Akane, please. I don't know it anymore, I'm tired and I have a huge headache now." she said and left to the kitchen to get some medicine.
"You are our mother! Mothers should always believe their children, especially when it is true what they say!" she yelled and tears were dripping on the ground.
"Akane, leave it. Mom is tired and confused. Let's go to our room and install our stuff okay?" Kai said soft and grabbed her by the shoulder.
Mad she grabbed him by his shirt.
"Our mother, Kai, our own mother doesn't believe us! Nobody ever does!" she yelled, still crying.
Kai got shocked by the look in her eyes and looked the other way.
"What is wrong with us?! Do we look so dishonest?!"
"No Akane, you don't, we don't. Grown up people just can't help it, now please stop crying like a baby, it makes me feel uncomfortable."
"But, but...... You're right," she then said and she let go of off him, wiping away her tears. "Let's go upstairs," she said calm, clenching her fists.
He took a relieved sigh and followed his sister to their new room.
'It was a difficult start we had, but at least there is no father here, Akane will be safe from him and others.......'
"Akane, go call your brother for me alright?"
"Sure mom!" she yelled back and grabbed her bike.
'He must be with that other kid from one block away, the last couple of days he has always been there,' she thought and cycled to his house.
There he was indeed playing with that boy in front of his house.
"Hey, Kai!" he said. "Just look at that cutie cycling, man she's hot!"
"Heh, doko?" he asked curious.
"There, that blond!"
"Heh?" he said and then gave him a punch. "Yuck, that's my sister. Don't talk like that about her, that's just disgusting!"
"Ow man, you never told me you had such a cute sister, wow......"
Again he got a punch.
"That's because I don't think my sister is cute, understand?!"
His friend didn't answer and just pointed to behind his back. Slowly Kai turned around and gave a nervous laugh.
"Hehehe, ohayo Akane, listen I ......"
"So you don't think I'm cute heh?!" she asked mad.
"Well, I .....I mean, you're my sister!"
"You think I'm ugly, heh?!"
"Brothers aren't supposed to find their sisters cute!"
"Kai!!!!!!!!!! Come with me!!!!!" she yelled and went back on her bike.
"Hai!" he said still a bit nervous and followed her after waving his friend goodbye, who laughed at him.
Kai had to run because his sister was not slowing down.
"Akane, I didn't mean, well I, of course you're, but...."
"Urusai," she said. "And hayaku, mom is waiting for us."
"Wow, this sure is a nice city, so what are we doing here?"
"Mom asked us to see if any mail had arrived right?" said Akane.
"Yeah," he said bored. "So?"
"That's what we're doing now!"
Their mother had asked them to go to the city mail for their post, she didn't want to receive their post at home or a certain person might find out where they live, so now they were walking through West City on a sunny, hot day and Kai was just dying for ice-cream.
"Can't we stop for an ice-cream?" he asked and looked longing to the little kids who did have ice-creams.
"We can't, we have to go to the mail."
"Nani? That's not fair, we did go to all those stupid clothing stores!"
"That's different Kai."
"Explain how."
"We don't have money for ice-cream anyway, so shut up."
"Fine, let's hurry and go home then," he said and walked resolute into the city's mail office.
Akane shook her head and followed him.
"At least it's a little bit cooler here," said Kai.
"Sou desu ne," said Akane relieved and stood in line.
Kai went sitting on an old couch in the corner near the air conditioner. While enjoying the fresh air, he lied down and checked out all those different people.
One guy in particular took his attention. A weird looking old man.......
"Akane, Kai, wake up now please!"
Slowly a fourteen-year-old Kai opened his eyes and looked into the face of his mother. It was dark so he couldn't see her well, but he did saw she was badly hurt.
"Okaa-san, you're bleeding!" he said a little bit loud.
Quickly she put her hand over his mouth.
"It's nothing Kai, don't worry, now please be quiet and grab your stuff as I wake up Akane."
"I'm already awake mom," she said, opening the door to Kai's room.
"Demo, why should we take our stuff, it's not time for school is it?" she asked.
"You're not going to school," she said.
"Hontou, sugoi!" they both said.
"Shush! Now quickly grab your most precious belongings, I already packed the rest."
"Nani?" they asked.
"We're going away from North City to South City...."
"South city?" interrupted Akane her.
"Yes, I already saved money for it, now come on, before your father wakes up."
They did what she told them and with soft steps they went outside, closing carefully the door of their past, heading for a new begin. They walked to the city with their bags on their backs and there they took a cab to the suburbs of South City.
"This is great, otousan will probably never find us here!" he said excited.
"Sou desu ne, Kai," said their mom happy as she opened the door of their new house.
It was nothing fancy, but it was the best she could afford and it looked fine to them with its cute, little windows. Akane did not look too sure about it as she stared to the sun and some birds flying circles. Suddenly one of them landed on her hand and she stroke over its wings.
'I guess we already flew a bit Kai, even without wings,' she thought and she threw the bird up in the sky again towards its friends.
"Come sis, let's scan the neighborhood, I want to see how beautiful it is here!" yelled Kai.
"Yoshii, I'm coming onii-chan!" she laughed and followed him.
"Don't get lost!" their mom just yelled and she looked happy to them running through the flowers in the light of a new sun.
'Maybe even we can be happy too...'
"Onii-chan, I'll race you to that tree!"
"You're on!"
They both ran, with grinning faces to a great apple tree as fast as they could and they ended in a draw.
"I never knew you could run that fast sis," he said a bit tired.
"Well, what about you?" she asked laughing.
They both looked up to the tree and saw some beautiful red apples in it.
"Wow, they look delicious!" he said.
"Yeah," sighed Akane too. "Demo, we can't take them."
"Deehhh? Why not?"
"They're not ours, we should not make trouble with the neighbors yet, Kai."
"Well, guess you're right," he muttered.
Akane nodded pleased.
"Hey, do you hear that too?" he asked suddenly.
"Hear what?"
"It sounds like a kitty."
"I don't see one."
"It must be stuck in the tree. I will get it out, okay?"
"Okay, but it better not be any trick to steal an apple!"
He laughed.
"I promise it isn't," he said and climbed in the tree.
"Be careful Kai," she said a little bit frightened when she saw him climbing higher and higher.
"Daijoubu, daijoubu!" he said. "I'm almost there."
"Kai, somebody is coming, he looks pretty mad!" yelled Akane.
"Pretty mad is always better then ugly mad sis! I almost got the kitty," he yelled back and he crawled one bough higher. "Come on, little kitty. I won't hurt you, come on."
The kitty did not listen to him, it just crawled further away from him, Kai kept on moving closer and stretched his hand out to the scared animal, when...
"Ite! He scratched me! Baka neko!"
"Kai, hayaku!"
"What are you two kids doing there, get out of my tree!!!!!!"
The mad man stood at the root of the tree and had grabbed Akane by the arm.
"Let my sister go, sir. Akane has done nothing wrong!" yelled Kai.
"Hah, what a laughing stock! You were trying to steal my beautiful apples! Now get out boy!"
"That's not true!" said Akane as she tried to loosen herself.
"Nani?!"
"My brother was just trying to rescue a scared cat that was stuck in the tree!"
"I don't believe you, I've seen more of you kids. Always trying to steal my apples!"
"But it is true, look for yourself, the cat is here!" said Kai.
"Where? Well boy? I don't see a cat, you are lying!"
Kai turned around to look at the cat, but saw nothing. Then he searched the whole tree but there was still no cat.
"Sonna!" he said. "I'm sure he was here, he even scratched me!"
"Konokagi! Where do you live? I will discuss this matter with your mother immediately!"
Kai gave a defeated sigh and jumped out of the tree, landing next to Akane.
"Nobody ever believes us Kai, what should we do?"
"I don't know, it's just not fair! We did nothing wrong!"
"Urusai!" the man yelled and took them along.
"Gomen, gomen nasai!" said their mom as she heard what happened. "I don't know what to say, my kids have never done such things."
"That's not an excuse lady."
"I...I know," she sighed.
"Demo, Okaasan. We did nothing!" said Akane.
"Be quiet now kids, please."
The man looked pitiful at the scene and huffed.
"I see what's going on, those kids clearly miss the strong hand of a father-person!" he said harsh.
"Nani?!" they both said.
Their mother looked like she was about to pass out at that regard and leaned against the table. Her face was completely white.
"Okaasan!" yelled Akane and she went to get some water for her.
"My kids aren't thieves, sir. I'm sure that they thought it was a public tree, ne?" she stuttered and smiled faintly.
Akane and Kai nodded. The man lifted one eyebrow and took his coat back on.
"Fine, but the next time that I will see them in my tree, I will not be so kind. And lady, look better after your brats, will ya?!"
Then he left the scene smashing the door behind him.
"What an attitude that man has!" said Kai and stuck out his tongue.
"Mom, you believe us don't you? We truly didn't mean to steal some apples, we only heard a little cat, honestly!" said Akane and tears were welling up.
Her mom looked in those eyes, but could see nothing. Slowly she stood up and stroke over her head.
"I ....I believe you Akane-chan," she said soft.
But her eyes said different.
"You're lying, you don't believe us at all!" said Akane.
"Akane, please. I don't know it anymore, I'm tired and I have a huge headache now." she said and left to the kitchen to get some medicine.
"You are our mother! Mothers should always believe their children, especially when it is true what they say!" she yelled and tears were dripping on the ground.
"Akane, leave it. Mom is tired and confused. Let's go to our room and install our stuff okay?" Kai said soft and grabbed her by the shoulder.
Mad she grabbed him by his shirt.
"Our mother, Kai, our own mother doesn't believe us! Nobody ever does!" she yelled, still crying.
Kai got shocked by the look in her eyes and looked the other way.
"What is wrong with us?! Do we look so dishonest?!"
"No Akane, you don't, we don't. Grown up people just can't help it, now please stop crying like a baby, it makes me feel uncomfortable."
"But, but...... You're right," she then said and she let go of off him, wiping away her tears. "Let's go upstairs," she said calm, clenching her fists.
He took a relieved sigh and followed his sister to their new room.
'It was a difficult start we had, but at least there is no father here, Akane will be safe from him and others.......'
"Akane, go call your brother for me alright?"
"Sure mom!" she yelled back and grabbed her bike.
'He must be with that other kid from one block away, the last couple of days he has always been there,' she thought and cycled to his house.
There he was indeed playing with that boy in front of his house.
"Hey, Kai!" he said. "Just look at that cutie cycling, man she's hot!"
"Heh, doko?" he asked curious.
"There, that blond!"
"Heh?" he said and then gave him a punch. "Yuck, that's my sister. Don't talk like that about her, that's just disgusting!"
"Ow man, you never told me you had such a cute sister, wow......"
Again he got a punch.
"That's because I don't think my sister is cute, understand?!"
His friend didn't answer and just pointed to behind his back. Slowly Kai turned around and gave a nervous laugh.
"Hehehe, ohayo Akane, listen I ......"
"So you don't think I'm cute heh?!" she asked mad.
"Well, I .....I mean, you're my sister!"
"You think I'm ugly, heh?!"
"Brothers aren't supposed to find their sisters cute!"
"Kai!!!!!!!!!! Come with me!!!!!" she yelled and went back on her bike.
"Hai!" he said still a bit nervous and followed her after waving his friend goodbye, who laughed at him.
Kai had to run because his sister was not slowing down.
"Akane, I didn't mean, well I, of course you're, but...."
"Urusai," she said. "And hayaku, mom is waiting for us."
"Wow, this sure is a nice city, so what are we doing here?"
"Mom asked us to see if any mail had arrived right?" said Akane.
"Yeah," he said bored. "So?"
"That's what we're doing now!"
Their mother had asked them to go to the city mail for their post, she didn't want to receive their post at home or a certain person might find out where they live, so now they were walking through West City on a sunny, hot day and Kai was just dying for ice-cream.
"Can't we stop for an ice-cream?" he asked and looked longing to the little kids who did have ice-creams.
"We can't, we have to go to the mail."
"Nani? That's not fair, we did go to all those stupid clothing stores!"
"That's different Kai."
"Explain how."
"We don't have money for ice-cream anyway, so shut up."
"Fine, let's hurry and go home then," he said and walked resolute into the city's mail office.
Akane shook her head and followed him.
"At least it's a little bit cooler here," said Kai.
"Sou desu ne," said Akane relieved and stood in line.
Kai went sitting on an old couch in the corner near the air conditioner. While enjoying the fresh air, he lied down and checked out all those different people.
One guy in particular took his attention. A weird looking old man.......