"Mom?" called Maleta. "MOM?????"
Her mother came running into Maleta's bedroom. "What is it, Mally? I'm trying to do the dishes."
Maleta replied, "I have to do a report about my family's history, Mom. Can you help me with it?"
"Yes, dear," her mother said. "Let me finish up cleaning and I'll get the photo albums, okay?"
"Okay!" Maleta smiled, and her mother left.
Once her mother was definitely gone, Maleta sighed and turned her smile down into a pout, showing softly white teeth.
Her eyes were almond shaped, the colour of violets in early spring, and her hair was a dark violet-black, just like her mother's. Maleta wore it in a long braid down her back and almost past her butt, like a book character she had read about once. On her nose sat a pair of wire-rimmed glasses like that old singer's that her mom said her dad had liked.
Maleta wore a bright yellow sundress over a dark red mockturtleneck shirt and a pair of jeans decorated with patches of scrap fabric. She also had on blue socks and black hightop sneakers. Maleta had inherited her totally super-awesome fashion sense from her mom. Kimi Watanabe had become a famous designer, to the anger of her family. They saved almost all of their money, though, and lived in a small, two bedroom house with a little garden in England.
The problem with family histories, Maleta decided, was that you had to know about your family. All she knew about her father was his name and profession. Not why he left his wife and daughter, not what he looked like, not if she resembled him. Maleta was angry with her mom for never telling her this, but maybe Kimi would now.
After a while, Kimi came back up to Maleta's room, stepping over all the clothes on the floor, and sat on Maleta's four-poster bed with her daughter. "So what exactly do you need to do?"
"I need to know all about my immediate family, grandparents, aunts, and uncles," Maleta said, staring at her notebook paper. "And if I know about some more distant ancestors, I get more credit."
"Okay," said Kimi. "Who do you want to start with?"
"Dad."
Maleta felt her mother recoil and she cringed. She probably should have started with someone else, but all of her distant relatives were bad choices, and her mother wasn't a good start, either. Dad it was.
"All right," said Kimi, standing. "Follow me, then."
Maleta knitted her brow into a frown. "Why, Mom?"
"Field trip time." Kimi attempted a smile. "To the attic?"
"Okay."
AN: Sorry it's short. I'll write another chapter if I have time tonight and if I get good reviews. Guesses on who Maleta's father is anyone? :)
Disc: I don't own anyone but Maleta. You can use her in your own stories if you want, but write me a review saying that you are.
Her mother came running into Maleta's bedroom. "What is it, Mally? I'm trying to do the dishes."
Maleta replied, "I have to do a report about my family's history, Mom. Can you help me with it?"
"Yes, dear," her mother said. "Let me finish up cleaning and I'll get the photo albums, okay?"
"Okay!" Maleta smiled, and her mother left.
Once her mother was definitely gone, Maleta sighed and turned her smile down into a pout, showing softly white teeth.
Her eyes were almond shaped, the colour of violets in early spring, and her hair was a dark violet-black, just like her mother's. Maleta wore it in a long braid down her back and almost past her butt, like a book character she had read about once. On her nose sat a pair of wire-rimmed glasses like that old singer's that her mom said her dad had liked.
Maleta wore a bright yellow sundress over a dark red mockturtleneck shirt and a pair of jeans decorated with patches of scrap fabric. She also had on blue socks and black hightop sneakers. Maleta had inherited her totally super-awesome fashion sense from her mom. Kimi Watanabe had become a famous designer, to the anger of her family. They saved almost all of their money, though, and lived in a small, two bedroom house with a little garden in England.
The problem with family histories, Maleta decided, was that you had to know about your family. All she knew about her father was his name and profession. Not why he left his wife and daughter, not what he looked like, not if she resembled him. Maleta was angry with her mom for never telling her this, but maybe Kimi would now.
After a while, Kimi came back up to Maleta's room, stepping over all the clothes on the floor, and sat on Maleta's four-poster bed with her daughter. "So what exactly do you need to do?"
"I need to know all about my immediate family, grandparents, aunts, and uncles," Maleta said, staring at her notebook paper. "And if I know about some more distant ancestors, I get more credit."
"Okay," said Kimi. "Who do you want to start with?"
"Dad."
Maleta felt her mother recoil and she cringed. She probably should have started with someone else, but all of her distant relatives were bad choices, and her mother wasn't a good start, either. Dad it was.
"All right," said Kimi, standing. "Follow me, then."
Maleta knitted her brow into a frown. "Why, Mom?"
"Field trip time." Kimi attempted a smile. "To the attic?"
"Okay."
AN: Sorry it's short. I'll write another chapter if I have time tonight and if I get good reviews. Guesses on who Maleta's father is anyone? :)
Disc: I don't own anyone but Maleta. You can use her in your own stories if you want, but write me a review saying that you are.