Yuji understood what Arisu meant. He was silent, but Marlene spoke
up. "So you are saying that we can stay?"
Arisu nodded. "I have an extra room, and I'll see what I can do to persuade these people that you two are good, that you'll help us and no harm will come of it. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to begin to cook dinner."
Marlene looked at the clock. "I can't believe we've been talking for hours!"
"Oh, it's fine. It's good to get to know one another."
After they had dinner and discussed some more, Arisu showed them their room and left them to be. Yuji and Marlene were exhausted, so they fell asleep right away. The next morning, Marlene woke up and left Yuji asleep. She found that Arisu had already left. So, Marlene departed the house out into the village square.
There was a stone cross in the middle of the square she had never seen before. She sat before it, but it was so hot, she decided to walk down to the stream. She sat upon a rock and thought for a while. There were children laughing and playing in it, though it was early in the morning. One, a little girl, ran over to her with a yellow flower. Marlene took it and smiled. "Thank you very much," she said. "What's your name?" Shyly, the girl answered, "Emi, what is yours?"
"My name's Marlene. It's very nice to meet you."
"I think your name is pretty, you're very nice too."
Just then, a woman a few yards away was washing clothes. "Emi! Come here right now!" Emi looked at the woman, then back to Marlene. "That's my mom. I have to go now, goodbye!"
"Goodbye..." Marlene called as the little girl ran to her mother, who looked very angry. They talked in low voices, but she could still hear them.
"I made a new friend, mommy! Her name is Marlene..."
"Emi, you cannot be friends with her!"
"Mommy, why not?"
"She's not a very good person; she brings bad things into the village."
"But she seemed like a very nice person to me!"
"Of course she would! But promise me you won't go near her again!"
Tearfully, Emi whispered, "Yes, ma'am."
Marlene was angry overhearing this conversation. "She doesn't understand me, she doesn't know me. How can she say I'm a cruel person? I've never done anything to her!" She thought.
All of a sudden, Marlene felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped, turning around. It was Yuji. He smiled, "Good, I finally found you. I was a little worried about where you might have gone." He embraced her, but he saw the look upon her face. "Is there something wrong?" He asked. It was then that Marlene told him about Emi and her mother.
"It takes a while to get used to things, love. Everyone in this village will accept us sooner or later."
"You're right, but these people don't know us. They have no right to judge us like that!"
"I know, Marlene. I know."
Arisu nodded. "I have an extra room, and I'll see what I can do to persuade these people that you two are good, that you'll help us and no harm will come of it. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to begin to cook dinner."
Marlene looked at the clock. "I can't believe we've been talking for hours!"
"Oh, it's fine. It's good to get to know one another."
After they had dinner and discussed some more, Arisu showed them their room and left them to be. Yuji and Marlene were exhausted, so they fell asleep right away. The next morning, Marlene woke up and left Yuji asleep. She found that Arisu had already left. So, Marlene departed the house out into the village square.
There was a stone cross in the middle of the square she had never seen before. She sat before it, but it was so hot, she decided to walk down to the stream. She sat upon a rock and thought for a while. There were children laughing and playing in it, though it was early in the morning. One, a little girl, ran over to her with a yellow flower. Marlene took it and smiled. "Thank you very much," she said. "What's your name?" Shyly, the girl answered, "Emi, what is yours?"
"My name's Marlene. It's very nice to meet you."
"I think your name is pretty, you're very nice too."
Just then, a woman a few yards away was washing clothes. "Emi! Come here right now!" Emi looked at the woman, then back to Marlene. "That's my mom. I have to go now, goodbye!"
"Goodbye..." Marlene called as the little girl ran to her mother, who looked very angry. They talked in low voices, but she could still hear them.
"I made a new friend, mommy! Her name is Marlene..."
"Emi, you cannot be friends with her!"
"Mommy, why not?"
"She's not a very good person; she brings bad things into the village."
"But she seemed like a very nice person to me!"
"Of course she would! But promise me you won't go near her again!"
Tearfully, Emi whispered, "Yes, ma'am."
Marlene was angry overhearing this conversation. "She doesn't understand me, she doesn't know me. How can she say I'm a cruel person? I've never done anything to her!" She thought.
All of a sudden, Marlene felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped, turning around. It was Yuji. He smiled, "Good, I finally found you. I was a little worried about where you might have gone." He embraced her, but he saw the look upon her face. "Is there something wrong?" He asked. It was then that Marlene told him about Emi and her mother.
"It takes a while to get used to things, love. Everyone in this village will accept us sooner or later."
"You're right, but these people don't know us. They have no right to judge us like that!"
"I know, Marlene. I know."