The Little Orphan Girl
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters.
Trinng! Trinng trinng!
"Who is it?" Bulma wondered as the telephone rang. She went over to it and answered the call.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hello. Is it Mrs Briefs?" a man on the other end asked.
"Yeah… Who am I speaking to?"
"Ma'am, I'm Shadow Ridge Orphanage," the man said, "And I have something important to tell you."
Bulma tensed up. What could he want? Was it…?- no. It couldn't be. Not now, not now. She gulped and took in a deep breath, hoping that it was not what she expected.
And then when he told her… she didn't know what to do. She put the receiver back and then leaned against the wall. Her eyes were turning bleak and her body was shaking violently. How did that happen?! She always knew this day would come but she was not prepared. She was not prepared at all.
And what of Susie? How would Bulma tell her? A single tear dripped down her face.
"Mom…?"
She looked up to find her son standing in the doorway, looking at her with concern. He rushed over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"
"T-Trunks, do you remember Janet?" Bulma asked softly, her voice hoarse.
The man didn't need any more details. He lowered his gaze. "We'll have to tell her," he said, "And I think you are the best person for the job."
"But how?" Bulma asked, her voice rising a bit. "How son?"
"I don't know," he replied.
The woman nodded sadly. It was a tough thing to do. She didn't know how Susie would react hearing the news of her friend's death. Janet was the only person for whom the child cared and now that she was gone…
She clenched her fists and looked at her son. "Come on Trunks," she said, "Let's tell her."
The man nodded at her but he felt terrible. Susie had just started opening up a bit and now he feared that she might get even more withdrawn. But it had to be done.
With a heavy heart, the two started towards her room.
"Susie, dear, I want to speak to you," Bulma said as she entered the girl's room. The child was sitting on the tree branch outside her window. With a leap she entered her balcony and walked towards Bulma.
"Yes Bulma?" she asked in a much friendlier tone.
"Uh, it's about Janet-"
"Please Bulma," Susie said, her eyes hardening, "Don't bring her up. I don't want to know anything about her. I don't even care whether she lives or not. Just don't mention her name."
Bulma gasped. That was such a terrible thing to say! She didn't know. She just didn't know…
"Susie, Janet has-"
"Called up? Asked for me? Tell her I'm not home," the girl snapped bitterly.
"No," Bulma said. She grabbed the girl's shoulders and shook her. "Listen, will you?!" she almost yelled out.
Susie shut up immediately. Bulma had never yelled at her. What was wrong? She could see that the woman's eyes were bleak. Her gaze travelled to Trunks, who was standing at the doorway, looking at everything silently.
"My girl," Bulma said, "Janet is no more."
Susie blinked. What did she hear? That was a joke, right? It had to be. It had to! She blinked again. No… she wasn't going to believe it. They were pranking her, yes. It was a prank. A very dirty prank but a prank all the same.
"It's not funny," she whispered angrily, "It's just not funny Bulma."
Bulma's voice choked when she spoke her next words.
"She- she was ill, Susie. She knew she wouldn't live. That's why she sent you here… She always w-wanted you to be happy. She thought- she thought you would be happy h-here, that you will get a-a family. She did-did it all f-for you dear. She l-l-loved you. She loved you so much. You were angry w-with her but she always wanted you t-to be happy…"
Susie stared at her, her eyes empty. Her lips quivered ever so slightly and her body trembled. She looked at Trunks and then Bulla, who was standing beside her brother.
The girl fell on her knees, tears finally streaming down her face. But she didn't cry out loud. She didn't scream for Janet. She didn't do anything of the sort. She just knelt there, her hands limp by her side, her eyes not really focusing on anything.
"Honey…" Bulma whispered and kneeled down next to the child. She grabbed her shoulders firmly but gently and then pulled her in an embrace. Susie didn't do anything. A confused look appeared on her face.
"She didn't tell me," she whispered, "She didn't tell me. She didn't tell me."
Bulma's eyes widened as the girl started repeating the words over and over again. She would have been less miserable had Susie just cried and screamed but the child's behaviour was scaring her.
"Susie stop!" she yelled at her. The girl looked up at her.
"You knew as well," she stated, "Then why wasn't I informed? Nobody told me. She didn't trust me enough. She didn't. She didn't."
Bulma's throat was dry now. What was she supposed to do now? This was not what she wanted, this was unexpected. She bit her lip.
What would she do now?
Susie could not bear to look at Janet. The orphanage had decided to cremate her. Before they could do so, the girl ran over to the body and looked down at the face of her friend. Her heart started beating against her ribcage. She could not look at Janet anymore but she was unable to tear away her gaze as well. The woman looked so peaceful, as if she was only sleeping. A sob escaped the child's throat.
"Why?" she muttered, her voice cracked, "Why Janet?"
Bulma pulled her away gently, hugging her as Janet's corpse was set to fire. The girl stared as the flames consumed her friend. There was nothing that remained of her, nothing. The flames rose steadily until her friend was completely gone away.
Something about it made Susie's heart skip a beat. It made her think. If Janet had really done it for her, she should try to accept the Briefs as her family. The situation was traumatising for the young girl but ironically it was also what made her thoughts clear for the first time in so long.
She had to try. She had to try for Janet. The woman loved her and Susie finally accepted that she was the closest thing to a mother she ever had. The tears she was shedding had dried up as the flames started to fade away.
She glanced at Bulma. Could she accept her as her mother? Could she take Janet's place? She closed her eyes. Nobody could, nobody.
But she had to try. For Janet.
