World War Stories VI
The boy watched bitterly at the horizon before kicking at the sand in anger. I should've known, he thought; adults are liars, after all. Of course, they will not let a kid like me come along. But I won't cry. I'll show them.
Sighing and holding back the urge to cry, he began to walk away from where he stood, shivering all the way; the well-worn coat he had on him did not do well to provide warmth against the cold wind of the small hours—but it's better than nothing, he told himself.
He had contemplated returning home but ended up strolling along the coast, reasoning that he might be able to find something of value if he did instead of returning empty-handed.
For the longest time, the only sound he heard around him as he walked was the crashing of the waves and the occasional wailing of the winds; nobody else was there, but that was hardly surprising, given the time—the fishermen would not be returning before sunrise.
Even without aim, the boy would have gone further, but the sight of a lone figure staring at the horizon—not unlike what he had done before—eventually stopped him. He walked back a few paces to keep a safe distance so the stranger—a woman—wouldn't notice him. But despite this, his eyes remained fixed on her; curiosity had got the better of him as she was certainly no ordinary person. Not with that white-silver hair and the strange clothing she's wearing.
That woman appeared strikingly gloomy as she stared silently at the waves before bringing her palms to her face. From the way her body was trembling, the boy realized she must be crying.
Before he could do or think of anything else, an eagle he didn't notice was circling above landed near him and let out a bloodcurdling screech, alerting the woman, who immediately turned in their direction.
"Who's there?"
The boy noticed that her voice was firm, even when she seemed so forlorn before. He hoped she wouldn't be too angry at him for spying on her like that. He had nowhere to run, with the eagle keeping its eyes on him, ensuring no room to escape.
The woman heaved a sigh before making her way toward them.
"Never thought I would see someone else at this hour, especially one so…young; what are you doing here, young man?" she said as she reached the boy. Just before, the eagle flew into her arm and perched itself there; even then, it wouldn't stop watching him even for a second.
The boy cowered; now that she was close by, the woman looked even more imposing, even with those eyes glistening with traces of tears. Perhaps she is one of the "enemies of the Empire" others often talk about. If so, he realized he was in danger, having heard countless stories about how atrocious those foreigners were.
"Aah…Pl-please, let me go. I do-I don't mean to…to…!" He begged profusely, nearly toppling backward in his desperation. With a slight nod, the woman sent the eagle away before placing one hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
"Relax, I won't hurt you."
"You… won't…?" the boy uttered, not daring to raise his voice beyond that.
"No, I promise I won't," she assured. I've hurt enough people already, she added in a whisper.
The boy lifted his head and met the woman's eyes; she was smiling at him, and he found himself smiling back.
"…What is your name, young man?"
"…Ah umm…My name is…Takeru."
"Ah, I see. Fine name; I am…" The woman briefly paused as though hesitating, "…my name is Enterprise."
"…Enteru-Ent-"
The boy, Takeru, tried to repeat the name repeatedly, but it soon became apparent it was difficult for him.
"Or you can call me Enty. How about that?" she offered with an understanding smile that grew wider as the boy responded with a nod.
"…ah…um, okay."
"Oh, you seem cold; wearing that coat isn't sufficient, is it? Here, you can borrow mine," Enterprise removed the long coat she had been wearing and offered it over to the boy; he initially refused but was quick to give in when he started to feel the chill and noticed how Enterprise was unbothered by the cold.
The coat faintly smelled of something like gunpowder. Where it came from, he dared not ask.
"Say...are you hungry, by the way? Have you eaten anything?" She inquired, noticing the boy did look rather skinny and that her oversized coat only served to enforce that. Many families were struggling to feed themselves—he told her as much earlier—and she wouldn't be surprised if he had not eaten at all.
"Me...? Um, well...a little. Hours ago."
"Well, it isn't much...but there's chocolate in my coat pocket. I'm sorry, it doesn't taste that good, but if you want, you can have it."
As if on cue, Takeru reached for said pocket. When Enterprise lent him the coat before, he felt something weighty on it, but out of courtesy, he decided to leave it alone. The bar felt bulky in his hands, thicker than anything he had ever seen. And the name —Hershey's—he had never heard of it before.
He looked at Enterprise for one last time to make sure it was really okay to eat her chocolate. Her smile proved encouraging, and he took a bite. It wasn't that sweet—nearly bland, in fact—yet filling. And it would be the best he ever had by far, if only because he could never afford to eat any chocolate before.
"...I see you have no problem with the taste," Enterprise chuckled. The boy only nodded as his mouth was full.
For a time, that was the last exchange between the two, as Enterprise allowed the boy to eat in peace. Silence reigned on the shore until Enterprise finally spoke about what had been on her mind for some time now.
"You know, I'm actually curious…what are you doing at this hour? It's okay if you don't want to answer that, but…"
Takeru sighed heavily before answering rather sharply, "I wanted to come fishing along with the other fishermen, but they left me behind; I'm not even late!"
"But why did you want to go with them?" She asked again, wondering if it was appropriate or not—the boy didn't seem to mind, but it took quite some time before he answered.
"… Mother's struggling to take care of my brothers and me…I wanted to help somehow."
"I...see. That's admirable—for one as young as you to be so considerate and strong."
"I have to...because..."
Enterprise noted that Takeru immediately clammed his mouth shut before he could say anything further like someone realizing they were about to reveal something they shouldn't. But she could see the emotion he tried so hard to suppress—It was eerily similar to hers. She, too, had resolved to keep hers sealed away before, for the sake of those relying on and looking up to her— until a certain someone proved her wrong.
"... It's okay to let out your emotions. Doing so doesn't mean you're weak, my mentor once told me," she began." To be able to acknowledge that you are vulnerable... that's also strength."
Takeru turned to Enterprise and recalled how she had been crying before. If he hadn't witnessed that scene, her words just now would be so hollow. His lips quivered, and his body quaked as his emotions, seemingly spurred by them, began to break through his self-imposed barrier.
"…My father was a good man, so why did he… have to…go…?" He choked, tears running along his cheeks as Enterprise pulled him into a wordless embrace.
For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, she whispered into his ears.
Only sobbing was heard there for the next minute, interspersed with the gentle breeze; Enterprise also shed her share of tears.
She would have held the boy—whom she admitted she did not even really know, but that is all right with her—longer, but it was he who broke away from her.
"...Um...You lost someone too, didn't you, nee-san? I...I saw you crying before. Sorry...but I..."
Enterprise turned away at the horizon and the waters; years before, the seas across the globe were violent and turbulent battlefields, each an abyss endlessly claiming countless lives with a greedy, gaping maw.
Her sisters were among them.
"I...did. I lost my sisters to the Imperial Navy."
"Ahh..ah...Do you...do you hate us...then?"
Enterprise eyed the boy. The terrified look he had was almost heartbreaking. But really, how could she hate someone who's just as much a victim as she was?
"Because..you…you are one of 'them,' aren't you, Enty nee-san? The 'enemies,'" Takeru continued; if it was an accusation, it did not sound like one, Enterprise noted.
"…Enemies…No, you are not wrong. But I won't hate you nor those who took them away. Because," she paused to approach the boy and placed a hand on his head, "nursing grudges will just result in more conflict."
"I...I understand."
"Tell me, Takeru, do you hate us then? The 'enemies' who took your father away?"
He didn't reply right away, and Enterprise waited patiently; she was pleasantly surprised when she saw the corners of the boy's mouth turned upwards, even if only slightly; she wasn't sure if that was the case, but Enterprise believed it was born out of an understanding.
"… I've no idea…I don't know; I don't think I can ever hate you, though. You're the first person to show kindness to me in a long time. Even if…you are a…stranger."
"Unfortunately, we'll have to part ways soon, but thank you for your words. It means a lot to me," Enterprise smiled back just as the hues of dawn began to emerge.
"No...I should be thanking you instead... you've been very kind to me, even though I can't return the favor," Takeru replied, clearing off the tears that had welled up again.
"You can repay me by being kind to everyone you meet. If everyone does that, then wouldn't the world be a little better?" Enterprise said. How very idealistic of me, she thought. But being cynical all the time doesn't pay. The war was proof of that.
Maybe he could, she figured.
"I will, I promise," Takeru straightened his posture into something akin to a soldier's or a close approximation of one.
"Now that's just what I need to hear, soldier. And for that, you deserve something," Enterprise laughed and ruffled the boy's hair before casting her gaze skyward and calling out a name; the eagle from before landed on the shore when she did, sending the sands flying.
Takeru watched as Enterprise walked to it, stroked its head, and uttered something in a foreign language—and then, by chance, his eyes met with the eagle's. He was about to recoil in fear, but the bird, as strange as it may sound, seemed to nod—or even smile—at him as if an encouragement. Whether or not that was true, he smiled back.
When it spread its wings, he thought it was a majestic sight. He no longer found it imposing.
The eagle beat its wings a few times, then took flight. Takeru and Enterprise watched as it circled the skies and swooped down before returning to the shore and dropping a fish that floundered and thrashed about before becoming still.
But the eagle didn't stop there. Soon it was on the hunt once more, bringing fish after fish until they formed a pile. Only then did it stop.
"These fishes are for your family because you cannot go with those fishermen before," Enterprise explained when Takeru asked her what that was all about.
"But...how should I carry this much...?"
"You can use my coat to carry them," Enterprise offered, only for Takeru to give her an incredulous look.
"No, really, I have no problem. I have spares."
"Then...I could at least wash it for you. Maybe...maybe we could meet again...? Like, here?"
Hope—something that many from both sides had lost—he was showing it now. For a moment, the boy had regained his innocence, and she would want nothing but to show her appreciation for it.
"Certainly. Let's see...in two days?"
"Ye-yes! I will have your coat like new by then!"
"Well then, see you, Takeru," Enterprise gave him a pat on the shoulder, and he laughed.
"Oh, before we go...here. You haven't eaten anything, have you?" Takeru offered a fish from the pile to the eagle. It tilted its head before hopping up to him to take it.
"My, somebody's making a new friend," Enterprise remarked as her eagle allowed the boy to touch its head and ruffle the feathers. She believed the two had reached an understanding, just like she and he did.
After watching Takeru leaving with an extra spring in his steps after enduring his profuse gratitude, Enterprise decided it was time for her to go—but not before one last glance at the sea.
It was as tranquil as her heart.