Spring 2
I bounded into the classroom at a quarter till one. Opa looked up at me from his desk with a smile.
"Hey, meine honigbienchen! Did you enjoy your lunch?" He asked as I nodded.
"I did!" I exclaimed, taking my seat. "Did you enjoy your lunch as well, opa?"
"Yeah, I did!" He exclaimed, giving me a smile, "What did you have?" He asked me as I gave him a smile in return.
"Mom made me a gratin! And grandmama baked an apple pie so I had a slice of that as well! What about you, opa?"
"Just some salmon sashimi. We'll begin class soon. Hopefully your aunt won't be too late." He replied. It was silent for a moment.
"Hey, opa?" I asked as he gave me his undivided attention. "A-are you and nana going to miss me when I move?"
"What kind of a silly question is that, Cadence? Of course we'll miss you! Though, I do travel to Selphia frequently, so I'll see you almost all the time! But during the times that I don't see you, I'll be missing you! I'll also bring your nana, aunt, grandpa, and grandmama with me on occasions!" Opa admitted as I smiled in glee.
"Hey, opa? Will there ever be a moment where you won't miss me?" I asked as he gave me the most heartfelt and sincere smile.
"Luftschloss!" He exclaimed as I furrowed my brows in confusion.
"Uh, luf-what?" I asked as he chuckled.
"It's a phrase that basically means an idea that's impossible! There's never a moment when you're not in our thoughts, Cadence!"
I smiled as the classroom door opened, my aunt making her way in.
"Just in time, Yuri! Take your seat and we'll begin class!"
Our school only has two students for now…Yuri and myself. Mom and opa have told me stories of how the academy used to have two separate classes; one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and how the classes would alternate.
There were eight students all together at first, four in each class! At least until my father's passing and Roy and Cammy's graduation as well.
After that year, the class time extended for the remaining five students. Ms. Mana would teach them in the morning and opa would teach in the afternoon on the same day. That was also when lunch-time was made.
Prior to the recently made lunch schedule, you would either eat before or after class since it was only three hours a day. It made me curious as to what it was like to only be in school for three hours a day instead of five like now.
Then mom and her class graduated and the school became abandoned for about three years until recently, when my aunt and I started attending.
I had just turned seven in winter, and though my aunt is only five, everyone decided to go ahead and let us attend school together, instead of it being only me until Yuri turned seven.
I didn't really mind the school only having the two of us. Though, I kind of wish there were more kids in town…I couldn't really play with anyone here in Alvarna. Owen is way too young to play with and Yuri and I do not get along.
Most of the original kids from when mom was in school had already left town for a different area. The only remaining kids from mom's class that still live in Alvarna, besides my mom, are Roy, Cammy, and Serena; though Serena has been considering moving up north with Katja soon.
The bell rang for our dismissal as we gathered our belongings; nana entering the school.
"Hello, Cadence!" Nana greeted me as I gave her a smile and wave.
"Hi, nana!" I crashed into her for a hug as she returned my embrace. She looked up at opa.
"I assume you and Cadence are going to be walking to the farmhouse?" Nana asked as opa smiled.
"Yeah. You and Yuri be careful on your way home." Opa said as Yuri groaned.
"Why is dad always doting on Cadence?" Yuri asked, annoyed, crossing her arms as nana grabbed my aunt's hand.
"You'll understand someday, Yuri." Nana said, pulling Yuri out of the school.
"I already understand that dad loves Cadence more than me." I overheard Yuri mumbling in envy. I didn't like making Yuri feel that way. I knew opa loved Yuri very much too! I started to turn towards my grandfather.
"Are you ready to-?" I stopped when I noticed that he was shaking slightly, and his eyes were horror-stricken.
"Opa?" I asked in worry as opa snapped out of his trance.
"Ah, yeah. Yeah, sorry, Cadence. I-I filed my paperwork wrong. But I can fix that after I drop you off at the farmhouse." He placed his hand on my shoulder.
"Let's get you home, Cadence."
"O-okay." I replied as opa led me out of the school.
I looked at the cherry blossom petals dancing around as opa and I made our way to the farmhouse.
"How did you like your first day of school, Cadence?" Opa asked.
"I liked it so far, I think?" I replied as opa chuckled.
"Is it still too early for you to know for sure?" He asked as I nodded.
"Mom thinks I'll like school better than she did." I said as I saw opa smile out of the corner of my eye.
"Your daddy really liked Ms. Mana's class." Opa said as my eyes widened. That was a first. No one ever talks about my father!
"Yeah, I like Ms. Mana's class too so far." I said, I wanted to ask opa more about my father; but I didn't know what to ask. I didn't know where to begin!
It was quiet the rest of the trip home as I opened the front door of the farmhouse, a couple of sealed up boxes were on the floor as grandmama noticed us.
"Welcome back, Cadence!" Grandmama exclaimed as mom and grandpa trudged down the stairs carrying some luggage.
"Hi, baby!" Mom exclaimed, placing the luggage down, allowing me to run into her arms.
"Hi, Cadence! Hey, Barrett!" Grandpa exclaimed, "Do you wanna come in for a second?"
"Yeah, I can come in for a minute." Opa said as my eyes widened.
"But what about your paperwork, opa?" I asked. I knew opa was super worried about that before we left. Surely he didn't forget!
"My…what?" Opa asked as I furrowed my brows.
"Your paperwork! Did you forget? You said you filed it wrong and wanted to fix it after dropping me off."
"Oh, yeah…right." Opa said in disheartenment as he started to take his leave.
"I'll see you at school tomorrow, Cadence." He said as I rushed over to give him a hug.
"See you later, opa." I said as he gave me a tight embrace, kissing the top of my head.
"Mom?" I asked as mom pulled the blankets onto my chest.
"Yes, Cadence?" She asked.
"Can you tell me something…about daddy?" I asked as she gave a melancholic sigh.
"Maybe…maybe another time." She gave me a kiss on the forehead, as she started walking towards my bedroom door to take her leave.
"How come…no one likes talking about him?" I asked, mom stood at my bedroom door frame for a second with her back turned. She eventually turned her head towards me.
"I love you, Cadence. I'll…see you in the morning." Mom said, completely avoiding my question as she left my room, closing my bedroom door behind her.
Everyone always avoided my questions about my father. The only thing I knew about him was his appearance from the portraits I've seen of him hanging in great-grandpa Byron's house, the one framed on my desk, and the few framed and sitting around the farmhouse. That and the fact that he liked Ms. Mana's class from opa's conversation today.
I know that he passed away…and that I never got to really meet him. I wish I could have met him; I wish I could have known him! Today was the only time I've heard about my father! At least, that I can remember. It made me curious if…something had happened before or around his death.
I blinked, trying to fall asleep. No use, I can never fall asleep when I think about my father. I rolled onto my side, looking at the calendar on my nightstand. Mom's birthday is tomorrow. I wonder what grandmama has planned for her.
My eyes then darted to the portrait of my father on my desk. It was astonishing how similar we looked; I didn't look anything like my mom. Sure, mom doesn't look very similar to grandmama either, but mom does have some similarities to her mother! I just look like an even more feminine clone of my already girlish looking father.
I sighed. I needed to try to close my eyes and fall asleep.
"Night, daddy." I whispered looking at his portrait one more time before shutting my eyelids, trying to get some sleep before school tomorrow.