Friday, August 13, 2010

So It's You - Part 2

Masaki Hikaru.

That was her name. Apparently, she is Rihito-sensei’s granddaughter. I watched as she sat on the floor, making origami. I sensed something unique in her. She was different from the girls her age. I watched as she held up her newly made paper crane in the air, and looked at it like a prized possession. Her eyes beamed as she looked at her creation.

Rihito-sensei came up to me, holding two cups of coffee for the two of us. He looked at her granddaughter, and smiled. “You must be wondering, why she seems different, don’t you, Ya Lun?” he said. I looked his way embarrassingly, it was exactly what’s in my thoughts right now. He looked at me, and smiled. “She is special, Ya Lun. That’s what made her different. She is special.” He said. I still didn’t know what Rihito-sensei meant by that. Hikaru-chan did tell me a while ago that she is special. All of us are special, right? So what made Hikaru different and what made her difference special.

“She is a child. She will always be a child.” I heard Rihito-sensei said. “A child? She looks like she’s the same age as I am.” I said. He looked at me, and nodded his head. “She is seventeen years old. Yes, she is the same age as you… but you see… she is, and will always be a child.” He said. He let out a sigh, and watched her granddaughter as she played with paper planes. “Seven years ago, there was a tragedy in our family. And that tragedy had a big impact on her. For a year, she did not talk, and we were all worried about her. Then, the day came and she came back to us… but she was not the same Hikaru that we knew. It was like she… she was stuck being a seven-year-old kid. And since then…”

I finally understood what Rihito-sensei meant by her being special. “Since then, she remained a child.” He said with a smile. “Did her family sent her to the specialist?” I asked. I know I have no right to intrude to their lives, but I couldn’t help but ask. “Yes, a lot of times. They all said that what happened to her is caused by the trauma she experienced. They tried to cure her, but to no avail.” He said.

I felt my heart breaking the moment I eyed Hikaru. She is 17 with a mind of a 7 year-old kid. That explains the eccentricity I saw in her when I met her at the park, and the child-like way of speaking when she followed me at my dorm. “She is an innocent, young girl, and an old man like me tends to worry a lot about her. She is my only granddaughter, and she is my princess. But thinking about what had happened, I see this as a blessing from the heavens. It would always be a parent’s wish for their children not to grow up, so that they could enjoy their innocence and youth. But as for Hikaru…” Rihito-sensei let out a sigh. Words could not explain it, but I do understand what he feels. He loves his granddaughter so much, but she always worries him.

Hikaru looked back at us, and smiled. “Look, grandpa! I made a paper crane!” she said. He smiled, and nodded his head. “That’s a pretty paper crane, Hikaru-chan.” He said lovingly. She stood up, and gave her old man a kiss on the cheek. Rihito-sensei hugged her. “Grandpa, can I be friends with him?” she asked, looking at me. Rihito-sensei let out a laugh. “Of course, Hikaru! He is a nice boy. And, he’s smart too.” He said. Her eyes lightened up once again. “Really? Like grandpa?” she asked. He nodded his head. She looked at me, and smiled. “Can I be your friend?” she asked. Her eyes were filled with hope as she looked at me. I know I wasn’t that nice to her a while ago, but then she was still willing to be my friend. I couldn’t help but agree. I nodded her head, and smiled at her. “Really? Then, will you play with me at the park?” she asked. “Hikaru-chan, Ya Lun needs to study.” Rihito-sensei said. She gave his old man a pout. “Why? Isn’t he special, like me? When I saw him at the park today, I thought he is special.” She said. I smiled upon hearing what she said. “I am special. But… I need to study or your grandfather will fail me.” I said.

She looked at her grandpa, and give her puppy eyes. “Then, grandpa… can you not fail Ya Lun so that he can play at the park with me?” she asked. I felt my cheeks reddened at what she said. Rihito-sensei just laughed at her. “I’m sorry, dear. I can’t do that.” He said. My heart wrenched upon seeing that smile slowly fade from her face. “But we can still play at the park.” I said. At that instant, her face brightened up once again. “Really?” she asked. I nodded my head. “After my classes, we can go to the park and play. Do you like to play ball?” She nodded her head. “I have a yellow ball with me!” she beamed. “Then, tomorrow after my classes, we can go to the park and play. Just promise me you’ll wait for me at the park, and don’t chase that something again so that you won’t get lost, all right?” I said. She nodded her head. “I will. And besides…” she said. “I know that when I’m lost, you’ll be there to find me.”

--

As soon as the school bell rang, I took all my things and rushed outside the school. I ran towards the park to meet up with Hikaru. As I stopped to catch my breath, I saw her sitting still by the bench, that same bench were we first met. “Hikaru-chan!” I called on her. She looked at my direction, and smiled at me. “Ya Lun!” she called. I ran up to her, and she stood up the moment I approached her. “I’m sorry, I’m late.” I said as I catch my breath. She simply smiled, and shook her head. “It’s OK. I like to wait for you.” She said. I folded my arms, and smirked at her. “Then, what if I never came?” I asked. “I’d still wait for you.” She said innocently. I smiled at her. With someone like her, it’s hard to break a promise. There was something in me that’s been wanting to see her smile this way, and if the only way to make her smile is to keep my promise to her, then I will never let her down.

The whole afternoon, we were playing catch. I felt like a kid again while I’m with her. Since I grew up, I have never laughed this much when I’m with her. I’ve never felt this hyper and excited when I’m with her. Honestly, since I was young, all I did was study. I was never the typical little boy that plays outside their house with the other kids. All I did since I was young is to study. And so, here I am, playing like I never played before in my entire life. At the back of my mind, I was thankful to all the deities in heaven for letting me meet Hikaru… and the old saying is right after all – you don’t know what you’ve been missing till it arrives.

“I’m tired.” She pouted at me. I shrugged her shoulder, and led her to the bench. “I’m tired too. You exhausted me.” I said. She looked at me, and smiled cheekily. “You seem to enjoy playing catch, so I didn’t say a word.” She said. “Well, if you were tired you should have told me a while ago.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because you looked so happy back there.”

I stopped, and let out a smile. “Look…” she pointed at me. I gave her a puzzled look. “You look much cuter when you smile. I bet all the girls will like you. Just like how liked you the first time we met.” She said. I felt my heart beating fast as she said those words to me. She liked me. It keeps on ringing on my head, and I could only feel much giddier. “You… like me?” I asked. She nodded her head. I don’t know if she’s innocent enough to know which kind of like she meant. It could mean having a crush on me, or it could mean she’s interested in me. “You… like me…” I repeated. She likes me.

And I have to admit that I’m starting to like Hikaru as well.

Her innocence.
Her naivety.
Her childishness.
Her silliness.
Her smile.
Her pout.
Everything about her just makes me… like her. Just her, simply her. I find it amazing that I am liking her. One minute, she was annoying the hell out of me. The next minute, I find myself pitying her. The other minute, I find myself wanting to make her smile even more.

“Oh…” she exclaimed. She held out her finger, and a yellow butterfly landed on her small fingers. “Miss Butterfly…” she said in amazement. Her black orbs sparkled as she looked at the butterfly. I can see the excitement and amazement on her face as she looked at the butterfly.

Rihito-sensei is right. She is special. She will always be special. And it’s not because of her condition. She may be different from any normal person, but she had something that a normal person wouldn’t have – her innocence.

The butterfly flew away, and she could only watch sadly as it leaves her hand. “Bye bye, Miss Butterfly.” She said sadly. Then, she turned to me and smile. “I was chasing Miss Butterfly yesterday.” She said. Now, it figures. The reason why she came to me, was because she was chasing that butterfly. “But I lost her along the way. Grandpa told me that I don’t have to chase it. He said I just have to wait for it to land on me… and so I waited. And today, Miss Butterfly landed on me. I’m so happy!” she said.

And she is philosophical, just like her grandfather whom she looks up to. I know that meeting Hikaru is more than a mere chance. It was as if she was destined to come into my life to impart a very important lesson to me.

It was as if she was sent to me, to make this springtime a special one. Just like her.




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Labels: fan fic, So It's You