SWEET MEMORIES I

"What's the name of your cat?" the young master of Harley asked the young child. They were playing under the flame tree with the cat, situated at the backyard.

Miss Maine's house was big and the backyard has a very big space. There were different kinds of plants, herbs, flowers and the big flame tree on a corner where the children currently play.

"He didn't have a name." the young girl answered timidly. Her face was small and pretty. The previous wounds were healed already, but there were some bruises left.

"He doesn't have one? How about we give him a name? Shall we call him Tomo?" the young master suggested. His big eyes were round in excitement.

"Why Tomo?" she asked him curiously. Her head tilted on the side, her eyes staring at him directly. The young master looked at her dazedly. His face turning red, blushing. "Why is your face so red? Are you sick?" she placed her small hand on his forehead.

"I'm not sick." he said turning his face away from her, calming himself. "Let's name him Tomo. In Japanese it means friend." he answered her first question.

"Oh. You are very smart. You also speak Japanese?" the young girl ask her, leaning closely, so close her face was just few inches from him.

"Ahh.." he was looking left and right to avoid her direct gaze. Because she was leaning at him, he was also trying to lean backwards. " I just studied them." he answered while trying to find something to support him.

"That is amazing." she exclaimed with her big eyes and wide smile, still getting closer to him. Since there was nothing to support him as he leaned, Ivan fell backwards. "Why are you lying down on the ground?" she asked him innocently.

He didn't know what to do with her. It was her fault for getting so close to him that he fell backwards, but she was asking him why.

"Tomo, your young mistress is clueless. What should I do with her?" he talked to the black cat that he was holding.

"Meow." the cat answered him back.

Miss Maine looked at the children who were playing. She heaved a sigh of relief seeing the young girl smile. "She has a strong fighting spirit." she looked at her and looked back to the documents in her hands. "You deserve so much in life."

After fooling around with her cat and the young master, the young girl has to go back home before the evil couple arrive.

"Therese?" the young master asked her while they walked towards their house. Miss Maine was busy with some documents so he decided to send her home.

"Yes?" she looked at him with a questioning gaze.

"Will you come back tomorrow at my auntie's place?" he scratched his nose awkwardly while looking on the opposite direction.

"I don't know. I will come if I can." they were almost at her house already. Therese just continued walking, followed by Ivan Harley. "Young master Harley, if ever I leave this place, will you please take care of my cat?" she stopped her steps, her back facing while stroking her cat's fur, waiting for an answer.

"Where are you going?" he asked her, alarmed with the idea. Though it was not long ago that he met the girl, he was attached to her.

"Don't know." she shrugged her shoulders and stopped the movements of her hands." Anyway, I'm home already. You should go back or Miss Maine will be worried." she gave him a smile before running towards the house waving her hands.

The ten year-old Ivan stood there for a while, watching the lights turning on one after another from the inside of the house. "Why are you asking me to take care of your cat? You should have asked me to take care of you." he scolded her even though she could no longer hear his voice.

The next morning, Ivan sat on a cobble stone not far away from her house. When he saw the people living there left, he immediately walked towards the building.

"Therese, are you awake?" he called out to her but there was no response. "Therese?" he called her name again.

"Meow. Meow. Meow." It was Tomo who responded to him. His respond was in a hurry like he was calling out to him in urgent.

"Tomo?" the black cat jumped out of nowhere, landed in front of him. "Where's your young mistress?" he asked the cat. The black cat just ran towards a certain place where he found it locked. "She's inside?" he stopped on his track and looked for something to open the lock.

It took him half an hour to finally open it and found the girl sitting on the floor, her head leaning on the wall, sleeping. He breathed in relief after seeing she was doing fine.

"Hey wake up." Ivan shook her slowly to wake her up. "Wake up sleepy head." he was squatting in front of her, watching the rise and fall of her chest to know she's alive.

The girl stirred for a moment, her eyelashes fluttering, but she didn't wake up. Without much choice left, Ivan lifted her and carried her on his back. She burrowed her head between the crook of his shoulder and neck, still sleeping.

He brought her back to his auntie's place with the cat following them behind.

"Is she alright?' Miss Maine asked him after seeing the young girl's face.

"She's fine auntie. There are no new wounds or bruises but she seems tired or exhausted." he answered the question before bringing the girl to his room so she can sleep comfortably.

"That's good to know." she looked at the small body sleeping on the bed, with the same clothes she was wearing yesterday. "You like her." It was not a question but a statement coming out from Miss Maine, still it didn't fluster him.

"I like her." Ivan reiterated the statement in his point of view. Miss Maine just smiled at him, who was wiping the girls face with a face towel.

"Let me prepare something she can eat. Tomo come here." she called to the cat who loves following the girl, leaving her nephew to look after her.