Chapter 41: homeless

Two months had passed and slowly, the kids are starting to open up to the couple and slowly they starting to feel like home but one thing remained unchanged, they still can't call Aunt Mabel and her husband as mom and dad. The couple is fine with that as long as they know that the kids don't treat them as a strangers anymore. They spend their everyday lives like that. Every morning they drive the kids to school before they go to work and make sure that if they can't make it together, at least one of them will fetch them in the afternoon.

"Next weekend is your uncle's birthday so what do you prefer we should do. Should we prepare a party, eat in a family restaurant or we should go to beach instead" asked Aunt Mabel to the kids while they are eating dinner together. The two kids look at each other as they turn their heads to her and said "Beach" at the same time. Aunt Mabel laughed a little then continue eating.

"Siiiis, this is Raymond. He is the one I was talking about", said her little brother when they met in front of the school gate after class to wait for their service. "Oh, so you are his new best friend. Hi, I'm Nagisa, his older sister", as she reached her hand to his. Raymond is a little bit shy yet he still shake her hand. Suddenly, a black Lamborghini stopped in front of them. He went out of the car to open the door for them. "Uncle, this is Raymond. He is the one I'm talking about" Their uncle stopped from opening the door to entertain the kid. "So you are Raymond. I finally meet you. You know, he talks about you a lot" Nagisa's younger brother scratch his nape because he is a little bit embarrassed. "Oh do you want to join us, we are going to eat in a fast food restaurant" "Uhmmm no Sir, maybe next time. My mom might look for me is she didn't saw me waiting for her here", the kid answered in a polite way. "Oh what a good son are you", he said while patting the kid's head. "Maybe next time, you can visit our house. I'm sure that my wife would love to have you there. I will tell your parents when we meet them". He opened the door and the kids entered. He smiled at the young man as he entered in the car and drove away.

"Is that so? Oh, I missed it. I also want to see him. I am looking forward for his visit in the house next time", Aunt Mabel said in the dinner when they told her that they finally met the kid, Nagisa's brother is talking about all the time.

As planned, the family went on the beach to celebrate the head's birthday. The couple leaned at each other inside the cottage watching the kids having racing holding their own floaters. Nagisa was about to swim when she stopped as the wave of the water wet her feet when she remembered the same moment happened a year ago. It was the same place and they are also celebrating her father's birthday that time. She asked herself even she don't how the answer on how he is doing now behind those bars, it is just so sad for her that he had to celebrate his birthday this year alone and on that place. She came back to her sense when some kids came running bumped into her.

The two kids are pointing at each other if who will talk. "What is it? What do you want to tell us", Aunt Mabel asked. The two are still whispering at each other if who will do the talking. "Uhmmmmm…", you can see that Nagisa is still shy to talk but as the older sister. She move one step forward to represent the two of them. "C'mon tell us don't be shy" "Did you break the rules?", asked Aunt Mabel's husband. "Noooo!!!", she answered in a defensive tone. "Then what is this?", Aunt Mabel asked. "W…we prepared a g…gift for you", she said in a low voice looking down the ground as she hand a small paper bag to their uncle. "It is not much but—" "Woooow, this is the most wonderful gift I had", his eyes are shining and he smiles until to his ears. He is very amazed from the gift the kids gave him. "Why did you opened already, it is embarrassing" "Why would you feel embarrassed, it's beautiful and look, your uncle loved it" "We don't have much money to buy you expensive gifts so we think of the other way to repay you from all the things you did to us" "Baby, it doesn't matter if the gift is not expensive. As long as it came from your heart, it is already enough. It is a gift that you can't buy from any stores or malls", said Aunt Mabel. "Sooo you like it?" "I love it", he answered as he pull the girl closer to him to hug. Aunt Mabel called the other kid to join them. They hugged together like a real family.

"Nagisaaaa, it is time to eat. Call your brother already" So as Aunt Mabel said, she went to look for her brother. It was already passed lunch and yet, she still can find where her brother is. Her heart start beating so fast that it like it will beat out of her chest anytime. She didn't notice that tears are started flowing into her eyes that makes her vision blurred as her body became weak. "Where is your brother, did you find him", Aunt Mabel asked when she came to her. Nagisa can't control her tears anymore as she move her head on both sides to inform that she still didn't find her brother.

The sun is starting to set and yet, they can't still find the boy. Slowly they are losing hope, slowly they are getting weak. They went back to the cottage like they are zombies. This should be a happy day for them, yet it turned this way. Nagisa raise her head slowly. Her eyes got swollen from crying since a few hours ago. She blink for a few times and rubbed her eyes to make sure that what she is staring in front of her right now is true. After confirming, she immediately went in to the cottage to hug her little brother who is now eating the food that is prepared, the food that they were supposed to eat at lunch. "Where did you go, we are looking around for you. We are worried sick that something might happened to you. What if you got drowned or someone kidnapped you. What if—" Her husband hugged her to stop her and to make her feel at ease. "Enough, he is here already and he is safe. That is all what matters now", he said to her. "I'm sorry Aunt Mabel, uncle and sis", he said as he stopped from eating and faced them. "I went looking for seashells that I didn't realize I already went too far. I'm sorry, it won't happen again", he bow while apologizing to show that he is guilty on what he did.

Aunt Mabel slowly sit on the couch in the living room holding a cup of hot coffee while watching the news. "Hon! Hon!", called to her wife who is cooking dinner in the kitchen without looking away from the television. "Why?!" "Look at that", he said pointing the boy featured on the news. "Do you know him?" "He was Raymond" Nagisa and her brother stopped from playing when they heard a familiar name. The two kids gathered immediately in front of the television with the couple. "It was a hit and run accident. He died immediately after hitting by the car. The driver already flew after the incident.

You can already hear the loud cries coming upon walking in the funeral. The whole class was there and you can see the kid's mother going crazy crying out loud in front of her son's coffin. Who would think that someone dares to steal a young boy's dream and future. Every step echoes like it was the loudest noise in the place as he went near to his new met best friend. They already planned their future together and promised to be each other's best bud in their young age but all those things fade away in a blink of an eye. It like it was just yesterday when they first met. It was just like forever when they sit next to each other in class. Words cannot describe how painful this feeling for this young man in black yet no tears came out from his eyes. He stood straight like a tree that even how many storm will pass it won't fall in front of his friend's picture. It was like he just woke up from a wonderful dream.

Upon seeing those people around wearing all black brings back memories to her. The same room was used to her mother's funeral. She crumpled her shirt from her chest and slowly kneeled on the floor without noticing the tears flow nonstop from her eyes that is full of pain. Those two beautiful eyes that seen so many things that a young girl shouldn't. It is not her mother's anymore but seeing those people who are suffering bring back the pain. Did she just exist to witness all the people around her died? That thought make chills run all over her from her feet to her nape.

No one talks in the car on their way home. Both the kids are staring far from the window on their backseat. Aunt Mabel's face shows how worried she is to the kids as she hold her husband's hand. They went directly into their own rooms as soon as they arrived in the house walking like a skeleton.

Nagisa cannot fall asleep for how many nights. It was like she was having a nightmare, she will woke up in the middle of the night then she can't fall asleep anymore until sunrise. Until… one time, even she's afraid of the dark. She gather all her courage to go down and get a glass of water. While drinking the cold water she got from the fridge, she got dazzled from the light of the car coming in behind the curtains in the window. She walk slowly toward the window to see. A middle aged man went off the car, she can't see the face because of the light that covers his face. At the same time, a young woman went off the car also to chase the man and give him a passionate kiss on the lips. The man gave in and pull the woman closer to him. She didn't finished the two and run to her room.

They don't have a class for this day because their teacher, Miss Gonzales has an important matter to attend. She went to her brother's class to excuse herself and go home ahead of him. She remember the way home from school so it is not hard for her to go by herself. She knows that her uncle will fetch her brother after class so there is no need to wait and worry about him.

She got puzzled when she hold the door knob of the front there and it is not lock when she knew that there were no people inside the house this time of the day. Yet even though, she opened the door and entered, as she entered she saw her uncle coming down in the stairs. Both of them stopped for a while and stare at each other. "Nagisa, why are you here?", he asked and continue to go down. "Miss Gonzales has an important matter to attend so our class got canceled" "Oh good thing, great timing I have something to show you" "What Uncle?" "Lock the door first", so she followed what the man said. "The thing is in the bedroom, c'mon let's go there" She followed him without asking anymore questions for her mind is full of thoughts and possible things what her uncle might show her. When they arrived in the bedroom, her jaw dropped for her first time seeing a big bed that is already enough for ten people and a room that is as big as their house from her late parents. After all the things registered in her mind, she faced her uncle standing from the door and asked him what he was going to show her. Her uncle secretly locked the door and walked slowly toward her and pushed her that makes her fall from the bed. "Uncle…uncle…what will you do uncle…" "Do you think I didn't saw you that night?", he said while removing his belt and his lower clothes. "What are you—" she didn't finish what she was about to say when her uncle ripped her clothes off. She know that she can't do anything and just closed her eyes. "Don't you dare tell your aunt or anyone else about this and what happened last night if you don't want to die with your brother", he said while he was on top of her.

"Nagisa, why are you not touching your food. Is there anything wrong baby?", asked her Aunt Mabel. She move her eyes to her uncle who is staring evilly to her like his eyes are saying 'don't-you-dare-tell-her'. "N…nothing Aunt Mabel. I'm just not feeling well" she said as she go down to her chair. "Are you sure? I can prepare other dish if you like" "No Aunt, I will just go to my room", she said and turned her back to them and went upstairs.

"If something is bothering you, you can tell me!". She didn't turn back and walk continuously to her room. The moment she lied on her bed, tears didn't stop from flowing in her eyes. She think that she is a very dirty girl that even how many times she take a bath or scrub her skin, the dirt won't let go. She think that she doesn't deserve anything else anymore.

Later that night, she quietly walked in into her brother's room. She gently shake him to wake him up. "Hmmm…what is it sis. Is it morning already? But I just sleep a moment ago", her brother said half asleep while rubbing his eyes in a very tired tone of voice. She signaled him to be silent. "We can't stay here anymore. We should leave this place" "Huh?! Why are we going to leave? Did aunt told us that we can't stay here anymore? Did she hit you? Or get angry at you" "No no, auntie is nice. She's good beyond compare but—" "But what?!" "Huuuh, I will explain it to you later on. First, we should get out of here", she whispered. Her brother was planning to get his things yet she stopped him and let those things be left.

"Hon, Hon, the kids are gone. I went into their room and they're not there", Aunt Mabel said early in the morning rushing going down the stairs. Her husband didn't show a little bit of expression from what his wife had said and continue drinking his coffee and reading newspaper in the dining hall. "Hon, did you hear me? I said, the kids are gone" she repeats when she reached her husband. "Did you check the whole place? Maybe they are just in the bathroom or playing somewhere in the house", he said calmly without removing his eyes from the newspaper. "Are you serious? They went in the bathroom at the same time and still not going out from there for a long time, what are they doing there? Flashing themselves in the toilet bowl? And they are responsible kids, they have school today so they are not going to play in this time of the day, they are young yet they already know their responsibilities" He placed his cup of coffee in a small saucer and out down his newspaper to look up to his wife who is standing in front of him. "So what do you want me to do? Panic like what you are doing right now? It already came from you that they are responsible kids, they know what they are doing and they are responsible of their actions. Anytime soon they will come back especially when they got hungry or they can't find shelter above their heads" "Why it looks like it doesn't bother you, they are your kids" "No, Mabel. We just let them stay here. Eat with us, drink with us or move with us but they will never be my kids, especially Nagisa, she will never will" Aunt Mabel cannot believe from the every words that came out of her husband's mouth. She thought that everything is okay. She thought that they could be a happy family like she always dream but all those dreams were ripped apart. "Because she's my whore" he whispered to himself as he continue to finish his coffee and read the newspaper.

"Sis, I'm cold" She hugged her brother who is just beside her. Both of them are shaking from cold hugging their knees sitting in front of their mom's grave. "When are we going home?" "We will never go back from there" "W…why?" "We just can't but I promise that I will find us shelter and food. I will take care of us"

"Fuyumiii, Fuyumiiii". She snapped out of her senses and look at Kazumi. "Huh?! Why?" "I've been calling for you but it seems that you are in a deep thought. Let's go, it is time to go home already", he said and turned his back to walk out of the room. Fuyumi grabbed her bag and chase him.