Chapter 20: Meet Zipporah Mazzi & Yeshaya Badila

My nieces and I made our way to the food stalls, eager to try the many street food delights on offer. The air was filled with the delicious aroma of yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), takoyaki (octopus dumplings), taiyaki (fish-shaped pastries filled with sweet red bean paste), okonomiyaki (savory pancakes), and gyoza (dumplings). We indulged in a little bit of everything."Dutch cuisine doesn't even come close to this!" I exclaimed, savoring the flavors.Just then, I heard a voice—familiar, but one I hadn't heard in ages. "Konichiwa."I turned toward the voice and was met with a surprising sight.There stood Zipporah, the daughter of Nathan, the Head Scientist in charge of the homunculi experiment. Zipporah, now in her late twenties, was accompanied by a man I didn't recognize.She looked stunning in a beautiful white kimono, her head wrapped in a shawl to shield herself from the cold. The shawl had delicate tassels, complementing her outfit perfectly. Her companion also wore a white kimono, the hem adorned with tassels."Zipporah! It's been so long!" I called out, delighted to see her. She was enjoying some dango (sweet rice dumplings). "Never in a million years did I imagine I'd run into you in Tokyo!""I'm so glad to see you've grown into such a fine woman, Minah," Zipporah smiled warmly."And who's this? Your bodyguard or your boyfriend?" I asked with curiosity."Boyfriend?" she chuckled softly. "Don't you think I'm too old to still be playing around?"I was taken aback by her response.Zipporah then raised her hand, showing me a ring on her finger. "This is my husband. His name is Yeshaya Badila.""Badila?" I asked, surprised. "Is he related to Benesha?""Yeshaya is the current head of the West African Badila branch," she explained. "He's not a direct relative of Benesha, but a distant one.""Who is this kid?" Yeshaya asked, referring to me."She's one of the girls I used to volunteer with at the kindergarten, about ten years ago," Zipporah replied with a smile. "I told you about them, remember? How quirky they were.""Ah! I remember now!" Yeshaya suddenly exclaimed with excitement. "So, this must be the 'envious girl' you mentioned! Since you told me she was Asian!""Exactly!" Zipporah replied with a grin.I didn't appreciate being introduced as the "envious girl." It had negative connotations, and it felt a bit uncomfortable."It's nice to meet you!" Yeshaya smiled warmly."Likewise," I responded politely."So, how have you been, Minah?" Zipporah asked, clearly interested in catching up.I shared my experiences from the final years of primary school and my transition into middle school. I told her about how much I had learned, the challenges I faced, and how I was now close to graduating."What university would you recommend for me?" I asked, eager for some guidance."Have you heard of the new school the government is building in Utrecht?" Zipporah inquired."I've heard of it. I'm planning to apply there," I answered."That's perfect!" she exclaimed. "I was going to recommend the Utrecht Metropolitan Self-Development School. I'll be a homeroom teacher there alongside my husband. The Headmaster from the kindergarten is going to be the principal, and your sisters have all applied too. It'll be just like the good ol' days!""That sounds exciting, but also very challenging," I said, realizing the weight of the situation.I glanced at my nieces and realized they had no idea what we were talking about, since they couldn't understand Dutch."Oh! I'm so sorry!" I quickly apologized to them, feeling bad for leaving them out of the conversation."No, no! It's okay!" they reassured me with smiles."Ah, my bad," Zipporah said in Japanese, realizing her mistake. "I didn't mean to leave you out. Are these your nieces?""Yes, ma'am," they replied, beaming up at her."I could tell," Zipporah smiled, glancing at them. "You're all just as beautiful as Minah."After bidding farewell to Zipporah and Yeshaya, I continued to explore the streets with my nieces, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of Tokyo.