The tears last night had me thinking that I was sleepy and slept before Mom came back. Come to think of it, what was it that the old people wanted to talk to her anyway? I didn't want to think of depressing things when the people around is making me groan every now and then.
"My lady? The young mistress had requested me to wake you up as it is now pass sunrise," like right now for example. The kind lady was just following orders, but it still made me angry at who gave the order. Despite my unwillingness, I sat up and washed my face with the water the kind lady gave me. "Would you like me to help you change into your daily wear too, My lady?" I could only nod. I mean, I'd do it myself had I known how to actually put it on… Mom's instructions yesterday came from one ear to the other cause of the embarrassment I was feeling haha…
"My, the young Mistress's clothes fit you very well, my lady," she smiled. I didn't know how to react so I remained silent. She said the same thing as Mom said. The kind lady went to the closet and picked out a red kimono, "I just know, she would love you in these!"
She held up a red kimono with yellow fades at the end of the hems and with orange color in the middle. Of course she would, it describes my temper coincidentally well. I nodded again. She started right away from bathing to getting dressed, she helped me. It was my first time being assisted to wear clothes. Even by just thinking about it sounds weird.
By the time I had finished bathing and she helped me put on my kimono, I wanted to tell her something. So I tried to talk in Japanese for the first time (after losing my memories).
"Um..." it took me a while to speak up, she was already finished with tying the Obijime that she proceeded to neaten the edges of the kimono.
"Hm?" she looked up from below.
"Your name... please?" she blinked her golden eyes twice, and realized that she hadn't told me about her name yet. The lady laughed it off and stood up.
"My name is Hana Chieko." she bowed a 75 degrees then stood straight back up, "Nice to officially know you, my lady," she smiled.
What a nice lady, I wanted to keep her as an aunt...
"Keiko!" I heard my Mom call out from the hall. Again, I left the kind lady after bowing and ran through the hall where I bumped into a few of the passer by's, some of them were kids.
"Sorry!" I yelled while running, the boy about my age was the only one who smiled helplessly while the others glared and scoffed after I bumped them. Note to self, never run when in a rich person's house. I should make it a habit...
Unfortunately, while I was lost in thought I had my eyes focused on the yard and smashed into a boy carrying a basket of blanket-formed mountain. "I'm sorry!" I helped him gather the blankets and towels.
"It's okay," the boy said then stood up. He was off balance, I tried to help him carry the basket but Mom had called again, leaving me no choice but to leave the boy by himself. I ran away, waving goodbye. He widened his eyes then went back to work. I bet he didn't know I was the unwanted child.
Right before I opened the sliding door to the living room, I stopped and breathed in and out, calming myself down from the adrenaline. "You don't have to worry a thing, Yui-chan. I'll take care of the child." I kept breathing in and out.
"I know, Mama. I just don't want to leave Keiko-chan alone again."
...
"She's already 14. She's old enough to take care of herself." the granny was right. "I'll look after her while you find a job. It's nothing to worry, Yui-chan." the granny's reassurance made me realize something. I wasn't only burdening close family relatives… not only the Lou family, nor the Tanaka… but also
"Mom!"
"Oh, Keiko," Mom was startled while granny calmly pointed icy daggers at me. "You're here," her wide eyes quickly turned soft. Her gaze was unlike the other people passing by, she was MY Mom, one of the people who made me into a reality… her looks and glances at me was never cold or hurtful.
"Mom, it'll be alright. I'll be safe here with... your parents" that slight hesitance made granny raise a brow. Meanwhile, Mom was still skeptical about it, looking down and holding onto her elbow. I understood that it was because of the accident we had earlier before, losing someone negligently after all those years together. It surprised me how Mom can easily shove it away just like that. I mean, in my memories it showed how Mom was a completely different person from who she is now. Back then her aura was spitting calm, relaxed and happy life but now she's exhibiting tension, unrelaxed worry and woeful behavior.
"I-"
"Like I've said before, Yui," granny sighed, "I'll take care of her like how I took care of Chiyo and you back then," that made Mom even more hesitant, "as well as her academics. I'll supervise it all." Mom looked down on that idea as she looked down on the old woman. It seemed that something happened before that Mom had made hesitant to trust granny.
For a while, they had been staring at each other as if they can read each other's mind by just the little changes in their expression.
I didn't want to get involved, so I looked outside, watching as the little boy that smiled helplessly helped the other little kids hang up the towels. While they were hard at work, others were playing with the other kids, it felt like it wasn't a work day but a regular day at home. Mom's parents must have something to do with these kids... maybe distant relatives?
"Alright, Keiko?"
"Yeah, wait what," the last part was barely a mumble, as Mom seemed convinced and walked out of the living room while granny was waving her goodbye. Mom was in normal clothes when I came. Don't tell me the topic they discussed last night was their plan for Mom to leave me here for a few days while she goes away to find work. Mom was so hesitant, no wonder... How did granny convince the stubborn Mom?
"Talk about mothers..."
As if it gave her an offense to what I whispered, granny struck my back with a stick, "Proper posture." She went behind me and looked up with a strict face, striking my back with a thin stick. It hurt so much that I gave her a judging expression wording "what are you doing?!"
"Wipe that expression off your face. You look stupid with such emotions."
Ah... I see how it is.
I breathed in then exhaled. I kept a stoic facial expression throughout her judge-mental sessions. I knew right away that my life here in Japan won't be as better as the life I had in China with the Luo family.
Not only are the Tanakas two-faced (and I mean it in a nice way for Mom), but also strict.
"For your first lesson. Japanese."
ah... shit.