I woke up early that morning feeling happier than I had felt the previous day but my body still hurt like hell.
"Tomorrow is the initiation ceremony. I wonder if I‟m strong enough to become a Dream Knight and I‟m still worried about Ayumi" I thought.
I walked to the bathroom and brushed my teeth.
"Soon, very soon, you too shall face true fear" I recalled Cowardice‟s threat.
"I wonder what Cowardice meant by that. Is it possible that there‟s something much worse than the Nightmare King?" I asked myself.
After brushing, I took a cold shower.
"I really hope Ayumi‟s okay. What am I saying, of course she‟s okay! She‟s the strongest girl I know" I thought as I let the water run down my face.
I heard a knock on my door.
"Just give me a few minutes, I‟m in the bathroom!" I called out.
After bathing, I walked into my room and wore some of the new clothes that Mr Kirisawa had bought for me. I walked to the door and opened it. Ai stood there with a worried look on her face.
"Good morning Ai, how‟re you doing today?" I greeted cheerfully.
"I‟m fine Zan, how are you?" Ai asked with a smile but I could tell she was faking it.
"How‟s our dear little Ayu?" I joked.
Ai looked worried.
"Ai? How is Ayumi?" I asked.
"Ayumi is…she‟s okay" Ai said but I could sense that she was lying.
I charged out of my room and ran towards the door of Ayumi‟s room.
I took in a deep breath and opened the door but Ayumi wasn‟t there.
"Ayumi!" I called but there was no answer.
"She must be downstairs!" I charged past Ai and headed for the stairs.
"Zan! Wait!" Ai called but I ignored her.
I raced down the stairs in a hurry and nearly tripped.
When I was at the bottom of the stairs, I called out Ayumi‟s name several times but there was no reply. I rushed to the dining area and found Ayumi sitting on the dining table and staring absent-mindedly through the window.
"Ayumi! I‟m glad you‟re alright! Ai sure scared the hell out of me" I said happily.
Ayumi turned and looked at me with a puzzled look on her face.
"Ayumi, you don‟t know how glad I am to see that you‟re okay" I took in a deep sigh of relief.
Ayumi stood up.
"What are you doing here?" Ayumi asked me.
"I just came to see how you‟re…"
"No, that‟s not what I mean. What are you doing in this house?" Ayumi interrupted me.
"I see you‟re still the same old Ayu. I‟m glad you haven‟t changed" I laughed.
"Answer the question intruder!" Ayumi said firmly.
"Whoa, now that‟s cold. You brought me here, to live in this house" I was beginning to feel puzzled myself.
"Don‟t lie to me! I never did such a thing!" Ayumi yelled.
"Wh-what are you saying Ayu?" I questioned Ayumi.
"Don‟t call me that! Who are you anyway?!" Ayumi roared.
The question hit me like a blow from heaven. I stood speechless like I had just been struck by lightning.
"Ayumi, don‟t joke like that, it‟s not funny. Don‟t you remember me? I‟m Zan, my name means Dream. Don‟t you remember me?" I said worriedly.
The very thought frightened me.
"I don‟t remember you! You‟re lying! I don‟t know you! And I remember everything, even yesterday!" Ayumi roared.
"Yes! Yesterday! You were training me for my initiation tomorrow!" I said hopefully.
"You‟re obviously trying to trick me. I was training myself yesterday to prepare for my mission!" Ayumi said confidently.
I stared at Ayumi in shock and felt warm tears flowing down my face.
Ayumi seemed surprised when she saw my tears but she stood her ground.
"Are you telling me you don‟t remember anything about me? All the times we argued, the time we fought Bunnyos Extremos and the evil bunnies and…the time you visited me in the hospital?! Are you really saying you‟ve forgotten all my promises?!" I exclaimed in shock.
"Your act is really impressive Zan or whatever you call yourself but I‟m not buying it. My memories of my life cannot be a lie and I cannot trust a stranger I‟ve never met" Ayumi said.
At that moment, I felt a sharp pain in my heart.
"If you don‟t trust me with your mind, then can you trust me with your heart?" I asked.
"I do trust my heart but it tells me nothing of you so get out of this house. You don‟t belong here" Ayumi said.
"Fine, if that‟s what you want. I guess the times we shared together were just excess memories, worthless baggage. I just want you to know one thing, the times I shared with you are my most precious memories and I‟ll always carry them in my heart and soul" I said as I walked towards the stairs.
I met Ai halfway up.
"Zan, I‟m sorry. I don‟t understand it myself. She remembers everything except for you" Ai said.
"Maybe I meant nothing to her. I may not be a fan of Kingdom Hearts Chains of Memories but I do agree that the memories forgotten by our minds are remembered by our hearts but Ayumi…her heart told her nothing of me" I said as I climbed the stairs.
When I entered the room that used to be mine, I packed my school books in my satchel and changed into my tattered clothes. I hanged my satchel on my shoulder and walked out of the room.
"Zan, where are you going?" Ai asked me.
"I‟m leaving" I replied.
"Why?" Ai asked me.
"Ayumi doesn‟t want me here and…I can‟t live with an Ayumi that forgot me in less than a week. Do you have any idea how much it hurts?" I said as I descended the stairs.
I met Ayumi at the bottom of the stairs looking unconcerned.
"Goodbye Ayumi" I said as I walked towards the front door.
"Ayu, say something, stop him" Ai pleaded.
"What do I care what a stranger does" Ayumi said indifferently.
"DAD!" Ai screamed and ran up the stairs.
Mr Kirisawa rushed out of his room and met Ai. "What‟s wrong Ai?" he asked.
"Zan is leaving because Ayumi doesn‟t remember him" Ai explained.
"What?" Mr Kirisawa said as he rushed down the stairs and out of the mansion.
He intercepted me just before I reached the gate.
"Zan wait! Don‟t leave!" he said firmly.
I stopped in my tracks.
"I can‟t stay" I said with my head hanging.
I did not want him to see that I was crying.
"Zan, I don‟t think Ayumi intended to forget you and it would be unfair for you to leave her in this state. Look, I‟ve personally sieved all of Ayumi‟s friends with nearly impossible standards and I‟ll tell you now that she never had a friend as honest and dedicated as you. All her other friends tried to get on my good side by doing absolutely everything I asked. I saw through them all. But you defied me! You showed me that you have a mind of your own and the strength to protect Ayumi and this family. You‟ve even began to protect the dream world without your knowledge. Ayumi may have lost her memories because of Cowardice‟s influence but you can make new memories together and I assure you that this time, they will last for a lifetime" Mr Kirisawa said.
I wiped my tears.
"You‟re right sir. The past isn‟t as important as the future. I will become a Dream Knight and I will send all the souls of evil back to where they belong!" I said with fiery determination.
"Spoken like a true knight" Mr Kirisawa applauded.
I turned around and walked back to the house.
Ai met me on the way.
"Zan, you can‟t leave. You promised that you‟d always protect Ayumi. You said you‟d never abandon her!" Ai said worriedly.
"I know Ai. I actually forgot. Shame on me! I‟m not going anywhere okay?" I said with a smile.
"Zan!" Ai called as she hugged me.
I could tell she was weeping.
"I‟m not going anywhere" I repeated to myself.
I walked to Ayumi.
"Uh…um, Zan, Ai tells me that I actually know you. Maybe w-we can try to get along" Ayumi struggled to say.
"Ayu, we never get along but I do care for you a lot and it hurt me that you doubted me" I said with a sad smile.
"Why don‟t you and Zan go out for a while? Catch up on your memories and have a little fun" Ai suggested.
"That‟s a great idea! Ayu it‟ll be great! Besides, the two of us have never gone out before" I said.
"Fine, just let me get my mp3 player and we‟ll be off" Ayumi said as she walked inside.
"I‟ll put my bag down and take my mp3 player as well" I said as I entered the house and climbed the stairs.
I put my bag in the room and removed my mp3 player, a gift from Ananse and waited for Ayumi. When she came out of her room, we walked down the stairs together and out of the mansion with our earphones in our ears.
When we were past the gate, I held Ayumi‟s hand. She glanced at my hand and at me but she didn‟t say anything. We walked along the road that led to Lower East Side Dream City. When we had walked for quite a distance, Ayumi called to me. I couldn‟t hear her above the music I was listening to.
"Zan!" Ayumi called again and this time, I did hear her.
I removed the earphones from my ears and stared at her enquiringly.
"What song are you listening to?" Ayumi asked me.
"Fire, it‟s a Ghanaian song by Virus and my main man Sarkodie!" I said in an attempt to look cool.
"Really? I‟ve never listened to any Ghanaian songs before" Ayumi said curiously.
"What song are you listening to?" I asked Ayumi.
"A Japanese song, It‟s entitled Cascade and it was sang by a band called Unlimits, it‟s one of my favourites" Ayumi said.
"Okay, tell you what, let‟s exchange mp3‟s for fifteen minutes and see whether we like each other‟s native songs" I said with my right hand outstretched.
"Deal!" Ayumi said as she shook my hand.
I gave her my mp3 player and collected hers. She placed the earphones in her ears and let me give you a quick gist of what she heard.
"Oh Oh Oh Oh!
Eh Eh Eh Eh!
Oh Oh Oh Oh!
Eh Eh Eh Eh!
Who form fire,
Virus no dey tire!
When it comes around and everybody don dey scatter!"
When I placed Ayumi‟s earphones in my ears, the song I heard was somewhat familiar to me but I couldn‟t tell why. I later realized that it was a recent ending song in the hit anime series Naruto Shippuuden. Ayumi translated the lyrics to me later on. After about fifteen minutes of listening to each other‟s native songs, we reclaimed our mp3‟s.
"So how do you like Japanese songs?" Ayumi asked me.
"They are really melodious, quite original. What of you, do you like Ghanaian songs?" I asked Ayumi.
"I like the beat and tempo. The instrumentals are also really cool but I don‟t really get the words. It‟s as though they are speaking English and a different language altogether" Ayumi said.
"That‟s what we call Pidgin English. It‟s the African version of English. I used to use it a lot in the stikomics but…you don‟t remember any of them" I said sadly.
"Zan, let‟s forget the memories I‟ve lost and have fun okay?" Ayumi tried to cheer me up.
"It‟s funny. You‟re telling me to forget memories that have already been forgotten" I said with a laugh.
"Forget forgotten memories, I get it!" Ayumi burst into laughter and for a moment I was actually glad she wasn‟t being so mean anymore.
"Hey, we‟re here. Our first stop, „Y3 w) biribi k)t)k) chop bar‟.(Literally translated as „we are having a thing called a porcupine restaurant‟). Let‟s see if you can handle Ghanaian food" I said as we walked into the „chop bar‟ which is the Ghanaian term for restaurant.
"Zan, you‟re not exactly rich so how are we going to pay for the food?" Ayumi asked.
"Just leave that to me" I said as I walked to the owner of the chop bar.
Ayumi followed closely behind.
"Hey, Maame D)kon! What‟s poppin‟?!" I greeted informally cos we were good friends.
"Hey Zannie my boy. Long-time no see" Maame D)kon greeted me.
"Zannie?" Ayumi teased me but I ignored her.
"I‟m ordering the special for both of us. I‟m talking fufu and ap)nkye kakra and… make the soup extra hot" I whispered so that Ayumi wouldn‟t hear.
"That will cost you four J.Ps" Maame D)kon said.
"J.P? Zan, what kind of currency is that?" Ayumi asked.
"Zan is the VIP of Lower East Side Dream City. He‟s always helping everyone around and in a manner of speaking, He‟s our little king so he alone uses our special currency, joke points" Maame D)kon explained.
"Yep, that‟s me" I laughed nervously.
"I had no idea you were that important" Ayumi said in surprise.
"Haha, I guess I forgot to tell you" I said.
"Hey everyone! Zan‟s about to buy food with joke points so listen good!" Maame D)kon declared and there was sudden silence.
"Zan! Zan! Zan! Zan! Zan! Go for it Zan!" the people cheered me on.
"Just wait a bit for me okay?" I said as I climbed the stage.
"Are his jokes really that good?" Ayumi asked Maame D)kon.
"He usually disses high schools and students so they‟re pretty much hilarious" Maame D)kon said.
I cleared my throat.
"Okay, I have four joke points to spend so listen closely;
1) "What is the difference between an armed robber and a T.T.I student climbing a burglar proof wall?" I asked.
"Nothing!" the people answered with loud laughter. Even Ayumi giggled.
2) "What is the difference between an Mfantsipim student and an archdemon attending a Christmas party?" I asked.
"Nothing!" the response came with more laughter.
3) What is the difference between an ink thieving boy called Joseph Essel who attends Marisco High and a mutant called Magneto?" "Nothing!" the people laughed more loudly.
"It‟s left with your last joke point Zannie! Keep going!" Ayumi cheered. I laughed.
"Okay, okay, I know you love me;
4) What is the difference between Kpelems and a boy from Marisco called Ernest Eghan in Apuskeleke!" I roared.
"Nothing!" The answering roar was much louder.
"Whoo! You‟re looking great up there Zan!" Ayumi cheered.
"If you think his jokes can make you laugh, wait till you hear him sing. It damn near breaks my heart" Maame D)kon said.
"Is he really that talented?" Ayumi asked.
"Just being near him has made many people happy. I‟d say the person who hasn‟t found happiness by being near Zan is a pitiful fool" Maame D)kon said.
Ayumi seemed to reflect on her words.
"Hey! Who here wants to hear Zan sing?!" Maame D)kon called.
There were loud cheers.
"I tell you what, if Zan sings, all the food and drinks are on the house!" Maame D)kon declared.
"Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing!" the people began to cheer.
"Heh! I don‟t think I can sing front of Ayumi. It‟ll be too embarrassing" I said shyly.
"I want to hear you sing Zan" Ayumi said.
I was surprised by Ayumi‟s excitement but I finally agreed to sing. I took the microphone on the stage.
"I dedicate this song to Ayumi Kirisawa, the girl I want to protect;
All my life no one has ever known me,
All my life no one has ever seen the me you‟ve seen,
So tell me why, so tell me why,
I‟m feeling this infernal pain,
So tell me if this is me,
Or just the way I‟m made.
Look at me I‟m an ordinary guy,
Got no money in my pockets and I‟m feeling shy,
Look at me I‟m isolated, I‟m beginning to wonder,
If I‟m ill-fated.
Then I saw you stare at me one day
I couldn‟t understand
But my spirit was lifted high
And you showed me another way
So tell me why so tell me why
You chose an ordinary guy
So tell me why you lifted me high
To wave my pain goodbye
Look at me I‟m an ordinary guy
Got no money in my pockets and I‟m feeling shy
Tell me why I‟m feeling joy
When I‟m at your side when I‟m at your side
Look at me I‟m an ordinary guy
Got no money in my pockets and I‟m feeling shy, feeling shy
Oh, oh, oh, Got no money in my pockets and I‟m feeling shy, feeling shy
Oh, oh, oh, Got no money in my pockets and I‟m feeling shy"
I sang with passion and when I finally concluded the song, there was silence for a while and then loud applause broke the air. I looked at Ayumi and saw tears in her eyes.
"Your food will soon be ready Zan" Maame D)kon said.
"Hey Zan! Why don‟t you sing a Foo-long to pass the time!" One customer suggested.
"What‟s that?" Ayumi asked.
"It‟s a humorous way of saying, sing a foolish forged song" I answered.
"Zan! Zan! Sing! Sing!" the cheers began.
"Okay, okay but this song is dedicated to y‟all! Every line I sing repeat the last word okay?!" I called.
"Okay!" they answered.
"A One-a! A two-a! A three-a! A Fouwa! Here I go!
SHANKY! SHANKY! (SHANKY)!
SHANKY! SHANKY (SHANKY)!
Shanky Akozina Koro! (Koro)!
Akozina (Koro)!
Koro Akozina Bankye (Bankye)!
Akozina Bankye (Bankye)!
Bankye Akozina Koose (Koose)!
Akozina Koose (Koose)!
Koose Akozina Kaya (Kaya)!
Akozina Kaya (Kaya)!
Kini Bensua Kana (Kana)!
Bensua Kana (Kana)!
Kuru na Kayo Akazoa (Kayo)!
I sang this foolish song and I was actually getting fans. Little did I know that one crazy guy recorded the event and uploaded it on YouTube and I tell you, the video got a lot of views and actually crashed the YouTube website. Soon, Ayumi and I were served with fufu and Ap)nkye kakra. I taught Ayumi how to eat with her hands and she actually spat the soup out on her first try.
"Don‟t tell me you‟re scared of a little heat Ayu" I challenged.
"I can take the heat!" Ayumi declared and the whole show turned into an eating competition.
After eating, I decided to play a prank on the customers.
"Ayu, prepare to run" I said in a whisper.
"What are you planning?" Ayumi stared at me suspiciously.
I stood up. Let‟s all say a short thank you prayer to God for his kindness;
"Almighty father, you give us food from your eternal bounty" I chanted the words.
"Thank you for your constant love and protection.
May you continue to be merciful to us.
We make this prayer in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost.
May God bless you all
Mo nyina woegyimii!" I concluded.
"Amen" they all responded.
"Hey, wait a minute! Did Zan just call all us fools?!" one customer roared but there was a shattering sound as Ayumi and I dived through the glass window and escaped.
We were chased for quite a distance but we managed to escape.
"Zan! What did you say to annoy them?!" Ayumi asked me.
"Nothing much except that they‟re all fools. I mean how could they actually enjoy that „shanky‟ song? It‟s actually senseless and I felt foolish singing it! You don‟t even wanna know what it means!" I complained.
"I thought you were really funny" Ayumi said.
"Thanks Ayu" I said gratefully.
"So where are we going next?" Ayumi asked me.
"Erm, let me see…I wanna save the best for the last so let‟s…I think it‟s better for you not to know what we‟re going to do next" I said with a cunning smile on my face.
"I hope you‟re not planning any more mischief" Ayumi said seriously.
"Looks like you know me even though you‟ve forgotten me" I said as I led Ayumi to one of the abandoned storey buildings.
We climbed it to the very top and by that, I mean the roof.
"Why are we here?" Ayumi asked me.
I was busy pulling a small box from a hidden storeroom. When I reached Ayumi, I smiled.
"Ever played smashin‟ mayhem?!" I asked.
"No, what‟s that?" Ayumi asked me.
"Ayumi, have you ever felt like you‟re in a mental prison. Like you can‟t do what you really want to do and it‟s driving you insane?" I asked.
"All the time but what has that got to do with a box full of stones?" Ayumi asked me.
Then she looked around at the buildings with glass windows.
"Oh no Zan, don‟t tell me-" SMASH!
The first window shattered.
"Zan! Are you mad?!" Ayumi scolded me.
"WHO THE HECK SMASHED MY WINDOW!" an angry voice yelled.
"Try it Ayu, it‟s fun!" I said.
"Yeah it is fun, a very twisted version of fun so stop it!"
SMASH!
The second window shattered.
"KWASIA! EBOWU! (Fool! You‟ll die)" another angry voice yelled.
Apparently I wasn‟t listening to Ayumi.
"Just try it Ayu" I coaxed Ayumi.
"No, it‟s crazy!" Ayumi refused. "Okay, tell you what? If you try it and don‟t like it, I‟ll stop" I promised.
Ayumi sighed.
"Fine" she said as she picked up a big stone.
She took careful aim.
"Here goes nothing" she said as she threw the stone.
It coursed through the air and shattered a glass window. Ayumi winced. "You did it Ayu!" I cheered.
Ayumi smiled.
"It did feel good" she said as she picked up another stone, I did the same.
"On three! One! Two! Three! Go!" I counted and we threw our stones.
It was so much fun that we proceeded to empty the filled boxes amidst insults and curses.
By the time we were done it was sunset. I grabbed Ayumi‟s hand.
"It‟s time to head to the final place! Let‟s hurry" I exclaimed as I pulled her down the stairs and charged through the streets.
We passed the busy slum and soon we were running along the Shining river.
Soon we were running through a field at the outskirts of town filled with white flowers.
"Wow, this place is so beautiful" Ayumi said happily.
"You ain‟t seen nothing yet. Just wait till the sun completely goes down" I said as I sighed and dropped amidst the flowers.
Ayumi sat beside me and we stared at the sky. The sky was beginning to take on a navy blue colour.
"Okay, now Ayumi, I want you to shut your eyes till I tell you to open them" I said to Ayumi.
"What are you up to Zan?" Ayumi questioned me.
"Just trust me Ayu" I said with a reassuring smile.
"Okay" Ayumi said as she shut her eyes.
I helped her to her feet and waited. When the first glimmer of moonlight appeared, a wonderful transformation occurred.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now" I said.
When Ayumi opened her eyes, she was enraptured by the sight of what she saw. The flowers were glowing with a bright light for miles and miles around.
It was an endless wave of light.
"Wow! It‟s amazing!" she exclaimed happily.
"They are lunar flowers. They glow with the light of the moon and symbolize a great longing to belong. It‟s comfort for those who have lost their homes and loved ones and for you…I want them to symbolize your lost memories of me" I said with a content smile.
"Why are you crying Zan" Ayumi asked worriedly for there were tears in my eyes.
"N-nothing there‟s just something in my eyes and the light is reflecting in my eyes" I said as I quickly wiped my tears.
We lay among the endless sea of flowers gazing at the stars. For a while, there was only silence. The only sound was the whistling of the wind and the gentle swaying of the flowers.
"Why don‟t you ever boast about it?" Ayumi suddenly said.
"What? What are you talking about Ayu?" I asked for her question puzzled me.
"Ai told me that you saved me from one of the souls of evil and that‟s why I forgot about you. She also said you recovered the stone of fire and that you‟ve always stayed beside me despite the many times I was mean and hard on you so why don‟t you ever boast about it?" Ayumi asked me.
I chuckled slightly.
"All those times, they are the moments I treasured most. It‟s not my right to boast about them because you made them precious. I love you Ayumi" I confessed.
Ayumi stared at me in surprise and remained silent. We gazed at the stars in silence and when we were sure that it was getting really late, we got up and headed home. When we finally arrived at the mansion gate, Ayumi finally spoke to me.
"Zan, I want to thank you for today. I‟ve never had as much fun as I had with you today. I‟m sorry I forgot the moments we shared together but…they can‟t possibly be more precious than the moments we shared today right?" Ayumi said with a smile and then she gave me a peck on the cheek and if I were fair in complexion, I would have blushed from head to toe.
When we entered the mansion, Ai and Mr. Kirisawa were waiting patiently for us.
"How was the day?" Ai asked.
"Crazy but…it was fun" Ayumi said.
"I‟m glad you two had fun" Ai said cheerfully.
"And the fun‟s not over yet, I‟m going to tell y‟all a ghost story so get the others assembled here and let‟s get started" I said happily.
"A ghost story?! Cool!" Ai said as she ran into the kitchen to call the servants.
Soon, everyone had assembled in the hall. Mr Kirisawa dimmed the lights but the fireplace was lit since it was cold night.
"Are you ready for the tale you are about to hear?" I asked in a spooky voice.
"TCH! You can‟t scare us! Go on!" Ayumi said bravely.
"Fine, this is a story Wanye told me. It happened in his village in Ghana long ago. Once, a curse broke out in his village. Many fell sick and many more died. No one knew the cause of this curse and the crops and animals too were dying. The people consulted the fetish priest for an answer and they were informed that…the curse was caused by one witch who lived on the outskirts of the village in a hut beyond the dead swamp savannah. The only way to save the village was to burn the witch. So brave warriors seven, including Wanye‟s grandfather braved the dangers of the savannah, passed through the enchanted forest and swamps and finally reached the witch‟s hut. Five of the warriors died from curses and only two remained. The two captured the witch and sent her back to the village. There, they burnt her at the stake but she cursed them swearing that she would return to plague their descendants so they should prepare themselves for the terrors she would unleash with her undead minions when they hear the witches‟ cry" I said in an eerie, almost whisper-like tone.
Most of the servants and Ai were trembling in fear but Ayumi and her dad didn‟t seem scared.
"I don‟t believe in witches" Ayumi said confidently.
"You should. Look at the curtains" I pointed.
Ayumi stared at the curtains. They were fluttering eerily although the windows were closed. I saw a glimmer of fear in Ayumi‟s eyes. I smirked.
"That‟s nothing, look at the flames" I said.
When they all turned to look at the flames, I sneaked away from them, switched off the lights and called out in a high pitched voice;
"Nny3nfo y3 k) o! (Witches we are going o!)" and that was the straw that broke the camel‟s back for everyone but Mr Kirisawa and I were screaming like Grade A sissies!
I laughed like crazy and Mr Kirisawa laughed too.
"It‟s okay, there are no witches here, it‟s just me! Hahahaha! You should have seen your faces!" I laughed.
"That wasn‟t funny Zan!" Ayumi and Ai roared as they pounced on me and clobbered me with pillows.
I laughed happily and begged them to stop but they ignored me. It was then that I realized that I had indeed brought happiness to this family and even to Ayumi.
"I‟m gonna kill you Zan!" Ayumi roared as she hit me with more pillows.
Somewhere along the line, she began to laugh too and I felt really happy. I‟ve gotta tell you though that her hits were really painful. Soon, we were running around the house. In that single day, Ayumi and I had replaced all her past memories of me with happier memories and I was also at peace because I knew then that the one I was really in love with was Ayumi and not Cowardice.