At the e evening in the quite cemetery, there was a guy standing with black suit accompanying a little girl whose squat down and crying in front of two new made mound with wooden board on it, which written on there Charles Wong and Vivian Chung.
"Mommy... Daddy... Why'd you leave me and brother alone, how we're supposed to live without the both of you?" the little girl was lamenting and crying non stop.
"Lala, we need to go back, grandmother is waiting for us, it's getting dark too." the guy try to pull the girl named Lala up and help her to stand.
"I won't go, I want accompany mommy and daddy a little while more" Lala stubbornly stay still at the ground squatting down and not moved.
"We will come again tomorrow morning, okay? Please think about grandmother too, she's worried about us." the guy still trying to coax Carla.
Carla had stunned for a while and stand up immediately, "I almost forgot about grandmother.... Mom, dad... We will back tomorrow to bring you flower" Carla kissed the boards and reach the guy's hand.
"Let's go, brother" then slowly they left the cemetery.
"Brother Thom, how should we live now? Should I quit from school and run our shop?" worry came across Carla face.
"You don't have too. I got more free time now, just need to finish my essay, so I still can manage the shop." Thomas pat Carla's back, make sure that she do not need to worry about living.
"I will help him, don't worry Little Lala" suddenly a gentle voice come closer and a handsome guy appear in front of them.
"Erick, I though you are back already." Thomas felt surprised, his best friend has actually waiting for them at the cemetery.
"How could I leave you guys, Uncle and Aunty Wong were like my second parents, I just gave you both more space for farewell. I'm sorry for your lost" sincerely Erick gave his condolences.
"Thanks, bro" Thomas give him a slight nod.
"Come, I will send you back and accompanying grandma for a while" Erick lead Thomas and Carla go to his humble car, a small city car.
"Thanks brother Erick" Carla sincerely say thank you to Erick with her wet and red eyes.
"Anytime my Little Lala, let's go!" Erick has helped Carla get in the car, after that he's hopped to the driver seat and drive the car slowly.
"Thomas, is the truck driver being arrested?" Erick break the silence.
"I still don't know, the police still not inform us anything." Thomas answering with a gloomy face.
"Why did he kill our parents?" Carla whispering with her tremble voice. "I want him sentenced to death by the court."
"Lala, stop it, even if he sentenced to death, that won't bring our parents bacl alive." Thomas bitterly said the fact to his sister.
Carla just hang her head down.
"My Little Lala, you supposed not to think about this, just study hard so you can continue to study at senior high school, ok? Let your brother and I take care this case and you." Erick try to calm Carla down.
Later the car went silent again until they reach an apartement building The Nate at Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.
Erick went to park his car to the parking lot after dropping down Thomas and Carla, later he went in to the apartement building with the siblings who wait for him in the entrance of the apartement door.
They were waiting for the elevator to come down. The security guard see them and give therm his condolences for their parents death.
After a while, the elevator finally come and the three of them went inside the elevator. Thomas pressed the 5th floor button and let the elevator's doors closed.
After reach the 5th floor, they went straight to the house at the corner of the floor, Thomas pick the key from his pocket and open the door for them.
This was a small apartement with 3 rooms and one bath room. This is what their parents can afford and the only will they left beside their small shop.
"Ah, you two are finally back!" Lily Zuang, their grandmother come out from the kitchen with a plate of stir fry lotus root dan a plate of fried egg.
"Come and have dinner" she put those plates on the table and once again she walk to the kitchen. Lala hurriedly follow her grandmother to help her bring the dishes out.
There was a signature dish from their shop, roasted chicken and mushroom chicken soup. All the dishes are steaming hot, looks like grandmother just finish cooking them.
"Erick, come sit and eat dinner with us, I just can cook a simple dishes and reheated the soup and the chicken from our shop." Lily sat on the chair with a thin sponge on it.
"It's fine grandma Lily, you don't need tiring yourself from cooking" Erick sat down beside Carla who serving the rice to them.
"Lala, you need eat, if not you will get sick" seeing Carla not having her bowl, Thomas give his bowl to her and went to the kitchen to pick one more bowl.
"I don't feel hungry." she push aside the bowl that Thomas give just now.
"Eat a little, don't make grandma and your brother worry, okay?" Erick try to coax Carla and put some stir fry lotus root into her bowl.
Finally Carla eat her food even just a very little. They both eat in silence.
●●●●●●●●●
Two years later
"Brother, grandma, I'm back!" Carla went inside the shop straight to the small room at the upstairs, after changing her clothes, she hurriedly come down and help Thomas serving the customers.
"Lala, you better eat first" Grandmother Lily ask her to eat first.
"I ate grandma, don't worry. I bought a steam bun on the way home" Carla pick the plate contain with rice and roasted chicken and a glass of ices lemon tea, and bring them to the customer's table.
"Please enjoy our food." Carla put down the food and serve the customer.
"Thank you little girl." the male customer give her warm smille and start eating the food.
TRING!!!
"Welcome to our shop!" Carla greet the person who come in.
"Ah... Brother Erick!" Carla slightly hung her head down, her face flushed red seeing the handsome Erick come to their shop to help them serving the customers.
"How are you my Little Lala" Erick rub Carla's hair gently.
"I'm not a little girl anymore." Carla let out a soft protest.
"For me you will always my Little Lala." Erick give his warm smile to Carla and make her heart beat become rapidly fast.
"Bill please!" one of the customer shouting make Carla jolted and come to that customer as fast as a rabbit.
"Coming!" she grabbed a note from the serving table.
Their shop now growing more bigger and more customers come for their food. Thomas already graduated from university and doing online job as an IT for construction company. Carla already went to the senior high school and now she is in a 10th grade.
She studied well and win a school scholarship for one of prestigious school in Hong Kong, Victorian Shanghai Academy at Shun Wan Road, Aberden, Hong Kong Island.
As for their shop, although the shop running well, Thomas always refuse to hire a waitress, he said he will hired them after Carla graduated from university, that is why Carla and Erick always come to help running the shop, serving food and drink to the customers.
At 8:00PM, the shop finally closed. Carla tidying the last customer's table while Erick helping with put the chair on the top of the table. Thomas and their grandmother was cleaning the kitchen.
After Carla finish with the table, she bring all the dishes to the sink and start doing the dishes.
Not long after, Erick come to help her.
"Put this on your hands, don't let the dish soap ruin your hands." he rinsed Carla's hand, wiped them dry and help her wearing the rubber gloves.
"Thank you." shyly Carla pull her hands and start washing the dishes again with Erick's help.
"How's school?" Erick rub the dishes with the sponge.
"Not bad." Carla hung her head. Her school was the prestigious school, the students are all from prestigious family, but she just from a poor family who got a scholarship to get there. From the first time she come five months ago, she got bullied by her classmates because her background, she just an orphan and the sister of roasted chicken shop's owner. But she never tell Thomas and their grandmother about being bullied at school.
"What do you mean with not bad? Do you feel the subjects are too hard? If so I can tutor you."
"No, the study is fine, I just not use to be around the rich kids family."
"Do you have any friend?"
"Not really, I like to stay alone, because I don't understand what are they talking about." Carla put all the clean dishes into the drying basket and take off her rubber gloves, hanging them on the rack.
"Fashion, make up and stuff."
"You can learn about that" Erick wash his hands and wiped them dry.
"Nah... I don't have time to do it." waving her hand, Carla walk into the kitchen.
"Carla, where is Erick? Let's have dinner before we go home." Thomas put the dish on the table, Lily Zuang already sat on there.
"I'm here." Erick slowly come and put his hand on Carla shoulders.
"Come and sit, have a bite."
"Thanks"
"Don't thank me, I'm the one who supposed to thank you, you always helped me run this shop" Thomas give a bowl of rice to Erick.
"We are best friend after all, I was more than willing to help you. Plus I got a chance to meet my Little Lala everyday, that is a big reward." Erick winked at Carla that make her cheeks blushed red.
"Stop teasing her, you old man!" Thomas give him a glare and than laugh.
"Hey, we just 21, who is old man?" Erick pick a slice of roasted chicken and put it in Carla's bowl.
"Eat more!" then again he put a cube of sweet and sour pork.
"....." Carla look at her bowl, pile of food there, she did not had a chance to eat first, but Erick continuously put the food into her bowl.
"How's your school, Lala?" asked their grandmother.
"Not bad, grandma, as always."
"Have you tried to make friend?" Thomas picked the chicken while asking Carla.
"Yes"
"And how is it?" Thomas look at her with worry.
"Not work" Carla quickly eat her food, afraid that her brother will lecture her.
But before Thomas start his lecture,
"Tomorrow is Saturday, can I bring Carla out?" Erick break the tension between the sibling.
"Where?" Thomas give Erick suspicious look.
"Stop that look, I won't do something inappropriate to her, she is my sister too." Erick's answer just like giving Carla a stab in her heart. Yes, Erick just treat her as a sister.
"I just want to bring her for walk before her exam."
"Okay then, but don't come back too late, the latest is 8:00PM." Thomas give a warning.
"What the... She is with me, why should she come back at 8?" Erick look at Thomas with disbelieve.
"You looks dangerous." said Thomas without care.
"You devil!" Erick glare at him.
"Come back at 8:00PM or no need to bring her out, I can do it myself!" Thomas give him a warning. Anyone knows how Thomas loves his sister and overly protected her from any guy. Not to mentions Erick.
"Okay okay... Get ready tomorrow okay Little Lala, I will pick you up at 7!" Erick winked at Lala and then give a glare to Thomas.
"7 is too early" coldly Thomas said to Erick.
"Non sense, you prevent her from coming back late so it's reasonable to bring her out early!" Erick smiled playfully.
"Just let him be, no need to fight ok?" Lily Zhuang pat Thomas back to calm him down. "He is your friend, don't need to worry, he will protect our Lala, he treat Lala as his sister, what else do you expect?"
"Fine, but if anything happen to Lala, I won't let you off!" last warning from Thomas really made Carla mad.
"Brother, can you be a little reasonable? What would be happen to me while I go out with brother Erick? He is your best friend that is mean he is a brother to me, he won't let anything happen to me after all. If you reluctant to let me out with him, I won't go. You just annoying" Carla slam the chopstick to the table and left them to the back room to pick her bag and left the shop immediately.
Thomas rubbed her head, lazily he's stand up and ready to catch Carla up.
"Please bring grandma home and wait for us" he pat Erick shoulder and dash out to follow his sister.
"He just too worry about his sister, he only have Carla and me. He said that he can't bear to lose Carla, the only treasure that their parents left. So don't be mad at him." grandma Lily put her chopstick down and try to explain to Erick, why Thomas being too aggressive.
"I know grandma, I understand." Erick let out a sigh.
Meanwhile at the corner of the street, Thomas finally can catch Carla, he stopped her from running.
"Lala... listen to me! Don't be mad ok? You are the only treasure that mom and dad leave, I can't bear if anything happen to you, I can't bear to lose you. It might be annoying for you, but please, you are my only sister, I need to protect you, no matter what. I love you as much as I love our parents."
"Brother..." Carla lost her words, she hugged Thomas tightly and cried. She loved her brother more than anything and she knows how much her brother loves her dearly. But sometimes she can't take when her brother become overly protective.
"There... There... There... Don't cry, My Sweet Little Lala." Thomas patting her back and kissed her forehead. "Wanna eat some pineapple bun? My treat!" Thomas grab Carla's little hand and bring her to walk to the nearby bakery to buy her favorite pineapple bun. Spring smile appear on Carla's lips.
"I love my big brother so much" Carla hugged Thomas arms and clung on it. Thomas look at his sister and laugh out loud. Lovingly he rubbed Carla's head.
"Tomorrow you can go with Erick, but do not ask to buy anything from him." Thomas put a reminder for his sister.
"I won't, don't worry, brother... If I want to buy anything I can use my own money." Carla hooked her pinky around Thomas' pinky.
"My good girl!" Thomas kissed her forehead.
At the bakery, Thomas buy 2 pieces pineapple buns, and 8 pieces of egg tart for dessert. Carla eat the buns on the way back home. Seeing her eating habits Thomas can only let out of a long sigh. His sister really not a girly type, he wondered who will be willingly be Carla's husband in the future.
"Lala, eat slowly, you don't look like a girl" Thomas wiped the corner of Carla's mouth, the crumbs of the buns are all over her mouth.
"I don't care!" Carla happily stuffed her mouth with half of pineapple bun.
"Slowly, you will choked if you're eating like that!" Thomas pinched the bridge of his eyebrows.
"I won't!" Carla stubbornly chewing her bun.
"Let's head back home, don't make grandma worry!" Thomas pulled Carla hand to get hurry.
After 15 minutes walk, they are finally reach their apartment. Thomas ringed the door bell and Erick hurriedly open the door.
"Are you okay Little Lala?" Erick grab Carla's shoulder and examine her.
"I'm good, what will happen to me while I was with my beloved brother?" Carla blinked her eyes.
"Surely nothing happen, next time do not run away when you are mad!" Erick pat her head.
"Come, have some dessert." Thomas put down the egg tart on the table.
"You three eat without me, I feel a little tired. I will go straight to the bed." Grandmother Lily walk to her room.
"Grandma, are you okay?" Carla went to the room checking her grandmother.
"I'm just tired, I'm getting old now." Grandmother Lily lay her body on her bed, Carla helped to cover her with a blanked and after she fell asleep, Carla slowly walk out from the room.
"How's she?" Thomas look at Grandmother Lily's room with worry on his face.
"She's sleeping, grandma looks tired. Grandma should only stay at home, she don't need to helping us at shop." Carla suggested to Thomas.
"I was told her so many times already." Thomas let out a sigh, their grandmother can't sit still, from her young age, she always like working, she can do anything when she was young. But now is different, she need more rest.
"We should hire a caretaker to take care grandma" Erick suggested to Thomas and Carla.
"I think that is a good idea." Thomas agree with Erick suggestion.
"I will help to find the professional caretaker for grandma" Erick put down the empty cup and he was ready to back home.
"I'm going back first, I will pick you up at 7, ok? I will bring you out for fun!" Erick hugged Carla and then walking out the apartment.
"Go have some sleep, I will take care of grandmother, good night Lala!" Thomas kissed Carla forehead and went in to Grandmother Lily's room.
"Good night, brother." slowly Carla walk into her room, after a shower she lay her body on her bed and suddenly drowsiness attack her and not too long she fell asleep.