Hotensia Village, year 1205.
The little girl fiddled with her long wavy scarlet hair. Her gray eyes was staring at her grandfather. Her rosy plump lips opened, "Ooh…" She nodded her head. She swayed her body left and right when her butt ached after a few hour sitting on the ground.
Her grandfather chuckled seeing her. He leaned forward and patted her head. "Tired?" He said.
The girl shake her head twice. "No," she said, "listening to history is interesting."
Her grandfather eyes widen. He leaned backward and burst into laughter. He wiped the tears on his eyes. "You little girl," he continued patting her head, "you must have taken after your grandma."
The girl tilt her head to the right. "Is it weird?"
"No," he replied, "Not at all. In fact it's good. The more you learn, the more you know, and the more you will understand."
She scratched her little head. "Grandpa, where does the First Saintess's family went?"
He leaned back on the rocking chair. He look at the scenery beyond the window. "Who knows," he said, "there are few theories. One speculate that they were held hostage by the ruler to oppress the Saintess. Another speculate that they ran and build a new kingdom in hope to save the Saintess from the ruler. No theory could be proven valid."
The little girl let out a long sigh. She shake her head gently once. "Poor Saintess. She had to separate from her family because of some people's greed," she lowered her head and said with low voice, "the dragon too. That baby dragon must be missing it's family too." 'Like me.'
Her grandfather laugh. "That's right!" He said while trying to restrain himself from getting too excited, "They only think about themselves, and didn't even care about destroying another person's life."
"Grandpa, Rere don't understand," she looked at her grandfather with her eyebrows crunched together, "why can't they just live in harmony in the first place."
She crossed her arms and straighten her posture. "Hmph! They had been given such privilege and yet they do not feel grateful for it and take from others. That's must be why the Angels punished them!"
His face's muscle relaxed. "Punish might not be the word."
One of her eyebrows lifted. "If it's not punish, then what?"
Her grandfather hummed. "It was their first offense, thus they were given a warning," he said, "however, their sin was too heavy to be given just a light warning, perhaps, that's why the Angels took back most of the blessing."
"Hmm…" She tilted her head to the right and bobbed it to the left, "Rere still can't understand…"
"It's fine, Rere," he said in a comforting tone, "You will gradually come to understand it."
"Grandpa is really awesome," she put up both her thumbs and show it to her grandfather, "you know a lot of things. Rere also want to be like grandpa."
He smirked, "Of course I'm awesome," he held his head high, "or else, your grandmother would not married me."
The girl grinned from ear to ear, "Then…" she glanced at the door and turned to look at her grandfather, "between grandpa and grandma, who is smarter?"
"Of course," he poked the girl's cheek, "it's your grandma." He stood up from the chair and and stretched his waist. "Come on, let's go see your grandma." He extended his hand toward the girl.
The girl's face brimmed with happiness. 'It's lunch time!' She popped up and trotted off to the kitchen. Ignoring her grandfather's hand.
Her grandfather was left baffled. He look into the direction the girl ran off to. "This girl," he said while the edge of his lips perk up.
"Grandma!" The girl shouted.
Her grandmother, turned to look at the owner of the voice. She put down the bowl full of mushroom soup onto the table. She wipe her palms using the apron she was wearing. Her grandmother bent down on one knee and opened her arms.
The girl leaped into her grandmother hugs. Her grandmother stood up while carrying the girl.
"What's make our little Rere so happy?" She tickled the girl's belly.
"Well…" the girl said, "Rere was happy because it's lunchtime, and, because grandpa told me that grandma knows a lot of things. So, will grandma teach me?"
Her grandmother pinched her chubby cheek. 'My granddaughter is so cute!' She asked the girl, "Didn't your grandpa is teaching you?"
"Yes… But…"
"But?"
"Grandpa told me that grandma is smarter than him."
Her grandmother nodded, "So Rere want a smarter person to teach you?"
The girl nodded her head, "Yes."
She laughed. She poked the girl's nose. "Don't worry. Although your grandpa is not as smart as me, he is still the cream of the crop."
The girl shake her head. "It's not like that," she stare into her grandmother's eyes, "I want both of you to teach me. Learning more is knowing more. Plus… Although both of you could have the same idea, it still is a different interpretation, right?"
Her grandmother's eyes widen. She stared at the girl and chuckled. "My little girl is smart."
Her lips tighten. Concerned all over her face. 'Should I be glad that my granddaughter is smart? But… A child were supposed to live in a worry-free world, and yet…'
She still remembered that day. Both she and her husband was discussing the matter regarding their daughter and left the baby who was sleeping in another room. Suddenly they heard the baby's cry. When they went to comfort the baby, they noticed something were wrong. There was another mana energy in the baby's body.
The little girl's grandfather had been standing at the door for a little while. He noticed his wife's expression turned sour. He do not know what was in her mind, but he could roughly guess that it's a matter related to their granddaughter.
He walk closer toward the pair. He swiftly grabbed his wife's waist and give a light peck on the girl's forehead. He turned his face to his wife and does the same.
"Little Rere leave grandpa behind to be with grandma. Grandpa is sad because Rere only want to play with grandma."
The girl shake her head. "No. Rere and grandma are not playing. We were just talking," she looked at her grandmother, "right grandma?"
Her grandmother's face relaxed. She laughed. "Right," she said, "your grandpa is getting older. He can't even differentiate playing and talking."
The little girl covered her mouth with both of her palms. She giggled. "Grandpa, you're old," she said.
Her grandfather placed the back of his hand to his forehead. "Grandma and Rere always teamed up to bully grandpa," he sobbed, "Grandpa want to cry."
Her grandmother sighed contentedly. "Enough, enough," she put the girl down on the chair, "let's eat before the food went cold. Rere must be hungry."
The girl hummed. She took a bite on the bread in front of her and a sip of the mushroom soup. Her empty stomach was slowly being filled. She look at her grandparents. 'So happy! I wish we will be happy for the rest of our life!'
***
Hortensia Village, year 1210.
A little girl with a twin ponytails ran and hugged the old lady's waist. Tears stained on her pinkish plump cheeks and snot dripping from her nose. "Grandma," she grumbled "does mommy and daddy hate me? Is that why they don't want to see Rere?"
Her grandmother bent down on her knee and stare into the little girl's eyes. She wipe the remaining tears on the girl's cheek. "Aretha, my dear. Listen to me," she bumped her forehead to her granddaughter's forehead carefully, "your mommy and daddy love you so much that they would do anything for you. Nothing and no one could prevent them from loving you."
Aretha pouted, "then, why does mommy and daddy never come to see me?"
Her grandmother flinched. Since Aretha was five, she stopped asking about her parent. Although it was sad to see the child restrained herself from asking, she was glad. She did not know how could she tell the truth to her granddaughter.
Aretha asked again, "is it because I'm a bad girl?"
Her grandmother furrowed her eyebrows. "Who said that?" She leaned backward, separating their forehead. She held the little girl's small hand in hers. "Rere is the sweetest child grandma ever knew."
"Now, tell grandma. Who said that to you?"
Aretha explained to her grandmother the incident that happened while she was playing with her friends just a moment ago.
While they were playing, Aretha stumbled and accidentally pushed one of the children. Despite her apology, the child pushed her. Aretha was mad because she had already apologize so she pushed the child to the ground. The oldest kid in the group witness the incident and reprimand both of them. One of the children blurted out that the reason her parent leave her was because she's a bad child. Aretha was a bit torn so she quickly ran back home.
Her grandmother lower her head. She breathe a sigh of relief. She knew all the children in the village. So, she knew that they probably did not mean it. But what had been said, had been heard.
She cupped Aretha's cheeks with her hands. "Look at me," she said, "your mommy and daddy love you so much. This grandma can guaranteed that. No matter what, grandma want Rere to always remember. Your mommy and daddy love you. Grandma and grandpa also love you. We all love you so, so much. Understand?"
Aretha's eyes twinkled with happiness and touched. She nodded.
"Dearie, it's true that what your friend did was wrong. She shouldn't pushed you when you already apologized. However, you are also in the wrong when you do the same thing as her."
Aretha pouted her plump lips. "Why?" She asked, "She done that first. I just pay back for what she did."
Her grandmother patted her head. "Aretha, my dear. Grandma is not mad at you. It's good that you stand up for yourself. Never let yourself being pushed down by anyone," she sighed, "just, you also need to consider who is your opponent and their action. How old is Didi?"
"She's six years old."
"Who is bigger?"
"Me…"
"Did you fall when she pushed you?"
"No." Aretha lowered her head.
"Now you see what did you do?"
Aretha nodded. However, she was not satisfied. If she can't act, then what was she supposed to do?
Her grandmother replied, "Then what is this mouth for," she poked Aretha's lip, "talk. Didn't I tell you? There are some circumstances where you need to talk first and when it can't be resolved with talking, only then you take action."
"Okay," she answered solemnly, "but, grandma, if mommy and daddy love me, why didn't they come to see me?"
Her grandmother flinched. Her eyes glanced to the right and then left. She lowered her head. "Rere, how old are you this year?"
"I'm ten."
Her grandmother sighed, "right, you're ten already." She stared into her granddaughter's eyes, "it's already time for you to know the truth. Go call your grandpa in. We will tell you about your mommy and daddy."
Aretha sense something was not right with her grandmother's tone, but, she was also excited to hear about her parent, so she put the thought at the back of her head.
The girl ran toward the entrance of their house and exited the front door. She saw her grandfather was tending the flowers in the garden at their front yard.
The old man leaned forward a little bit when something pushed him from his back. Aretha hugged her grandfather's neck from his back and shouted near his ear, "grandpa!"
She loosened her grip. Her grandfather turned and face her, "Rere, are you trying to make this old grandpa of your deaf?" He pretended to sobbed.
Aretha giggled. "Sorry, grandpa," she said, "I just want to call you."
"Is it already lunch time?"
"No. But grandma told me to call you. She said she will tell me about mommy and daddy."
His eyes was filled with sadness. He lowered his head to hide face. He took a deep breath before he looked at his granddaughter. He pondered in his mind, 'should they really tell her about her parent? What if she had a hard time to accept the truth? What if this matter give a mental shock to their one and only granddaughter?' The smile on his granddaughter's face tighten his heart.
Aretha was excited to learn about her parent. In her 10 years growing up, she had never seen them. She didn't even know what their face look like. She noticed that her grandparent's face will turn sour every time she mentioned about them, so she never spoke about wanting to know or to see her parent since she was five. But everything explode today, and finally, they will tell her about her parent.
Her grandfather stood up and brush off the dirt in his hand. "Let's go inside. Your grandma is waiting."
Aretha nodded. She walked alongside her grandfather into their house. She smiled from ear to ear, unable to contain her excitement. She didn't know, her excitement will come to a crash.