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Post by Juxapose on Oct 25, 2009 16:55:44 GMT -5
Chapter 4
“I'm going Lumina, thanks for breakfast!” said Hiro as he is leaving the house for his daily routines.
“Have a good day!” responded Lumina as she waves at Hiro from inside the house.
Before he runs off to do his chores, he turns back to Lumina and says, “Remember what we talked about yesterday.”
Lumina nods and says, “I know, don't worry, I'll do my best too.”
After Hiro is out of sight, Lumina sighs. The day before, Lumina and Hiro had a little chat over dinner about the recent events. Everyone believes that Hiro is married to Lumina, even though they are not even dating yet. Lumina was also caught red handed lying about looking for a husband. She hates lying, but she feels that she needs to in order to stay in the village long enough for Hiro to have some feelings for her.
Hiro and Lumina do get along great. But for some reason Lumina doesn't understand, Hiro has been keeping his distance. She has also noticed that Hiro has made many friends in the village, but no girlfriends. She has talked to Hiro every single evening over dinner, but there is just so much she doesn't know about him.
She nods and cheers for herself. Starting today, she will try harder to get to know Hiro, and hope that he will return her feelings soon. The first thing she does is to wash the dishes they used to have breakfast. She then makes a call to a local newspaper to have it delivered everyday. This way, she can at least give the impression that she is looking for a husband. Afterwards, she puts on her apron and bandanna on her head to get ready to clean the house.
After some chores, Lumina made some relax tea, and made some snacks for herself. She sips the tea as she reads a book that her mother once read to her when she was a child. She then takes a look at the time, and sees that Hiro must have left the farm by now to do other things around the village. At this point, she likes taking a stroll through the farm in order to pass the time.
She always waits for Hiro to leave so that she doesn't interrupt his work. As many times she has seen the farm, she becomes a bit more amazed at the work Hiro does. Since he has arrived, Hiro has brought much life to the farm, and every day, it looks a little bit better. What started as a single cow, the farm already has many cows and other animals grazing in the pasture. A horse given to him by Takakura, some sheep to make some warm wool, and a goat for milk with a unique flavor.
Lumina goes back in the house sometime in the afternoon, and feels like dusting a bit. She grabs her feather duster, and starts dusting the bookcase in the living room. But as she dusts the books, she notices something between them. Between two books, she pulls out a picture frame. As she wonders what was it doing in the bookshelf, She takes a look at the photograph, and sees Hiro in it standing next to a younger girl.
Hiro isn't much different from the picture, so Lumina knew that it must have been taken recently. They both look happy together. Hiro with a smile that she has yet to see from him. And the girl had a light yet pure smile on her as well. As she stares at the picture, she feels that she might recognize the girl. Her medium jet black hair and green eyes are a rare mix, and her emerald green, white, and black dress with gold weaving and matching hair band are symbols that she is from a wealthy family.
Over the years, Lumina has met with many other families, so chances are that she may have met her before. But she doesn't remember where or when this may have happened. The meetings only happened when she was only a child, and when her parents were still alive.
As Lumina began preparing dinner, she started to become even more curious about the photograph. She's quite curious about why was it hidden in a bookcase. She wonders if maybe Hiro was trying to hide it for some reason. And if he is, why would he, and from who?
Later that evening, Hiro arrived at his usual time, feeling hungry as usual. Dinner was already served when he arrived, and he takes his usual seat, and begins eating as usual. Although everything seems normal, Hiro begins to feel that something is a bit off. Lumina was quiet as they ate, and she seems like she was spacing out lost in thought.
Hiro becomes a bit concerned, so he asks, “Is everything okay? You seem lost, or worried about something.”
Lumina gently places her fork down, and takes a deep breath before saying, “I'm sorry. . .”
“You're sorry?” asked Hiro, “about what?”
She didn't answer him immediately. She hands him the framed picture she was hiding before saying, “I found this in the bookcase. I am not sure why it was there, but I got curious. I didn't mean to take it. . . So, I'm sorry.”
As Hiro stares at the image, Lumina can see quite a bit of sadness in his eyes. By the sad look on his face, she knows that something must have happened between the two of them. Curiously, she asks, “So. . . What's the story with that picture?”
Hiro rests the photograph on the table and sighs before answering, “I took this picture sometime last year in the village I once lived before Forget-Me-Not Valley. The girl in the picture's name is Dia, she lived in a villa on a hill in Homeland. When I got to Homeland, there was this situation where some people wanted to demolish the village to make a theme park. But me and Dia together was able to stop them, and save the village.
“While we worked together, we sort of got real close. We started dating after the village was saved for some time. We were so happy, I felt that there wasn't anything that could pull us apart. But then her father came to visit, and he found out about us. He wasn't happy about it, and asked Dia to leave the village with him. She didn't even put up a fight, in fact, I think she wanted to leave.
“I stayed in the village for a little bit longer, hoping that maybe she was able to talk to her father and come back. But time passed, and she never came back. The next time I heard from her, she was getting married to some rich guy her father picked out for her. I couldn't believe that she actually consented to it, she even asked me to attend her wedding. I couldn't go, or even stay in the village for much longer. So I left, and came here to start over.”
Hiro then takes a deep breath, and wipes a tear that was hanging off his eye. He then continues, “And that's the story. I guess I still haven't gotten over her completely, since I still hang on to this picture of us. I want to get over her, and move on with my life. But lets face it, I still love her. Even though she left me so easily, and got hitched with some guy she hardly knows, I can't stop thinking about her.”
“I see, so that's it.” said Lumina. After hearing his story, many of her questions were answered. She always thought that Hiro may not like her, or may not find her attractive. But the truth is that Hiro's heart still belonged to someone else. Someone he cannot be with. As long as Hiro feels this way, he cannot have any feelings for anyone else.
Lumina gathers up her courage and says, “Um, Hiro? I just want you to know that I-”
Before she could finish, Hiro gets up from his seat and says, “I'm going to my room now. Thanks for dinner.” He then walks out of the kitchen taking the picture with him. Before going to his room, Hiro placed the photograph back to where it was in the bookcase. Even now, he still couldn't get rid of it.
Lumina looks over to Hiro's side of the table. Every night since Lumina has lived with Hiro, he had always finished his meal with no problems. But tonight, Hiro left his plate half full. She knows that Hiro is not mad or upset with her, but he does feel sad that he had to recollect such memories. She feels quite guilty about bringing it up, but at the same time, relieved that she knows what's going on in his heart. She was not doing anything wrong the whole time she has known him. The reason she could not get to him is because there is another girl in his mind.
That night as Lumina lays on her bed, she thinks about Hiro's situation. She could be living with him for the rest of her life, but her efforts are useless as long as Hiro's heart is still bound to someone else. She then remembers a past relationship she had not too long ago with someone from the village.
Lumina was seeing him for quite some time, and she also believed that they were going to be together forever. But things happened, and they ended their relationship just before her grandmother had passed away. Even though she has quite a past with her previous love, she was able to get over him, and move on. So she wonders why is Hiro's relationship so different?
As she continues to think, she feels that she may have an idea. Based on Hiro's story, she feels that his relationship may have ended too suddenly, and there was never any closure between them. Lumina was able to get over her previous love because they talked about it for a while, and decided it was best to end their relationship. But Hiro was still in love, and didn't want to accept that his love for Dia was over.
“If only I can get some closure between them, Hiro won't be so sad anymore,” she whispered to herself before falling asleep.
The next day, Hiro continued to do his daily routine like he always does. To Lumina, it almost seems like yesterday's events never even happened. But even as he tries to hide it, even from himself, thoughts of the girl he once loved still plague his mind. After he left, Lumina takes a good look at the house. The house is clean enough, so taking the day off won't make a difference.
Instead of cleaning, Lumina spends the better part of the day writing a letter. She then leaves the farm, and heads over to the villa, careful that Hiro doesn't notice her go there. It has been quite a while since she last been there, so it puts her at ease that she is home now.
She knocks on the door, and waits for her butler Sebastian to answer. As he opens the door to the mansion, Sebastian's face lights up with excitement to see her. “Miss Lumina! It's so great to see you!” he yelled happily.
Lumina cannot help but to smile with him and say, “Hi there Sebastian. I'm home.”
Lumina was invited inside, and tea was served. As she sips on her tea, she takes a look at her old home. She notices that Sebastian has done a very good job keeping the place clean. But at the same time, she also notices that the mansion looks exactly the same as it did since she last step foot inside. By the way the mansion is kept, she could tell that Sebastian has been very lonely, and keeps the mansion clean to keep his mind busy.
Sebastian sits down and says, “So, since you have returned, I can assume that you have found a husband?”
Lumina places her teacup gently on the table, and responds, “Not really. I know I shouldn't have come here until I have found someone. But I needed to be here. I'm sorry.”
“It's okay.” answered Sebastian. “We'll just consider this a friendly visit. I'm sure your grandmother would understand.”
Lumina nods. After catching up on current events for about an hour, Lumina feels that it's time to get to the point of her visit. “Sebastian, I have a favor to ask you.” she said in a serious tone.
“What is it Miss Lumina? If there is anything I can do to aid you, I will do anything in my power to grant it.”
She then shows Sebastian the photograph of Hiro and Dia that she took from the book shelf again. After handing it over, she says, “That girl in the photograph, do you recognize her?”
Sebastian takes a long hard look. He is old, but his memory is well enough to remember. “Ah yes, she is from the Jardin family, her name is Dia if I remember correctly. We did some business with her father when you were 8 years old. I believe you two met for a short time.”
“Is it possible you could find out where she lives right now?” asked Lumina.
Sebastian nods and says, “I could check Romana's records, and find out where the Jardin main house is. But why do you need to know if you don't mind me asking?”
Lumina nods, and pulls out a sealed envelope out of her pocket. “I need you to find a way for that girl to get this letter. It's very important, so I need to be sure it gets there.”
Sebastian takes the envelope and says, “I'll do my best. It may take some time for it to reach them, but I will personally deliver it if I must.”
Lumina then gives a great big hug to Sebastian saying, “Thank you so much! Please don't worry, I'll come home soon.”
“I have faith in you Miss Lumina,” he responded.
Time passed, and Lumina waits patiently for any response from Dia. She never told Hiro what she did, or is planning to do. She just pretends that she is looking for a husband like she usually does. During this time, Hiro finds Lumina reading through the newspaper looking at personal ads. He does become somewhat convinced that Lumina is searching, but he still does have his doubts.
Two weeks after Lumina paid Sebastian a visit, a response finally arrives. In fact, she got two letters. One for her, and the other is for Hiro. Lumina was thanked by Dia for taking such good care of Hiro since they met. Although Dia explained why she did what she did it was brief and not very detailed. Dia also asked Lumina not to read the letter she sent to Hiro.
She understands that whatever she had written Hiro is personal, and should be shared between them. So she never opened Hiro's letter. She was curious to know what she wrote to Hiro, but she wants to respect Hiro and Dia's privacy. She just kept the letter tucked away safely, and she will hand it over after dinner.
Hiro came home on time, and he ate dinner with Lumina naturally. Lumina does her best not to be nervous, even though she is almost terrified abut the contents. She would be a lot more confident if she knew what Dia write to him. She can only hope that the letter would finally give Hiro the closure he needs. But what scares Lumina the most if her plan would backfire, and make Hiro dislike her for getting involved in his affairs. Or worse yet, the possibility that the content of the letter would make Hiro love Dia even more.
After dinner, Hiro decides to retire to his room. Lumina stays in the living room thinking about her decision a second time. She is still worried about the outcome, especially since she is not sure about the content of the letter. She thought about just throwing away the letter, and leave things be the way they already are. But then she remembers why did she did this in the first place. Even if Hiro dislikes her after finding out Lumina was getting into his private life, if he could at least move on and get over his past love, she'll be content.
She hesitated to knock on his door, but she eventually conquered her fear, and got his attention. Hiro came out, and found Lumina quite nervous standing outside his room. “Is everything okay?” he asked.
Lumina nods, then pulls the letter out of her pocket. She then presents it to him saying, “This came for you today. Please don't be upset.”
Hiro was not sure why did Lumina just say that. He just takes the letter, and checks who it was from. Not many people knows he lives in the valley, so it was quite unusual for him to be receiving letters. He gasps as he sees the familiar handwriting of the name written on the return address.
“I'll leave you be for now.” said Lumina, knowing that Hiro may want to be alone. After closing the door, he takes a seat on the bed, wondering how did Dia find out where he is living, and why is she writing to him now. He then opens the sealed envelope, and wastes no time reading the contents:
Dear Hiro,
It has been a while since we last seen one another. I invited you to my wedding, but I guess you could not make it. I received a letter by a friend of yours stating that you no longer live in Homeland, and is currently residing in a village called Forget-Me-Not Valley. I was quite surprised to find out that you left your grandfather's farm, it meant a lot to you. Then again, I was too.
Your friend Lumina has also written so many things that has happened since you went to live in Forget-Me-Not Valley. I also read that you still keep that picture of us that we took after we rescued Homeland. Please do not be angry with Lumina, she only wrote what she did because she was concerned about you.
I want to let you know that the feelings we had while we were together were in fact real. I did cherish you as much as you did. But I already knew that our love was not meant to be. But even though that was true, I still wanted to be with you as long as possible. I knew that sooner or later, my father would come get me. I knew that father would not approve of us seeing one another. I kept that a secret from you, because I thought that if you knew, you wouldn't want to be with me.
Please understand that my feelings for you were real, even now I think that life would have been better if I would have ran away from home, and married you instead. But I love and respect my father just as much. I know it looked like if I didn't care, but it was a tough decision to make. To choose between you or my family was killing me inside.
Sometimes I wonder if I made the wrong choice, but I must see to it to the end. I'm sorry that I didn't choose you, but I guess I love my family a little bit more. So please, stop waiting for me. I will not come back to you, and you need to move on with your life. I'm so sorry how things turned out, I hope that you have it in your heart to forgive me.
Please take care of yourself,
Dia
After reading the letter, Hiro's teardrops begin to trickle on the letter. He didn't know that reading it was going to hurt so much. To him, it feels like his relationship has finally ended, and was allowed to cry over it. He thought that he was getting over her, but just as Dia mentioned in the letter, he was waiting for her to come back the whole time. Even after leaving homeland, in the deepest corner of his mind, he still thought that Dia was going to suddenly appear, and they would just continue like if they have never been apart.
All he was doing this whole time was running away from the truth. Even though he kept telling himself that the relationship between him and Dia was over, he has not made any effort to find someone else. Even when Lumina handed him the letter, he had thought that there was a possibility that Dia had left her husband behind, and is coming to be with him. But now it has become official, Dia has completely ended their relationship.
Hiro throws the letter away, and dries his face. The last thing he wants is to show Lumina that he was crying. He then walks out of his room, and reaches in the bookcase for the photograph. When Lumina hears that Hiro has left his room, she looks out to check on him. He is not crying, but there is sad painful look on his face.
“Where are you going?” she asked while Hiro walks out the door.
He stops for only a moment to say, “I want to be alone for a while. Don't follow me.” Lumina nods and returns to her room.
Hiro takes a walk to the beach, and sits in the sand. It is now evening, so no one can see him there sulking alone. As he sits there holding the photograph, he begins to recall the experiences he had with Dia. When they first met, Dia was quite cold and hardly friendly. But after he found a way to save the home they both lived in, Dia agreed to help him. During that time, they both became very close friends, and even started to feel attracted to one another.
After they had saved their home, they took their relationship to the next step. How would he know that he would end up alone and heartbroken sitting in a beach? After Dia and Hiro were separated, his heart was playing tug-of-war between fantasy and reality. But now, he is convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that his feelings are just wishful thinking.
After sitting in the beach for several hours, he feels that he is ready to let go. He takes the framed photograph, and hurls it into the ocean to sink in the bottom of the sea. He only hopes that the current will take it far away so that he will never have to see it again.
He then takes a deep breath, and yells as hard as he can, “I'm going to get over you!! I'm going to start over again, and this time, you won't be in my picture!! I PROMISE!!!”
He wasn't sure who he was yelling at. He knows that Dia is not going to hear him, but he still yelled out loud anyway. He thinks that perhaps, he was yelling at the memories of her that lay in his heart. At least yelling has made him feel a lot better. So he goes back home, and rests for the day.
Several days pass. Hiro and Lumina has hardly spoken since then. She wants to say something to him, but she is too nervous about how will he respond. Hiro on the other hand is still a bit depressed. But even though he is sad, he feels different. Almost like if something inside him was set free.
Summer is ending, and Fall is on it's way. One sunny morning, Lumina wakes up, and is getting ready to get breakfast started. But strangely, Hiro was up before her, and already started making breakfast.
Hiro's cooking is simple, but Lumina enjoyed it anyway. There was purity in it's simplicity which she liked. As they ate, Hiro began the conversation by saying. “Hey Lumina, I want to thank you.”
“Thank me?” she answered. “But why?”
Hiro smiled and answered, “I think you know why.”
Lumina smiles as she realizes what is Hiro talking about. He is thanking her for being concerned about him, and for helping him in his time of need. She sighs, and continues eating. Without even realizing it, she found something else she liked about him. Slowly but surely, Hiro is starting to become precious to her. She only wishes that soon, he would feel the same way about her.
To be continued.
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