I'm a Phoenix

CHAPTER 2 : REMINISCING THE PAST | Takahashi Kiara

"Ahhhh-haaaaaaaa~", yawning while putting my hands up high, I woke up in the morning with zero thoughts on what I should be doing today.

I looked at the window to my right and as expected of the winter season, it's really cloudy. After looking at the window, I turned my head facing front and tried to gather my thoughts about what happened yesterday.

"Ah.. I see, So the festival's today huh..", I muttered that to myself while cleaning my eyes and trying to get out of bed.

After getting my right leg off the blanket and almost reaching the floor, my body started to fall back down to the bed again. As lazy and tired as I look, I tried to get back up in order to start the morning. But my body just won't get up, no matter what I do.

"Guess... I'll get... some... more.. sleep.. for a few minutes..... ", I said that with the laziest tone I could ever produce while closing my eyes slowly.

And as I was about to fall into my deep sleep again, someone appeared....

"GOOD MORNING KIARAA!!!", she shouted that greeting with little musical on her tone.

I covered myself using my blanket so that I couldn't hear her voice and go back to sleep but, she's as persistent as ever...

"Ki-a-raaa~, wakee uppp!! It's already morning!!!", she said that as she was coming closer to my bed hitting every high intonation on the beginning of her words.

"Go away.... I'm still sleeping..."

"It doesn't sound like you're still sleeping though..", she said.

I can't believe this, I just want to get at least 10 more minutes of sleep! Isn't that too much to ask?? It's the perfect weather to sleep you know!

"If you won't wake up then..... I'll be taking these!", saying that she pulled my blanket away from me, exposing my body to the light from outside the window.

"Kitty!, Come on! At least give me 10 more minutes! Geez....", I said that after I got back up from my bed and shouting at Kitty.

"That's what you get if you don't get up early Kiara! Get up already! It's festival day and you need to have high spirits for this day!", she said that as she gets her hands up high with full of energy and excitement, while still holding my blanket..

This girls name is Kitty, she's currently at the age of 9 and will be turning 10 by next week. She's the daughter of the chief, but she's really friendly especially towards me. She's wearing a long coat and gloves to protect her from the cold. While I'm still wearing the my pajamas since I just woke up, and it's really cold...

"I know it's the festival today, so let me get some more rest please?", I begged for Kitty's permission to go back to sleep for another 10 minutes.

"Nah, ah, ah Kiara!", she said while swaying her fingers from left to right as a gesture of saying No.

"Remember that you have a cooking contest today Kiara!, have you ever thought about what you're going to cook?", Kitty asked.

"Hmm... Not really? I mean, I'm good at making chicken foods like last time remember?", I replied.

By last time, I meant the time where contestants cook foods and serve it to the villagers as if they were the judges. And there was a voting system back then, and apparently 3 people entered the Finals. And I'm one of them..

"But, since the cooking contest starts at 10 in the morning. Let's begin the day first by waking up, cleaning your bed and eating breakfast."

"O-Okay.. Geez, you're like a mother already Kitty.."

"That's what I am about to be!", Kitty said while forming a stance of being proud.

I got up from my bed thanks to Kitty, and cleaned my bed and the room. Kitty went ahead downstairs because she got called by her Mother. Before I get downstairs, I looked at the window and saw the entire Village preparing for this upcoming festival.

The name of the village is the Sun Village, that's why the name of the festival is the Sun Festival. They say that in this festival, they'll praise the Sun whenever it's 3 more days before the New Years. Even though there's no Sun to be seen up the sky right now, they'll still worship it. The elder said this quote, "Faith will grow stronger when the lord cannot be foreseen."

I have no idea on what the Elder meant about this quote, but somehow it got the villagers to praise the Sun even more in the Winter Season.

As thoughts were running on my mind, someone knocked at the door and when I looked back I saw Mike.

"*knock knock* Am I interrupting your deep thinking Miss Kiara?", Mike asked.

"Ah, no.. I was just looking at the Village.", I replied.

"I see, Did Kitty interrupt your sleep?"

"Haha! You guessed it right, Science Boy."

"Don't call me that, well.. At least you're the only person who doesn't call me 'weird'", he said while approaching where I'm standing.

"I wouldn't call your hobby weird, so don't worry about it."

"Thank you.", he said.

Me and Mike both looked at the Village by the window together. And seeing the Village working together and hard really makes me wonder 'what really is the past of this Village?'

"KIARA, MIKE! BREAKFAST IS READY!", someone shouted from downstairs.

"Looks like we've been called", I said.

"Yeah, shall we?", Mike asked.

"Sure."

We immediately gone downstairs and by the time we got there, the table was already prepared. And here I thought I could help..

"Kiara, let's eat? We still have to go to buy some ingredients for your upcoming contest right?", Claire asked.

"Yeah, although I haven't really decided on what to cook yet. I might decide by the time I see the ingredients.", I replied.

"I see, well then let's eat. We got a busy day ahead of us.", Claire said.

"3 days, to be exact.", Steven said while pointing the fork at us, and I noticed that his mouth is full.

"Steven! What did I tell you about your mouth being full?", Claire shouted calmly.

"Ohm myeah...", Steven said and quickly chewed and swallowed the food inside his mouth.

"Geez, and here I wondered why you're my husband..", Claire sighed.

"Isn't that because of my, 'Leadership and Strength'?", Steven said as he's flexing his muscles on his biceps.

These couples are named Steven and Claire, they're also Kitty's parents. Mike is the assistant of Steven, since Steven is the Chief of the Sun Village. Even though he has the muscles and ranking, his.. Childish attitude is still there according to Claire. But Claire said when something serious happens, he'll get serious as well.

"Kiara, Mom. Can I go with you?", Kitty asked as she was sitting next to Steven.

"Well, of course Kitty. We can also help Kiara decide on what she's going to cook right?", Claire asked.

"Yeah, it's hard for me to decide a dish by myself. Especially when I'm one of the people who entered the finals. Even now, I'm getting overwhelmed by the nervousness..", I said.

"It's okay Kiara, Kitty and Claire will help you decide and get your ingredients for your dish. Meanwhile, the Chief and I will be preparing for this festival while cheering you on!", Mike said while trying to calm me down and cheering me up.

"Yeah, we'll be supporting you Kiara.", Steven said.

"Thank you, Thank you everyone.", I said as I thanked them with a smile. And they also smiled back at me.

"We won't be getting anywhere if we don't start eating our breakfast now, so let's eat!", Claire proposed.

We all ate our breakfast as if we're all a one big happy family, and I'm happy that they think that I'm part of their family.

Looking at them right now, it made me think about the time when we first met.
It was 2 weeks ago, at the snowy mountain. The day me and this family first met.