Silence (Book 2)

06 - Muted Thoughts

Chapter 6

***

The next few days were spent reading my little sister’s book. While I was reading, some things struck me as quite odd. She seemed very different from the Ririn I knew and loved. The Ririn in the book was quiet and scared of people for whatever reason, while the Ririn I knew was very bubbly and bright; she loved people. So, what exactly caused such a change?!

I also noticed that she seemed to have completely forgotten that she even had a family, and she mentioned them ‘abandoning’ her. The only person that really abandoned her was me…

And I am her family, so technically her family did abandon her…

Ugh! I shake the useless thoughts out of my already pounding head and sigh. I read through the chapter, feeling worse by the minute. I get to chapter ten before stopping. I couldn’t help but feel annoyed and frustrated, and even a bit sad to be honest. I wasn’t mentioned at all. It was almost as if I didn’t even exist in her life.

Finally, I decide to take a short break from the book. I place it on a small desk by her old bed and head outside to get something to eat. It seemed like forever since I had had a relatively good meal.

Heading to an unfamiliar direction, I almost completely crash into an unknown entity only to find out it was the pink haired girl, Sakura.

“Oh Akio, just the person I was looking for!” she grins and grabs my hand before dragging me somewhere. We finally arrived at a large building I assumed to be the Hokage building. I wasn’t wrong.

“The Hokage wants to see you.” She glances at me for a split second. “It’s about Ririn.”

***

“You must be her brother.” The Hokage, who happens to be a youngish looking woman with a rather large chest smirks as I try to assess the situation. She pointed at a folded sheet of parchment on her desk. Assuming she wanted me to take it, I did and opened it.

“Don’t read it yet.” She frowns and sighs. “I only read the first sentence before thinking it belonged to you.” She then turned to me, “It’s a letter, from Ririn to you.”

To me? Why would she write me a letter? Wasn’t the book enough?

I clutch the letter tightly in my hand, not wanting to let go. She wrote a letter directly to me, and even though I don’t know why, it’s a bit refreshing from my muted thoughts of guilt and regret.

“When you get the chance, read it, and if you want to, give it to Kakashi to read it too.” She smiles for the first time in my visit.

“I will.” I nod curtly and leave the room. Not wanting to read the letter yet, I stuff it in my pocket and head to Kakashi’s house.

When I finally arrived I immediately went to read the letter, it went like this:

Dear Brother,

I don’t know if you’re reading this or not, but I’m not exactly in the best shape right now. I don’t think I’m dying or anything, but if it’s possible I would really like to meet you. I have so many questions I wish to ask you!

Before that I would mainly like to ask, why did you leave me? Why didn’t you take me with you?

I always wonder if I would be different if you had taken me with you. I can’t help but want to know what you’re like, and what it would be like to have a real family. I was told I have one, but I can’t quite remember when. Did we have parents? What were they like? Did they love us?

It would be better if we could talk in person, but I find that my voice is refusing to work properly, so I would probably end up writing it anyway ha-ha

Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask. Was I always mute? I’ve been mute ever since I can remember, but I also can’t seem to remember anywhere before one particular day. It’s like I was born at age five or something because I can’t seem to remember anything before that. I don’t even know when my birthday is.

Do you know when my birthday is? If you do, could you please tell me?

I don’t think I could write all of my concerns here, but I do have one major thing to ask of you. All the questions above were simply things I would like to know if you ever get the chance to tell me, but aside from those things, I have one concern. It is my dying wish.

I wish to know what is wrong with my voice. What happened to me that made me not remember you? Why is it that I have no memories of us being together? Why is that no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to remember anything of my past?

I really wish we could meet in person soon.

Much Love,

Your Sister Ririn

P.S. If you feel any regretful for leaving me behind, please don’t. I know you have a good reason for doing so, and if you hadn’t left, maybe I wouldn’t have been able to meet my very good friends, so I thank you

Please don’t feel guilty, and even though I don’t know what happened to have us separated like that, I do wish you would forgive yourself.

I love you, and I’m sorry for not remembering you.