Ghosts of Wonderland

Testimony

Halo One: Testimony:

-Makoto-

I don't remember anything about my hometown or my family. My earliest memories go back to when I was eighteen. I found myself in the countryside. I forgot why I was there but I know that I was looking for a job. I was told that a man in the countryside was looking for a hired hand. So I walked up to the door and knocked.

Now, his name still escapes me at the moment. All that I remember was that he was a big man with a stoney face. That look in his eyes made me consider turning around and running off. But I stayed put. I needed a place to stay and money. When my employer first saw me, he didn't look impressed.

"What do you want?" he asked. I stiffened up as I stood up straight.

"I need a job," I said. There was no emotion on his face. He didn't say a word. I gulped and forced myself to keep talking.

"I need a job here!" I blurted out. "I have nowhere else to go. I heard that you were looking for hired hands!" He still didn't say a word. I didn't know if I was reaching him or not. I wouldn't give up. Something inside of me wouldn't let me.

"I am a hard worker! I am good with my hands. I am quick to learn what I need to do." I started to dig deeper in my brain for anything else. It felt like I was being put on trial. I prayed that he would say something. This man said nothing as he moved aside to let me in. This stunned me as I about stumbled backward.

"Uh... thanks..." I said. I bowed and walked into the house.

To tell you the truth, I don't know how I did it, but he gave me the job. I worked mostly in the fields and around his farm. I had my own room upstairs at the end of the hall. My boss was a strange man. When I first started working for him, he didn't speak to me unless it was to tell me what I was going to do for the day. I took it without question. I managed to talk my way into working for him. I was going to fuck it up. And I did my best to keep my job and my home. I didn't have anywhere else to go. I don't remember why I couldn't go back home. But that doesn't matter anymore. All that mattered was that I could support myself back then. Over time, my boss and I started to get along. We weren't exactly friends, but we respected each other.

-Hya-chan-

My parents died when I was young. I don't remember much about them. My father had a nice-looking watch. My mother gave me my old sparkly star necklace. I think we might have been close. That is all I have about them.

When I was seventeen, I went to go live with my uncle. I moved in the summer of 1983. It might have been 1982, but 1983 would be more accurate. I don't remember the situation that led me to go live with my uncle. I hadn't seen him in so long. He and my father were close. My uncle talked about him daily. I can't remember all of the stories I heard about him. I do think they were happy when they were little boys.

My uncle picked me up from the train station. He was so happy to see me. I walked up and he pulled me into his arms for a great big hug.

"It's so good to see you. How have you been?" he asked. I told him that I was doing good. He walked me over to the cab. We had lunch at a local family restaurant before we went to his house. My uncle told me that he had a worker living with him. I remembered that he wrote about that in a letter last month. It was going to be the three of us in the house. I didn't ask any questions. I just took it all in stride.

-Makoto-

When I first met Hya-chan, I thought she was pretty cute. I had just finished with the garden for the morning when I saw a cab pull up to the house. I knew that my boss was heading into town to pick up his niece. He left before I got up. I just got out of bed, got dressed, had breakfast, and got to work with my daily tasks. I hadn't expected that day to be any different.