Limerence

-Prologue-

    The tinkling of the bell reached my ears as a customer entered the shop. Still in my pajamas, I hopped down the wooden stairs, peeking out from behind the wall as I watched my mother greet her warmly. The woman was in her 60s, and had flaming red hair, despite having a few gray hairs here and there. She muttered something I couldn't hear, and put a coin on the counter. Mother slid the coin into her palm, reached onto the shelf and took down a glass bottle of milk. The woman put it in her wicker basket and silently left.

     The woman continued to come to the shop every day at 7:15 in the morning. Every day, she paid for one glass bottle of milk. Every day, she only muttered one sentence, no matter how my mother tried to talk to her. She would ignore my mother's inquiries about the weather and her family, walking hurriedly out of the shop. Puzzled, I looked at mother, and she would always sigh and smile at me sadly.

    Eventually, from eavesdropping in the street, I found that the woman's name was Hisako, and she lived with her husband and her daughter's family two blocks away. She wasn't especially unpleasant. She was just a quiet woman living a quiet life.

One day, Hisako entered the shop. I was seven years old, and my mother had told me to restock the shelves. It was raining lightly outside. My mother reached onto the shelf to get a bottle of milk, but Hisako stopped her. Mother looked perplexed, staring at her with wide eyes. Hisako cleared her throat. I pretended to be organizing the coffee beans, listening intently. Hisako murmured," Akio... He has cancer." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she fell into my mother's arms, sobbing. Mother held her awkwardly, rubbing her back, whispering reassuring words into her ear. "Thank you, Miss Hatsune," she whispered. "Call me Misaki," mother replied. Moments later, Hisako sniffed, stepped back and left the shop.

On the following days, Hisako came every day to talk to my mother. They sat on the concrete steps, chatting mostly about Hisako and her family. Akio was her husband. He was a great man, Hisako said, smiling as she recalled the beautiful memories of their adventures together. The doctors said it was highly unlikely for him to survive, but Hisako trusted he would live through it. Her daughter and her son in law were rarely at home, leaving Hisako and her granddaughter to sit in front of the TV. Her granddaughter was just a few years older than me. They were very close, and she would always follow her around. She went to a local school nearby. I had been homeschooled my whole life.

Hisako and my mother would talk for ages. Customers would have to wait a while before mother tended to them, and most of the time I had to tend the money till. But they still came to our little grocery shop, because my mother was famous for her kindness. Of course, the products were also cheap.

A week later, Hisako stopped coming. People said that she was huddled in her house, sobbing, with only her granddaughter for company. Mother tried to visit her many times, bringing flowers, chocolates, bottles of milk, but the door remained closed.

Two weeks later, 7:15 in the morning on a Friday, Hisako came back. Her eyes red and swollen, she walked into my mother's open arms. They sat on the porch, watching the sun slowly move over the shop. Mother asked her if she would like a bottle of milk, and Hisako replied that she didn't like milk. She only bought it for her husband. Akio was born in Hokkaido, and thought her mad for not liking it. My mother listened as Hisako listed the things Akio would do. He always talked about taking a trip back to Hokkaido, but never planned one. He was disorganized, always losing his possessions, and jokingly accused her of stealing them. Hisako chuckled silently, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

The next day, Hisako came by and purchased a bottle of milk. She said she had taken a liking to milk, it reminded her of her husband. Mother smiled sadly. I was dusting the shelves when I saw that a girl was standing behind Hisako. She was slightly taller than me, and had long pink hair. Her piercing blue eyes flitted across the room, caught my eye, and immediately looked away, a faint red staining her cheeks. I felt my stomach flutter.

I tried to focus on my dusting, but couldn't help looking over at the girl. I heard Hisako introduce her as Luka, and I ran the name over and over in my head. Luka, Luka, Luka...

Hisako bid my mother farewell, and Luka followed suit. Just before leaving, Luka looked back, staring me right in the eyes, a smile crawling onto her face. Then she was gone.

I didn't see her again.

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Picture source:
http://m.zeze.com/thread-1303097-1-1.html