Okay so, as you've probably already guessed from the title, this is going to be bad. Really, bad. I apologise now for my bad writing and anything else but... hey, why not have a Hetalia Book? Hetalia is life :D
Oops! Ang larawang ito ay hindi sumusunod sa aming mga alituntunin sa nilalaman. Upang magpatuloy sa pag-publish, subukan itong alisin o mag-upload ng bago.
I waited. The room was cold and I was huddled into one corner, probably the warmest, and trying to peer over the window sill at the same time. I guess you could say that this small, dark, frozen room was my room. There was nothing in it and I was lonely. Always lonely. A key turned in the lock and the door opened a little. A girl with white blonde hair and eyes so dark brown they were almost black appeared at the gap.
"Who're you?" she asked, grinning and picking me up.
"Kuma" I giggled, batting her hand away as she poked my nose. It was our game. I was hardly ever seen at home, hardly ever remembered by anyone apart from her, my big sister, so sometimes, after I'd been locked up for a while, she'd pretend she didn't know who I was. It was funny, and when it wasn't, it wouldn't matter because she would always have some food for me. And I was always hungry.
This time, the food was a plate of sandwiches and a handful of grapes, what she'd been able to smuggle out of the kitchen for me.
"You need a bath" she said, wrinkling her nose. "You stink."
I nodded and she went into the bathroom to run the bath. "Why don't mama or dad ever remember me?" I ask as she turned on the tap.
She hesitated in putting the plug in and then shrugged. "I really don't know. I mean, there's nothing wrong with their memories so they should remember you and not just so that they can slap you and throw you back into the room. They remember me fine maybe... I don't know."
I didn't ask her what maybe was. We both knew what it was. Maybe they didn't like me. Maybe they hated me and wished I wasn't born. Maybe they only ever wanted Kuma. Maybe I was a mistake. She finished running the bath, took my top and pants off and placed me in the water. It was warm, not too warm with some bubble bath creating huge piles of bubbles in the corners.
"You're getting too big for me to pick you up now I think" she said, splashing me. "You're six now. I'm only nine and a little bit weak."
"I'm weaker" I said past clumps of chewed up sandwich.
"Don't talk with your mouth full" she grinned, dumping bubbles on my head. "And you're a boy. Everyone knows that boys and stronger than girls even if there is an age difference."
"Maybe this is the exception" I finished one of the sandwiches and reaching for a couple of grapes.
She went to answer but a call sounded from downstairs. "Back in a second" she said, standing up and leaving. Suddenly, I felt scared, exposed and I didn't like that the door was open. I ducked down behind the side of the bath a little and waited.
Footsteps. Was it Kuma? Or was it mama or dad?
Kuma came back into the bathroom and smiled. "They just asked me to get you out of the room. You can come down now." I nodded and clambered out of the bath. She drained it quickly while I got changed and then wandered downstairs.
Mama was sitting at the head of the table, engrossed in a newspaper and not looking up. She didn't even glance at me as I entered the kitchen. Dad didn't either, too busy cooking. It smelt sweet and when I glanced over, I noticed it was pancakes. I love pancakes, especially with maple syrup, but I've only ever had them twice. Kuma came into the room behind me and I sat at the table next to her.
"When we said you could come out of the room, we didn't mean you could come down" Dad snapped, finally glancing my way. "You'll have to be on your best behaviour or we'll send you back up."
"Yes Papa" I said.
"And that means no talking" mama peered over the top of her paper, glaring.
I nodded. A plate of pancakes was put in the centre of the table and I wait for someone else to get one. Kuma noticed my hesitation and reached to get one for me, and then one for herself before picking up the maple syrup and drizzling it heavily over them. I only have one now, I always get full after that as I never eat anything. Kuma says it's not good for me and I need to make sure I'm always full but I do, and I can never have much.
I ate my pancake slowly, savouring it. It'd be a while before I'd ever have another so I needed to wait. By the time I was done, Kuma was on her third, mama on her second and dad on his fourth.
"Are you being ungrateful?" mama snapped, acknowledging the fact that I'd only had one. "Your father never has the time to make pancakes and now you're being ungrateful? I think you need another day in the room."
"No mama" Kuma said. "It was my fault, I gave him some sandwiches before. That's why he's not hungry."
"Stop trying to protect him Kuma" dad hissed at her. "He's a boy, he can look after himself, and I think it's time we put him back in the room." He stood up and grabbed the back of my shirt. Kuma shouted something about 'he's only young' but I'd already given up. I'd struggled so hard over the years and now I knew there was no point, but I did try and bite his hand.
"You little bastard" he screamed in my face. "You're not a human, you're some beast. God, I wish you didn't exist." And then he threw me into the room and the door was locked before my head hit the wall. It hurt and I got up feeling dizzy, only to sit back down again.
"I'm so sorry Mathew" Kuma's voice is cracked and she sounded like she'd been crying. "I tried to stop them."
"Iss okay" I muttered through a stream of blood from my nose that made a cracking noise as it hit the wall.
"I can't find the key" she cried silently. "It's not in it's usual place and... god, I don't think they're planning to let you out again."
My stomach plummeted. They had to let me out. They had to.
"I'm going to find help" Kuma was still there. "I might be gone for a couple of days but I promise I'll be back and I promise you'll get out. I promise." She squeezed her little finger under the door. "Pinky promise." I linked my little finger to hers and shook it a little. Then she was gone. The door opened and I watched as she strode down the drive with her rucksack. Suddenly, I felt tired and hungry and dizzy. Maybe, she'd be back when I woke up.
I crawled over to my corner and curled up. Maybe everything would be okay when I woke up again.
I wake up. I can't remember where I'd been before I'd been in the forest, but it definitely isn't here. And my memory is blank. I remember the word Kuma and for some reason Canada but that is it.
"Who're you?" I whip round and stare in all directions. There's no one there. Nothing. I'm in this snow covered forest all by myself.
"Hello" I call, surprised at the sound of my own voice and how much it echoes.
"Who're you?" the voice repeats itself and this time, I find a bear, crouched by my feet, the same colour as the snow. And it sounds like Kuma. I don't know who Kuma is but I know it's someone good.
"Kuma?" I ask the bear. I've no idea who Kuma is but the name seems to suit the bear, who glances at me and repeats its question.
"I don't know" I answer but as I say it, Canada appears again and the more I think, the more I understand it. "I'm... I'm Canada" I say. "And you're Kuma. Kumajirou." The bear blinks.
