Orphan Willow

Chapter 1

Willow Honda had been moved from one house to the next her whole life. Her foster parents had complicated lives, and their job caused them to have to move a lot. Granted, this made them steadily richer, so Willow had everything she wanted. Everything, but a normal life.

Her parents had died in a hotel fire when she was just 6. She could barely even remember them. After that it was all care homes and social workers. With no relatives willing to take her in, she was utterly alone. That had been the worst year of her life. After that things got better. She had met the Hondas, from Korea, and they'd taken a shine to her right away. She had nobody else, and they were really great people, so she jumped at the chance. Ki and Seung Honda had a son a year older than her, Dae Honda, who was kind and loved Willow as if she were his sister. Although she had taken their last name out of respect, she did still call her foster parents by their names, rather than mum and dad.

They had arrived back in Seoul, South Korea after having lived in New Orleans for six months. Willow was a very fast learner and atop of her fluent English from her childhood, she had picked up Korean and Japanese. She had maintained her Australian accent from her childhood, which was surprising as she'd expected that it would change as she spent so much time around different languages and accents.

"Willow?!" she could hear Ki calling her name from downstairs.

"Just a minute, Ki!" Willow called down the stairs.

She was sprawled across her fresh untouched bed, incapable of looking at the many boxes she'd be forced to unpack.

"Come down Willow! I have a surprise for you!" Ki called again.

Willow sat up abruptly, paying her full undivided attention. A surprise? This soon? She heard Dae leave his room and head downstairs. She got up and followed suit.

Ki was in the kitchen, pouring out tea to a lady who was say at the kitchen counter. Dae went to the fridge to get out milk and drunk straight from the carton.

"Oh Willow, darling," Ki beamed, "This is Miss Sam," she introduced the lady, "From now on she is going to be our house keeper."

Dae almost dropped the milk and Willows draw dropped. Sam turned and smiled kindly at Willow, who was completely flabbergasted.

"We have a house keeper, now?" Dae frowned, walking over and putting his hand on Willow's shoulder.

"Yes. Your father and I decided that a house such as this was too big for me to manage on my own, considering that we are working most of the time," Ki nodded.

Dae scowled, slightly, "A stranger rummaging through my stuff? No thank you."

"Dae don't be so rude! Apologise!" Ki snapped.

"It's alright Mrs Honda, " Sam said calmly, "I wont go into your room if you would prefer me not to. I'll be living in the small cottage next door, so you can come and find me, should you need me."

"Uhh..." Willow mumbled, "Does your job include unpacking?" she smiled innocently.

"Straight to work then?" Sam stood up abruptly and headed to the stairs.

Dae chuckled and ruffled Willow's hair, before heading back upstairs with his milk. Willow was about to follow, but Ki called her back.

"Yes?" Willow asked.

"Uniforms..." Ki sighed, "You begin a new school tomorrow."

"What?! We have uniforms?! Please no..." Willow exclaimed.

"It's not my rule, it's the schools," Ki shook her head, "I realise that you've always had a certain disregard for uniforms, but I do hope you'll follow by Dae's example. I have already sorted it out with him. I am proud that you've always been such a star pupil, and Seung and I don't ask much of you, but it would be stress relieving if you didn't make a fuss."