Neighbours

Love thy neighbour?

It's FRIDAY I hope he's gone to the conference he wasn't home this morning and I can't call him . . . Maybe I should leave him alone and mind my business. I sigh as I drink my coffee in the staff room I look the time I have to go and get the kids for the last part of the day I go to the playground and get them we come inside the classroom "alright children sit on the carpet" a child runs over me "miss! Miss! Can you read this story please?" I take it "okay" the children sit down "alright this book is called One Day" I open the page and begin to read.

"Suzy and her brother Steve lived with their grandfather who was very old. Suzy was six years old and Steve was eleven years old. The children didn't have much but they were happy especially when they would sit in front of the fire with their grandad telling them stories of his younger days. One Day when Grandfather was really sick he couldn't take care of Suzy and Steve so one day Steve was selling vegetables in old man John's shop to be able to make money and Suzy would help him cook food,

One Day a woman came to the door she said that she had to take the children away. A family wanted Suzy and another family wanted Steve Suzy was sad held her brother and cried "I don't want to go! I want to stay with my brother and granddad"

At that moment I began to cry tears were welling up in my eyes but I continued with the story.

Steve held his sister "don't worry Suzy we will meet again One Day" Steve hugged his little sister and gave her their grandfathers necklace Suzy went with the family crying and Steve went to the other car.

One child sat up "miss I don't like this story it's sad!" Another one chimed in "yeah!" I wipe my eyes and nod the bell rings and the children get ready to leave. I go home that day thinking about Akio and his sister I go inside my house and lay on the couch thinking I hope he met her today . . . I go to the bathroom and wash my face not feeling like cooking I go to the shop to order my take away I open the door and see Akio to my right he looks at me I go inside the shop not knowing that he followed me he steps in front of me "don't act like you didn't see me Denise" I look down not wanting to make eye contact "can you excuse me please? I want to order my food" I say pointing to the clerk I walk past him he grabs my arm and turns me around I look at him like he's mad "are you crazy? Don't touch me!" He looks at me "what's wrong with you?" He asks I chuckle "I'm minding my business I mean, that's what you wanted me to do right?" I go to the clerk "yes can I have the number-" Akio slams his hand on the counter "stop ignoring me!" I jump back and look at him he a really mad I kiss my teeth and look at the clerk "sorry sir, I've lost my damn appetite sorry for wasting your time" I walk out of the shop Akio follows me "Denise! . . . Denise!" He walks up to me "look I'm sorry! I'm sorry for yelling at you I'm just . . . I don't know" I'm not convinced "Akio . . . I'm hungry you've made me leave the food that I wanted .. . What is so bad about you're past that you don't want to see you're own flesh and blood?" He shakes his head "it's complicated you don't know my father-" I cut him off "oh the millionaire entrepreneur? Yeah I know. . . Still that doesn't mean you should shut me out Akio" he looks at the ground and sighs "I just miss her . . . That's all. . Even if I see her what so I say? Hi sis it's me, you're useless older brother you haven't seen since you were a kid . . . She's probably ashamed of me" I rub his arm "your not useless Akio" he shakes his head as tears roll down his face. I don't know what to do he's hurt I hold his hand I look at the road as a car pulls up across the road a bunch of girls come out and walk across to our side I focus my attention on Akio "come on let's go" I wipe his face with my other hand he chuckles "the only woman I've cried on front of is my mother" I smile "it's okay to cry" he looks at me "no" he says sternly we smile and walk on past the girls one bumps into me "oh sorry!" She says I don't look at her face "it's okay" I say "are you alright?" Akio asks me I nod. We walk on "oppa?" I hear a voice Akio turns around swiftly looking at this woman I follow his eyes and see her it's his sister. "Oppa it's me!" She says with tears clouding up in her eyes Akio let's go of me and walks up slowly as she runs up to him and cuddles him I smile at them she breaks off "I followed you guys from the shop I saw you two arguing is she your girlfriend?" She says pointing to me he puts his hands in his pockets and looks at me "no . . . No She's my uh neighbour this is my little sister Hee Young this is Denise my neighbour" she smiles and we greet each other "are you guys going home?" Akio nods "yeah . . . come with us" she smiles "ah let me just tell my friend" she runs inside and after a few minutes comes back why did he tell her I'm just his neighbour? I thought we were more than that? Hee Young brings her friend "Here this is my big brother I found him! " she says with tears of joy her friend cries along with her and shakes his hand "it's nice to meet you Akio. Hee, I will see you tomorrow you need to catch up see you around 10pm?" She nods. We go to Akio's place and eat food Hee Young tells me all their childhood stories and all about a cheeky little menace Akio was "see this one time he replaced Granddad's beer with Cola my grandad gave him such a beating" we laughed I get up "I've got to go now" she gets up "you're not staying?" I shake my head "nah you guys got a lot of catching up to do it was nice meeting you Hee Young" she smiles "you too" Akio walks me to my door and inside "thank you . . . Denise" I look at him "why are you thanking me?" He smiles and wraps his arms around me "if it wasn't for you're nosiness I wouldn't have been reunited with my sister so thank you" I smile and with that he kisses me out of no where. We break off and Stand back "what was that for?" He looks at me "I was thanking you' I shake my head "Akio what is going on right now are we dating?" I kick myself for letting that slip out it's a tough moment for him right now and I let that fall out of my mouth. He sighs "do we have to talk about it now?" I shake my head "no . . . No go to your sister" he nods and walks out. What the hell just happened? I closed. My door and went to sit in the sofa shaking my head. Is he ashamed of me? He obviously knows there is something deep between us I slump back in the couch and think.