Paper Stars (Self-Published)

Kabanata 41

KABANATA 41

The little girl and her escort were walking down a hallway made of tatami mats and paper walls while men, donning in white kimonos, were whispering on each of its sides. They would pause when the little girl and her escort passed by and then continue on with their chatter after. Their curious eyes, then, would linger on their foreign features but more so on the smaller one. The little girl clenched her hand as she thought of the reason why this was the case.

It has been only a week since Louise succumbed to her disease. It's only been a week but it felt like eternity for the little girl, who mourned her old friend's death alone in their California mansion, for she was not invited to witness her burial.

She was there at the hospital when Louise breathed her last. She made her play the piano and sang her favorite tunes; but the little girl knew that this was their goodbye. As promised, she didn't shed one tear nor shown any sorrow on her departure. She continued playing the notes her old friend had taught her until the doctors came and brought her outside.

Just yesterday, her attendant informed her that she needed to fly to Japan because Louise's husband wanted to speak to her. That was the reason why the little girl was marching the tatami-laden hallway as of the moment. But the stare she was getting was a different matter.

They stopped in front of a wide door. Her attendant stepped forward and gave it three soft knocks. After a while, the door opened revealing a simple room with little red and gold ornaments on every corner. Four men in colorful kimonos were already sitting on the floor at the very front of the room. The three of these men were seated at the left side while there were still two empty seats on the right. At the center seated the most powerful man of the place, the headmaster, the grand master, and the clan's emperor.

The grand master, donning his red and gold kimono, consistent with the colors of the main line, kept his face without emotion; while the two men near him didn't even bother hiding their disgust and hatred towards the little foreigner.

"Grand Master, as you have ordered, here is Miss Arianne Cr--"

"You can't be serious, Aniue?! You allowed this creature into our home?! Do you want to have us all killed?" The man beside the grand master spoke while pointing his fan towards the fear-strickened little girl.

"This is outrageous! What will the people say? They'll be fleeing for their lives after seeing this... this... witch!"  Another man scoffed.

The little girl bit the inner of her lip as she tried to bring her head up to take a glimpse on the men's faces. But she lowered her gaze as soon as she saw the grand master's black orbs.  It's like they were telling her that she wasn't fit to lay her eyes in their majesty.

"That's too much, Aniue. The child just lost the person who brought her up. Have pity on her," a gentle voice said that filled the little girl's chest with warmth.

She raised her head up again just to see who owned that gentle voice and saw the man sitting at the very end talking to the grumpy man beside him. He saw her peering and immediately smiled. She quickly tore her eyes off him when one voice, who was above all others, finally spoke.

"Silence."

Everything went still. But it made the girl's little heart beating so strongly that it's hurting her chest.

"It is true that I brought her here," he waved his hand once and the attendant beside the little girl bowed his head and turned around to leave.