Bittersweet Us

I remember the faces who came. I remember the smell of burning joss sticks. I remember the pictures displayed.

"Such a pitiful little girl. She's only five."

"I know right. I wonder who is going to take her in."

"Orphanage?"

I heard whisperings. I just kept quiet and stared at them.

"She's not going to orphanage. She's coming with us," a voice spoke up.

I looked over, and it is grandfather. I think it was the second or third time I've met him.

"Ai, let's move in with grandmama and I, alright?" He smiled, with his crescent-shaped eyes.

Because I was young, I didn't understand that my parents would be 'gone forever'. I kept asking my grandsparents the whereabout of my parents, but everytime I asked, they'd just smile at me with their crescent-shaped eyes.

Shortly after my grandparents took me in, grandmama passed away.

Same like the day when we had funeral for my parents, only few people attended the funeral.

It is then that I found out that they actually opposed both grandparents' and papa mama's wedding.

"Grandpapa, do you feel sad?"

"No, Ai. I'm happy that I get to live until this day with grandmama," his cresent-shaped eyes showed.

"Grandpapa, I promise I'll al~ways take care of you and love you, grandpapa!"

I hugged grandpapa and he hugged back. However, I could feel his silent tears.

A year later, grandpapa enrolled me into a nearby kindergarten. We'd often walk together in the morning, hand-in-hand.

One day, a boy teased me for not having parents, while the others do. My grandpa overheard it, and scolded him. He demanded an apology from the boy, but he ignored grandpapa and ran home.

"It's okay, grandpapa. I'm used to it," I just smiled at grandpapa. I have to be strong to protect grandpapa.

"Ai... I'm sorry you had to go through all this at such a young age..." For the first time, he knelt down and shed tears in front of me.

I lightly patted his head and ensured him that I'm really fine.

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Few years later, I've graduated from junior high. As usual, I'd always accompany grandpapa for his morning strolls. The usual routine changed when I've gotten myself a polaroid. I asked a random passerby to help us take a picture, and we took a picture together while sitting on a bench under grandpapa and grandmama's favourite tree. They planted the tree together, back in their thirties.

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When I came back from school one day, the house is unusually quiet. I called out for grandpapa a few times, but he did not answer.

Concerned, I quickly ran into his room, and I found him lying on the bed silently, smiling with his cresent-shaped eyes while holding a polaroid - a picture of us a few years back, under grandpapa and grandmama's favourite tree.

The time when we were genuiely happy, laughing carefreely.

On the sidetable, there's a letter, written "To my dearest Ai."

To my dearest Ai.

I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but you've probably noticed. I actually had heart problems, way before I took you in. However, please do not blame yourself. I'm contented with just you being by my side. Grandmama had always been by my side, and it is tough losing her, but it is tougher not seeing your smile. You had the same smile as my beloved daughter, your mama. As you grew up, you look more and more alike my daughter, and I'm sure I can rest assure when I meet your mother in heaven.