Rescued

chapter 3

"So what's your name?" The girl asks, stopping to let her rescuer catch up with his tiny legs.

"Mineta" he replies, "Mineta minoru. Yours?"

"I'm machiko. I have no last name because I'm an orphan."

Mineta looks away with pity for a second before looking back at Machiko. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that..."

"its okay." ?achiko says. "Also, You said you were a grown adult..."

Mineta raises an eyebrow. "So?" 

"How old are you?"

Mineta sighed. He knew how this would end. She would say some weird wacky age that she assumed and he would have to tell her she's wrong. Happens all the time."how old do you think I am?" He asks

"I think you lied about being an adult, and you're actually five, or six." Machiko replies with honesty sparkling in her eyes.

"Well, no, I'm 21." Mineta replies.

"But you're so short!" Machiko practically shouts.

Not responding, Mineta  finds himself staring into space, pondering. Why was Machiko so open to a stranger? Mineta knew kids would talk to almost anyone, but he had a feeling that this was different. Was she lonely in the orphanage where she lived? Mineta knew what it's like to live like that. Lonely and isolated, after a while you would talk to anyone if you lived like that, he should know.

"Mr. Mineta? Are you ok?" The Machiko asks.

Mineta snaps out of his trance. "Oh, yeah, just thinking." 

That wasn't true. He knew it wasn't. The truth was, he was more than just thinking, but dwelling in the dread of having to go back home when he returned Machiko to the orphanage, his lonely, dark, house....

"Over there!" Machiko yells, pointing at a building. "That's where I live, 'Mrs. Suzuki's home for girls'"

Mineta smiled. He knew who worked there. His high school friend, Hotaru, who had the dream of taking care of orphans years before she actually achieved the dream.

"I can go on my own from here." Machiko says. "Thank you for saving my life."

Mineta smiles. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Good point. Bye, Mr. Mineta!"

"Its just Mineta"