Although the entire Yashura Family was indifference toward Shira’s recovery, family patriarch Shuro Yashura was overjoyed. And Mila Yashura smiled and rebuked her cousin but cried happy tears as soon as she was alone. Both father and daughter waited for this day. Therefore, they comforted the bedridden youth with foods and lots of fruit. When the news spread across the household, few important elders came to wish Shira well soon.
The injured Shira didn’t talk much. But he was a lot quieter than usual nowadays. He nodded mindlessly every time his cousin talked to him. Sometimes, he would stare out the window with a blank face. Mila knew he had a lot of things going on in his mind.
“Do you want talk a bit?” Mila asked.
“About what?”
“A girl, maybe?”
Shira blinked, didn’t say something. But Mila knew her guess was spot on, so she smiled knowingly. “Ah, so you met somebody during your runaway. How thrilling. Did she know your father already get you engaged?”
“It’s not like that,” Shira said.
“Tell me then. What’s she like and how you two meet. Where does she live and what’s her name.”
“No…”
Shira couldn’t tell his cousin that he fell for a girl inside his wet dream. Even after she insisted for hours.
When it was dark, the youth stared at the moon from his bed. His entire body ached but he didn’t mind.
Shira Yashura was busy reminiscing about joyful and heartwarming scenes from the dream of his. He recalled the young woman’s hair was purple and she gave him a ribbon with the same color so he can remember her in his wake hours. The story and everlasting feeling were important to him. However, just like any other fleeting dreams, the youth didn’t know the young woman’s name, didn’t remember her face, yet deep down he knew he loved her so.
Two line of tears formed on his face, wet the white pillow he used to lay awake. Somehow he found his heart ached more than his injured body bothered him. Yet, he had to swallow the reality. All those glittering loves and hopes were only a fantasy.
Inside Malikh Family household.
A slender girl stared at the same moon with her round and sparkled eyes.
However, unlike the sentimental youth, this girl hummed a merry tune. She was content for able to play around all day with her best friend.
“Lyla, which cake do you like the most?” Bhela asked while she tied the girl’s long hair from behind. Her face looked troubled.
“Hmm? I don’t know. I like sweet cakes. All of them.”
“Then when do you wish to return back to your family?”
Lyla turned her head, blinking her eyes as she glanced at Bhela Malikh. “I don’t want to go home. I want to live here from now on,” she said.
Bhela shook her head.
“Today my mother told me a senior of my family will return home after decades work in a faraway place. And hopefully she will deal with bad people that will be dealt with. Thus, I’m afraid in the future we can only exchange letters.”
“Eeeh? Why?” Lyla Blackwood asked with her mouth opened wide.
“Because… things,” Bhela answered, followed by a sigh.
***
The next morning, Bhela’s mother had a long talk with her and told her to write a letter for the returning senior.
Before, the senior sent a letter asked for what gifts Bhela wish to receive when that senior came home. The girl wrote a list of sweet cakes her friend Lyla would love inside her letter of reply. She didn’t cherish gifts but thought Lyla might like them later.
Her mother told Bhela again about the said senior with a hint of reverence.
“She was the most respected figure in our family,” her mother said. “I know little about her since my maiden family wasn’t around here on her generation. But I heard a lot of her from your father. Earlier, she couldn’t do anything about our misfortune since she was too far from here. But after she returns home, Blackwood Family will be forced to lick whatever venom they spat before.”
Bhela Malikh nodded at her mother’s words. She was relieved and glad for a powerful figure arrive to protect her family from bad people. And her sick father would be able to gain his lost foothold in the family if such figure come to support him. However, she was afraid. She might not able to see Lyla again if things with Blackwood went too far.
Because of that, Bhela tried her best to ask for mercy on Blackwood’s behalf. She didn’t tell her mother about her decision. In fact, nobody knew what she wrote in her letter.
Later that morning the messenger came to take the letter.
Malikh Family prepared a fine horse for him so he can smoothly send the letter. The messenger was an old man with junks of experience. He knew the letter he carried was a special one, otherwise, the Malikh Family wouldn’t choose an outdated and tired fellow like him. After all preparations were done, he ready to set.
However, just dozens of meters away from the gate of Malikh Family, a girl with expensive garments stopped the old messenger’s horse. Just one glance the old man knew this girl was noble.
“Young Lady, can I help you with something?” asked the old messenger.
“Yes,” Lyla Blackwood said. “Please send this letter for me.”
“Ah! A letter. Of course! For who should I send this letter to, Young Lady?”
“You are sending another letter, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Lyla Blackwood tried to be as serious as possible. “Then the recipient should be the same as the letter you carried.”
The old messenger was bewildered for a moment. He tacitly informed the noble girl that the letter from Malikh Family was confidential. So he would be in in position if another letter was sent. However, after slapped by a handful of gold coins which was almost tenfold Malikh Family paid him, the old man closed his mouth.
***
A few days later. In an unremarkable inn.
An old woman read two letters from two different girls. She was all smile after reading the two letters, then after minutes of rest, she read them all over again. Her aged wrinkles relaxed. This two letters amused her so much that she treasured them dearly.
Then the door opened. A majestic and very handsome granddaddy entered.
“Sari why are you grinning yourself like that? You read my favorite weekly joke papers too did you?”
Sari Malikh shook her head. “I just received letters from two innocent little girls. Both beg for each other so they can save their friendship. They cute in their own way. Especially my great granddaughter’s friend, she is so pure…”
“What?!” Granddaddy Lharu was shocked. “I had letters from my cute and innocent and pure great grandsons too!”
“Really?”
“Yess!! In fact, I received five of them–no, ten of them!!!” Granddaddy raised his chin and flicked his sleeve and smirked proudly.
“Oh, good for you!” Sari Malikh said. “Can I read them?”
“What?!” Granddaddy Lharu was shocked again. “You… you want to read them?”
“Yes,” the old woman replied with a nod. She was curious what kind of letters the old granddaddy received.
Granddaddy Lharu was silent for a moment. He pondered, hard veins appeared on his forehead.
“I will bring you those letters. Wait here a minute,” Granddaddy Lharu said with a serious face. He walked out the room with prideful stride, but only came back an hour later. Then he gave ten piece of papers to old woman Sari Malikh.
The letters Granddaddy had were very unique. Those ten great grandsons of him were eager for his arrival, and all of them stated how lucky they were to be born as Granddaddy’s cute and innocent and pure little kids. For the rest of the pages, they were filled with praises about how cool and great and smart and handsome and kind and mysterious and famous and dandy and gentleman and cool the granddaddy was. These letters sang a harmonic and similar tune. In fact, they were too harmonic and very much similar that all ten letters were written in a same fabulous handwriting.
The old woman smiled wryly when she gazed at the proud Granddaddy Lharu.
“I think we should hasten our journey again,” she said, immediately packed her things.
***
Although the entire Yashura Family was indifference toward Shira’s recovery, family patriarch Shuro Yashura was overjoyed. And Mila Yashura smiled and rebuked her cousin but cried happy tears as soon as she was alone. Both father and daughter waited for this day. Therefore, they comforted the bedridden youth with foods and lots of fruit. When the news spread across the household, few important elders came to wish Shira well soon.
The injured Shira didn’t talk much. But he was a lot quieter than usual nowadays. He nodded mindlessly every time his cousin talked to him. Sometimes, he would stare out the window with a blank face. Mila knew he had a lot of things going on in his mind.
“Do you want talk a bit?” Mila asked.
“About what?”
“A girl, maybe?”
Shira blinked, didn’t say something. But Mila knew her guess was spot on, so she smiled knowingly. “Ah, so you met somebody during your runaway. How thrilling. Did she know your father already get you engaged?”
“It’s not like that,” Shira said.
“Tell me then. What’s she like and how you two meet. Where does she live and what’s her name.”
“No…”
Shira couldn’t tell his cousin that he fell for a girl inside his wet dream. Even after she insisted for hours.
When it was dark, the youth stared at the moon from his bed. His entire body ached but he didn’t mind.
Shira Yashura was busy reminiscing about joyful and heartwarming scenes from the dream of his. He recalled the young woman’s hair was purple and she gave him a ribbon with the same color so he can remember her in his wake hours. The story and everlasting feeling were important to him. However, just like any other fleeting dreams, the youth didn’t know the young woman’s name, didn’t remember her face, yet deep down he knew he loved her so.
Two line of tears formed on his face, wet the white pillow he used to lay awake. Somehow he found his heart ached more than his injured body bothered him. Yet, he had to swallow the reality. All those glittering loves and hopes were only a fantasy.
Inside Malikh Family household.
A slender girl stared at the same moon with her round and sparkled eyes.
However, unlike the sentimental youth, this girl hummed a merry tune. She was content for able to play around all day with her best friend.
“Lyla, which cake do you like the most?” Bhela asked while she tied the girl’s long hair from behind. Her face looked troubled.
“Hmm? I don’t know. I like sweet cakes. All of them.”
“Then when do you wish to return back to your family?”
Lyla turned her head, blinking her eyes as she glanced at Bhela Malikh. “I don’t want to go home. I want to live here from now on,” she said.
Bhela shook her head.
“Today my mother told me a senior of my family will return home after decades work in a faraway place. And hopefully she will deal with bad people that will be dealt with. Thus, I’m afraid in the future we can only exchange letters.”
“Eeeh? Why?” Lyla Blackwood asked with her mouth opened wide.
“Because… things,” Bhela answered, followed by a sigh.
***
The next morning, Bhela’s mother had a long talk with her and told her to write a letter for the returning senior.
Before, the senior sent a letter asked for what gifts Bhela wish to receive when that senior came home. The girl wrote a list of sweet cakes her friend Lyla would love inside her letter of reply. She didn’t cherish gifts but thought Lyla might like them later.
Her mother told Bhela again about the said senior with a hint of reverence.
“She was the most respected figure in our family,” her mother said. “I know little about her since my maiden family wasn’t around here on her generation. But I heard a lot of her from your father. Earlier, she couldn’t do anything about our misfortune since she was too far from here. But after she returns home, Blackwood Family will be forced to lick whatever venom they spat before.”
Bhela Malikh nodded at her mother’s words. She was relieved and glad for a powerful figure arrive to protect her family from bad people. And her sick father would be able to gain his lost foothold in the family if such figure come to support him. However, she was afraid. She might not able to see Lyla again if things with Blackwood went too far.
Because of that, Bhela tried her best to ask for mercy on Blackwood’s behalf. She didn’t tell her mother about her decision. In fact, nobody knew what she wrote in her letter.
Later that morning the messenger came to take the letter.
Malikh Family prepared a fine horse for him so he can smoothly send the letter. The messenger was an old man with junks of experience. He knew the letter he carried was a special one, otherwise, the Malikh Family wouldn’t choose an outdated and tired fellow like him. After all preparations were done, he ready to set.
However, just dozens of meters away from the gate of Malikh Family, a girl with expensive garments stopped the old messenger’s horse. Just one glance the old man knew this girl was noble.
“Young Lady, can I help you with something?” asked the old messenger.
“Yes,” Lyla Blackwood said. “Please send this letter for me.”
“Ah! A letter. Of course! For who should I send this letter to, Young Lady?”
“You are sending another letter, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Lyla Blackwood tried to be as serious as possible. “Then the recipient should be the same as the letter you carried.”
The old messenger was bewildered for a moment. He tacitly informed the noble girl that the letter from Malikh Family was confidential. So he would be in in position if another letter was sent. However, after slapped by a handful of gold coins which was almost tenfold Malikh Family paid him, the old man closed his mouth.
***
A few days later. In an unremarkable inn.
An old woman read two letters from two different girls. She was all smile after reading the two letters, then after minutes of rest, she read them all over again. Her aged wrinkles relaxed. This two letters amused her so much that she treasured them dearly.
Then the door opened. A majestic and very handsome granddaddy entered.
“Sari why are you grinning yourself like that? You read my favorite weekly joke papers too did you?”
Sari Malikh shook her head. “I just received letters from two innocent little girls. Both beg for each other so they can save their friendship. They cute in their own way. Especially my great granddaughter’s friend, she is so pure…”
“What?!” Granddaddy Lharu was shocked. “I had letters from my cute and innocent and pure great grandsons too!”
“Really?”
“Yess!! In fact, I received five of them–no, ten of them!!!” Granddaddy raised his chin and flicked his sleeve and smirked proudly.
“Oh, good for you!” Sari Malikh said. “Can I read them?”
“What?!” Granddaddy Lharu was shocked again. “You… you want to read them?”
“Yes,” the old woman replied with a nod. She was curious what kind of letters the old granddaddy received.
Granddaddy Lharu was silent for a moment. He pondered, hard veins appeared on his forehead.
“I will bring you those letters. Wait here a minute,” Granddaddy Lharu said with a serious face. He walked out the room with prideful stride, but only came back an hour later. Then he gave ten piece of papers to old woman Sari Malikh.
The letters Granddaddy had were very unique. Those ten great grandsons of him were eager for his arrival, and all of them stated how lucky they were to be born as Granddaddy’s cute and innocent and pure little kids. For the rest of the pages, they were filled with praises about how cool and great and smart and handsome and kind and mysterious and famous and dandy and gentleman and cool the granddaddy was. These letters sang a harmonic and similar tune. In fact, they were too harmonic and very much similar that all ten letters were written in a same fabulous handwriting.
The old woman smiled wryly when she gazed at the proud Granddaddy Lharu.
“I think we should hasten our journey again,” she said, immediately packed her things.
***
