Voiceless

l- The Listener

Sora didn't have much to say about herself. In fact she had nothing to say at all. Her whole life Sora has only listened. She listened to the villagers, she listened to animals and birds, she even listened to the sounds of nature like the river nearby. The villagers had never complained about Sora, they didn't mind her and she didn't mind them.

Sometimes the villagers would bring their problems to Sora. She would listen to them yet make no comment. She would not gossip, she would always keep the villagers' secrets. She sat by a peach tree every day, and if anyone had anything they wanted to talk about she would listen.

* * *

"Sora, my teacher keeps telling me that I don't study, but I study all day and he won't believe it! Even my parents wont believe it!" Says a little boy. He sits with his back to the large peach tree in the middle of the village. Sora sits next to him weaving a wreath out of flowers. She stops her weaving, stands up and plucks a peach from the tree and offers it to the boy.

"Thank you." The boy says as her accepts the peach from Sora. She sits back down and resumes her weaving. "It's frustrating why wont the believe me?!" The boy screames startling Sora. "Sorry." The boy says looking at the ground. "I shouldn't have shouted." Sora smiled at the young boy and laid a hand on his shoulder as if to say that it's alright. The boy looks back at the ground and nibbles on his peach. Sora got up again and bent down to write something on the ground.

"What are you writing?" The boy asked Sora curious for he knew that Sora sometimes give the villagers solutions to their problems, albeit rarely. Sora moved so that the boy could see what the older girl had written. "Do you really study?" The boy read aloud. "Yes I do!" He answered annoyed. Sora then wrote something else below the original sentence. "Yes I can see that. You read really well." The boy read. "Thank you!" He answered. "But the teacher always says that I cheat and copy from others! And my parents believe every word!"

"Why? Haven't your parents seen you study?" She wrote on. "No. They're always away at the fields." The bot answer looking forlorn. Sora sat up and thought for a moment. Then suddenly her face lit up.

"What?" Three boy asked. Sora made a sign with her hands indicating for him to wait. Then she started writing something again. The boy got up and sat next to her on the ground to get a better look at what she was writing.

"Have you told your parents that you have been studying?" She wrote. "Well... " said boys. "They only listen to the teacher. I know; I've been trying to get them to listen. They'd only listen if I passed my exams better than the rest."

"Then why don't you?" Wrote Sora. "It's not that easy you know..." The boy said. "Why not? You've come a tree haven't you?" She wrote on. "Yes, but what does that have to do with studying?" The boy asked now confused. You normally don't start talking about trees while discussing studying, but that was not the point.

"How many times have you disobeyed your parents?" She wrote. "Huh?" 'What is this about?' Wondered the boy. Was she going to scold him too? Sora gave him a look that said 'Just answer.' "Uhh... I dunno, lord of times." He admitted. "Why?" Sora started writing again. "Well if you can learn anything by disobeying your elders, it's that you can do anything if you have enough nerve..." Read the boy. "Hey, I think you're right! You're saying that if I somehow managed to study well and prove my teacher wrong, everyone will stop scolding me right?" The boy asked.

Sora nodded. "But don't forget to have fun. That's always important." She wrote. "I wont!" The boy said. "Thank you Sora!" He got up and started to walk away then suddenly turned to face Sora. "You know, sometimes I think that you're the only one who actually listens in this village." The boy said. "Wait and see Sora I'm going to be the best student who ever attend med school!" Sora smiled and waves at the boy. He waved back and ran off towards the fields.