Darkness Dissolves When the Door Opens

Himari

Every night, after lights out, Himari would come to Jules and sat with him in the dark. She would tell him stories from her childhood. She told him when the Britishman first introduced her English. It was like speaking alien words. She also told him about her best friend, Chen, who was sweet as a rose and that she always won the race when they headed toward the cane field.

Jules would also tell her stories of his own. He told her about his friends, Jasper, who was a very talented violin player, and Ian, who could probably beat ten men in marshal art at age fourteen. He also told her about Ava. His beautiful sister was a very charismatic person. He let her touched the doll. She commented that the doll had funny furs. Last but not least, he told her about his best friend in the whole world. 

“He was always there for me. Cheered me up every time I got grumpy.”

They would ask questions to each other. Sometimes those questions could bring laughter and joy, sometimes deep feeling and anger, and sometimes, just blatant questions for them to know each other more.

“What’s your favorite flower?” Jules asked blatantly. He realized that the question came out of nowhere. 

“Oh…” She was confused with the question.

It’s a stupid question, I know. I guess I’m out of my mind. Or maybe Jules planned to get her favorite flower for her if he ever be released.

“I know it’s stupid.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. My favorite is the Asagao. I don’t know it in English, but it’s really pretty.”

“Must be amazing. What’s the color?”

“Dark blue and pink in the center. I like the blueness of the Asagao as it expressed deep sadness, but the pink in the middle symbolized true bravery and hope and I feel like every dark journey, there must be a colorful ending.”

Damn, never saw a flower like that before. She even made flowers be meaningful.

“I never saw a flower like that. You’re making it so meaningful.”

“Well, I guess I’m just trying to see the positive sides of things.”

She paused. For a second they could hear each other breathed. John was still snoring in the background.

“How about you, Jules? What’s your favorite flower?”

“My family and I visited Portugal before the war and my sister came across this really unique, violet flower in the gardens. It was very unique. It shaped like, I don’t know, a crumpled paper, almost like the flower is dying.”

“What’s its name?”

“I researched the flower as for me, it is very unique. It’s called Iris subbliflora.”

“Ah, an Iris.”

“Yes, but it’s slightly different and more unique, as I said, than other Irises.”

“Yes… unique.”

It was the nineteenth night of her coming to him. Nineteen meetings and dozens of stories. Miraculously, the Japanese never suspected about her coming in. After all, she had a double key to the dungeon. The corporal didn’t even know she possessed one. She stole it while cleaning the corporal’s office. It was unbelievably in the trash bin. Guess Yamako didn’t need two keys. He lost one, the prisoners never came out, didn’t matter to him.

But at the nineteenth night, she came with a hurried manner. She came and immediately stroke Jules with a very intimidating tone.

“Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine.” Himari sighed. “I just… I’m ready now, you know?”

“No, I don’t. Himari, you’re freaking me out. What is it that you got to say?”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I wasn’t strong enough to talk about it, but speaking to you has been a giant relieve for me, so it’s probably best to let everything out to you.”

No comment from Jules.

“I had a daughter. She was ten when they executed her for… for living. I married this Mongolian boy in age thirteen, and she was born. She was the sweetest little child ever. She was chubby and overactive, and she mastered three languages at only such a young age. She was a miracle, she was my world.”

“Himari, listen, if you’re not comfortable in talking about her, don’t push yourself.”

“It’s okay. I need to let it out. You did tell me about your Ava, and how precious she was to you.”

Jules reached for her arms again, but they were cold. “What was her name?”

“Jingfei.” She laughed happily. She played the memory of her dancing daughter in her mind, and Jules could even picture the scene. “It means not quiet or extroverted.” She laughed.

“A genuine name.”

“Yes. It was my fault too that she had died.”

“I’m sure blaming yourself won’t fix the sorrow, Himari.”

“No. It was my fault. I should’ve died with her. She should die in my hug. She deserved better. Yet, she was burned alive after crying helplessly. No one came. I didn’t come. She was inside the village. They captured me, but not her.”

“I’m sorry.”

She sobbed. Jules could hear it, but she tried to dampen the sound as much as she could.

But the night was deep, so Himari must retreat to her bunk or the night patrol would catch her lingering in the dungeon.

Himari Ashoka. The girl who lived. The woman of miracle. A bless. A mother. A spiritual angel. A sweet companion with lots of love.

Three weeks later, Himari still tried to visit Jules. Impossible if no one figured something was wrong. Himari passed the soldiers chamber every night, trying to be all noiseless all the time. Hard to imagine she wasn’t caught yet.

It was yet another stormy night that the rain raided the Cathedral all day. Himari slinked toward the dungeon, shoeless, producing no sound.

Suddenly, a shout went through the hall and Himari almost died from a heart attack. Footsteps were coming from behind her, so she needed to improvise.

“What are you doing here, maid?” Yamako put his angry face and yelled until everyone woke up. He spoke to Himari with Japanese.

“Oh. How did I get here?” Answered Himari in Japanese with her innocent voice. 

“You don’t remember?”

“I think not. Where’s my room?”

Yamako led her back to her bunk. She sighed helplessly as her improvement actually worked, but of course, Yamako suspected something.

“I will have to lock the door from the outside. You sleepwalk, that’s dangerous for everyone.”

“But what if I have to go to the toilet?”

“Then you have to bang the door until someone hears you. Relax, in the morning, at five, the night guard will unlock the door for you. Now get some sleep, maid.”