Splash!
Mezumo sent a spray of water at me as I scooped water from the stream with the pure strength of a woman. I laughed, swatting droplets back at him. Sweat seeped through my kimono, making my skin feel squeamish.
"Mezumo! Don't get your kimono all soaked, or I'll have to set you in the fire this time!"
He groans. "But I like playing in the water, Moeru! It's fun! You're the one who doesn't like having fun!"
I kicked a huge splash of water at him before grunting as I flexed my arms. I heaved the water bucket onto my back, trudging uphill to our house. It wasn't the best... The roof had holes in it, the wood creaked, and the door always got stuck, but it kept us warm. At least thinking of the house distracted from the blazing weather.
I admit. Hauling water every day had been exhausting the first months, but then I had grown muscle, and now it came easy.
But you may be wondering why I was doing this, y'know, all the heavy lifting... Well...
Cough, wheeze, inhale.
Yeah, that. My father was sick. Not the flu you get or the fever. It was different. It had just been there... One day, my father left home and then came back after a week. Since then, he couldn't breathe properly.
"Here, father." I took a cup of water, scooping enough to drink from the bucket I collected, feeding it to his trembling lips. His words were soft and filled with remorse after he let out a long, relaxed breath.
"I'm sorry you have to do so much, Moeru. I can't help but think this sickness as a curse and nothing else." My heart cracked as I kissed him softly on the head. My eyes burned slightly. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair how he had everything weighing on his shoulders. It wasn't his fault the mom always... nevermind.
I kneeled down once again, sighing and pressing my hand to his forehead as I angled the scooper, pouring water into his parched mouth. I was worried for him. That he may pass. His head was burning up, but we didn't have enough money to buy medicine, nor would anyone help us.
"It isn't your fault. It is what it is, father. Buddah says all things happen for a reason, and you say it, too." I set the bucket of water on the kitchen counter, quickly scrubbing the chipped and cracked plates of our belongings and making a meal for my father and Mezumo. A bowl of udon for my little brother and some broth for my father.
"Mezzy! Time for breakfast!" I called in a lighthearted yell. He came in running, soaked in water, splashing everywhere like a wet chicken. I chuckled, ruffling up his damp hair while he ate up his udon without a second glance. I assisted my father in eating before announcing I was headed to town for my side job.
"Wait! I have something for you!" Mezumo giggled, pulling out a long string of hand-carved beads. It was beautiful. I was gaping, and Mezumo was as bright as the sun. "You like it?!"
"I absolutely love it!" My chest felt warm as I slipped it on. It felt like a token of life.
As I slipped out the door, I felt a pull on my kimono. "Yes, Mezzy?"
"Moeru! Can you buy me some candies from the market while you go to clean Misesu Mī's house?" He asked, bright-eyed.
I brushed his brown hair back, giving him a planted kiss on the head.
"Of course, Mezzy."
I always save a bit of my earnings for being a house-maid on any breaks from house chores just to buy him some candy. What I give to see him smile every day.
I grappled the few yen in my pocket.
"I'll make sure to get you fresh ones!"
YOU ARE READING
Fire And Lightning. ||A Demon Slayer OC Story.||
ActionIn her life, Moeru Inazuma was always poor. She worked all day to support her father and brother, whom she had been left with by their alcoholic mother. One fateful night, Moeru's mother comes home. She finds her father dead. Her mother: A horrid cr...
