Project: Karma

76 | A Name to Remember

<Namari>
Today, Daddy and I were playing go find the red ball. A game that big brother and I would enjoy with Daddy when he was home from work. When we did, I looked in the same spots as always. This time, I chose new spots.

Examining every nook and cranny, it was no use. Especially when it was just me playing with Daddy. Though, when I did look around, I found this white giant book.
It couldn't be daddy's cause he reads those superhero pages. It could be Mommy's book.

I flipped through the pages and saw pictures instead. It looks like old pictures. I see mommy and I see daddy and then there's a tall man with black hair besides him.
I fixed a gaze upon that man and felt something weird in my chest. Something didn't feel right.

I skimmed through and saw that he was in every group picture until the last group picture, he wasn't in any of them anymore.
This hunting felt like a ghost story. I got scared right away and wanted to do something else.

I ended up wandering the house trying to find my big brother. Then I saw him in the kitchen with papers all over the table. I peeked over.

Uhh hmm, why won't big brother look at me? I'm staring at him while he is writing in a blue notebook. I remembered before that Mommy said to stay quiet so that he won't get distracted, but daddy is sleeping and mommy is cooking. No one is playing with me.

"Um, big brother?" I tried to reach for the top of them table, but only my fingers could touch. I tried to lift myself up and that didn't work.
He finally saw me and placed his pencil down on the table and sighed.

Mommy said not to distract him and I did! I'm going to get in trouble now!

"Huh?! Mari?! W-why are you crying?!" Big brother lifted me up and sat me on his lap. He soothed me with his gentle hands and hushed me with his soft voice. My face became all wet and puffy as he tried to comfort me.

"Mommy said not to distract big brother." I sniffled and tried to escape from his hold. If Mommy sees me like this, she'll be angry.

"Mari, can you stop jerking around, you'll fall at this rate." Big brother wouldn't let go, but I don't want to get it trouble!

<Nakaru>
What's wrong with her? She's been eyeing me since I started my homework. She stayed silent all this time too. When she called me, I thought she wanted to play with me or something. So why she is throwing a fit now?!

"Hey, hey. Mari, calm down." I said.

Her lips quivered as she stopped moving around frantically. "I'm almost done here, once I finish, I'll come play okay?"

Mari nodded her head and I brought her back down on the ground. She wiped away her tears and stared at the floor.

"Mari, why don't you set up your dolls in your room. I'll be there soon."

"Okay." Mari pranced off and vanished around the corner, at the same time Papa walked in with his head clocked, facing the direction she ran in.

"Should I be worried?" He asked.

"She just got lonely. I'll play with her after this." I hurried on and quickened the pace of my writing.
"I'm glad that you didn't turn out to be like Daichi and how he treats Nozomi." He sat down at the table.