ACHICHIBO~ The little girl I knew

chap5(how we parted ways)

-She was about to leave...

"Thank goodness, you are okay!" her mother hugged her the moment she saw her and started bawling her eyes out, then pulled away from her making sure she was there, she started caressing her cheeks as if she still didn't believe it. 

"Thank you, young man, for taking care of her" I heard her father say but all I saw was her wiping her mother's tears away while she, as always, cried silently.

"You can call me Toby, sir"

"I don't know how I could repay you, Toby.  But if there's anything I could do, then I will. Just name it"

Give her back to me then.

MY GOD! what am I thinking ?!

I noticed the way she looked at the Ivy plant hanging from the ceiling on her left considering it was used as decoration. She noticed them and smiled amidst the creeping tears making a trail down her face... Ivy means friendship, affection, and fidelity. 

Was she thinking of me when she saw it? 

My curiosity got the best of me as I turned to her father "One question, just one question sir"

"Yes, of course!"

"Does she know anything about flowers? I mean-like, the meaning and such"

"I do not think so"

Then, did she choose the purple hyacinth to apologize by chance?

"We didn't really get the chance to buy her flowers although I think she learned a couple of things out of books. Even though she acts like that, she is actually brighter than you think"

"Yeah, I can tell" I looked down because that was exactly how I was feeling now and to my luck, I noticed his wrist... 

The exact, same watch as mine. She wasn't kidding when she said that her father had the same watch as mine.

So that was why she followed me.

That was why she felt safe around me.

She viewed me as a father while I... Just like an Idiot, I saw her, as a woman.

"I'll- I'll take my leave now"

Her father gave me his hand to shake "Thank you again. And, you are welcome in our shop anytime"

"Thank you, sir" I shook it as I gave him a tight smile before I turned, taking my leave from there.

Don't look at her and just go, I kept telling myself. Because I couldn't trust my feet to lead me away from her anymore. It was over and it was for the best. I had business to deal with and she was better with her family. 

Now everything is back to its rightful place.

I reached out, and turned to walk on the same street we met, only for my shirt to be clutched from behind halting me in my tracks.

She followed me!

I turned to see her, hoping to meet her eyes... but those I wanted to meet were directed solely on my watch.

RIGHT!. I was just another father to her. 

God! Why am I being childish?!  I need to stop these thoughts!

She looked up at me grinning "Achichi?"

Nothing. I said nothing. I was holding on to the tears that kept trying to form. I turned to look away from her but I heard her voice again  "Achichi?", she asked again, her tone got lower now, like she has sensed my anger. "A.chi.chi?" hesitant and more like a whisper, it came out of her lips to penetrate my soul and push my tears out fully on display. I glowered at her, mad at myself and mad at her for making me this way... 

Why am so bothered with her viewing me as a father figure?!

SHE IS JUST A CHILD FOR GOD'S SAKE!!

I reaped my watch off my wrist and yanked her hand away from my shirt, which was easy since her grip loosened when she noticed how weird I was behaving.

"Take it and go back home, or you will get lost again and no one will save you this time. So you better stay home and never get out". My ears caught how my pitch was, low and harsh like it was filled with venom.

 I didn't want it to be that way.

 It wasn't my intention.

 But it already happened...

I spun around, and walked away, not before witnessing that tear, I made her shed, fall slowly on her cheek, tinting it.

"Achichi bo" I was able to hear her murmur so slowly when I was two meters far away from her, which made me halt. 

 I wanted to turn around and run back to her.

I wanted to just apologize for the way I just treated her.

I wanted to at least stay a bit longer with her...

"Honey! Jasmine! Get in. You shouldn't go out alone anymore okay?"

But now... It was now or never.

I had to go.