Chapter 2:
A Life With No Future Has Many Roads...
"Lilium? ... Lilium! Where are you?" Apollo called out to the child. "It is time for your break to end. The customer is waiting for you to serve him." Out in the yard of the Tea House Apollo has opened with the help of a stranger was a rose garden, floating in a wooden ark on top of a pond that was filled with Dog fish, was a wondering and innocent young Lilium. Standing fearless beside the new born sharks that were in a different pond as the dog fishes were, she held a reptilian creature close to her heart. With the young crocodile on her hand, she gave out a small sigh. "I guess it's time for me to return to my duties Jumbalin. Can you promise me that you'll behave if I put you back with the sharks this time? They may be smaller than you, but you shouldn't spoil your appetite."
Jumbalin looked at her with his red mixed with golden swamp eyes. Lilium pecked the right cheek of the reptile and spoke to it. "Of course I can trust you. You are like a new born to me, and I will trust you with my heart." she said as she let the baby crocodile down on the tiny waterfall. She quickly got out of the pond and walked away from the Rose garden. As she entered, Apollo called her again, but calmer than the other times. As time grew old, Apollo was affected by it like his father. Inheriting his genes, Apollo was effected more to illness, and throughout the time with Lilium and looking after the Tea House, Apollo grew tumor in his heart. Not having the strength to tell the child he calls his own the truth, he looks behind the truth, and continues his life.
"Good to see you are full of energy today Lilium. I hope you the best, for today seems to be a busy one, much like the other week that has passed." Lilium smiled at the young adult, grabbed his hand, and pulled him close for a hug as though he was gone for years. "Is everything ok child?" asked Apollo. "If you are not feeling good today, I can fill in the spot for you dearest."
"It's coming close to that day Mr. Apollo, when they died..."
Apollo felt tears falling from the child's eyes. Out of instincts from a father, he put his arms around her, and hugged her tight. Hoping, wishing, and praying to calm her down. To Apollo it was a mystery now whether or not if her father and mother were living. After they left, he lost all contact he had with them at the time. He has hoped for the best for them, but to everyone in the town, hope was another word to keep tears from falling.
"Don't worry. They are with the lord now. Don't cry child..."
During the past 10 years, Apollo was true to his word to her father and the man who has helped him open the Tea House. Treating the young maiden as a daughter of his own blood, he held no tolerance over any man who entered his house with the want for buying her. Since turning 9, she has helped Apollo run the business in an attempt to ease his long days of serving customers, both rude and nice. Even though she worked as a waitress, and to the town a waitress was another vessel to sell themselves, he never allowed a man show disrespect towards her. Some may have succeeded on hurting her, but Apollo would always rush on time to him and cut his finger off.
"Come child. It's time to work. Put on your outfit and go to the Tea room."
Lilium wiped her tears away and rushed to put her work clothe on her. She didn't hate, but rather loved the Tea House. Some elderly men would even give some money to her to buy some food and new clothe for herself. And on occasions, even ask her to sit and accompany them by talking with them. But there were some parts she disliked about the job. And out of the list in dislikes, the most was the fact that even some of the elderly men would go beyond the line of comfort. At most, the ones with horrible intensions thought that even though it was a tea house, they were still allowed to do what they pleased with her and talk about unappropriated subjects with her.
"Lilium! Come here child. I'm ready to order my tea." cried out a customer. To most, a yelling customer was either you giving bad serves or being late. But to Lilium, this particular voice was like the sounds of a bird singing the welcoming song to spring. The voice belonged to no one else, but the man that has helped Apollo clean his soul.
"I'm on my way, Mr. Tsunami!" Lilium love Mr. Tsunami as though he was her own grandfather. And even though Apollo was against it, Mr. Tsunami would spoil her by buying her a new dress every seven days, taking her to the festivities the town would make, and getting her new and exotic pets when he would go out and travel to the new world. "Well now child, it truly is a good time to see you in a happy mood today Lilium. How was your morning? I hope it was a pleasant one today." said Mr. Tsunami with a smile on his face. Lilium giggled at the sentence and knew he brought her a present.
"Well, I spent my break out in the Rose garden with Jumbalin-"
Before letting her finish her answer, he gave a faint mad expression, and shot an evil eye at her with a small grin. "That albino crocodile again? You know, you should find something else to play with like a kitten or-or, even a leaf, you know. Something a child would enjoy playing with. But not you, no no no. For you, it's always going to be an overgrown lizard. Why do you trust the little monster?"
"he's not a monster Mr. Tsunami. I trust him."
"Hmph. Same as always like the other times I ask, huh? And that's what makes you special. Don't ever let anyone change that about you." Mr. Tsunami brought her in close for a small hug and pecked her forehead. "You know, just the other day, I saw a child like you cry to her mother 'Mama, that monster is going to eat me!' and the mother took her by the hand and left. I'm pretty sure you would have gone up to it, and say 'hello' to it instead." Lilium, without a show of struggle, agreed. Apollo smiled at the scenery from the kitchen view, and took the other orders to the people.
Time passed by quickly, customers came and left, but Mr. Tsunami stayed and viewed at the Tea House he has opened. Apollo was quick on his feet, while Lilium showed no sign of stopping, forming a great team between them. As the sun was in the middle of the sky, the Tea House was closed for a thirty minute break. Apollo went to the back to check on the choices for the next set of guest who will be entering the Tea House.
It's been passed the hours of the Tea House to be closed, and Mr. Tsunami collected his share of the earnings, and sent Lilium off to rest for the day. "Are you sure you can handle working in her place? My respects for you sir, but, she is energetic. And you have already served your work life. It is your time to rest, not to find new jobs sir." Mr. Tsunami cupped his cheek and laughed at the young adult. "No son, I feel like I am still in her age to retire any time soon." Not fighting back, Apollo allowed his help in the shop. Lilium put up her apron and ran towards the Rose garden. Straight to the hidden sight of a secret she has kept from Apollo and Mr. Tsunami.
Behind the bush of Forget me not, laid small tombstones of her mother and father. "You don't have to worry about me anymore... Apollo has been acting like he is my papa and takes care of me... Mother, I don't know if I looked like you the most, but I hope I am making you proud and keeping your beauty. May I meet you in heaven one day, and may you rest in peace..." A tear fell of her cheek as she got up and left a bundle of roses, one for each tomb. She walked to the pond, and young little Jumbalin swam towards her. "Oh Jumbalin... Will I ever have a key for eternal happiness? Or better yet, why don't we go traveling with Mr. Tsunami? Maybe we can even see where you came from."
"... Lilium... I have to talk to you..."
"Yes? How may I help you Apollo?"
With a grim look on his face, he walked up to the child, got to his knee, and whispered in her ear: "Mr. Tsunami has..." Apollo broke his barrier, and tears began to fall. "... He is no longer with us..." Lilium changed her smile to an expressionless face. "W-what happened to him?" Apollo cleared his throat. "He was not well Lilium. A heart attack has ended his journey here... I called out for help outside when I saw him collapse but..." Apollo looked up. "... Heaven's hand came for him... I'm sorry..."
"No... No... Not him... not Mr. Tsunami!" Lilium fell to her own knees and yelled out his name to the heavens. Lying so helpless, she put her hand above her heart. "I'll let you have the rest of the night off... You both had a special bond, not one that I can share." Apollo left her where she was. As he walked to his office, he formed a fist and slammed it on his desk.
Soon later, another familiar face came in and greeted him. Ares change his face from a smile to a raging bull in a second. "Apollo, my friend, my brother, I know we both have major differences between us. But we need to talk about Lilium." Apollo's face turned to Ares and stared at him with a death glare on his face. With a small sigh, Apollo stood up front by his 'friend'. "What do you want this time? I told you I won't let you lay a single hand, any of your dirty fingers on her, and never let you by far imagine a future with her." Out of anger, Ares pulled out a knife he had hidden in his inner pocket of his cloak, and pointed it at Apollo's neck.
"I told you I want her as my bride you swine in sheep's clothing! You will listen to my wishes or I will-" A young voice was heard, and the adults stopped the fight. Lilium entered with her eyes red with tears falling and said, "Don't hurt him! If you hurt him I won't be your bride!"
Apollo turned to looked at her and dropped to her knee's, begging her not to sell herself to the snake. "Child, don't waste yourself to save an old bat like me, I am in my years to live the fullest, I am in the end of my cliff in life, I am but a piglet who was born in a family of regretless swine's! I have so little years to come, and you still have more yet to be known! Lilium-" Before Apollo could finish his sentence, Lilium held his two hands as they were still in praying, and said. "Mr. Apollo, I will be fine. I know the true nature of Ares, and... I don't want another family to die... I will be fine..."
"Is it decided then?" asked Ares.
"yes" said Lilium with her voice sounding like a toad.
"Then it is settled. Apollo, my dear friend. Thank you for your, wonderful, blessing." As Ares left the two in their shower of tears, he let out a small chuckle, as he marked off the last words on his paper. Days passed by quickly as the wedding arrangements were being made. During this time, Apollo closed his Tea House the week of the plans and prepared the young child he treated as his own. On the day of the wedding, Lilium ran towards the Rose garden and knelled before the tombstone she made for Mr. Tsunami. "May you rest in peace with my mother and my father Mr. Tsunami, my Grandfather..." Jumbalin got out of the pond and scurried by her side.
"Oh Jumbalin I cannot take you with me. For if Ares see's you, he will kill you for sure and make you into our dinner for the ceremony..." Jumbalin scratched the turquoise streams on her dress, and begged to be lifted by her. She could not refuse and grabbed him gently. "Oh Jumbalin, how can I ignore." She took him to the edge of the backyard and looked at her friend one last time. With the young crocodile out of sight from the garden, she made a small prayer for him. And through a hole in the wall made of stone, she let him free. Out in the river filled with his own kind.
"Freedom... That's what I wish for... But it only seems that death, is the only way...." Lilium got up, brushed the dirt off of her, and left the garden. She went inside the building with Apollo waiting for her, and walked to the church. Where her soon to be forty nine year old husband was waiting for her to tie their lives together.