flashback
"hobi! hobi! come here, quick!" her voice called me.
i ran as fast as my short, young legs could go. i found her kneeling down looking at something,
"what is it?"
my breaths are heavy and i'm glad to see she is okay.
"it's a butterfly..."
i see the beautiful black and blue creature and reach out for it,
"it's pretty!"
my voice is squeaky and the butterfly takes its flight and lands on a nearby tree.
"you made it go away!"
her voice shows she is mad.
"i wonder where its parents are?"
i bring up the subject of parents
(even though it makes her upset)
she looks at me, then back at the butterfly.
"everything has parents, jhope."
she walks up to the butterfly, holding her finger out at it.
i watch it crawl onto her finger before fluttering its wings and flying away.
"it's like my parents are still here."
she whispered to herself.
in her case,
she was lucky to have known her parents; unlike me...
mine died a few days after i was born in a house fire.
i was fortunately saved by firefighters but it was too late for my mom and dad.
her on the other hand,
her parents died four months ago.
car crash.
"i'm sorry about your parents, i know how it is."
i try to comfort her.
"no you don't! how could you? you didn't even know your parents! you don't know how it is!"
she hollers and runs away.
"you're just stupid! i hate you!"
i yell after her,
my ears red from frustration.
_____________
but this was many years ago, and things have changed.
i'll make it up to her.
if it's the last thing i'll ever do.
*