Bab 5: Chapter 04
What a sweet boy. All he could think was if she was okay.
She shook her head and wiped her tears with the sleeve of the green and white polka dot hospital gown she was wearing then adjusted to a sitting posture on the bed with Hiro's help. "I'm fine. I'm just so happy and proud of you."
Hiro was surprised then he grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "Thank you, sis."
"I just wish I could be of help to you," she said. "Big sister has let you down. You're supposed to be enjoying your life and leaving all the worries to me and Big Brother"
"Come on sis," Hiro grumbled. "Stop talking like I'm still a kid. I'm 23 this year. Can't you see how tall I am? I'm an adult."
Saika chuckled, ruffling Hiro's brown hair. "Even if you turn 90 or grow as tall as a mountain, you'll still be my baby brother."
Hiro frowned but he let her rub his head. It gave him a sense of joy and comfort. As if they were back in their manor and she was reading him a bedtime story like she always did. That was one of the ways they spent quality time together.
"Still, I should share your burdens," he said. "I was stupid and carefree before. I never knew of the struggles people had to go through to survive in this world but I'm glad I do now. Besides, it's not like I work too hard. Big Brother is still the one that does everything. All I have to do is make sure we don't starve."
Saika knew Hiro was lying. It was difficult for him but he was acting so she wouldn't worry. Hiro had become so mature and thoughtful. "You're doing so good, peanut," she said, smiling when he pouted because of the nickname. "Still, I wish I could help you both. If only I weren't sick."
Hiro could tell that his sister was feeling guilty again so he held her hand and pressed it to his cheek, rubbing it like a little cat. "Sister, you're already helping us a lot by taking care of yourself here and it's not like you asked to be sick so stop worrying. Me and brother are doing fine. We'll get through this like we always have. Together."
Saika wondered if she'd be with her brothers till the end. After all, the doctors said her health was deteriorating fast but she told them not to tell her brothers anything. Especially Hiro. Life was already hard for him. If he learnt that his only sister was dying, he would be inconsolable.
Not wanting him to worry, she cheered up and squeezed his cheek. "Fine then. With all your care and support, I'll be better in no time."
"Ouch!" He winced from the pain and scooted back in his chair, pouting, as he rubbed his cheek which was already red. "What did you do that for?!"
His sister burst out laughing and Hiro stared at her, annoyed, but then, seeing his sister laugh in such a carefree manner thawed the annoyance in his heart. His features softened and he ended up laughing too.
It was quite weird. They both knew they had nothing. They were suffering. Saika was extremely sick. Sora, their older brother was struggling to make ends meet. Hiro was doing his best to help. Their parents were in prison but they were laughing, as if they had no worries in the world.
Hiro scooted closer to his sister and held her bony hand, laughing happily.
They knew that come what may, even if the world hated them all, they still had each other.
For life.
********
"Did you see Saika today?" Sora asked Hiro as they set the table for dinner.
They lived together in a one-room apartment with one toilet and a corner which they used as a kitchen. In the kitchen corner was a small stove, one pot and one frying pan with one cooking spoon and a steel kettle.
They had a small wooden table which they placed by the side of the window where they always had their meals. Opposite the window was their makeshift bed which was made up of a thin mat and several torn blankets. By its side was a small box in which their neatly folded clothes were kept along with other important things. By the door were their worn-out shoes stuffed with their torn socks.
The brothers could only afford to live in such a place but it didn't matter for they were already used to it.
Hiro smiled. "Yes. Big sis is doing fine. She ate all the food I took to her today." He placed the side dishes on the table and then looked up at his older brother who was serving the noodles into their respective bowls. "She said she hasn't seen you in two weeks. She misses you."
Sora paused after hearing the last sentence then sighed and continued what he was doing. "I know. I miss her too." He kept the empty pot on the floor and carried the bowls of noodles to the table. "But my work is very demanding. It's not my fault."
"She understands," Hiro said as he sat on the wooden floor and took his chopsticks. "I explained things to her. She only wishes to see you even if it's for five minutes. Go see big sister okay? Maybe she'll get better faster."
Hiro watched as his brother contemplated things for a while then nodded. "I'll go see her tomorrow evening. You'll come with me though right?"
"What? Are you scared?" Hiro teased with a sly smile. "Scared that she'll scold you so you need to hide behind your little brother?"
Sora chuckled as he reached out and ruffled Hiro's soft brown hair. "Yeah yeah I need my little brother to protect me so help me okay."
Hiro smacked his brother's hand away with a slight frown. "Don't rub my head like that. Your hand is so hard unlike big sister's. Her hand is so soft." He said this with a dream-like expression which had Sora's brow twitching.
"So she can rub your head but I can't?" he asked to which Hiro nodded vigorously then he started to eat.
Sora couldn't help but laugh. He knew that things were difficult for them all but having Hiro made things easier. He was stressed and tired from work but having his little brother around was a blessing for Hiro knew how to make him laugh and forget about all his worries. He didn't know how it happened but Hiro had become some sort of pillar for him.
He smiled as he also started to eat.
Sora and Saika looked more alike than with Hiro. Hiro had sandy brown hair, they both had black, like their father's. Where Hiro had light brown eyes, they both had dark eyes. Again, like their father. Hiro on the other hand was the spitting image of their mother. He got everything from her except the gender.
They were both averagely tall and had soft white skin, like snow. They both had a petite body structure and feminine features.
Saika had her father's hair and eye colour but her mother's looks. As for Sora, he was the spitting image of his father. Tall and handsome with long legs and a muscular structure.
All in all, the Watanabes were extremely attractive creatures. Had it not been for their unfortunate downfall, none would be compared to them.
Hadiah
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