mouth.
"What?"
Ayumi giggled for a few minutes before answering. “You know how all the decorations are Japanese style?"
Kiara nodded. “Yes?"
"We used to have the paper walls too, between rooms. Grandfather is stuck in the old ways. Well, it was because I kept hearing things I shouldn't that he let Jiro-san arrange for the real walls we have now. To keep my nose where it doesn't belong. That's what Grandfather said."
Kiara laughed. All kids did the same, she didn't doubt, but her grandfather had done right by putting up walls that were harder for her to hear through. Then again, she had already heard enough and apparently, she was still learning more.
"You said you sometimes feel suffocated by the rules,” Kiara reminded her. “What did you mean?"
Ayumi ducked, bit her lip and jumped from her seat. Kiara resisted dissolving into laughter again. Something had the girl almost jumping out of her skin. Normally, she'd bounce off the walls knowing Jiro would be back soon.
She twirled about the clearing edge, touching a fingertip to branches along the way. Finally, she stopped and faced Kiara. “I like a boy."
"You like a boy?” Kiara searched her mind. Ayumi was never away from a family member or her bodyguard. She had a private instructor. When would she have ever come in contact with a boy her age? Kiara prayed the girl hadn't developed a crush on a servant, but she couldn't remember seeing any Ayumi's age. She had no thoughts of the family being better than the servants, but Ayumi's family did. Her grandfather would order someone's death. She shivered at the thought, not knowing really if he was that ‘trigger happy'. “What boy, Ayumi?"
"Do you remember my birthday party?” She seemed about to chew her lip off. Kiara pulled it from between her teeth with a nod. “My cousin came, the one who lives in Los Angeles. Grandfather hates it, but they live freer than we do. He says they're almost Americanized, that the only way he can tell the difference is that they still have slanted eyes.” She chuckled.
Kiara frowned. “Are you telling me you have a crush on your cousin?"
"Ew, no!” She made a face like she would throw up, reminding Kiara that no matter how mature Ayumi behaved, she was still a young child. “Not my cousin, his friend. Remember, he brought his friend with him?"
Kiara stiffened. “His blond haired, blue-eyed friend?"
She nodded miserably. “I've been talking to him on the phone."
"What! Ayumi, you realize you're only ten years old. You're too young to have a boyfriend.” Kiara tried not to lecture, or to let on that her fear was more for the fact that the boy was white than anything else. As busy as Ayumi was in personality, she was still an innocent. No doubt she had been drawn by the contrast in the boy's looks to hers. Part of what excites me about Jiro, I know that. Among other things.
But the girl's grandfather, and her brother for that matter, would hit the roof. Jiro was not as hard-nosed as his grandfather, but he was still all Japanese. It was likely he would cut off the innocent friendship and hurt poor Ayumi in the process, damaging their great relationship.
"Sweetie,” Kiara began. “Your brother would hit the roof if he heard that you had a crush on a wh ... uh ... that boy. What am I saying? He lives in Los Angeles, you said. Maybe occasional phone calls are okay."
"He's going to be here tonight,” she blurted.
"Ayumi..."
She launched herself into Kiara's arms. “Can you tell Jiro-san to let me be friends with him, Kiara? We have the kiddie dance, and Luke already asked me to dance with him. And also, we can join up to be partners in the chess tournament later. Everybody's staying over, so I thought I could go horseback riding with him too."
You're ten. This is not date weekend! Kiara took a deep breath and put Ayumi back into her seat beside her. “Sweetie, I don't know what influence you think I have over your brother, but believe me, I can't tell him to do
"What?"
Ayumi giggled for a few minutes before answering. “You know how all the decorations are Japanese style?"
Kiara nodded. “Yes?"
"We used to have the paper walls too, between rooms. Grandfather is stuck in the old ways. Well, it was because I kept hearing things I shouldn't that he let Jiro-san arrange for the real walls we have now. To keep my nose where it doesn't belong. That's what Grandfather said."
Kiara laughed. All kids did the same, she didn't doubt, but her grandfather had done right by putting up walls that were harder for her to hear through. Then again, she had already heard enough and apparently, she was still learning more.
"You said you sometimes feel suffocated by the rules,” Kiara reminded her. “What did you mean?"
Ayumi ducked, bit her lip and jumped from her seat. Kiara resisted dissolving into laughter again. Something had the girl almost jumping out of her skin. Normally, she'd bounce off the walls knowing Jiro would be back soon.
She twirled about the clearing edge, touching a fingertip to branches along the way. Finally, she stopped and faced Kiara. “I like a boy."
"You like a boy?” Kiara searched her mind. Ayumi was never away from a family member or her bodyguard. She had a private instructor. When would she have ever come in contact with a boy her age? Kiara prayed the girl hadn't developed a crush on a servant, but she couldn't remember seeing any Ayumi's age. She had no thoughts of the family being better than the servants, but Ayumi's family did. Her grandfather would order someone's death. She shivered at the thought, not knowing really if he was that ‘trigger happy'. “What boy, Ayumi?"
"Do you remember my birthday party?” She seemed about to chew her lip off. Kiara pulled it from between her teeth with a nod. “My cousin came, the one who lives in Los Angeles. Grandfather hates it, but they live freer than we do. He says they're almost Americanized, that the only way he can tell the difference is that they still have slanted eyes.” She chuckled.
Kiara frowned. “Are you telling me you have a crush on your cousin?"
"Ew, no!” She made a face like she would throw up, reminding Kiara that no matter how mature Ayumi behaved, she was still a young child. “Not my cousin, his friend. Remember, he brought his friend with him?"
Kiara stiffened. “His blond haired, blue-eyed friend?"
She nodded miserably. “I've been talking to him on the phone."
"What! Ayumi, you realize you're only ten years old. You're too young to have a boyfriend.” Kiara tried not to lecture, or to let on that her fear was more for the fact that the boy was white than anything else. As busy as Ayumi was in personality, she was still an innocent. No doubt she had been drawn by the contrast in the boy's looks to hers. Part of what excites me about Jiro, I know that. Among other things.
But the girl's grandfather, and her brother for that matter, would hit the roof. Jiro was not as hard-nosed as his grandfather, but he was still all Japanese. It was likely he would cut off the innocent friendship and hurt poor Ayumi in the process, damaging their great relationship.
"Sweetie,” Kiara began. “Your brother would hit the roof if he heard that you had a crush on a wh ... uh ... that boy. What am I saying? He lives in Los Angeles, you said. Maybe occasional phone calls are okay."
"He's going to be here tonight,” she blurted.
"Ayumi..."
She launched herself into Kiara's arms. “Can you tell Jiro-san to let me be friends with him, Kiara? We have the kiddie dance, and Luke already asked me to dance with him. And also, we can join up to be partners in the chess tournament later. Everybody's staying over, so I thought I could go horseback riding with him too."
You're ten. This is not date weekend! Kiara took a deep breath and put Ayumi back into her seat beside her. “Sweetie, I don't know what influence you think I have over your brother, but believe me, I can't tell him to do
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