“Now, I shall tailor…”
~•~
If you ever go to Leviantha, then you’ll be familiar with the name Enbizaka.
It’s a peaceful town in Leviantha, where the people are friendly and the crime rate is low.
And enter Enbizaka – in the corner of the city is a tailor shop owned by a young lady.
She has good traits and a fine skill, she was a popular girl in the town. A lot of people visit her when they need new clothes for all occasions.
“Kayo…!”
“Yes?” A pink haired lady turned to her customer with a smile. Her customer that day was an old lady with grey hair and a blonde girl.
“Miss Mira!”
“Hey, dear,” the old woman said. “Sorry, I’m going to need your help again…”
“It’s fine!” the tailor said. “What do you need?”
“Well, you see, Neruna is getting married, so she’ll need a new kimono…”
“Well, you see, Neruna is getting married, so she’ll need a new kimono…”
“I see!” The tailor quickly took a measuring tape and walked to the girl. “Let me take your measurements.”
~•~
“I think you should be able to get it in another week.”
“Thanks, Kayo,” the two customers said as they walked out. “Please, if you can’t finish it in a week’s time, don’t exceed two weeks, okay?”
“Leave it to me.”
“Leave it to me.”
The paper door closed as Kayo took a roll of yellow fabric with floral ornaments. She sat down and opened the roll, then she took a pair of sciccors and looked at it for a while…
“Mother…”
“Here, these sciccors are for you, Kayo. You can use them when you become a tailor one day.”
“Wahhh, thank you, mother!”
She smiled sadly and started to cut the fabric, as much as she would need for a kimono. She could still remember the measurements – she wouldn’t need too much fabric.
By the way, why hasn’t he come back?
He… never comes back, does he?
“Let’s buy some sake for tonight, how about that?”
“Ah, and ice cream too, alright? Don’t forget to buy some oranges and leek too.”
“Ah, yes, of course we have to, don’t we? Or else we’ll get scolded.”
She looked out of the house and saw a man with a woman in red kimono, walking side to side. She looked at them for a while as she could feel her eyes warmed up, then she sighed and continued to cut the fabric.
Ah, but…
I must persevere with my work…
If you sharpen these sciccors, it will cut better…
~•~
“Ah, finally…”
The woman walked along the riverbank as she yawned. Her head was spinning from drinking, but she could still walk properly.
“Now…”
She knelt down by the river, then she cupped some water with her hands and splashed it to her face. She smiled, feeling relieved, but she didn’t notice the danger ahead…
~•~
“Have you heard? A woman was killed last night!”
“What? Really?”
“Her body was found in the riverbank. Looks like she was trying to go somewhere when…”
“Her body was found in the riverbank. Looks like she was trying to go somewhere when…”
Kayo folded the ends of the kimono as she could hear the conversation outside.
“How scary,” a purple haired man said as he looked at her through the window. “You have to be careful, Kayo. Don’t go out at nights.”
“Ah…” She tirmed tp the am amd smiled. “Yes, thank you for your concern. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Ah…” She tirmed tp the am amd smiled. “Yes, thank you for your concern. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“How can I not?” He smiled to her as he looked away. “If something happens to you, I can’t get any kimono from my favourite tailor.”
“Ahahaha…”
She pierced the needle into the fabric carefully, so that she wouldn’t hurt herself. But the needle didn’t even pierce – she needed quite an effort to pierce it in.
“Ah…” She dropped her needle with a sigh. “Time to buy a new needle.”
~•~
“Excuse me…”
An old man looked up from his book and saw a young woman with pink hair walking in from the wooden door. He smiled to her and got up from his chair slowly, as his physical strength wasn’t very good anymore. He felt like he has once seen the lady entering his shop, but he couldn’t remember…
“Hello, you must be…”
“Kayo Sudou,” the lady said with a smile. She could understand – old men must be rather forgetful. “I’ve come to buy some tools, mister…”
“Oh, I remember!” He could suddenly find the information he needed in his head. “The tailor, right? Yes, yes. What do you need?”
“A needle…”
“A needle…”
“Needles? Here, I’ve got a lot! Wait…”
The man put his book on the chair and walked to a few crates at the corner of the room. He took a crowbar from between the crates and tried to pry open a wooden board off a wooden crate to take the needles being needed by the young lady.
Meanwhile, Kayo was looking out of the window. It provided the view of the beautiful bridge to connect with the other towns outside Enbizaka. The bridge was quite empty that day – except for a couple sitting next to each other in front of the bridge – the man was crying on his girl’s arms. The girl had the most beautiful hair she had ever seen, and she was wearing a green sash.
“Now, now, don’t be too sad…”
“But… but…”
Kayo kept looking at them as the old man walked back to her with a small bag. She quickly turned to him and smiled.
“Ah, how much will it be…”
“You don’t need to pay, dear,” the old man said with a gentle smile. “Just sew me a new yukata in exchange.”
“Ah, about that, of course!” She gave a bright smile, not having to pay, even if she wasn’t feeling as happy inside…
~•~
“W… where are you going, aniki?”
“Sssh, don’t be too loud!” The girl with green sash turned to a younger blonde girl with her index finger on her lips. “I won’t be long, so don’t tell father! I’m just going to buy some ice cream for him from Ruki-kun. I won’t be long.”
The little girl couldn’t stop the older girl as she walked away. She sighed silently, anxious, as she sat down on her bed.
“Be careful, aniki…”
~•~
“Oh…”
A black haired man turned to a little girl with green sash and smiled. He knew her quite well – in fact, she’s a great customer.
“Hello, Mika-chan…”
“Ruki-kun, can I buy some ice cream?” She asked. “Whatever ice-cream you’ve got!”
“For your father? You’re such a good kid.”
The girl blushed a little, happy that she was being praised, as the man turned to the shelves. He started to look for the item in the corner shelf.
“Well, let’s see. Not much left, since they’ll ship it tomorrow… You can’t wait?”
“The faster the better, Ruki-kun…”
“Okay, then,” he turned to her with a small pint of ice cream. “Here you go.”
“Thanks!” She took it as he handed it to her. “I’ll pay you tomorrow, is that fine?”
“Of course.” There’s no way she can sneak out with a lot of money, is it? “Don’t forget alright…”
“Yes…”
The girl walked out of the shop with the item she bought in her hands, smiling.
I hope father will like it…
Too bad she didn’t notice the silhouette, which was holding something shiny behind her…
~•~
“Have you heard? They killed someone else!”
“What? Again?”
“Who could’ve done such a horrible thing?”
“Who could’ve done such a horrible thing?”
“We have to tell the police, so that they can get him before he kills some more!”
Kayo walked in the small space left between the shops in the marketplace, then she stopped by a greengrocer. The owner was a middle-aged man with white hair, who was cooling himself down with a fan. He turned to her when he noticed she was looking at his vegetables.
“Hello, Kayo. What do you need today?”
“I’m out of eggplant at home,” she said as she turned to him. “And carrots, too. Any good ones?”
“Oh, of course! These arrived yesterday. Still very fresh,” the man said as he took a few eggplants and carrots. “And… these carrots are still rather fresh. But not very fresh. What about you buy some leek? They’re a lot more fresher…”
“I’m out of eggplant at home,” she said as she turned to him. “And carrots, too. Any good ones?”
“Oh, of course! These arrived yesterday. Still very fresh,” the man said as he took a few eggplants and carrots. “And… these carrots are still rather fresh. But not very fresh. What about you buy some leek? They’re a lot more fresher…”
“No, I’ll buy eggplants and carrots, please.”
“Wait…”
She looked around the marketplace as the man packed the vegetables she asked for. She could see the man again, in front of a hairpin shop, with a little girl.
My, my, he really has no boundaries…
“Do you like this one?”
“I prefer this one! This one! But I want a yellow one!”
“Do you have a yellow one, ma’am?”
“Yes, here you go…”
“Wahhh, thank you!”
“Kayo?”
She quickly snapped awake and turned to the man, who was smiling.
“Here,” he said as he handed it over. She took it, then she took out a small pouch hung on her kimono.
“Well, it will make fifty, right?”
“Fourty-eight.”
“Here…” She gave him some coins. “Just keep the change.”
“Fourty-eight.”
“Here…” She gave him some coins. “Just keep the change.”
She bowed down slightly and walked away as she turned to the man for the last time. The girl was putting on the hairpin on her head with a smile, and they were too busy to notice her. Kayo then sighed silently and walked away.
Ah, but…
I’ve still got work to do…
~•~
“Where are you going, Riina?”
“I’m going to visit Loli,” the girl said as she walked out of the house. “I’ll be back before dinner…”
“Be careful, dear.”
The girl walked on the damp soil – the rain has just gone by, making the streets an empty place. She smiled as she fixed her hairpin in place proudly.
“I’m gonna show this to Loli!”
She walked a few more yards, smiling and humming a song about the rain. Too bad she didn’t notice the silhouette standing behind her…
~•~
“Ah…”
Kayo smiled as the red kimono in her hands looked perfect, after she worked on it for a few days. The green sash was lying next to the kimono, with the yellow ornate hairpin on it. She put on the kimono, then tied the sash around her waist, and put the hairpin in her head. It wasn’t difficult to wear – she was used to such things. She then looked at herself in the mirror – she saw someone else, not Kayo Sudou, but… she was content.
Now, haven’t I become a woman of your taste?
So, if you won’t come to see me…
Then I’ll come to see you instead…
~•~
Kayo swiped aside the grey bamboo curtains and walked into the ramen shop. A woman with white hair, who was cooking some ramen, looked up to her and gave a thin smile, then she returned to cooking.
The shop was crowded that day. Everyone seemed to be seeking the warmth from a bowl ramen in the rainy days, not excluding a man, who looked very, very sad, sitting in the corner. He was sitting with a yellow-haired man, who was eating bananas, and a purple haired man. Next to the purple-haired man was the only vacant seat in the full shop. She walked to the group and sat down next to the purple-haired man, who quickly turned to her.
“Oh, Kayo! How are you? Glad you’re alright,” the purple-haired man said with a smile. “You haven’t eaten, have you? Come on, let’s order something for you.”
“Hakuo!” the yellow-haired man called. “A tako ramen, please!”
She then looked at the sad-looking man, who was eating silently. It took him a while to notice her presence, and he wouldn’t have noticed, too, shouldn’t the yellow-haired man strike him with his arm. He must be so deep in his thoughts. He finally looked up to her with a thin smile.
“Hello, how are you?”
“…”
A green-haired waitress then came and served a bowl of ramen in front of her. She thanked the two other men, then she started eating.
How cruel of him.
He’s treating me as if I’m just a stranger…
~•~
“Have you heard? Now a man was killed!”
“Now that makes the death of a whole family!”
Kayo kept tailoring the yellow kimono in her hands with a smile. She then grabbed the sciccors and looked at it for a while – the colour of it has changed now, from the shiny silver colour into a reddish-black colour…
But, she only smiled and continued to sew the kimono in her hands. She then took the sciccors and cut some fabric off, only to notice that it has stained the kimono. She quickly brushed away the stain with her fingers to prevent it from dying and sticking on the fabric…
Ah, the sciccors are now dyed red…
But, if I clean them, they’ll cut much more cleaner…
~•~
Sciccors are made up of two blades.
The blades brush again each other to complete their tasks.
That’s how a proper married couple should be…
From what my mother told me long ago.
~•~
“Now, let the trial begin.”
~•~
Once, in the United States of Evillious, there was a man who raked in personal profit from the governmental court.
His name was Gallerian Marlon, also known as the ‘Collector’ by the later generations.
“The trial session for Theoddore Lloyd will now begin.”
The young blue-haired judge knocked his hammer to the round wood thrice, symbolizing the start of the trial. He then turned to a man with glasses sitting on a table in the right side.
“I’ll allow the prosecutor to talk.”
“Yes, thank you, Your Highness.”
He stood up and pushed his glasses closer into his eyes, then he started reading from the papers on the table.
“Mr. Lloyd, the head of the Kasena company, has been cutting the wages for his employees in an un-accept-able amount. The employees were suffering, since they couldn’t afford their daily neccessities. Therefore, I hope Your Highness will give the fair punishment, for the sake of the employees.”
“Mr. Lloyd may testify now.”
“Your Highness, I am not guilty,” the red-haired defendant said as he rose from his seat. “The company is having bad economy right now. To keep the company running, I’ve got no choice but to cut their wages.”
“Is it true that you’re cutting them at some ‘unacceptable’ amount?”
“No,” the defendant said as he fixed the position of his glasses. The lenses seemed to shine after he fixed it. “I’m just cutting them at five percent and to me, that’s very acceptable. Moreover, I didn’t cut their other income, like overtime bonuses.”
“Then…”
The judge was just about to knock his hammer again when he heard some complains from the visitors. He turned to them as he put down his hammer – it turned out to be some men in working outfits.
“That’s a lie!”
“Our wages were cut for about 25%!”
“Objection! Objection!”
“Calm down,” the judge said as he knocked the hammer down once to calm the crowd. The crowd quickly calmed down, knowing that he was listening to them.
“Is there any evidence of the 25% cut?”
The crowd started to whisper, making a few buzz in the room. However, even if their voices were mixed and buzzing like bees, their conversation could still be slightly heard.
“Wh… what do we do? We’ve given the evidence, haven’t we?”
“So he doesn’t believe it.”
“What do we do now? We have no more evidence…”
The judge waited for a little while, then he finally felt like getting things done and knocked the hammer thrice.
“Innocent,” he declared. “There’s no further evidence.”
~•~
“I’m home, ‘Daughter’…”
Gallerian smiled as he opened a door. A girl with blue hair turned to him with a smile, then he walked to her and kissed her forehead.
“How’s your day, dear?”
“Just fine, ‘father’,” she said with a smile. Gallerian smile to her as he messed her hair in a fatherly way, then he walked to the door.
“You must be hungry. I’ll prepare you some food.”
“Yes, thank you, father…”
“Nah, don’t say that,” he answered with a smile. “I enjoy doing that kind of things.”
He walked out of the room, leaving her alone in the room. She really wished she could stand up and follow him out of the room, so that she wouldn’t be leftalone in the room, but she just couldn’t. Everytime she tried to stand, her feet wouldn’t seem to have the strength to do it – that always made her stay seated.
‘Father’…
Suddenly she could hear a distant laughter, almost like a whisper, very close to her. She turned to the laughter and saw a red glass, a vlue spoon, and two mirrors. There was nobody there…
Hahahah…
Do you know…
You’re really…
The same with us, kid!
…
Well, I mean, ‘father’, you’re gentle, but…
You never told me about the outer world…
To me, this small, little dark room, and everything inside, is the whole world…
She sighed, knowing she could do nothing but sit around, and closed her eyes. It made her able to listen to things around her much more clearly, including the radio her ‘father’ has turned on outside of her room…
‘The trial for Theodorre Lloyd has ended, with the declaration that he is innocent. The decision was found to be unacceptable for the prosecutor and the employees of Kasena. They were claiming that they hace handed the evidence, but Gallerian, the judge, didn’t defend them, instead, defending the guilty…’
RIIIIIING
“Yes, hello?” Gallerian quickly picked up the phone while his other hand was flipping the meat on the grill.
“Thank you, Mr. Marlon. We’ll make sure to have the fees transferred.”
“Thanks, Lloyd. According to the agreement, alright?”
“Leave it to me.”
“Leave it to me.”
He put down the phone and continued cooking. He would turn to the meat he was cooking every few seconds, to make sure it wouldn’t burn…
Yes, I need money to cure my ‘daughter’s legs.
Until then, she has to stay healthy…
~•~
“Gallerian, I’m very sorry. I can’t help her anymore…”
“But, but… can’t you do something, doctor? Please, please save her…”
“I really do wish I can, Gallerian. The car hit her in the head. The wound is too serious – there’s no way I can save her…”
“Please, save Michelle, doctor… I’ll pay, I don’t care how much it will cost, just… save her! I’ll give you everything you want! Save my daughter!”
“Gallerian, I understand, but…”
“Save her! Save her! Please! Please! Just save her!”
“Save…”
Gallerian found himself awake in the middle of the night, sweating cold sweat and panting. He looked around him – he was still in a dark room, which he recognized as his bedroom – nothing too suspicious about it. He was still in his bedroom.
…
It’s… just a nightmare, right?
He sighed in relief as he lied down and rolled his body to the left. There, he could faintly see a picture – a picture of a blue-haired man, with a blonde woman with long hair and a little girl with short blonde hair.
…
I… shouldn’t have let them go back then…
If I didn’t, then I won’t be alone like now…
He covered his eyes with a hand, finding himself nearly sobbing.
“Look at this, father!”
“Oh, nice picture, Michelle. Is this me?”
The lost of the dearest is sometimes, beyond unbearable…
“When you collect all the vessels, Gallerian, trust me, you’ll get what you want.”
…Is it really fine… to trust Ma?
~•~
RIIIING
“Hello, Marlon here,” Gallerian said as he picked up the phone. He could hear someone coughing on the other end, but of course it was just an act – just to make whoever it was look respectable.
“Hello, this is Gabriel. I’m General Ausdin’s lawyer.”
Ausdin? “Yes, his trial will be in a few days, no?”
“Yes, I know that, Mr. Marlon.”
“Can I help you?”
“Yes, very much so. We need you to…” He could hear the man cough a few more fake coughs. “Proclaim him innocent. We’ll pay you as much as you want?”
“As much as I want?”
“Yes. Please reconsider that.”
He could hear a click, then he smiled and put down the phone. He walked to the window and looked out to the streets. It was pretty crowded that day – of course, it was Monday and it was almost lunchtime.
Ausdin…
He’s a vicious guy. He killed a lot of innocent people during the Marigold’s Battle. He should die…
But, I have to save him, like that, don’t I? The pay would better be good.
After all, money is the best lawyer in hell.
~•~
“The trial session for General Ausdin will now begin. I authorize the public prosecutor to talk.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” A blonde long-haired man stood up and started to read from a paper. “General Ausdin has killed many innocent people during the Marigold Plateau Battle. He even killed the innocent old men, who couldn’t fight anymore, pregnant women, and even kids and babies. Therefore, I will sue him for acting against Rule USE number 54 year 876 about murder and slaughtering in battle and war.”
“Defendant may speak now.”
“Your Highness, I didn’t do that,” a green haired man said as he stood up. “The official records are saying that I did it, but actually I didn’t. It was the fault of another General. I’m the one being falsely accused here, Your Highness…”
“Objection!” the prosecutor shouted as he stood up. “We have witnesses, that said General Ausdin killed the people.”
“Please call them.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I hereby call Mr. Miguel.”
A blue haired man stood up awkwardly from his seat and walked forward to the podium. The green haired man looked at him with a scary look, making the blue haired man shiver a little. But Gallerian didn’t see that, and turned to the witness.
“Mr. Miguel. Is it true that General Ausdin killed a lot of people during the battle?”
“Yes, I… clearly saw it…” he testified shakingly. “We… were in the same batalyon. He… killed several kids.”
The man could clearly see the sight of the battlefield again, in his head. That caused him to nearly vomit, but his situation wouldn’t allow him to, so he didn’t. He turned to Ausdin again, who was making a sour face.
“You know, Your Highness, the order was to kill every single enemy. Aren’t they enemies?”
“But they didn’t do anything wrong…”
THUMP THUMP THUMP
“Defendant is innocent,” Gallerian announced. “He’s just doing that based on orders. The one to blame is the one who gave out the order…”
“Defendant is innocent,” Gallerian announced. “He’s just doing that based on orders. The one to blame is the one who gave out the order…”
“Defendant is blind!” The prosecutor shouted. “He can’t differ enemies from the people who were just caught up in the battle, and…”
“Public prosecutor,” Gallerian called with a terrifying voice. “The trial session is over. And as I declared, defendant is innocent.”
The public prosecutor gritted his teeth in anger as he sat down. Miguel turned to the defendant, who was smiling contently.
This isn’t fair! No! Ausdin must’ve bribed Marlon or anything like that…
Sheesh, as I expected, Ausdin can’t be fought…
~•~
“So, you go away from it?”
“Yeah,” Ausdin said proudly as he sat down on his backyard. “As I told you, everything would go just fine, Meg.”
“How great,” the woman with green hair said as she served a cup of tea for the general. “I’ve just made some carrot cakes. I’ll serve them – take it as a congratulation from me.”
“Thanks, dear.”
The girl walked back into the house and disappeared from sight. Ausdin lit a cigarette and looked up to the sky.
Ah… at least I’ll be free for now…
Ah, not really…
Too bad, he didn’t notice the crowd in front of his mansion, trying to break into the mansion to kill him…
~•~
“General Ausdin’s brutally murdered body was found in his backyard just now. We asked the crowd in front of his house, who said they were killing him because they couldn’t accept the result of trial that said he is innocent. So we can almost guess…”
Gallerian sighed and lowered the volume of the radio. He then walked into his daughter’s room, only to find her looking out of the window anxiously. She turned to him, then she moved her wheelchair to him.
“‘Father’, what is going on?”
“Well, that…” Explaining bad things to a kid is never pleasant, right? Especially when that bad thing could cost her life. “We’re… in a war. Or something like that.”
“A war?”
That doesn’t sound too good…
From his expression, it mustn’t be something good at all…
But… as long as we’re together, we’ll be alright, no?
“Come on, dear…” I have to distract her somehow. “Do you remember about the theatre Aunt Ma said she’ll build for us?”
“Aunt Ma?” She tried to remember the name in her memories, however, not much could be remembered.
“Which one?”
“The one… with black hair and a monocle, do you remember?”
“Oh!” Suddenly the information came out by itself. “Yes. Is the theatre complete?”
“Yes,” he said with a smile. “Let’s go visit her and the theatre sometime.”
“Yes,” he said with a smile. “Let’s go visit her and the theatre sometime.”
“Yes, of course!”
They chatted for a little more while, about everything you talk about with your daughter – dolls, toys, so on… – until they heard the crowd outside.
“Marlon!”
“Marlon! Die!”
He bit his lower lip slightly as he walked to the curtains and yanked it open. And he could see…
The crowd, a lot of them, standing in front of his, shouting things like ‘die Marlon’ or ‘you jerk’ or everything censored, it wasn’t those disturbing phrases he was worried about…
He could see a man, pouring something out of a bottle to his backyard through a small hole in the gate he used to receive letters. The man then did something after pouring it out, which he couldn’t see, but he threw his work into his backyard. And after that he could see…
“‘Daughter’!” Sheesh, those people! “Move out of here!”
“‘Daughter’!” Sheesh, those people! “Move out of here!”
“What… happened, father?”
“Just move!”
He pushed the wheelchair out of the room hurriedly, and when running past a window, he could see bright lights outside.
They must be burning my garden from everywhere! That means, the fire will soon reach the house…
And we’ll be roasted pretty soon.
He pushed the wheelchair back into the room, then he closed all the curtains as he could feel his heart beated faster.
What… do I do…
There’s no way out now… is there?
“‘Father’…”
He turned to his daughter, who was looking at him with such sad eyes. He couldn’t help feeling sorry for her, having to be trapped in such a situation because of him. He regretted his decision to proclaim the man innocent a little, but time doesn’t turn back…
They could hear loud crackles – the house must be collapsing thanks to the fire, and it would give them no way out now. Soon after, they could see the curtains caught in the fire, making the girl scream hysterically in fear. Gallerian kept his game face, despite hearing his heartbeat, hoping that he could calm his ‘daughter’. He smiled lovingly and messed her hair.
“Don’t worry, dear,” he said as he held her in his arms. “As long as we’re together, we’ll be fine…”
~•~
And hours later, on the place where a grand mansion once stood…
Was a vast empty land, covered with the remains of the burning house.
And when you dig in deep, deeper inside, you’ll find…
The corpse of a lonely parent and a clockwork doll…
~•~
No comments:
Post a Comment