"Hey, what's your name?" resounded a young, spirited voice.
Piercing through her line of sight, a hand emerged, its palm wide open. She looked upwards, taking note of the fact that someone's head had blocked out the sun. It was a young boy, with messy black hair and void-like irises that contained a daring glint. He wore a jumper with rolled-up sleeves and baggy trousers. He then smiled, baring his fangs for the world to see.
The girl, too bewildered to speak properly, waved her hand robotically; she also tried to cup her face into a smile. It didn't work.
Inuwa raised an eyebrow and then, holding both arms behind his head, he beamed and ushered Clarissa into the house in front of them. The house was rather dainty and dishevelled. Scrap paper, coloured card, glue sticks and pens were littered about the floor. The scrap paper had clear lines, and some had instructions. These features were especially prominent in the living room. The table was covered in scrap and sheets.
Was he also studying as much as her? She thought. _I guess all of us have it rough_.
"Oh, do you want to know what I was doing?" he asked. She tilted her head curiously, expecting that he'd tell her about what he was studying, but he started to remove something from his pocket. He handled it with great care; it looked to be the size of his palm, and it was yellow. It seemed to resemble the shape of a crane.
Then, he responded.
"It's an Origami! My brother taught me how to make one! I spent all afternoon making it, though!" he shouted.
What?
She stared blankly at Inuwa. So, an Origami is what he's holding here. I want to make one.
Then, as if reading her mind utterly and thoroughly. Inuwa answered her mental enquiry.
"An Origami is like a paper-made animal! Though you'd have to ask my brother if you want to know all the details behind them. If you want, I can tell you how to make one-"
"Please!" said Clarissa. She balled her hands into fists and trembled with jubilation and excitement.
"Are you sure though? It's pretty hard."
"I don't mind!"
"Ok! I'll teach you good. I made so many of these; they're practically ingrained in me!"
Grabbing a ruler, he measured out a square piece of paper. "You need to fold it like this…", he reasoned, his eyes sharp and fierce. He folded it diagonally, then unfolded it and then he did the same for the other corner. His handiwork looked incredibly practised and controlled to Clarissa. She gazed in awe; he folded horizontally, vertically and horizontally till it looked like an animal head. Then he proceeded to fold more and more, and then he lifted two thin spikes out of the structure. He crumpled the one on the right till it resembled a nose and then, with a pure blithe alacrity, he presented it towards Clarissa.
It was a little crumpled at the wings and too crumpled at the head, but it looked just as good as the ones in the tutorials Clarissa would be shown by Davee.
"Impressed?" he asked daringly. Impressed didn't even begin to describe the torrent that she felt. Her eyes lit up like stars, and her grin expanded to never-before-seen lengths. She wanted to try it.
So, grabbing a sheet of paper, she hastily began replicating the craft that Inuwa had so carefully and delicately relayed to her. Fortunately, her memory was good - surprisingly so. She replicated his movements, every fold, every turn, every bit of handiwork to a degree of finesse that left the young boy awestruck.
Then, with a disarming smile, Clarissa presented a perfect crane to Inuwa. For a second, a flash of jealousy ran through his features; however, this was missed by the still-ecstatic young girl. Puffing up his chest, Inuwa gave her a proud grin and then said: "Wow, that's so coool! Have you been practising in secret or something?"
"N-no. This was my first time trying… is it bad?" she asked. Inuwa's jaw dropped slightly- his confidence wavering.
"By the way… what's your name?" she asked shakily. Between all the exhilaration, panic and nervousness, she had forgotten to ask for the kind boy's name - something that her parents would definitely view as impolite.
"My name is Inuwa!" he responded. Smiling, he grabbed another sheet of paper as if he was ready to make another Origami.
Then, he asked her. "What's your name?" Her breath hitched for a slight second; she had never spoken to another person outside her family as much as she had to Inuwa. "My name is- Clarissa," she managed to choke out. "It's nice to meet you, Inuwa."
Suddenly, Inuwa started. He pulled out a pen- which he wasn't licensed for and then wrote the name: 'Clarissa' onto the sheet of paper. His handwriting was awfully squiggly and messy, but it still looked legible.
Inuwa turned to face her and then said: "Let's make enough for both of us to keep! They'll be like toys!" Beaming, Clarissa nodded her head fervently and then grabbed a pair of scissors. They both got down to work. Surprisingly, they worked in an orderly and structured manner reminiscent of an assembly line.
Inuwa would write down the individual's name and then measure the dimensions of the paper to determine if the Origami would be big, medium or small. He would then cut it and fold it. He would make sure to do only the large ones because his hands were less dexterous than Clarissa's.
Clarissa, meanwhile, would fold the medium and small ones because she was somehow much faster than Inuwa at folding. She managed to churn out several in the time he would make one. Their goal, however, was to finish all the scrap paper in the room so that there'd be only a small mess to clean and for each of them to have enough Origami to last them at least a few days of playing.
While doing this, they both began to engage in a light conversation.
"How are you doing these folds so easily?!" Inuwa growled in awe while staring at the army in front of Clarissa's. She shrugged before saying: "They are easy, though. You just do it like this and then…" she then revealed a complete Origami from her hands.
Inuwa's eyes almost popped out. "I didn't even see how you did it!"
"Do you want me to do it again?"
"No! I don't want to see how fast you can do it compared to me!"
For a second, Inuwa looked distracted. Closing his eyes, he breathed in slightly.
"Do you smell that?"
Clarissa tilted her head.
"Smell what?"
"Supper," he proclaimed with a hardened expression on his face.
"Why do you look so angry?" Clarissa said, blinking.
"Supper-time is the hardest time for me," he said.
"Huh?" She said, more confused than ever.
"At dinner, my brother always steals a piece of my food… and it's always the meat! And then he always says after that he's a 'growing boy' and needs… 'suhhstanence'?
"Sustenance."
"Yeah! That's it! My brother is always so annoying and mean!"
Clarissa looked a little shocked for a moment. Even though in her initial impression she didn't take him for someone that bad, she could never know.
"That's bad; shouldn't you tell someone if he's always being mean?" She asked, her voice steadily rising. She couldn't imagine life without the one person in her life who didn't treat her so poorly - her brother- being around. Instead, being replaced with a bully for all intents and purposes.
"Huh? No? Why would I?"
"But big brothers shouldn't behave like that! They should always be helping their siblings!" She exclaimed.
"I think it's normal for us to be like that. He's my brother, and he's cool," Inuwa said nonchalantly.
"Really?"
"Yeah! Oh! I missed a sheet of scrap paper!" He said before hurriedly folding it.
Clarissa finished another origami before setting it down and twiddling her fingers. Hesitation was clear in her voice as she spoke.
"Does your brother help you when your parents make you sad?"
"What do you mean?"
"When your parents force you into your room and make you study," she said, her lips trembling a little. She couldn't bear to think that a boy like Inuwa was also going through this just like every other kid.
The signs were all there though: paper, pens, parents not present, a lack of toys. Locked in that horrid room from dawn to dusk, her hand so exhausted and blistered that she was forced to use her left to account for it all. Maybe that's why he's been using his left, she reasoned.
"Huh? My parents don't do that," he responded. "They just leave me with my brother because they have important work to do…" he uttered, to Clarissa's total shock and envy. He wasn't like her at all… not one bit. He was ignorant and stupid– he didn't know of the true terrors of life. She bit her lip.
Why do you get to live like that? When I go home, I have to push myself. When I go home, my world goes dark again. When I go home, my world becomes a cage and a cage is all it ever will be.
She pursed her lips, envy bubbling up within her like water. The jealousy then reached a critical point - and then, unable to contain it any longer, she let her unfiltered thoughts be known.
"You're so lucky you know that. Why'd I get stuck with the shitty life? I don't want to continue living in it anymore," she uttered. Then suddenly, Inuwa stared at her with a sharp expression. It was an extreme contrast to the loving and warm smile he wore before.
"How about I show you something that will make you want to continue living in it!" He said, clasping her shoulders with an indiscernible expression. "It'll be a sight that will make you the happiest you've ever been!" He finished.
It was clear he was struggling to force out what he wanted to say, a product of his lack of vocabulary; however, Clarissa understood everything he said and meant perfectly.
Dragging her by the arm, Inuwa led her out the door - to the outside world. Then he started running. They passed buildings, roads, pedestrians, all whilst travelling in the same direction. Soon enough, buildings gradually grew few and far between, then roads and infrastructure followed suit. Then finally, even the last few stragglers began to become few.
As this happened, the sky went from a true-blue hue to an evening, crisp, golden sunset. That was to be expected, since it was just the start of the summer - June.
Finally, as Inuwa's pace ground down to a halt, Clarissa decided she would survey her environs. She wondered why Inuwa had placed so much faith in this place. However, before that could be done, she needed to regain her breath; it was a miracle that Inuwa could run for so long without seemingly feeling the exhaustion and drain.
She was jealous of that because it was most likely that he could run so much due to the immense freedom he was given. Her frown couldn't get any worse, and she was about to storm off until Inuwa called out to her.
"Hey, what do you think of it?" he asked. Suddenly, she remembered why she was here in the first place.
Turning around and looking down, she admired the sight. Littered about were sunflowers. They covered every inch of the field for miles.
The sweet yellow hues of the flowers melded with the evening sky, giving the environment the feel of a divine playground. The sun rested above the horizon, as if it was overlooking the interaction between the two children and the flowers. As the wind blew, the flowers rustled slightly, dancing to the natural symphony composed by the sun and the wind.
"You're right… It is beautiful," she confirmed with a gobsmacked expression.
"I know, right! This is the place I go when my brother drives me up the wall!" he responded.
"So this is kind of like your safe space …Inuwa?" she asked.
"I guess it is," he smiled before dropping down and lying down. In the spot he was lying down in, there was a distinct lack of flowers. Wow, he's probably been here every day then…
However, contrary to Inuwa's laxness, Clarissa had been shuffling around. She carefully picked off the head of a sunflower. Then, walking over to Inuwa, she looked at him expectantly.
"What is it?" he asked, his view being obscured by her figure.
"Can I put it in your hair?" she asked meekly.
"I don't want anyone to see me with a flower in my hair," he responded, slightly embarrassed, "But I guess you'd like that, so sure."
"Thank you so much, Inuwa," she responded. Then she paused, looking shocked for a second. With that, she repeated herself. "Inuwa."
"Hm?" he replied.
"So Inuwa… that's your name? What a weird name!" She exclaimed with a grin.
"Shut up! Yours is even more weirder!" He retorted.
"You don't say 'more' weirder… silly!" She chuckled.
"Oh… I forgot."
"Hey Inuwa, can you promise me something?" Suddenly, her tone grew quieter, and she bit her lip.
"Alright?"
"You're my first friend, so it might be weird but…"
"Go on."
"Please stay with me for the rest of our lives!" She exclaimed.
"Huh, that's it?" He tilted his head while picking his nose.
"What do you mean that's it?!"
"Well, I thought so, since we're friends and all. Of course I will!"
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
"Pinky promiseee?"
"Yeah!" He gave her a thumbs up. Then, they both interlocked their little fingers and shook on it.
However, as the sky grew dimmer and the stars began to appear like little sugar granules at the bottom of a drink, Clarissa grew restless. Her responsibility to always be studying hung over her head like a guillotine. In a few hours, she'd get a call from her parents through the landline asking her about the fruits of her studies.
From specific questions and terminology to how she felt about her learning. She hated that her parents wouldn't say anything like 'I love you' or 'Stay safe, dear' instead of 'Keep studying'.
Then hesitantly, she stared at Inuwa. With a small pout of her face and a furrow of her eyebrows, she asked him: "What do I do?"
"What do you mean by, 'What do I do'?" he asked.
Clarissa shut him up with a sharp glare, and then she huffed. He was incredibly blithe. Someone who hadn't yet experienced the crushing, ensnaring feeling of the world. She hoped he never would see the day. Because then, he'd surely lose the innocence that enabled him to reach out so kindly, right? She couldn't lose him, lose that.
"My parents want me to tell them about what I studied today. But I haven't really studied anything as of today, have I?" She said with a small grin, and then she continued. "Is there any way to convince them I learnt something?"
Inuwa looked to be in deep thought for a split second before he enthusiastically answered.
"Yeah, there is something!"
"Yeah…?"
"Take a look at these flowers," he said, pointing at them. "These are called 'Rudbeckia Hirta' according to my brother. They look a bit like daisies, don't you think?" He said, pointing at some flowers that were slightly shorter than the others.
"Rudbeckia Hirta," Clarissa repeated.
"Rudbeckia Hirta," Inuwa affirmed.
"Do you know anything else?"
"Well, both they and sunflowers represent 'Growth' and 'New beginnings'; honestly, they're perfect for you."
Clarissa was about to ask, 'What do you mean?' to the boy but realised he was correct. Maybe she didn't have to learn things in the rigid and organised manner that her parents tried to drill into her. She could approach it in any way with varying results. Suddenly, that gilded, constricting, restricting cage that seemed to clamp down tightly on her very being expanded far and wide.
Of course! It just has to be big enough for me to feel free after all… With her doubts erased, she smiled and then sat in a comfortable silence with Inuwa. They both watched as the sun fell behind the horizon and the stars spiralled into sight. The sky was a disco ball, reflecting all kinds of bodies and light. Then in that moment, Clarissa looked at Inuwa, who wore a gentle smile, and she laughed.
"Hey, what are you laughing about?!"
"Nothing! We're friends, right?" She said while tilting her head.
"Yeah! Of course we are now," he answered innocently.
"That's truly great," she said. "Let's stay like this for as long as possible."
"Alright," he smiled.
This place would become sacred to the two, a place where they could truly bond heart to heart. For weeks upon weeks, they would go there every other day, learning about flowers, bugs and even wildlife.
They would then talk about their concerns, such as family, friends and school. It was this place where Clarissa had found her beginning and enjoyment in her life, for the first time since she gained consciousness. Soon, days passed by in droves as the number of sunflowers in the field slowly decreased. The brightening yellow was replaced by an eerie red. Yet, they still kept coming in the spring and summer. For as long as they could.
However, when Inuwa turned 13, he stopped coming. At first, she thought he was embarrassed out of some teenage boy rebelliousness, but, upon asking his brother, it was revealed that Inuwa had stopped coming out of his room at weekends at all.
He could only be seen leaving for school or studying. What was more frightening was the fact that the disarming grin he wore was replaced by a vacant, almost petrifying smile. His irises, even though they were scary and void-like, almost dispassionate- there was almost a profound, godly wisdom behind them, and that feature drew Clarissa in.
Now, his irises were so unmoving, so cold, they began to feel grey.
Clarissa regretted. She regretted wholly and honestly. She wished she had pressed the boy; she wished she had helped him in his time of need. Perhaps, if she had helped him, they wouldn't have lost so much time together. They would have become much closer. Which was why…!
The dreamy, Edenic background was replaced by a cool, crisp fading orange sky. The once yellow field became a blaze of crimson as it was populated by poppies. It had lost its lustre as a place of discovery and joy, and instead gained something primal, chaotic and nestled within the centre of this torrent of chaos was one boy.
His hair contrasted the chaos; it was prim and proper it was also a noble, regal, light purple. His scarlet eyes had a charming glint to them, and his features all harmonised to paint a perfect picture of an ideal man.
He sat in the middle of the spiralling poppy fields, a small cup of what appeared to be coffee in his hands. His eyes were unmoving, undressing the sky with their charms. Then, without skipping a beat, he patted the ground next to him. Unbeknownst to Clarissa, a small grin formed on his face while doing so. As he uttered the words:
"It's a nice view, isn't it, Clarissa?"
It was Vector. He had known.