121 Her Reason 2 (1/2)

In the backyard, Ginga family house.

”Hey, I'm Daniel Chong. Nice to meet you, Sister Kezia.” The boy said as he reached his hand to handshake to her. He expected her to shake back, but she didn't.

She halted her brush paint from moving, glanced at his immature face, and his height which the same as her. She gave him a cold-shoulder and continued to finish her painting.

He smiled wrongly and drew back his hand to his black pants pocket. He said, ”I'm sorry Sister Kezia. I couldn't introduce to you properly before, but I'm Sarah's new friend. I will visit this house often. So, please take care of me from now on too. Also, since I saw you yesterday, I want to say you're really beautiful just like your sister.” He said as he slightly nodded to her.

Tlack!

Her brushed fell unintentionally and red paint spread all over on her clothes. She paused her hand mid-air and looked blankly on her canvas.

Awkward-silence surrounded them.

Daniel who witnessed it blinked his eyes and, ”Pfft...bwahahaha. Red! Red all over! Hahahaha.” He laughed until his bead tears fell.

Kezia halted her moist eyes. She felt irritated, her painting was almost ruined! She gripped her fell brush on her laps as she squinted her eyes looking at him. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed another brush and dip it in black paint. Then, she paid him back by sprinkling the black paint to his face.

Hmph!

”Hey, little boy, if I'm working on something, please don't disturb me!” She stated as she raised her voice.

When he heard her, Daniel didn't want to back down easily. He scoffed from her shouting and dashed to her side. He took another paint color and spread it to her face!

Splash!

”Ahh! You!” She roared angrily to him.

He naughtily chuckled and said, ”Sorry, sorry, I just want to pay back. I didn't do anything to you a minute ago and you stained me with your paint? Please tell me what did I do wrong?” He folded his arm in front while smirking.

Stunned, Kezia blushed from his sophisticated attitude. There was something different about this eight years old boy. He was childish, of course, or should she say mischievous? In the same time, he had that mature aura which Kezia unconsciously praise him inwardly, but it was just her feeling. She didn't know about this boy true personality.

Kezia was coughing and lifted her head to see Daniel. She stood up from her stool and took out her handkerchief inside her clothes pocket.

She sighed and said to him, ”I know I'm being unreasonable but it was your fault that my painting became a mess. If you didn't talk to me, this would never happen. Why have you come here anyway? Aren't you suppose to play with Sarah?” Kezia said as she pointed to her painting.

He paused her questions, glancing to her painting and frowned. 'Why she blamed me?' He asked. But he diverted his confused thoughts and quickly grabbed her handkerchief from her palm. ”Thanks.” He said as he wiped his face. Though it didn't clean much.

He explained while scrubbing his clothes from the paint stains, ”I was waiting for Sarah. She was still bathing, so I wait for her. While walking around I noticed you are in the backyard painting something. So, I just want to say hello as a guest. Is it wrong to do that? Besides, when I talk to you a while ago. You could just talk to me for a second and after that, you can continue your doing. Instead, you...yeah.” He said while shrugging.

Kezia pursed her lips. She ignored him a while ago because she didn't have a mood to speak. Thus, her pride halting her down to acknowledge her fault.

In truth, she didn't have a problem, painting while talking, yet his last words when he praised her was too sudden.

She didn't have time to prepare for the upcoming compliment. She was dumbstruck.

Daniel noticed her changing expression and lifted his eyebrows. 'She must be reflecting.' He thought.

He lifted the corner of his lips as he walked closer to her. He broughthandkerchief from his hand, gave it to her back, while his other hand was pointing to his nose, he said, ”You should wipe your face too.”

Kezia reached and took it from his hand. She searched for a clean side from it and wipe her face. She suddenly snickering when she saw the handkerchief was covered with black and red paint.

Her face must be funny to look at now! No wonder he laughed at her!

Daniel knew why she was laughing and he could only smirk slightly.

The two converse more and notice their awkward meeting turn to a friendly atmosphere. Kezia's bad mood turn to normal and she realized she was having a fun conversation with him.

She didn't know why the current situation happened, but this was the first time seeing her with a boy joyfully.

Even her classmates couldn't do the same as Daniel, they felt intimidated from her present.

Kezia neglected her painting and talked to Daniel with inquisitive eyes.

Daniel was an interesting boy. Although he was eight years old, he could master any kind of musical instrument and also singing! He once wanted to be a piano player, but he was an heir of Skyfly Corp. Hence, he knew his dream will never come true.

Kezia noticed he was actually a nice and tolerance boy. Not only that, he was smart, wise, and he wasn't snobby. He wasn't like a typical rich boy.

Kezia couldn't help to admire once again.

Suddenly a voice shattering their enjoy moment. Kezia looked at behind him and notice Sarah was there staring both of them with an annoying feeling. Daniel turned his head following Kezia's gaze. He lit up his eyes when seeing her, he called, ”Sarah! Are you finished bathing?”

Sarah looked at the two of them with frowning expression. She asked him, ”Why is there paint on your face?” Her tone was slightly vexing as she pierce-glared to him.

Daniel explained to her what happened a moment ago slowly, he could feel her horrible mood.

After he finished, Sarah walked forward to his side, pulling him and went inside the house. Sarah felt irritated that her playmate was playing with her sister! Daniel should only play with her!

Kezia didn't have time to say one more word to Daniel as he disappeared from her sight.

Kezia suddenly felt hollow and hatred to Sarah for interrupting her.

Kezia looked at her unfinished painting while she sat back on her stool. She continued to paint with furry feeling.

Splash! Splash! Track!

The brush snapped to two.

She vented all of her anger to the painting until it smudged to chocolate due to various color mixing.

This painting was her last because she knew in the future she'll not have time to paint anymore.

...

...

A few years later, after the pond incident.

Kezia had been requested to live with her grandfather due to her own request. She wanted to learn about business, so she asked her grandfather, the late CEO of Ginga Corp, to help her studying about it. She didn't want to lose to hateful Sarah.

Another reason was because of her father. Every time they were together he only cared and pampered cutely to Sarah, yet she never once being treated like that. Unfortunately, it wasn't the first time or second time, almost every day he acted like that. It was all started when she threw a tantrum to her father.

She felt suffocated inside when he was around. As she growing up, her mother's words became much clearer than before.

She was certain that her father was a bad man. She thought he shouldn't deserve love from someone. Even from her.

She swore someday she would make her father pay everything he had done to her mother! She would investigate carefully and open his hideous cover!

She would be 'the cursed' which her mother wished in her diary. Soon she would find out about the truth about her mother, father, and that wench woman!

...