The sun is setting down, lack of sunlight coloured the clouds in shades of amber and purple. A glimpse of starlight can be seen in the shades of purple sky. "Such a beautiful view up here, just like that town," I mumbled, trying to touch the sky even though I know I could never reach it. "Why did I not been here earlier..." I thought to myself as I walked slowly towards the edge of the rooftop. Suddenly a gush of wind gently kissed my cheek. "This wind..., this brings me back to that time..." I murmured to myself.

**********

"Makaira! Slow down. Mommy can't catch up to you." My mother yelled at a distance. A gentle gush of wind kissed my cheek as I was running at the roadside. My mother and I were on the way back home after a trip to the supermarket. The supermarket is just down a few blocks. "Mommy mommy we are about there!" I yelled happily. As turn around to look for my mother, the groceries that she was holding falls to the ground and was running towards me panicking. "Watch out!" she yelled in horror. "Mommy?" I questioned.

"SCREECH!"

I turned my head to the road and saw a truck coming towards me like a charging bull. Frozen in fear I could not move my legs, my heart pumps faster and faster as the glimpse of death flashed upon me. "MAKAIRA!" yelled my mother carrying me up and toss me to the nearby grass patch. Landed on the grass patch, pain surged through my body.

"CRASH!"

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I heard a loud crash that's why I'm here."

"Car accident. Someone got hit."

"MY HOUSE WALL!"

I stood up, enduring the pain and dragged myself towards my mother lying in front of me. "Mommy?" I asked nudging her arm.

She did not reply.

"Mommy? wake up..." nudging her harder than before.

Still, she did not reply but instead lying in the pool of blood lifelessly.  I keep nudging her harder and harder.

"Makaira?" a familiar deep voice questioned. It was my father.

"Daddy. Mommy not moving... why?" I sobbed. Father carried me onto his shoulder, facing me to the other side so that I could no see my mother, patting my back, repeating: "Everything would be OK sweetie. Everything will be alright." with his deep and sorrow tone.

Later, it was known that the truck went out of control was due to the driver dozed off on the wheel and his foot is still on the gas pedal, thus, resulting in the truck to drive full speed towards the roadside. The driver died too.

After that incident, father changed. He used to come home with the biggest smile that I even saw in the world, always cheerful and full of happiness. Now, he comes home nearly drunk every day, the smile he used to have was covered with a sorrowful and pitiful expression. He starts to distance away from me and blaming himself for mother's death every night.

It was no one's fault in the beginning. Everyone agrees to have a hotpot dinner before the beach trip tomorrow to celebrate my parents 6th anniversary. The guy would pack for our trip while the ladies go out and buy ingredients for dinner that evening. No one knows that there would be an accident, no one knows that accident victim would be mother, no one knows.

I decide to do whatever it takes to make father happy again. I learn how to cook, learn how to do house chores around the house, plan trips and study my hardest to get good grades just to get father back to his usual self. And father did slowly change back to his usual self, he started to talk to me more, coming home without the reek of alcohol and the sad, pitiful face starts to peel off to review the smile he used to have.

After 6 long years, he is back to how he was when mother was alive. Wanting to visit the beach that father suggested  6 years ago, I plan a trip to visit there and the date is set a day before mother's 6th death anniversary. I did that because we can visit mother's grave the next day. Thinking father would not agree, I reluctantly ask him. But to my surprise father agrees without any hesitation.

Thus, the day before mother's 6th death anniversary, we set off to the beach that my father plans 6 years ago. We built a sandcastle before walking on the shoreline and he told me stories of how he and mother met, how they got together and married and have me. He told me how mother always begs him to bring her to this beach when they were younger as she loves how the sea of this beach is always calm.

Just listening to his story makes me feel happy and sad at the same time as we could still be living happily with mother alive. If only we know what will happen that day if only, we have known. On that night, we booked in a room at a nearby hotel. Before heading to my bedroom and sleep for the night, I went into father's bedroom and say goodnight to him. Father was acting a little strange but he still replies a goodnight back to me with a smile.

The next morning, I woke up and went to father's bedroom and notice that he is still sleeping. Since he was still sleeping soundly, therefore, I went out to buy breakfast for the both of us before we visit mother's grave. After coming back from the nearby convenience store, he was still not awake yet.

"Dad wake up, I bought breakfast," I said, opening father bedroom door.

I walked closer to his bed and saw my father looked lifeless. His face as pale as snow, I tap his hand, it was freezing. "Dad?" I questioned and started to panic.

Then I noticed a small note on the dressing table which is just beside the bed. Remembering there is no such note on that table last night, I pick the note up and it reads: Live well Makaira. I'm sorry.

"What?" I questioned myself shouted and I took a step back, "Clink...."

I looked down; it was my father's sleeping pills.  I pick up the bottle of sleeping pills, the bottle was almost empty, but it should be full then a sudden realisation hits me.

"Wait a minute..." I said.

"No... "eyes wide open in fear.

"don't tell me." turned my head to father, still lying lifelessly on the bed.

"No... Dad No!" I yelled, crushing the small note that father left, throw it away and furiously shakes father shoulder.

"DAD WAKE UP! DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THIS." I yelled; eyes started to tear up.

No matter how much I shake father, no matter how much I yelled at him, he did not wake up, he did not reply to any of my yells, he left me as mother did. My hopes were crushed and my leg weakens from the sight of my father's death. Anger that built by the thoughts of why father leaving me erupted.

"WHY DAD WHY!" I screamed angrily, trying to hold back my tears.

"WHY?" tears roll down my cheek like an unbroken stream.

"I did everything for you... " I muttered, wiping away the tears that I could not hold.

"How could you..." my leg weakens as I fall to the floor.

**********

Few days after father's passing, a funeral was held for him. Families and friends came over to pay their visit for one last time. I was sitting at the front of the funeral room, holding father's photo in my arms crying. Rumours start to spread through the whole town that I am a cursed child, losing both parents at such a young age.

"Makaira." Called someone with a deep, calm yet tired tone. I did not look up, still hugging father's photo tightly around my arms sobbing. It was my father's oldest brother, Uncle Katio.

"Makaira, look at you. Don't cry anymore. Your eyes are swollen." Said Uncle Katio. I did not reply, my eyes blurred up from all the tears.

He sighed. "Makaira, come and stay with me. Leave this place that causes you so much sadness." He suggested. I looked up, even though I could not see his face well, I know that his words and face were full of sincerity. Wanting this pain of sadness to stop, I agreed without thinking twice.

**********

Uncle Katio family stays in the city, thus, after saying all my goodbyes to all my friends without leaving any kind of contact, I board the train to the city. Once I arrived at the train station, Uncle Katio greeted me with a smile and we ride his car back to his apartment. I looked out of the window; rain was pouring down heavily, the same as the day when father's funeral was held. Everything in the city looks different from the town; everywhere are tall buildings, trees are all around the roadside, lots of people walking at the walkway holding umbrella.

"Everything is so tall," I said.

"Yes, the buildings are tall here." Uncle Katio replied concentrating on driving.

It was a 30 minutes ride from the train station to Uncle Katio's apartment. The apartment is 15 storeys high and it looks not newly built nor it is rundown. We took the lift up to storey 10 where Uncle Katio's home is. As he opened the door, I notice Aunt Akari, Uncle Katio's wife, walking towards the door.

"Hello, aunt Akari," I said, bowing to her.

"Ah, Makaira. Welcome," said Aunt Akari with a smile. Her tone, sweet and gentle yet slightly malicious.

Seconds later, Sora, their son who was 5 years older than me, and Aoi, their daughter who was the same age as me, were standing beside aunt Akari. "Hello, Sora." I said, bowing to him, "Hello Aoi." I said, bowing to her.

"Hey..." Replied Sora, looking down at his phone tapping the screen furiously as he walks back to the sofa.

Aoi did not reply to my greetings. She looked at me, up and then down, giving me a nasty look and clicked her tongue before walking back to her room.

"Sorry about Aoi attitude. She's having one of those days." Apologised Uncle Katio.

"Is okay uncle Katio," I replied to him with a broken smile, trying my best to not to be bothered by it.

Aunt Akari walked me to my new bedroom which is after the master bedroom and beside Aoi bedroom. The bedroom looks like any other normal bedroom; a single size bed on the floor with a pillow and a thick blanket on it, a study table with some metal file storage racks, a small wardrobe for me to put my clothes and a bookshelf with some books on the shelves. I walk to the bookshelf and notice the books are mostly about business.

"This room used to be the study room for your uncle." Aunt Akari said, pushing my small luggage in.

"Oh... I'm sorry because of me..." I apologies to aunt Akari, bowing down.

"Oh, no is okay. You're my niece anyway." She said laughing.

"You should rest Makaira. Since you had a long ride here just now." She continued, walking out the room.

I nodded to aunt Akari as she closes the door. I opened my luggage, packing out my clothes one by one into the wardrobe. "This and this should do it." I thought to myself as I put the t-shirt and shorts on the study table which I am going to change into before I sleep. Then I notice the photo frame I packed in the luggage. It was a wooden frame with a photo of me and my parents smiling happily at the nearby park of my old hometown.

I pick the frame up. "Mom. Dad." I murmured. Tears start to roll down my cheeks. I put the photo frame on my chest and hug it tightly. "Mom. Dad." I murmured again as lying down on my bed and cried myself to sleep without knowing that my next 3 years of living at my uncle houses would be more torturing that staying at my old town drowned in sadness.

A few days after moving into Uncle Katio's house, I got transferred to a new school which Aoi is studying at. The teacher introduces me to the whole class and told me to sit in front of Aoi who is sitting in the middle back row of the class. Before I reach my table, the student who is sitting in front of my sit tipped me. People who saw it giggled. I turned my head to the girl who sits in front of me and showed her a nasty looked.

"What you looking at?" She snickered, throwing a crumpled paper ball at me. Trying to stay calm, I stood up, brushed the dust off my knees and sit down on my sit.

"Do you know how to walk?" Aoi asked laughing as more and more people noticed what had happened. I did not reply to her but instead, I take out my pencil case as the teacher is about to begin her class. During lunch, instead of trying to make new friends in class, I went up to the roof and have my lunch there alone.

"Oh, aren't you alone?" Asked someone with a malicious tone like aunt Akari. It was Aoi. Standing behind Aoi are some girls from the class, one of them was the one who tipped me. They laughed.

Putting down my lunch box I asked: "What do you want Aoi?" Before I can ask them to not to bother me, one of the girls kicked and toppled my lunch box.

"Hey!" I said as I stood up. Suddenly, Aoi slapped me. Stinting pain can be felt on my left cheek. My eyes were wide open in shocked.

"Sorry." Aoi laughed and the others followed along. Putting my hand on my left cheek to calm the pain down, I looked at her filled with anger. She pushed me and I land on the wire fences which protects people from falling off the roof.

"Don't try to act tough missy." She smirked, kicking my lunch box before walking away with her gang. "Why?" I sighed, squatting down to clear up the messy that Aoi and her gang made. "What did I do to deserve this?" I wondered to myself.

Once school ended, I rushed straight back home and into my room. As I walk closer to my room, I notice the door was opened. Remember I closed the door before I left for school, I walked slowly towards my door to check who was inside. Sounds of someone throwing the books off the bookshelf can be heard. I peeked inside and saw aunt Akari throwing the books off the bookshelf. My room looked like a pig pen from the mess that aunt Akari made. "Aunt Akari?" I questioned.

Aunt Akari turned around and looked at me. "Where is it?" she enraged.

"What?" I questioned my legs starts to shake.

"THE MONEY!" she shouted angrily.

"What money?" I questioned again.

Aunt Akari looked angrily than before and shovelled me onto the wall beside Aoi's room door. "Don't try to innocent with me!" she yelled, raising her right hand about the slap my face. In fear, I closed my eyes and try to block the slap with my arms.

Before she could slap me, someone opened the door of the house and yelled, "I'm home." It was Aoi coming back after school. After hearing Aoi, aunt Akari put her hand down, her face lightened up, walked to the entrance door and said, "Oh sweetie welcome back." I let out a sigh of relief as I put my bag down.

"Sorry, mom," Aoi said putting her shoes into the shoe cabinet. "You forgot to give me my allowances today." She continued as she is closing the cabinet door. "So, I took some myself." She smiled.

"Oh, is it?" Aunt Akari said walking towards Aoi.

"So sorry sweetie." she continued with a sweet motherly tone and hugged Aoi. "Dinner is almost ready Aoi. Go get yourself ready for dinner." She continued with a smile as she walks to the kitchen.

"Yes, mom," Aoi replied happily.

I started to clean my room up by pick up all the books that aunt Akari threw. Aoi walked past my room, "Humph." She smirked and close her room door. I continued to clear my messy room up not bothered by her comment. That night, I did not join for dinner and aunt Akari did not apologies to me. Uncle Katio knocked on my door and asked me why I did not join for dinner. I did not reply.

Just like this, 3 years have passed by with Aoi and her gang bullying me in school almost every single day, aunt Akari abusing me at home and Sora joins Aoi in playing little pranks at me. Sometimes I tell uncle Katio about what they have done to me, but the bullying and abuse did not stop, it got worse.

It was much worse when uncle Katio travels oversea for his company business either a few weeks or a few months. Aunt Akari does not give me any allowances for school, do not make dinner for me, not even allowing me to make it myself and sometimes locking me out of the house for hours. Aoi would bully me at home like how she does in school and Sora would join in the bullying, sometimes it goes too far. New scars or burn marks appear on my body almost everyday and everyday is a sleepless night.

I endure it. I endured everything for the very reason of uncle Katio treated me differently. He cared about me just like my parents, thus, I treated him like my new father. I keep telling myself that mother and father in heaven wanted me to stay and have a good life. They wanted me to be happy that is why they named me Makaira, one who brings happiness (in Japanese). But everything I believed was a lie.

**********

On 25th of September, when uncle Katio come back after a 2 months oversea business trip, holding a mini cake box, I walked past the master bedroom and overheard the argument between uncle Katio and aunt Akari. I just came back from school and thought that since uncle Katio was coming back today, why not to buy him a cake to celebrate him coming back home, therefore, I bought him a coffee favour mini cake, the favour that he likes.

"Where are the 20 thousand dollars you took out from the Makaira bank account?" Uncle Katio questioned aunt Akari holding the bank book in this hand.

"What Makaira account?" Asked aunt Akari folding her arms.

"It's for her future. How could you use it?" He questioned angrily.

"Huh? Why did you change your mind of the sudden?" She shouted.

"I agree with you to bring her in because you said we can take the big sum of money her parents left for her." She continued stomping to him.

"It was your idea to cut ties with her after taking the money and move to a better city with a new house and everything." She added poking his shoulder hard.

"Why is she still here after three years? Why is she still here leeching off from us?" She demanded angrily back at him.

Uncle Katio sighed heavily, "I know it was my idea dear but..."

"What?" I interrupted, standing in front of their bedroom shocked. The cake box I was holding drops on the ground. Both of them jumped and looked at me.

"Makaira?!" uncle Katio said surprised.

I quickly walked to my room and lock the door. Thoughts of disbelief run in my head like a bullet train as I turned around and lie against the door.

"How could you do this to me uncle?" I questioned myself in disbelief.

"I thought you were different but you're the same as them," I mumbled.

"Why!" I yelled as I side down the door and onto the floor.

Then memories of the past 3 years hit me. I laughed. I laughed at my stupid self for trusting uncle Katio so badly, laughed at myself for believing uncle Katio's words 3 years ago, thinking that I would not suffer again, laughed for why I am suffering again due to the money that my parents left for me.

"This is stupid." I laughed.

"Why did I endure all this for?" starting to cry.

"Why?" looking out the window.

"Pretty," I mumbled looking at the evening sky. Then two human-like figurines appeared in the sky waving at me. It looks like father and mother and they were smiling.

"Mom, dad?" I said, walking towards the window. The figurines of father and mother started to float further and further away slowly.

"No!" I shake my head.

"Don't!" I hit the window.

"Don't leave me again!" I shouted, rushing to my door and opened it.

Uncle Katio was standing outside my room door, "Makaira please let me explain." he said. I pushed him away and run out the entrance door.

"Makaira!" He yelled, running after me. I ran up the stairs up to the roof of the apartment and lock the door behind me.

I looked up, the sun is setting down, lack of sunlight coloured the clouds in shades of amber and purple. A glimpse of starlight can be seen in the shades of purple sky. "Such a beautiful view up here, just like that town," I mumbled, trying to touch the sky even though I know I could never reach it. "Why did I not been here earlier..." I thought to myself as I walked slowly towards the edge of the rooftop. Suddenly a gush of wind gently kissed my cheek. Memories of how everything started flooded my mind.

"MAKAIRA OPEN THE DOOR PLEASE!" Uncle Katio shouted as he keeps banging the door, trying to open it.

Standing at the edge of the roof, I did not reply to him but instead, keep staring up in the sky looking for my parents. "Where are you both?" I questioned sadly.

"PLEASE MAKAIRA LISTEN TO ME!"

No one answered me.

"PLEASE MAKAIRA! I WAS GREEDY, I'M SORRY."

I look down.

"I FELT SORRY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WHEN I SAW YOU CRYING."

Small rectangles were moving on the roadways, small green dots waves side to side at the roadside as the wind blows against them, tiny dots start to gather around the footpath.

"THAT'S WHY I CHANGE MY MIND."

"I'm coming, mom. Dad." I said with a smile.

"I DECIDED TO GIVE YOU HAPPINESS."

"CLANG! ... BANG! ... BOOM!"

I closed my eyes.

"MAKAIRA!"

I walked off the roof.

"NO! ..."

**********

I opened my eyes. My body could not move no matter how much I try. The only thing I can see is the beautiful evening sky. The sound of people screams gets softer and softer. I can feel that I am lying on a puddle of water smells like iron. A stranger's face blocked my view of the sky. He looks blur and it seems like he was talking to me, but it was too soft and I could not hear it. My eyes get heavier and heavier, everything got darker and darker.

**********

"Ring...Ring...Ring...". I opened my eyes, staring straight up at the ceiling. It was the celling of the house in the old town where I used to stay with my parents. "What?" I said in shock as I got up and looked around my room. It looks the same as my room I had before I moved over to uncle Katio house. I turned off my alarm clock which was placed at my bedside table.

I stood up and walked to the wardrobe, opened the door to review a full side mirror hanged against it. I looked into the mirror; a small figure appeared. It was my 6 years old self, the age where mother died.

"How?" I said, surprised. I touched my face and murmured, " Feels real... so real.". Moments later, the smell of chicken broth and boiled mushrooms and vegetables perfumed the air in my room.

"Hotpot?" I turned my head to the door.

"It must have come from the kitchen." And walked to my door.

I opened the door and saw everything in the living room looked like how it was before mother died in the car accident. I walked to the kitchen and take a peek. A familiar male figure is sitting on the diner chair reading a newspaper and a familiar female figure standing beside the dinner table holding a pair of chopsticks with some veggies on it.

"Mom? Dad?" I questioned in disbelief, standing at the kitchen entrance door. The lady jumped and the pair of chopsticks she was holding falls from her hand while the guy stops reading the newspaper. Both of them turned around to look at me at the same time.

"Makaira?" questioned both of them.

Tears of joys started to roll down my cheek.

"MOM! DAD!" I yelled, running towards them and give them the biggest hug I can give.

"Makaira, why are you crying?" mother wondered with her soft and motherly tone.

"Sweetie, did you have a nightmare?" father added with his deep and fatherly voice.

"Yes... mommy, daddy. A nightmare..." I sniffed, hugging them tighter.

"Aww sweetie, don't worry we're here," Father said patting my head gently.

"Yes dearie, we are." Mother continued, wiping my tears away with her hand.

"I miss you both," I said as they hugged me back.

The warmth from the hug melts my soul along with my sorrows away.