Haunted

Chapter 9: Remembering

As Serena and Tokia strode swiftly inside a magnificent room, Tokia watched in silence while her sister sat down on her glorious queen-sized bed.
“What is it that you wanted to tell me?” Tokia asked and propped herself on the long luxurious sofa clad in gold satin at the far end of the room, facing her sister.
“You still remember the Mushimoto family, don’t you?” Serena asked while playing with the covers,
“Of course, why do you ask?” Tokia said while listening intently.
“Do you remember Seige in particular?” Serena asked, already a smile sprawling across her flawless face, her emerald eyes glowing with secrets.

Suddenly, Tokia’s face lit up and a smile crept across her face as well.

“The one betrothed to Sakura, yes of course.”
“Exactly.” Serena said in enthusiasm and rose to her feet.
“What are you thinking?” Tokia asked, her gaze following her sister’s movements who was walking towards a tall screen, which was highly inspired by Chinese art.

“What else? Once the operation on Sakura is over, we’ll set a wedding immediately.”

The news was too abrupt that Tokia fell quiet for a few seconds,
“You can’t be serious, sister… Sakura is… I mean, this is all too sudden. First you change her to a woman, and now you’ll tell her to marry—
“Tokia, darling, don’t tell me you’re not yet over Seige.”
Serena spoke in a smooth velvet voice as she walked out of the screen looking like a rock goddess.
Her body was wrapped in a bold red tube dress with an asymmetrical uneven cut at the bottom.

“W-what are you talking about? It’s been years… o-of course I’m over that man.” Tokia, who was
well-composed for a while, became pale all of a sudden.
“Darling,” Serena started while she went towards a huge marbled table at the other end of the room where she opened a wide jade jewelry box, “I know you loved Seige very deeply, but you know that he and Sakura are suppose to be together.” She said while clipping her gold earrings on each ear.
“I have nothing against that, sister. I respect whatever decision mother and father made a long time ago.” Tokia said firmly.

But deep inside, she knew her voice was trembling.

“I know, darling. But can you face the man without falling?” Serena asked and was completely surprised when Tokia rose from the sofa, her eyes showing complete astonishment,
“He’s here? He’s here in Japan?”

The look on Tokia Tokigawa’s face was enough of a proof that something extraordinary did happen between her and Seige Mushimoto before.
“Why, yes. And I’m planning to invite him in our next family gatherings,” Serena said, smiling brightly and ignoring her little sister’s appalled expression, “you know, just to play cupid, that’s all.” She added, opening another box beside the jade one and took a Christian Dior limited edition, Cider shade lipstick, and swiped it smoothly against her long, thin, and sensual lips.

“Tokia,” Serena began, looking unbelievably cold all of a sudden, faced Tokia in a serious manner, “I expect that whatever feeling you had for this man has gone already. You know I don’t like playing my games when someone dear to me is caught in the middle,” she said, her face softening in an instant, “and I wouldn’t want you to be hurt.” She finished.
“I’ll be setting up a meeting with Seige this weekend. I want you to come a long with me and see him for yourself, but I’m only taking you with me so you can finalize your feelings for this man.
But Tokia, darling, it’s been five years, you can’t still be in love with him… can you?”

Seige Mushimoto…

Seige Adrian Mushimoto…

The name of this man seemed to have crashed back and fro inside Tokia’s head. Forcing hidden memories to come alive once again.

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“I have a question,” he asked, his silver mane shining handsomely against the pale moonlight and his smile drugging the woman beside him into complete happiness.
“Ask anything you want.” She said, her beaming smile replied while she held her knees against her chest and looked at the wonderful man beside him who was lying across the field with her at the middle of the night.

“How much do you love your sisters?” he asked softly, asking it without looking at the woman.
The beautiful brunette with the eyes of ebony gazed at the dark pit above them and watched the glorious tiny lights glimmering endlessly.

The question was delivered out of an unsuspecting emotion, and it wasn’t said out of plain curiosity, the woman thought. But nevertheless, she will answer his question,
“I love them with all my heart, and with all my being. For them, I would do anything and give anything, just for the sake of their happiness.” She said sincerely with a tender smile on her face, feeling the wind against her flushed cheeks and absorbing every memorable detail around them.

“Do you still remember Sakura? Your youngest?” he asked, sitting up slowly beside her.
“Always.” The brunette said, slipping her hand underneath, and entwining her fingers against his.
“You do know that once they find this child, you and I can never be together.” He said solemnly and looked straight into those mesmerizing eyes.

Tokia bowed her head. She did not look up into the heavens anymore but looked down to earth and tried to understand what might happen in the far future, or maybe, in the near future.
“I love all my sisters… and that includes Sakura.” She said, looking up at the man in front of her.

The man wasn’t impressed, nor glad by the answer. Instead, he felt dejected and frustrated,
“I know you value your sisters more that life itself, but how about us? What will happen to us if she’s found?” he reasoned, “I have nothing against Sakura, but you and I both know that once she’s found, our relationship will be over and I will be married to her.”

Painful, but true. This was the fact. Their parents had set an arranged marriage long before the Tokigawa’s youngest was born. The man was eighteen years older, and yet, he was betrothed to a baby!

A baby that will ruin his love with the woman beside him.

“I do not need a reason to be angry with my sister.” Tokia said, suddenly looking cold and sounding harsh, “Seige,” she started, “I love you, and you know that. There’s no need to measure how much I love you—or how much I love my sisters as well. I know this is difficult for us, but you must understand, Sakura is still my sister.” She countered.
“Even so, what will you do if she appears… what will I do?” he asked, holding the woman’s hands tightly,
Tokia Tokigawa held her breath, not sure if the next words that will come out of her mouth will placate her lover’s condition,
“I leave Fate to answer all our questions…”
The man didn't like his lover’s reply. He stood up slowly, turned around, his back against her face and spoke,

“Unfortunately for me,” he began, in that hurtful cold voice of his, “I'm not a man who counts on Fate,” he turned around, facing Tokia, his eyes filled with unshed tears, “I create my own destiny. And I will not wait for the instance wherein I will loose the woman I love.” He said, turning around completely and beginning to walk away.

“Seige, no!” the woman cried and ran after the man. She held his arm and as soon as she did, the man halted but never faced her.
“If you love me, come away with me and leave your sisters behind. We’ll start a new life somewhere and we’ll be happy.” He said.

The woman suddenly dropped her hands from the arms it was holding onto a while ago. Her face pale and her lips burning red, she said,
“How can you be so selfish?” she hissed, not believing those words came from the man she loves.
“Is there any other way?!” the man thundered, turning his gaze towards his poor lover, “Tell me Tokia, if your dearest sister comes by in front of your family’s doorstep, will they think twice about separating us?” he asked, his hands grasping fiercely Tokia’s shoulders, “no, they won’t!
In fact, they’ll find a way to ruin or relationship, and I bet your eldest sister is up to that task right this very moment.”

A loud smack that came from Tokia’s hand swept across Seige’s face was all that was heard after those very words were spoken,

“Don’t you dare speak so ill about my sister!” she cried, her hands on her mouth, not believing that this torment was happening to them.
The man stood silently, his head bowed and his fists tightly clenched on both sides.
He thought of only one way to fix this mess, and if it doesn’t work, then they were never meant to be on the very first place.

He held out his hand for her to take, signifying that if she takes it, they leave as soon as possible—and they’ll leave everything behind.

The woman stared at his hand and silently, without a word, backed away, turning around, hiding her tear-stricken face, and never, ever, looking back.

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“Tokia, darling, hurry up. You haven’t dressed yourself and Sakura is already waiting for us—and by the way, just for your information, the concert is almost over.” Serena reminded humorously to Tokia and pushed her gently, guiding her towards her own room, “get dressed darling, I will not wait a minute longer.” Serena said and started walking down the hall towards the stairs to meet their other sisters who were patiently waiting for them.
Tokia wouldn’t have moved if Serena didn’t budge her towards her room.

The memories with her ex-lover were too overwhelming for her.
She remembered that night as if it just happened a while ago. All the exact words, all the details, the setting, the feeling—everything… even unto the part wherein she left him standing on his own in the middle of that dark, cold night.