Going to bed that night, I prayed to see her again but she never came that night, the next night nor the one that follows until a year after, where I saw myself playing in our garden, hitting the ball at our building and then stopped feeling exhausted. So I sat down on the stairs, enjoying the cool breeze of our garden. When I sited a kitten which sat quietly on the ground, looking directly at me. It fur was white and black and that made my heart thuds faster, it was as if I knew she was there.
I got up slowly toward the cat which went out of reach immediately I reached out to it and rushed toward a corner.
Without wasting any seconds I followed and that was when I saw a figure bending down to pet the kitten and raised her head when she realized they weren't alone.
It was her I thought "Hi" I said but got know reply "hello"
"It has been a long time Tao seo, I'm just here to check on you"
"I'm okay, what about you?"
"I'm always okay" and then everything was silent "I will be celebrating my eleventh birthday in three weeks time, it will be on Tuesday"
"Happy birthday in advance"
"Thank you "
"How can I contact you for your birthday"
"No need, I just want to tell you, bye" and I woke up feeling really happy and immediately marked down her birthday on my calendar. I prayed that she should visit me the night of her birthday but she never came and I felt sad the next morning.
Two months after her birthday, My cousin - Tao oh and his parents visited us for my parents wedding anniversary. It was not a big party, just the two families and I was very happy to have Tao oh in the house until he started bombarding me with questions about the black girl with the cat that was in my room.
"WHO is that girl?"
"A friend"
"Why is your room so full of her pictures?"
"I use her to practice my drawings"
"Why her always? why not you, your mom or dad?" and so on like that until I was tempted to throw him out of my room which I knew was not going to sit well with my mom.
During breakfast the next morning, Tao oh was not still satisfied with my answers and so he threw another question about the black girl in my room but this time around the question was not directed to me but to my mom.
"Aunt, who is that black girl that Tao seo have in his room?"
"A girl in Tao seo's room?" dad asked, looking at me as if he wanted to swallow me.
"Dad, it pictures, I mean my drawing he is talking about" I said and that made him relaxed a little bit.
"Tao oh, I have no idea who that girl is and the only response I get as an answer is an additional drawing whenever I asked him" my mom said, smiling at Tao oh which made me more angry at Tao oh.
"HE told me she is his friend"
"Friend" dad sneered "WHO is she?"
"A friend"
"I've never seen you with any black girl" My dad said looking me straight in the eye in order to detect whether I was lying or not and I hate Tao oh more for diverting My dad's attention to my drawings because I knew nothing good was going to come out of it.
"I...I"
"You what?" but I didn't know what to say, so I bent my head and started twisting my hands on my kneels "What is her name?"
"I...I don't know"
"So how come she is your friend"
"I...she is someone I use to see from afar"
"Someone you use to see from afar and your room is so full of her pictures, Tao seo have always known you as a coward but son, I didn't realize until now that you also possess the moron ability. Take down those stupid drawings of yours and I do not want to ever see it again in this house unless you want me to do it for you"
"Dad please"
"It's final" I cried and pleaded but I knew it was not going to work until I coarse my mom to plead for me and I promised not to talk to tao oh again which I made sure I fulfilled for the rest of that week even though he said sorry before leaving.
I have been begging my mom for weeks but still haven't gotten a positive answer but to wait.
One afternoon on our way home Chun jo asked me what was wrong and I told her everything but she didn't even help the situation, it was as is she thought what my dad did was the right thing and I promised not to discuss the matter with her again which I didn't keep because she knew how to get words out of me.
Four months on dot after the anniversary was when I had another dream, I saw myself in my room sitting on my chair checking out the drawing as if I was confirming that they were still in the room when I heard a voice
"They are beautiful, I love them" she said coming toward me and I jumped out of the chair instantly because I was unaware that someone was in my room.
"Uhn, you love them, thank you"
"You're welcome, I've never seen such beautiful drawings"
"Do you want more? I can draw more"
"If you want to"
"I used to glaze them on the wall but my dad stopped me"
"It's okay, everything is going to be fine" she said touching my cheek the way no other person had and I turned red in the face.
"What is your name?" I asked, I didn't know why I asked but it was what came out of my mouth and the only answer I got after was that I woke up. At first I couldn't recalled what happened until everything came back in a flash and I got scared because it felt real, it felt too real. I could still feel her hand on my cheek and I was unable to go back to sleep that night.
Some weeks later, my mom told me I could now glaze them back and I was so happy I hugged her and told her I loved her