A little love

A long time ago when I was a little girl. I didn't understand much about love. I was five when my father died in a car accident. My mother remarried to another man when I was ten. I didn't talk much after finding out that I will be living with my stepfather. Of course my step father was a really nice man. He was a rich man, too, but I still didn't like him.1

I didn't talk to anybody in my new family. My step sister tried to be friend with me, but I was always ignored her. We went to school together to Eastway Billingsvile Elementary school, but I didn't talk to her much. 2

Until one day when I was walking to wait for our ride with Kara, my stepsister, she ran really fast to a tall boy with brown hair and green eyes. He was wearing a white blouse and a stripe of black and white tie that tied loosely. I didn't know why Kara ran to him, I never see him before. I walked slowly to them with full of questions in my eyes as I stared at both of them.3

The boy picked Kara up by his arms and kissed her on the cheek. She giggled and looked over to me. The boy looked at me, too. He smiled and put Kara down and bended down to me. 4

"You must be Sheena. What a cute little face you have." He praised me with a gentle pinch on my cheek. I didn't say anything, and still wondering who he was. I had on a very heavy face between mad and not. 5

"I'm Jonah, your step brother." He finally introduced himself and held out his hand waiting for me to shake with him. I didn't shake hand with him. I glared at both of them and walked away. I still could hear that Kara whispering to her brother saying that I was a weird mute girl who didn't like to stay near to people. 6

When we all got to his car, I looked at Kara. She looked at me and knew what I was thinking.7

"Jonah? Why are you coming back from your boarding school so suddenly?" She asked her brother. Jonah seem to forget why he was there before that.8

"Oh!" He suddenly said that startled me. 9

"Did you forget what day is today?" He asked in a surprise voice. 10

"No, but what day?" Kara replied. I could see that Jonah frowned at her. 11

"Kara? did you really forget that today is our mother memorial? You and I promise to go to her grave every year right? So I came back." I listened to their conversation and looked out the window. What a great relationship they had, I thought to myself. I was kind of jealous seeing them like that. I never have a brother or a sister that relate by blood before.12

When we all got home, I got out of the car and ran to my room and stayed there as always. Kara knocked on my door about a few minutes later, asking me to come out. At first I didn't want to answer her, but then I opened the door and peeked out. It wasn't Kara. It was Jonah.13

"Are you doing your homework?" He asked. I shook my head and was about to close the door when he stopped me. 14

"Can we talk for a while?" He asked again. I didn't answer him and tried to close the door again. He sighed heavily and grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. 15

"What are you doing? Let's go of me! My hand is hurt!" I screamed at him. As I tried to free my hand from him towering back and forth, he smiled and let go of my hand.16

"You know that you have a beautiful voice when you talk. Why do you have to hide it?" He asked like he was a counselor or something! I didn't look at him or listen to him. I turned around and walked back to my room when he grabbed my hand again. 17

"You need some fresh air. Let's go outside!" He declared and pulled me with him.18

"Let's go of me you monster!" I yelled at him, but he didn't listened to me. I looked at Kara who was peeking at us from her bedroom's door. She smiled and shut her door right after that. I didn't know what just happened, but soon I found myself in front of lots of flowers. It was a garden full of flowers. I stopped myself and looked at the flowers around me. They were so pretty. I forgot that Jonah was with me. I turned and looked around in 360 degrees and just stared at the beautiful flowers.19

"If you don't like to be around people, you can come here anytime." Jonah said. I turned to him and finally noticed that he was still there with me. I looked at him and didn't say anything but questions were connecting to his eyes.20

"You know this place is lonely, too when I am not around. Can you take care of it for me while I am going back to my boarding school?" He asked me. I didn't say anything. I folded my arms together and proudly walked passed him.21

"Why don't you ask your little sister Kara? I am not good at taking care of plant. I don't want to." I said and looking away.22

"Kara already got lots of things she had to do, beside, she is scare of squirrels and rabbits." I turned to him and quickly changed my mood.23

"Are there any rabbit in your garden?" I asked in a happy way. Jonah looked at me with a smile, he grabbed my hand and pulled me with him and signal me to be very quiet. We walked to the tall roses' bushes. Jonah raked out some of the branches and made a whole through the bush. I looked through it and found white rabbit with her little cute bunnies. I didn't know why, but I smiled. I turned to Jonah who was staring at me for all the time. I looked away immediately.24

"You have such a beautiful smile, why did you hide it?" He asked me, provoking my feeling toward him. I didn't know why I slowly opened my heart to him. I folded my arms and walked away looking like angry.25

"Okay do you want to pet the bunny?" He asked, I turned to him impatiently nodded my head. He walked to the corner of the garden and brought out some carrots. Then he motioned me to follow him. I followed him and crossed to the other side of the garden and reached the rabbit's place. 26

We fed the bunnies carrots and I got to pet some of the bunnies. They were all cute and pure white fur. 27

"They are so cute!" I squeaked my voice as I praised the bunnies. 28

"I am so glad that you like it." Jonah said, I turned to him and smiled. I agreed to take care of the garden for him.29

When Jonah and Kara left for their mother's memorial, I stayed in the garden by myself. Of-course I talked to the bunnies and did my homework alone. After I finished with my homework, I laid down on the ground with the bunnies; slowly I went to sleep happily.30

I woke up at 6 pm and found a black jacket covering me. I got up quickly and found Jonah was playing with the bunnies. It was coming toward twilight. I got up and walked to him and sat down right next to him. 31

"Thank you." I said shyly returning his jacket. 32

"My pleasure,” He responded and turned to me. The glimpse of the end of sunset touched his face as he smiled. Slowly fire flies flew every where around us. I couldn't help but wanting to hug him. Out of suddenly I hugged him, and pressed my head on his chest. It must have been shocked for him. 33

"Are you okay?" He asked me. I looked up to him and quickly moved away.34

"I'm sorry!" I said in a rush. I got up and ran really fast away back to my room feeling embarrassing and guilty, thinking the ages between me and him. I was still in elementary school. He was already in high school.35

Everyday after school, I would took my book bag and went to the garden. After I watered the plants, I sat down with the bunnies and did my homework. I had changed, I talked with Kara more and smiled often even though Jonah went back to his boarding school, but he had taught me how to love and open my heart. I missed him already. 36

When finally after four years at his boarding high school, Jonah came back. I grew into a fine young girl. Of-course I still remember Jonah, the person who taught me how to give other people my heart. Kara and I are the same age, we're both 16 years old when Jonah came home. We were surprised to see he brought a girl a long with him. 37

"What? Jonah? You have a girlfriend?" Kara shouted in front of everybody in the living room. 38

"Yes, I am so sorry for not telling you." He replied in a kind way. His girlfriend looked at me and smiled while we were sitting on the sofa in the living room. I smiled back at her. She was pretty. She looked great with Jonah. but I felt sad hearing Jonah had a girlfriend. I walked out of the living room a few minutes later and went to the garden staying there with the rabbits. I picked up one of the rabbits and held it on my arms with a sigh.39

“Hi Tiki,” I squeaked my little voice up. All the names of the rabbits were given by me. I looked at Tiki and pet his head.40

“Jonah has a beautiful girlfriend.” I told him. Tiki looked like he understood me, like he was comforting me. I rubbed his head and said, “Tiki, you’re the best friend I ever had, but when I leave here, I wonder who is going to take care you? You are so cute to be left behind.” I talked to the rabbit with no replied. I was planning to leave about a week ago.41

“Where are you planning to go?” Someone’s voice said behind me. I turned around and it was Jonah standing there with his hand in his pant’s pocket. 42

“Umh.. Nowhere,” I replied staring into his eyes. He wrinkled his forehead knowing that I was telling him a lied. 43

“What do you think?” I questioned him. He didn’t reply me.44

“You know I can’t stay here any longer when I grow older.” I continued.45

“Who said that?” He hissed at me. I stepped a few backward and put the bunny down.46

“I have to go back to my father’s birth place. This is not where I belong.” I said. 47

“You are Sixteen! Who is going to take care of you?” Jonah seriously asked.48

“You think I can’t take care of myself? In North Carolina, I have a lot of friends and some of my relatives are there. I don’t like living in this New York city. It is harshly cold!!” I yelled in a mad voice.49

“Why are you leaving anyway?” Jonah lower his voie in a gentle way. 50

“Because I am a growing up girl, I need to spread my wings.” I didn’t know why, but Jonah’s eyes were full of tears. He walked closer to me and closer. He then wrapped his arms around me. 51

“Even though you are a growing up girl, you are still my little angel.” He whispered to me. I didn’t know what to think.52

“Are you worrying about me?” I asked like I didn’t know what the answer was. 53

“What made you think that I am not worry about you?” He answered. 54

“Jonah?” A girl’s voice asked. Jonah quickly let go of me and turned around to see Nikki, his girlfriend, standing there.55

“Nikki, I was umh…” Jonah tried to explain.56

“How could you? She is your stepsister! How can you hug her, and you not even hug me or kiss me?” She yelled at him like he did something terrible. What kind of girlfriend did he had? He didn’t even kiss her yet. That’s sound weird!57

“Umh… I’m sorry. It’s my fault to make you mistake. He is a very faithful brother. I’m sorry!” I said and lower my head and walked away. I could feel that Jonah was looking after me. That night I decided my own decision. I cried silently lulabying myself to sleep.58

In the evening of the next day, the family escorted me to the airport including my mother. I said good-bye with hugged to Kara and my mother. After that, I walked to Jonah who was standing beside his father and his girlfriend next to him. I smiled and hugged my stepfather. Jonah grabbed my hands and wrapped his hands around me before I could finish hugging his dad. After the good-bye, I went on my way. I turned around to look at them for one last time, then I walked to the gate where I was about to enter the airplane. Someone grabbed my shoulder and I turned around quickly.59

“Jonah?” I asked out of nervous. Jonah looked at me and pulled to the corner. 60

“Why did you decided to leave so sudden?” He asked like a mad person.61

“Jonah? I planed to leave a long time ago. I just wanted to say good-bye to you. That’s why I planed to leave today.” 62

“You’re lying.” He declared raising his voice. I looked at him. I couldn’t stop myself from crying. I tried to walk away but I couldn’t. It's felt like I need to tell the truth.63

“I actually want to leave because I don’t want to bring trouble to Nikki. She misunderstood us one time, she might misunderstood us again someday. So I think it is better for me to be gone.” I explained. Jonah sighed heavily.64

“Idiot!" He commanded angrily. I shook my head and looked at him.65

"I am an idiot!" I said and looked down to the ground and made a step away from him. He turned to me and I was still looking down.66

"I love you." I confessed without looking at him. 67

"Idiot!" Jonah still saying his word. I looked at him and bowed my head.68

"Good-bye Jonah. Thank you for showing me a little love. Thank you for the litte hug, and the little feeling I have known." I said. Jonah didn't say anything for a few minutes. I waited for him to say something, but he didn't.69

I stepped a few step away when I heard, "Good-bye Sheena." 70

When I heard that, tears jots down my eyes. I knew that he didn't like me from the start. He only thought of me as his little sister. I didn't wipe my tears away because I didn't want him to know that I was crying. I knew in this life, I could never have him. Just a little love is enough. 71