Destined to be - Chapter 1 Running down the African jungle, a five-year-old girl with dark brownish red wavy hair, with a torch clutched tightly in her right hand, searched for her mother who had run out of the cabin she shared with an African man. The African man, who was her mother's assistant, came bursting into the cabin with urgent news. Her mother had actually been singing the young girl to sleep when they were interrupted. After the African man and her mother had talked quietly in one corner, forbidding the little girl to hear their conversation, her mother ran out hurriedly and told the girl to stay inside. The five-year-old girl was only in her pajamas as she ran through the tree branches; some scratched and grasped at her face but she ignored them. She knew something had happened by the tone of their voices when they whispered to one another. Her mother was a wild life conservationist in the African jungle. She stayed with her mother for her parents were divorced. Following the divorce, her Japanese father moved to live in Japan while her mother, an American, stayed in the U.S. The girl, her mother and her Chinese American nanny lived in America before her mother took this job in Africa and they all moved over there. Although her mother’s hair was lighter than her dark brownish red hair, she still looked a lot like her mother with her ocean green eyes. She also inherited her mother's milky white complexion. Even the heat and hot climate in Africa did not darken her. She knew her mother ran out into the woods to stop the poachers who hunted the endangered animals in the dark of the night. She also knew how dangerous those men were and were afraid that something might happen to her mother. As she came near to a fallen tree she heard voices ahead but she still ran on and toppled over that fallen tree. She lost her grip on the torch and it flew away into a bush and the light went out. She couldn’t see in the darkness for her eyes had not adjusted to the dark yet. She stayed on the ground until she could see the surroundings. But what she saw was something she never wanted to see at all. Her scream was drowned by the sound of the gunfire as she saw her mother crumpled to the ground. She quickly gathered all her strength and cowered in the shadows. She saw that tall dark man but his face hidden in the shadows and shut her mouth afraid she might utter a sound. That poacher left and she slowly crawled out from the shadows to her mother who was still alive but unconscious. “Mama?” She whispered shaking her softly. “Mama, are you alright?” Her mother turned to her slowly. She then smiled softly and brushed the strand of hair away from her daughter’s face. She gestured for the little girl to lie beside her and she cuddled her in her arms. “I’m all right, Belle.” Her mother whispered. “Let’s continue the song we were singing in our cabin just now, shall we.” They sang softly together. When the other helpers arrived Belle’s mother had already passed away with her motionless daughter at her side in her arms. Belle just stared up at her mother’s beautiful face and a tear slid down from her face. Her mother’s last sentences were to tell her she had to go to Japan to stay with her father and told her never to cry for she had to be strong right now. “I promise you mama,” Belle whispered and wiped that single tear away quickly. “I will be strong.” Belle did not cry during her mother’s funeral. She did as she was told and kept her promise really well in her hand. She was ecstatic when the poacher that murdered her mother was caught. She looked at that man with hatred in her eyes as the police took them away. Then she turned to her nanny. “Come, my dear, we have a long flight to Japan,” she said as she took Belle’s hand into hers. “Let’s go, we have a plane to catch.” Nanny tugged her along as she turned around to see the police car that took the poachers away drive off in another direction. Slowly she turned around to look straight ahead. 'Japan,' she thought. She was finally able to meet her father whom she had never seen before. She and nanny walked down the dusty road slowly to take a cab to the plane station. “Haruko, you have done this sum incorrectly again,” Hontokoi said. “Why didn’t you do the working out like I had taught you?” It had already been seven years after the death of her mother. Belle Hontokoi Yatsunaga was now staying with her father who was an architect and the basketball Coach Yatsunanga of the Itaka University, the champion basketball team in the state, and also with her Chinese American nanny. Belle was now known in Japan as Hontokoi Yatsunaga. She never used her English name in Japan; only when she went back to US for holiday to visit her relatives. Hontokoi was a very tall girl for her age. She was so tall that she made some of the boys in school look really short. She was a fast learner and very intelligent, and she always ended up at the top of the class. When she first attended kindergarten in Japan her classmates disliked her because she was so different from others; but they all had to admit she was a very attractive and beautiful girl. The only person that had befriended her was Akagi Haruko. They became very good friends since the first time they met and they always sat next to each other, even until now. Those that got to know Hontokoi well would never dislike a girl like her for she was a very lively girl with an incredibly attractive smile which everyone could stare at for hours. Boys liked to gaze at her even when she wasn’t smiling. Others that disliked her height always disturbed her. One thing about her, though, was that she was mischievous and way too bubbly. She would never let anyone who bothered her get away with it. In all her years during which she stayed with her father, she had become an excellent basketball player and quite a good coach herself. Her father taught her everything she needed to know about coaching and playing basketball. Coach Yatsunaga was a very busy man but he still made sure he spared some time with Hotokoi and made sure she played well in basketball. As for her nanny, she was always busy in the cafe Hontokoi’s father opened. Nanny had to go there to work and supervise the store for she was the manager, so Hontokoi was always alone and she spent a lot of her time over at the Akagi’s. “Where did I go wrong?” Haruko asked, dismayed for it was her second time she did that sum. “I can never get it right!!” “Here...” Hontokoi explained it again to her. “This time, do the working on a piece of paper so you won’t miss anything.” “You don’t have to,” Haruko said rubbing out her answer again. “How I wish I’m like you, Hontokoi. I bet you had already done this homework.” “Well, everyone is different,” Hontokoi said, "look, just do more practice and you will be quick like me too.” Haruko just sighed and started to redo her sum again while Hontokoi did her other homework. After Haruko had done the sum, she gave it to Hontokoi to check on her sum again. “There, you got it right now!” Hontokoi exclaimed happily with a smile. “See, it is not that difficult after all.” “What is not that difficult?” Suddenly, the girls heard Takenori Akagi's voice as he stepped into the dining room where the girls were doing their homework. “Onisan!” Haruko cried, happy to see Akagi. “I thought you wouldn’t be back this early for you had basketball practice.” “Hey, Akagi brother,” Hontokoi greeted. She was very close to both Akagi and Haruko and Akagi always treated her like his own sister. “So how’s everything with the basketball practice and stuff?” “Doing all right,” He shrugged. “Well, enough talk, both of you. Better get on with your homework. I won’t bring you both out to the park this evening when I practice basketball if your homework is not done.” Haruko and Hontokoi looked at one another. Haruko giggled when Hontokoi just smiled. Then they went back to their work again. Slowly from the girls’ bathroom, Hontokoi carried a bucket of water out with Haruko following behind. She turned to Haruko and grinned slowly as she climbed up a chair she had put by the door of the boys’ bathroom. She put a plank on the top to support the bucket of water and then climbed down again. She took the chair away quickly and they went to another corner to hide. She turned to Haruko and put her hands on her lips for she saw Haruko was about to burst out laughing. In another minute a boy came out. When he pushed the door open, the bucket lost its balance from the plank and fell, at the same time the water poured right down and soaked the boy from head to toe. Hontokoi and Haruko started to laughed then the boy turned to them angrily. “It’s you!” He said. “I’ll get back at you.” “I dare you, Kozue,” Hontokoi challenged him. Haruko hid behind Hontokoi’s back, a little afraid. “You were the one that left that mouse in the girls’ bathroom when we were inside. I’m just repaying your most generous gift that’s all. It is a good thing I’m not afraid of that tiny mouse.” “I am,” Haruko whispered. Quickly Hontokoi pulled Haruko away and they ran down the corridor. When Kozue wasn’t anywhere nearby anymore they both burst out laughing again. Hontokoi leaned on the wall laughing so hard her stomach hurt. Haruko bent over clutching her stomach, still laughing. “Did you see his face when the water poured down on him?” Hontokoi said still laughing. “I would just do that to him again to see that reaction.” “Don’t you think that is just a little too much then,” Haruko said. “After all you had already got even with him.” “I was just kidding Haruko,” Hontokoi said and then the bell rang. “You know me. I only do nasty stuff to pay back awful things he did. Well, the next time though, if he tries to pull any more nasty tricks on us….” “I still remembered the last time he threw all the girls sports outfit in the boy’s toilet bowl. He is so awful.” “And nobody dared to go in to take them out,” Hontokoi said bitterly. “Ended up I had to go in to get our outfit back.” “Everyone was so mad at him,” Haruko said. “Though he is rather cute, you know.” “Oh puleeeaase,” Hontokoi rolled her eyes. “Come on, we will be late for class if we don’t hurry.” “Sports day is coming!” Haruko suddenly said when they were on their way back to their class. “I’ll bet you won’t have a problem for you always win in every match you participate.” “Well, guess you better start preparing then.” “Yeah, and you had already prepared for you always goes out jogging with your father every morning." “More like racing with him,” Hontokoi laughed. They entered their class together, glad that the teacher was even later than them. They went to their places and waited for the teacher to arrive. To be Continued... **Next**