Knowing me, Knowing Love - Chapter 1 “Are you sure you don’t want us to say, Kaede?” The rare endearment in her voice emphasized Rukawa Chigusa’s concern for her newly widowed son. “I want to be alone,” Kaede replied evenly, the calmness in his voice matching the serenity on his face. He had not shed a tear since the police officers called him two nights ago to inform him of his wife’s death in a fatal car crash. Kaede was never someone to show his feelings to the world. “Takeshi?” Chigusa turned to look at her husband worriedly. “Let him be, dear. We can phone him tomorrow to check on him. Kaede, do call if you need us.” “Thanks, Otosan.” Takeshi looked at his son. For the first time, he questioned himself was it really a happy marriage the shared. They seemed eager to marry four years ago. As parents, they did not object for was a good young lady, basically a good wife. Kaede stood by the door as he sees his parents out. He stood there looking at the garden. Nuriko had planted a mixture of flowers since they moved in three years ago. He smiled as he recalled back the memories. Slowly, he closed the door and sat down in the hall. He was filling quite hungry since he only had a cup of tea and a slice of bread for breakfast. And it is already dinner time now. Standing up, he headed into the kitchen. Ding Dong! The sound of the doorbell vibrated through out the house. Assuming it would most probably be a messenger carrying messages of condolences or flowers, he ignored it, hoping whoever it was would go away. He continued walking towards the kitchen. But when the doorbell rang again, he stopped in his tracks. Silence replaced the earlier sounds of the ringing doorbell. But there wasn’t the sound of departing footsteps from the front porch. Ding Dong! “Damn you,” Kaede murmured tiredly as he retraced his steps back to the door. Opening it, he came face to face with a man a good few inches taller than him. He wore a suit, with one hand thrust deep into his pant’s pocket and the other leaning against the wall. He did not greet him, but stood up straighter. He looked into his Kaede’s eyes with a calm certainty, as if he had every right at him that way. To be Continued... ** Next**