The calming sounds of the sea, splashing waves and the seagulls squawking filled the air of a two-story house.

Inside the house, an elderly lady with grey hair tied in a bun was sitting upright in her bed as she read a book with her reading glasses.

Turning her head to the window just beside her, she looked out and smiled at the sight ahead.

The sun was near the horizon, with its brightness noticeably dimmer. Night is coming soon – her favorite time of the day.

A sunray illuminated her face, showing her skin glowing with gentle lines. Each wrinkle has a memory in it; each line has a story to tell.

Just then the light thumping of footsteps came closer to her.

Knowing who exactly it was, the woman removed her reading glasses and set it, along with the book, onto the bedside table.

The door flew open as a little girl of about ten years burst into the room.

 “Granny!” The child shrieked with happiness and jumped into bed, wrapping her little arms around the waist of her grandmother. “Mommy

made me drink vitamins again,” she sulked in her grandmother’s embrace.

“You have to drink vitamins to be healthy and strong, little Yuri,” the lady cooed as she the child’s hair.

“But vitamins taste nasty, granny. I can taste them still in my tongue,” Yuri’s voice wavered, on the verge of crying.

“How about granny cheers you up? I’ll tell you a story that I haven’t told anyone else before.”

Yuri looked up at her grandmother, eyes glimmering with excitement, and nodded her head vigorously. As she grew up to the child she was

now, her grandmother would always tell her stories about the good old days, and hum her an old familiar tune that puts her in a peaceful state

of mind.

The lady patted the head of her granddaughter, happy that she had made the child smiling. This granddaughter of hers was actually her favorite

amongst her grandchildren, for this little girl was so vivacious, so bright, so delightful…

Just like her.

“It is a story about a young woman with long raven hair and a dazzling smile,” the lady said as she put her granddaughter on her lap. “When

your parents gave me the privilege to name you after you were born, I named you after her.”

Little Yuri gasped in astonishment. “Really?”

The lady smiled and nodded her head. “That young woman would always call me by a pet name she made for me, ‘Sica’. And her laughter…

her loud laughter makes me feel so carefree like nobody else exists that moment – except for the two of us.”

The little girl smiled brightly at her grandmother, wanting to know more about her namesake.

“And every night, she and I will go to her house’s back yard and count the stars in the sky.” Jessica closed her eyes and inhaled, a wistful smile

on her face, as she took a trip down memory lane.

They were lying down under the shade of the oak tree as they counted the stars in the sky. Yuri pointed out to Jessica that a particular star,

which shone the brightest, was actually a wonderful place filled with golden daffodils beside a crystal clear lake. Like a paradise where there

were only happiness, peace and love.

But there was one little problem…

“Yuri, I couldn’t see anything,” Jessica, with her eyes squinted at the brightest star, whined.

Yuri chuckled and suggested, “Well, try to look harder.”

Jessica sighed and pursed her lips in concentration.

“Can you see it, Sica?”

Jessica pouted and shook her head.

“I never did see that place. Until now I couldn’t,” Jessica said with a giggle.

“Granny, I want to see the place, too!” Yuri exclaimed with joy. “Can we count the stars tonight?”

“Alright, Yuri,” Jessica agreed, smiling back at the giddy child. “But can you do me a favor?”

“Yes, granny.”

“Can you get the small wooden chest underneath this bed?”

Yuri jumped out of bed and knelt down on the floor, reaching underneath the bed. The item was not heavy, but it wasn’t light either. Handing

the box to her grandmother, she chirped, “Here you go, granny.”

“Yuri! Come down here for a sec, sweetheart!” A female voice boomed from downstairs.

The little girl grumbled under her breath, she wanted to see what was inside the chest. “I’ll be back later, granny.”

Jessica flashed her granddaughter a smile, and listened to the light footsteps ran down the hall and then the stairs.

Setting the box on her lap, she opened the chest. And immediately, its contents that she kept carefully through the years made a certain bitter

memory of her past come rushing to her like an avalanche.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter