There were a lot of noises coming from the kitchen, the noise of plates being sorted out, the fire blazing, and the table being set on the ground. Selina poked her head in to find her mother and grandmother cooking.

“You’re awake,” Grandma Ren said looking over, “is Jiro awake yet?”

Selina looked back and shook her head no.

“Go wake him up, after breakfast you two have to get busy,” Grandma Ren told.

Selina stepped back into the bedroom to find Jiro still asleep. She made a face and quickly ran over.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” she screamed rubbing her hands all over his face.

Jiro screamed and his eyes popped open. He pushed Selina back.

“What are you doing?!” he yelled.

Selina shrugged, “They want you to wake up.”

Jiro made scrunched up his face, “What luck it is to marry you.”

Selina smiled and jumped off the bed running out of the room. They sat around the eating table that morning. Jiro stuffed himself as Selina’s grandpa rambled on about marriage and how important it was and etc. After he finished talking Jiro listened his Grandma Ren started talking.

“Selina you haven’t been doing a lot of work around the house lately,” Grandma Ren stared.

Selina glanced over as Jiro laughed at her.

“You and Jiro will go to the garden today to pick some corn,” Grandma Ren told, “the basket is in the shed. Go after breakfast.”

“I hate the garden!” Selina moaned. “And there are lots of bugs!”

“Then tell your husband to help you,” Grandpa Ren pointed out, “that’s what men are for.”

Jiro rolled his eyes and moments later found himself walking behind Selina. Trees and more trees surrounded them, a really plain sight. Away from the dirt path was a steep hill leading down. It gave Jiro goosebumps to wonder how deep it was down there. The dirt road was muddy and he gritted his teeth as he found a chunk of mud beginning to stick to his shoes.

“How much longer?” he questioned.

“It’s over there,” Selina told.

Jiro stopped and glanced at the very green area. Celery, watermelons, cabbage, tomatoes, and lots of other green plants were everywhere. Jiro stood outside and watched with crossed arms as Selina climbed in and headed over to the corn stalks. There was so many of them Jiro sarcastically thought that they would be able to make up all of the tree in the woods. Selina grabbed corn and peeled off the covers throwing it into the basket. Seconds later Jiro heard a loud shriek from her. He quickly turned startled.

“A bug! Eww…ewww...ewww!” Selina shouted.

Jiro stood there and sighed heavily as Selina continued to scream. After what seemed like three minutes Jiro climbed into the garden and walked over to Selina. He stared down at the corn she was holding without doing anything.

“Hey that looks like you,” Jiro said pointing to the bug.

Selina dropped the corn onto the ground and looked at Jiro with very wide eyes. Jiro glanced at the corn then to Selina.

“Aiya!” he mumbled as he bent down to pick the corn up.

When he stood back up Selina gave him a punch at the shoulder.

“You’re ugly!” Selina shouted and grabbed the basket from the ground getting out of the garden.

“This lady…” Jiro said through gritted teeth and ran out of the garden so that he was ahead of Selina.

He glanced over his shoulder slightly filled with joy to see Selina trying to hold onto the heavy basket. Selina stumbled over her own foot and watched as one of the corn fell out of the basket rolling to the side. Selina made a face and chased after it. The corn had landed on a rock down the steep hill. It was just an arm’s reach away. Selina bent down on her knees one hand reaching for the corn and the other holding onto the basket. As Selina’s hand slightly touched the corn it rolled down further and losing her position Selina toppled down after it. She could feel her skin slit open as she rolled over sharp rocks and sticks. The world before her turned into a swirl of miscellaneous paintings. She could also feel her feet hit a tree stump along the way down. Finally Selina could feel herself come to a stop when the ground flattened.

Jiro turned around when he heard a scream. Selina was no where in sight.

“Sel?” he questioned glancing back. “I’m not going to play stupid games with you.”

Jiro stepped back. For sure he knew that Selina’s family would kill him if he didn’t return with her and he also felt bad leaving behind a helpless girl. For once he actually felt his concious become alive. Jiro quickly ran to look down the hill and saw Selina rolling down. He watched as she came to a slow stop and laid on the ground without moving.

“Sel!” Jiro shouted. “Oh gosh.”

Jiro carefully climbed down the hill and finally made it to the bottom. He ran towards Selina shaking her gently.

“Sel, Selina,” Jiro urged shaking her. “Selina!”

Selina’s eyes shot opened and she looked at Jiro terrified with tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to do it! Dad forgive me!” she screamed.

Jiro could feel himself become afraid wondering what had gotten into her and what she was talking about.

“Selina, it’s just me, Jiro,” Jiro told. “Wake up.”

Selina’s panicked breathing started to become calm and she blinked a few times.

“Jiro…” Selina repeated his name then looked around, “the corn. Mom will be sad if we don’t return with the corn.”

“Ok, ok,” Jiro said then got up and searched for the corn.

With no luck of finding the basket Jiro took off his buttoned up shirt and put the corn inside then tied it up. He went back to Selina to help her get up, but something was wrong with her ankle. She shook her head like a little child.

“I can’t…” she muttered.

Jiro bit his lip then urged her to get on his back. Selina gripped tightly onto the blue shirt he was wearing and he made the way back up. Along the way back he could feel Selina’s soft breathing against the back of his neck. He couldn’t tell whether she was awake or asleep. Not before long they had already reached the hut. Selina’s grandparents and her mother glanced up as Jiro carried Selina in and he set the bundle of corn on the table.

“What happened?” Grandpa Ren questioned suddenly getting up from where he'd been sitting.

“Mom, I’m sorry,” Selina said tears coming out of her eyes.

“It’s going to happen again, hurry and take her to her room,” Grandma Ren urged.

Mrs. Ren nodded and led Jiro into their bedroom where Selina got off onto the bed.

“Could you get out for a minute?” Mrs. Ren asked.

Jiro closed the door after him and from where he was standing he could her Selina says some things through her tears. He returned to the room where Selina’s grandparents were and heard them talking.

“It’s all that Ken’s fault,” Grandma Ren said.

Grandpa Ren sighed, “If he just never married her in the first place this wouldn’t be happening.”

They looked up to see Jiro standing by the doorway. Grandpa Ren gestured for him to come in and take a seat. As Jiro did they turned to him.

“Get used to this,” Grandpa Ren told, “this happens once in a while to her.”

Jiro looked at them lost, “Ummm…what is it?”

“Selina’s father abandoned them here after her older brother died,” Grandpa Ren told, “a daughter is still a child what’s with only loving sons?”

Grandma Ren sighed, “She goes crazy once in a while like this. She cried for days even once. After he’d beaten her to a pulp one day this just started happening to her.”

“That’s why I said you have to take good care of her,” Grandpa Ren said.

Jiro nodded not yet sure if he’d gotten all of what they’d said into his head, they talked with such short sentences it felt hard to catch what the actually meant. Later Selina’s grandparents sent him to work on chopping some wood for the fire. As he worked Jiro finally looked around.

“It sure is quiet,” he told himself.

Jiro paused for a minute remembering how Selina had woke up in a panic. From what her grandparents had said Selina’s father must have been an very aggressive person. ‘She must have been really scared of him’ he thought.

After Jiro had washed up and changed into some new clothes he entered his bedroom with Selina. Cautiously making sure not to make a noise he climbed into his side of the bed. Before laying down he glanced at Selina to see her sleeping like a baby. He pulled the blanket over her a little more and laid down facing the wall he went to sleep.

He woke up in the morning hearing a little whimpering. Selina quickly turned back to glance at him.

She gave a little laugh, “Did I wake you?”

Jiro forced himself to sit up and rubbed his eyes.

“Sorry, did I scare you yesterday?” Selina questioned.

Jiro raised an eyebrow, “Was I supposed to be scared?”

Selina replied, “No just wondering cause people usually ignore me after I do that.”

“It’s not like I can ignore you,” Jiro told throwing the blanket off. “But it was kinda quiet yesterday.”

“You missed me?” Selina questioned.

“Yea right!” Jiro laughed. “Just that there was no one around to make a racket.”

Selina made a face and looked up as Jiro looked down at her.

“Are you crying?” Jiro questioned.

Selina quickly dried her face with her sleeve, “None of your business.”

“You better get up before they yell at you,” Jiro warned.

Selina got up and pushed him aside, “I’m out before you.”

Jiro watched as Selina ran out of the door then followed after her. After eating breakfast together Selina and Jiro went together back to the garden to get some vegetables. Jiro glanced over at Selina who was squatting and looking at some plants and found himself smiling. He took a chunk of dirt from the ground and tossed it over at Selina. It landed on her shoulder and fell apart. She glanced back at Jiro and glared.

“Jiro!” she shouted get up stomping over to him. “What are you doing?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Jiro replied.

“Eat dirt!” Selina shouted and pushed him into the plants without realizing that the necklace he'd had since he'd arrived had slipped off his neck.

“Sel!” Jiro screamed.

Selina stuck out her tongue and grabbing the bag of vegetables ran down the dirt path back home.

“Selina!” Jiro shouted as he entered the doorway.

Selina turned back to look at him, “Where did you just come from?”

“I’m going to get you!” he shouted.

Selina laughed and ran into the kitchen where her mom was. Jiro panted and rubbed his neck and frowned.

“That’s strange, I swear it was here just a moment ago,” he said to himself.

“What was that?” asked Selina.

“My necklace is gone,” Jiro told.

“Your necklace?” Selina repeated.

“Nevermind,” Jiro said entering the kitchen.

“It’s going to start raining soon,” Mrs. Ren said glancing outside at the dark skies.

Throughout the meal Selina glanced at Jiro’s worried face and the only thing that stuck on her mind was getting that necklace back. It was his only memo of where he had come from, the city where he'd lived.

After washing dishes and putting them back Selina snuck back out and made her way to the garden. If that necklace seemed so important to Jiro, Selina wanted to get it back for him.

Jiro was sitting quietly in his bedroom after he had changed into some other warmer clothes listening to the soft music of the rain as it pounded against the windows. His eyes were closing when suddenly the door opened. Grandma and Grandpa were standing there looking inside.

“She’s not here,” he heard one of them say.

“Hey! Jiro!” Grandpa Ren called. “Where is Selina?”

“Huh?” Jiro said yawning. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?!” questioned Grandpa Ren in that rough voice of his. “Just looking after her and taking care of her is that hard?! She’s your wife, you’re her husband! Take care of one another!”

“Why didn’t you watch after her then?” Jiro questioned not realizing that he was being impolite.

“You! What did you just say?!” Grandpa Ren questioned. “You get off the bed right now you lazy bum!” Grandpa Ren walked over and pulled Jiro up by the ear.

“Ahh!” Jiro moaned.

“You go find her right now!” Grandpa Ren ordered.