Malachi and I

“Malachi Lord, meet Kikuko and Kosuke Yamauchi, future legends and the oldest couple of Lieber Falls.”

“Who are you calling old? Oshaberi.”

Malachi snickered and I turned to glare at the traitor as he pretended to think it over. “Oshaberi? A chatterbox? It fits.”

“No one asked you.”

“Sorry, Oshaberi.” He smirked as he looked at them both. “It’s a pleasure to meet the future legends and sweetest couple of Lieber Falls.”

“I like you.” She came over and hugged him which made Malachi stand as stiff as a board.

Crouching down beside Mr. Yamauchi I gently placed my brown hands over his wrinkled ones telling him in English, “I need back up. They will gang up on me if you don’t come help.”

He turned to face me, his black eyes were like dark caves. I could look in but I couldn’t see in.

“Do I know you?” He spoke for the first time since we’d all met. But then he glanced up at Kikuko and Malachi asking again. “Do I know you all?”

Kikuko squeezed his shoulder and said, “Yes. I know you. You know me too. Just wait, it will come back to you.”

He returned his gaze once more to the flowers, and Kikuko, who was not the least bit phased, pulled out a thick, dark colored blanket from the backpack that hung off the chair.

“I’ll—”

Malachi took it from her. “Where do you want me to put it?”

> “Right here is fine, thank you.”

With a nod, he carefully put it down, ensuring that there wasn’t even a wrinkle...because apparently he could think of other people. It was apparently only me who didn’t matter.

“Esther?”

“Yes?” I looked back to her as she held out bento lunchbox for me. I stared at the clear containers. “No, you didn’t—”

“Chopsticks or a fork?” She lifted them both, purposely cutting me off which meant she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Chopsticks please.” I gave in to accepting them and the bottle of water she handed me. “I hope you’re hungry, Malachi.”

“Starving actually.” He walked towards her and accepted the lunchbox and chopsticks.

“Esther, how can you let him starve?” Kikuko frowned at him as she gave him a bottle of water as well.

My mouth dropped open. “What? I’m not his…” I trailed off and she noticed him snickering at me.

“Nurse? Maid?” she asked, as she put a napkin around Mr. Yamauchi’s neck, and gave him a spoon along with his food.

“I’m not his wife. Yet still I somehow ended up making him breakfast this morning.”

“Somehow?” Malachi took off his shoes and left them at the edge of the blanket before he sat down. Which I would have given him credit for if he wasn’t currently picking on me. “So you don’t remember that no one asked you to barge into my room, force me out of bed and demand I eat this morning?”

“I was asked. I was asked by my grandfather, remember? Can you believe it? Girls my age are getting giant teddy bears and twenty dozen roses. Me? I’m trying to keep a thirty-year-old man alive. Aigoo.” I sighed tiredly.

“Thirty,” Mr. Yamauchi whispered and I immediately stopped talking to hear him. “Good age. Thirty. Standing on the cliff.”

He nodded to himself as he spooned a tiny rice ball into his mouth whilst looking out at the flowers. “I think I’ve been here before.”

Kikuko smiled as she took off her shoes, and sat on the blanket by his legs as he went back into his mental haze. I followed suit and removed my shoes and sat down as well. I wanted to ask her something but Malachi cut me off.

“Why is thirty a good age if it’s on a cliff?”