Will You Be My Servant? (6)

Rumi: Why does this keep happening to me? I set my alarm to go off an hour earlier and I still didn’t wake up on time. Why do I even bother? I’m already an hour late. By the time I get there… She definitely won’t be there. There’s no way. But what if she is? I need to go just to make sure.

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Rumi: She said she wanted to meet near the fountain of the park. I really hope she’s not here. I would feel awful if she was here this whole time. Hmm… I don’t see her. Good! Well I guess she’s not going to want me as her Master now. Time to head back, I guess. Wait! Is that her under the tree over there? It can’t be. She’s still here! What should I do? I know I have to go over there, but what do I say to her? I’m sorry!

Anika: Master Rumi.

Rumi: I’m so sorry I’m late. You must really think badly of me.

Anika: No, I could never. Actually, it gave me more time to think of what I wanted to do with you today. I was so excited about meeting you that I forgot to plan for the day. I was thinking so much that I didn’t notice the time.

Rumi: Oh, well that makes me feel a little bit better, but still, I apologize.

Anika: It’s okay. I’m just glad you came.

Rumi: What’s that in your hand?

Anika: Oh it’s nothing.

Rumi: Aw c’mon, tell me.

Anika: It really is nothing. I was just writing down things I wanted to do with you, but I couldn’t choose which one.

Rumi: How about all of them.

Anika: What?

Rumi: Well we don’t have to do just one. Besides, they all seem like fun to me. I would have a hard time deciding which one too.

Anika: Okay!

Rumi: So which one do you want to do first?

Anika: How about a walk in the park since we’re already here.

Rumi: Sounds good to me.

Anika: So how do you like school so far?

Rumi: It’s very different. I have never studied as much as I do here. And it’s very competitive but that goes without saying. What about you?

Anika: I’m just glad to have this opportunity. Not everyone can, you know?

Rumi: Have you made any friends?

Anika: A few, but you never know, because when it comes to Masters, friendships get tossed aside.

Rumi: So Servants go through the same thing.

Anika: Of course, we just have more at stake than Masters. You’re friends with Master Sakiko and Master Itoe, right?

Rumi: Sakiko, yes. Itoe, I’m not sure because friends usually talk to each other and I don’t know how to do that with her.

Anika: Haha, well she seems to be getting along very well with Natsue at least from what I saw yesterday.

Rumi: Don’t tell Sakiko that. She wants Natsue to be her Servant and it doesn’t seem like she’ll be backing down anytime soon.

Anika: Natsue is a sweet girl. She deserves to be fought for, just like you.

Rumi: I don’t think so.

Anika: I do. I mean, I’ll fight for you.

Rumi: So… tell me about yourself.

Anika: I was second in my class in middle school; I could have been first if I hadn’t gotten sick—

Rumi: No, tell me about you. Tell me something that I wouldn’t find in your school record.

Anika: I’m sorry, usually when Masters ask, they want to know about your grades.

Rumi: Well, I’m not like the other Masters.

Anika: No, you’re not. I’ve noticed that about you. What do you want to know?

Rumi: I don’t know. Anything really. Tell me about your childhood.

Anika: It’s kind of hard for me to talk about it. It wasn’t a pleasant one.

Rumi: I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.

Anika: It’s okay. How would you know? Maybe next time I’ll have the courage to tell you.

Rumi: Next time?

Anika: Well yea, we’ve been talking for awhile now and to tell you the truth I rather not do the whole list today.

Rumi: Why not?

Anika: Because I rather save some for next time.

Rumi: Oh. Well, I guess I’m going to have to make this day up to you in another way. How about you ask me any question you can think of and I’ll answer it truthfully.

Anika: Are you sure you want to do this? Because I could ask a question you don’t want to answer.

Rumi: I’m sure. I mean if you want me to be your Master don’t you need to know everything about me? It’s better to scare you with my secrets now then later.

Anika: I don’t scare that easily.

Rumi: Then you should have nothing to fear. Ask away.

Anika: Okay. Tell me about your childhood.

Rumi: I wouldn’t say it was bad, but it definitely wasn’t great. Yes, we had money and we still do, but back then my father was the one making it. He died of a heart attack when I was younger. They say it was the stress of the job that sealed his fate and now my mom runs the business. After I graduate here and finish college, I’ll be in charge of it.

Anika: Were you close with your father?

Rumi: Very close. My father was my hero; he meant the world to me. And we never had that much time together since he was working all the time, but he always saved time for me. It was really difficult for me to understand at that age that he was never coming back. That I would never see him again. I remember that I would wake up every morning thinking that he came back and when I ran into his study room, my heart would drop at the sight of his absence.

Anika: I feel horrible asking you that question, but you weren’t alone, right? Your mother was there to help?

Rumi: Actually, no. Like I said my mother took over the business so I barely got to see her when she started working, but I never felt alone. I had a best friend at the time who cheered me up every moment she got.

Anika: Are you two still friends?

Rumi: No. I actually haven’t thought of her until just now. But we sure were close.

Anika: What happened?

Rumi: I’m not really sure. One day she was gone. When I asked my mother, she said she moved away and that was that.

Anika: That’s odd.

Rumi: You know what’s even odder?

Anika: I thought I was supposed to be asking the questions today.

Rumi: You’re right.

Anika: I was just kidding go ahead.

Rumi: You know what’s even odder?

Anika: Haha, what?

Rumi: The fact that we’re still walking in the park. I think this is our 100^th time around.

Anika: Hahaha I think you’re right.

Rumi: I have another question for you.

Anika: Go ahead.

Rumi: Are you hungry? Because I am and I heard about this great place near here.

Anika: I thought you would never ask.