Hikariyume - Age 6
"Mommy, look! I can jump rope ten times without stopping!!" Iyume ran through the back door and into the kitchen, glomping her mother who was sitting at the counter. Hoshiyuki looked up from her book, and touched Iyume's cheek.
"Is that so, Hikariyume? Do you want to show me?" Hoshiyuki put her book down on the counter, and got up from her stool.
Iyume made a face, and shook her head. "No, I want to practice more first! I'll show you later, okay?" And with that, the little girl ran back out the door. Hoshiyuki smiled, and picked her book back up.
Iyume slid to a halt on the backyard patio, and grabbed her stuffed rabbit from a lounge chair. "I want to take a break. What do you want to do, Nene?" She hugged the bunny and looked around, gaze falling on the sandbox in one corner of the yard.
She consulted her stuffed friend again. "Wanna build a sand castle?" She ran to the black box and gathered a pail and shovel. She set Nene down on the grass just outside of the box, before she realized she needed something.
"I'll be right back, Nene. I'm gonna get some water, so the sand will stick together." Iyume grabbed the pail and walked cautiously down the sidewalk in the side yard, to the gate that separated the front yard from the backyard. She climbed on top of the trash cans there, and opened the latch on the gate. She stepped carefully into the front yard, and ran across the driveway to the fountain. She dipped her bucket in the water, when a crash echoed from the street.
Iyume whipped around and hid behind some bushes, letting the pail drop and splash water all over her. She peeked around the leaves of the shrubs to see a boy, around her age, had fallen of his bike. She watched him get up, and look in her direction. Iyume shrunk behind the plant, trying to not be seen. But he had seen her anyway.
"Hello," he said, not moving. "Who're you?"
Iyume poked her head around slowly. "Hikariyume..."
"What a weird name... I'm Alek. What're you doing?"
Iyume wrinkled her nose. "My name isn't weird! Mommy says that it's a unique name." She got up and retrieved her bucket. "I'm gonna build a sand castle with Nene."
Alek walked over to his bike and picked it up. "Who's Nene?"
"Nene is my best friend." Iyume filled her pail with water, and started to walk across the driveway. She stopped when she examined Alek's bike more closely. "You ride with training wheels? I'm still on a three-wheeler."
Alek set his bike up and gave Iyume a surprised look. "How old are you?"
"Six... how old are you?"
"I'm eight. You're six and still on a tricycle? That's weird." Alek walked his bike to the curb and left it there. Then he climbed up the driveway, next to Iyume. She gave him a sour look.
"You say 'weird' a lot. And besides, maybe you’re the weird one, if you’re on training wheels now, and you’re only eight.” Iyume started to drag the bucket of water to the backyard, not wanting to leave Nene alone for too long. She stepped just inside the gate, and was about to close it when she noticed that Alek was following her. She stared at him blankly, waiting for him to explain himself.
“Um… can I play with you? I don’t wanna ride my bike right now, and I wanna meet Nene, if it’s okay.” He smiled reassuringly at Iyume.
She furrowed her eyebrows, confused. “I don’t know… I’ve never played with anyone before… I’ve only played with Nene. I don’t know if Mommy or Daddy would like that…” She fiddled with the hem of her oversized T-shirt, trying to make a decision.
“Uh… wait here. I’ll be right back.” With that, she ran down the side yard and through the back door. “Mommy! A boy named Alek want to help me and Nene with my sand castle. Can he?” She tugged at her mother’s dress, looking unsure. Hoshiyuki was currently making dinner, so she tried not to splash hot water on herself from being startled by her daughter.
Hoshiyuki raised her eyebrows as she looked down at her. “A boy wants to play with you?” She stood up straight, not taking the question lightly. She closed her eyes, and let her mind wander and touch Alek‘s, checking for threats. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and smiled at Iyume. “Okay, kiddo. He can play with you, but dinner will be ready soon. Have fun, okay?” She touched Iyume’s face, which was now relaxed.
“Okay. Thanks, Mommy.” Iyume ran back outside to find Alek and her water pail already by the sandbox.
“I was just bringing it here, that’s all. Is that Nene?” He pointed to the stuffed bunny by the box.
Iyume walked over to the rabbit and picked it up. “Yeah, this is Nene. Mommy said I could play with you, but I have to go in later for dinner.” She turned away and set Nene down in the same place. “So, have you built a sand castle before?”
“No. What do we do first?”
Iyume overturned the pail of water in one corner of sandbox. “We just make a mountain of sand and decorate it with leaves and all kinds of stuff.”
“Okay…” Alek started to scoop up the damp sand and pile it up in the middle of the box. Iyume watched him, and stood up.
“I’m gonna go find some stuff to put on it.” She began to wander around the yard, picking up leaves, twigs, and rocks that she deemed worthy of decorations. They spent the next twenty minutes patting dirt and sticking rocks into the sand mountain, until Hoshiyuki stepped into the yard.
“Hikariyume! Dinner time!” She wiped her hands on her dress and glanced at Alek briefly. Then she smiled and went back inside.
“I gotta go.” Iyume stood up from her sitting position in the sandbox and brushed herself off.
“Aw… okay. Can we play again tomorrow?” Alek stood up, too. He started to walk back to the front yard where he had left his bike.
“Um… I don’t know. Maybe.” She strolled with him, and smiled at him. “Nene says she wants to, so, maybe.”
Alek smiled back. “Okay.” He wandered down the driveway, but stopped just before Iyume closed the gate. “By the way, ‘Hikariyume’ is too long and weird. Can I call you ‘Iyume’ instead? It’s just the last part of your name.”
Iyume thought a moment, repeating the name to herself. “Um, sure. See you later!”
Alek mounted his bike and pedaled off. “Later!”
Iyume walked back to the backyard door, still repeating her new nickname to herself. “Iyume, huh? Hmm…” Then she gave a bitter look. “Wait… he said ‘weird’ again!”
"Is that so, Hikariyume? Do you want to show me?" Hoshiyuki put her book down on the counter, and got up from her stool.
Iyume made a face, and shook her head. "No, I want to practice more first! I'll show you later, okay?" And with that, the little girl ran back out the door. Hoshiyuki smiled, and picked her book back up.
Iyume slid to a halt on the backyard patio, and grabbed her stuffed rabbit from a lounge chair. "I want to take a break. What do you want to do, Nene?" She hugged the bunny and looked around, gaze falling on the sandbox in one corner of the yard.
She consulted her stuffed friend again. "Wanna build a sand castle?" She ran to the black box and gathered a pail and shovel. She set Nene down on the grass just outside of the box, before she realized she needed something.
"I'll be right back, Nene. I'm gonna get some water, so the sand will stick together." Iyume grabbed the pail and walked cautiously down the sidewalk in the side yard, to the gate that separated the front yard from the backyard. She climbed on top of the trash cans there, and opened the latch on the gate. She stepped carefully into the front yard, and ran across the driveway to the fountain. She dipped her bucket in the water, when a crash echoed from the street.
Iyume whipped around and hid behind some bushes, letting the pail drop and splash water all over her. She peeked around the leaves of the shrubs to see a boy, around her age, had fallen of his bike. She watched him get up, and look in her direction. Iyume shrunk behind the plant, trying to not be seen. But he had seen her anyway.
"Hello," he said, not moving. "Who're you?"
Iyume poked her head around slowly. "Hikariyume..."
"What a weird name... I'm Alek. What're you doing?"
Iyume wrinkled her nose. "My name isn't weird! Mommy says that it's a unique name." She got up and retrieved her bucket. "I'm gonna build a sand castle with Nene."
Alek walked over to his bike and picked it up. "Who's Nene?"
"Nene is my best friend." Iyume filled her pail with water, and started to walk across the driveway. She stopped when she examined Alek's bike more closely. "You ride with training wheels? I'm still on a three-wheeler."
Alek set his bike up and gave Iyume a surprised look. "How old are you?"
"Six... how old are you?"
"I'm eight. You're six and still on a tricycle? That's weird." Alek walked his bike to the curb and left it there. Then he climbed up the driveway, next to Iyume. She gave him a sour look.
"You say 'weird' a lot. And besides, maybe you’re the weird one, if you’re on training wheels now, and you’re only eight.” Iyume started to drag the bucket of water to the backyard, not wanting to leave Nene alone for too long. She stepped just inside the gate, and was about to close it when she noticed that Alek was following her. She stared at him blankly, waiting for him to explain himself.
“Um… can I play with you? I don’t wanna ride my bike right now, and I wanna meet Nene, if it’s okay.” He smiled reassuringly at Iyume.
She furrowed her eyebrows, confused. “I don’t know… I’ve never played with anyone before… I’ve only played with Nene. I don’t know if Mommy or Daddy would like that…” She fiddled with the hem of her oversized T-shirt, trying to make a decision.
“Uh… wait here. I’ll be right back.” With that, she ran down the side yard and through the back door. “Mommy! A boy named Alek want to help me and Nene with my sand castle. Can he?” She tugged at her mother’s dress, looking unsure. Hoshiyuki was currently making dinner, so she tried not to splash hot water on herself from being startled by her daughter.
Hoshiyuki raised her eyebrows as she looked down at her. “A boy wants to play with you?” She stood up straight, not taking the question lightly. She closed her eyes, and let her mind wander and touch Alek‘s, checking for threats. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and smiled at Iyume. “Okay, kiddo. He can play with you, but dinner will be ready soon. Have fun, okay?” She touched Iyume’s face, which was now relaxed.
“Okay. Thanks, Mommy.” Iyume ran back outside to find Alek and her water pail already by the sandbox.
“I was just bringing it here, that’s all. Is that Nene?” He pointed to the stuffed bunny by the box.
Iyume walked over to the rabbit and picked it up. “Yeah, this is Nene. Mommy said I could play with you, but I have to go in later for dinner.” She turned away and set Nene down in the same place. “So, have you built a sand castle before?”
“No. What do we do first?”
Iyume overturned the pail of water in one corner of sandbox. “We just make a mountain of sand and decorate it with leaves and all kinds of stuff.”
“Okay…” Alek started to scoop up the damp sand and pile it up in the middle of the box. Iyume watched him, and stood up.
“I’m gonna go find some stuff to put on it.” She began to wander around the yard, picking up leaves, twigs, and rocks that she deemed worthy of decorations. They spent the next twenty minutes patting dirt and sticking rocks into the sand mountain, until Hoshiyuki stepped into the yard.
“Hikariyume! Dinner time!” She wiped her hands on her dress and glanced at Alek briefly. Then she smiled and went back inside.
“I gotta go.” Iyume stood up from her sitting position in the sandbox and brushed herself off.
“Aw… okay. Can we play again tomorrow?” Alek stood up, too. He started to walk back to the front yard where he had left his bike.
“Um… I don’t know. Maybe.” She strolled with him, and smiled at him. “Nene says she wants to, so, maybe.”
Alek smiled back. “Okay.” He wandered down the driveway, but stopped just before Iyume closed the gate. “By the way, ‘Hikariyume’ is too long and weird. Can I call you ‘Iyume’ instead? It’s just the last part of your name.”
Iyume thought a moment, repeating the name to herself. “Um, sure. See you later!”
Alek mounted his bike and pedaled off. “Later!”
Iyume walked back to the backyard door, still repeating her new nickname to herself. “Iyume, huh? Hmm…” Then she gave a bitter look. “Wait… he said ‘weird’ again!”