Hana's Family

I have been talking with the other teachers for a bit when Hiro walks into the classroom.

"Miss Inoue, we should leave now."

"Okay, Hiro. I'll be out in a minute."

He walks out of the room.

I faced my co-teachers. "It was nice working and getting to know you all. If you're ever near Downtown Tokyo just give me a call. I'd love to catch up with you." I gave them my phone number and then I left the room.

I'm going to miss them.

Hiro has the door open for me when I exit the building. He has his phone up to his ear.

"Yes, Hana sweety. We'll be there soon."

A smile spreads across my face. "Is she giving you a hard time?"

He puts the phone in his pocket. "Yes, she's afraid that you're going to leave before you have time to say 'goodbye' to her."

"She doesn't have anything to worry about when it comes to me. I'm not a horrible person that would think about leaving the girl she saved without giving a few ways on how she could contact me."

He wraps his arms around my shoulder. "You're going to be a huge part of our lives, Inoue and I wouldn't do anything to change that."

After our small talk, we both climb back into the car where it would take us to the house where Hana lives with her family.

When we get to the house I see Hana run out of the house.

"Slow down. I don't want you to hit, Hana. She's been through enough with the tsunami." I said to the driver.

A smile spreads across Hiro's face. "You're still taking care of my daughter even if she's no longer in your care."

I opened the door while replying. "I know." I closed the door and kneel at Hana's height. "Hey, Hana. How are you?"

A smile spreads across her face. "Good," she wraps her arms around me. "Do you really have to leave?"

I lift her up and carry her inside. "Yes, I do. I want to see my family after this, it makes me miss them so much." I put her down by the front door. "I'll come and visit if I can during the year."

"Promise?"

I place my hand over my heart. "I Inoue Tanaka, promise Hana Komatsu that I will visit her during the year."

"Yay!" she screams. "Can you bring me back something from Tokyo?" She gave me the puppy eyes while saying that.

"Yes, I can. I'll bring back something for the school as well."

"Hana." Hiro scolds. "You can't ask people to bring stuff back for you. That's rude."

"But dad.." Hana whines. "I'm not going to get anything if I don't ask for it."

Hiro laughs. "Maybe, I should take you to Tokyo some other time and you can check out the city. I think Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea will be the perfect places for you to the visit."

Hana turns to look at me. "Will you come with us, Miss Inoue? You live close to those places don't you?"

"We'll see, Hana. I don't know what I will be doing at home. If I can take some time off I would do it to join you." I smiled at her.

"Okay!" She said cheerfully as she pulls me into the house. "I want you to meet my Mommy and my brothers and sisters."

Just how many kids does Hiro have?

The walls are painted light blue and it has photos of the family along the wall as you walk through the hallway.

At the end of the hallway is the kitchen and its opened space. In the middle of the kitchen Hiro's wife is standing there with a spoon in her hand and she's singing into

"Mommy!" Hana yells. "Miss Inoue's here."

She jumps and turns towards us. "Hana, how many times do I need to tell you to stop scaring me like that?" She said flustered.

Hana and I both laughed and she whispers to me. "When Mommy's in the kitchen, she forgets everyone that lives in the house."

A smile spreads across my face. "My Mom is the same way. When I was growing up, she spent time in the kitchen making cakes and cookies for us and she would sing and dance to Don't Stop Believing and Abba songs everytime."

Hiro walks into the room and he walks over to his wife and kisses her on the cheek. "Nami honey, I want you to meet Inoue. She's the one that saved our daughter during the tsunami."

She walks over to me and hugs me. "Thanks, for saving my daughter. If it wasn't for you I would have loss one child. She's my youngest and I would be so devastated if I didn't have Hana here with me."

They lead me to the kitchen table and I sit there opposite of Hiro and Nami. While Hana sits next to me with a phone on her hand.

"I couldn't leave one of my students on the beach while there was tsunami coming towards us. I did everything to get her home safely to her family." I watch as a group of kids walk into the house.

A boy looks at his mother and says. "What's for dinner, Mom?"

Nami turns towards her son and says. "It's pot roast. Kids, I want you all to meet, Miss Inoue she's the person who saved your sister."

A girl with dark hair and dark eyes steps forward.

She stops in front of me. "Thanks, for saving my little sister Miss Inoue."

After meeting all the kids Hana takes me to her room and it's like a princess room. The wall is painted pink, with a chandelier hanging from the wall. A pink curtain hangs across the window and a pink tent sits on the other side of the room with a bookshelf behind it.

Hana walks over to the bookshelf and she pulls a book from the shelf. "Can you read me a story?"

"Sure," I took the book from her and she opens the tent.

We climb inside and I put a bunch of pillows behind my back. Once l'm comfortable I started reading the story.

Hana lies down on the pillows and she watches me as I read the story to her. She remains quiet while I read.

Halfway through the book she closes her eyes.

Once the book is finished I kiss her cheek. "I won't be here when you wake up, Hana. I just want to say thank you for the wonderful memories. I'm going to miss you." I stand up and walk over to bookshelf. I place the book in its correct place, before walking out of the room.

Hiro is waiting for me next to the door. He gives me a cheque. "My wife and I want to give you this as an appreciation of saving my child. If you don't take it all I will be highly offended."

I look at the cheque and it says. 1.5 million dollars. And my jaw literally drops as I looked at the amount.

I don't want to offend him, but can't cash this when I get home.

"Thanks," I put it in my purse. "Is the plane ready to leave?"

"Yes, it is." Hiro leads the way to the car. Outside the house I see all the kids standing out front, except Hana who's fast asleep in her room.

I hug all the kids before telling them that I will come back soon. I'm about to climb in the car when Hana runs out of the house. She rubs her eyes.

"Miss Inoue, please don't go."

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