Chapter 2

So many years had passed and now that Vivian was finally 25 years old, the preparations for her marriage commenced. Vivian was taught everything so that she would become the perfect wife that Kirito needed.

Three days after Vivian turned 25, the Garnettes received a phone call. Kirito was coming to meet her. It was a Friday morning and the preparations to welcome the Hiomi family were in full bloom. Delia, Vivian's younger sibling, was getting dressed up while Mrs Garnette was cleaning up the living room

"Where's Vivian?" She asked Delia.

"Probably still sleeping," Delia replied as she looked into the mirror while combing her hair.

"What?!" Mrs Garnette kept the mop aside and rushed upstairs to Vivian's room.

It was sweltering like every other German morning. Mrs Garnette was covered with dust and perspired as she walked through the small staircase and opened the door to a cramped room. All the clothes were thrown on the floor and the window was blocked with books. Mrs Garnette shook her head as she kept the books on the table aside and opened the curtains. The sun rays penetrated into the room, filling it with cups of light.

"Vivian!" Mrs Garnette turned towards a small bed "Are you still having a kater?" She picked up the clothes from the floor assuming that they were to be washed.

"The sun is on the head already! Even Delia is up! Get up now!"

The blanket twirled and and a pink head popped out from above "Moin mama,"

(Tn//Moin- Good morning)

"Kirito is to visit today. Do you want to look like an assi? Go take a bath and dress up!" Mrs Garnette ordered.

(Assi- Comes from a low income area, uneducated)

Vivian threw the blanket aside and lay on the bed. She had blue eyes and pink hair with a tint of golden in them. Her skin was a semitone of pink, orange and golden, with golden being the more dominant of them all. She was dressed up in a black brasserie and pink underwear.

"How many times have I told you not to sleep naked? How krass!" Mrs Garnette threw a shirt towards her.

"It's very uncomfortable to sleep with clothes on," Vivian got up and scratched her head.

"Get up now. You know the Hiomi family is coming for the customs today, right? You have your wedding next month!" Mrs Garnette shouted and left the untidy room.

Vivian stared at the ring in her fingers and smiled "Kirito is coming,"

"Vivian! Go get Betty from the hills and Rhea take a bath!" Delia shouted from downstairs. Vivian got up from the bed and stretched her body. She looked into her wardrobe and took out a standard German frock and a hat. She kept the frock inside a basket with a towel, a comb and some makeup. She donned a traditional German frock--Her everyday wear.

"Mom, I'm going to get Betty!" She shouted as she wore her dirndl shoes and walked out of the house.

"Wait-- Why did you let her go? She needs to get ready!" Mrs Garnette shouted at Delia.

"Mom, she needs to get Betty?"

"Couldn't you do it?"

"I loathe cows!"

As the morning sun shone ahead just over the hills, Vivian walked through the crowd with her basket in her hand.

"Moin Vivian!" Mr Zajnog greeted her as he stood outside the town pub with a drink in his hand. His wife stood beside him with a loaf of bread in her basket.

"Moin!" Vivian smiled.

"Goin' ta get Betty, eh?" He asked.

"Yes,"

"I heard your fiancé is coming today," Mrs Zajnoc said.

"Yes, I'm getting married next month,"

"Let's grab a drink in that case! Get 'em some beer!" He shouted.

Vivian laughed "This evening, then. Not right now," Vivian ran towards the hill. She walked into the vegetation and found Betty, her cow, grazing in the fields of grasses spread across the hills.

"Betty! Let's go wash up. Then, we'll go home," Vivian hugged her cow and Betty simply mooed. They walked to the pond and Betty made her way into the cold water. Vivian kept the basket into the bushes and kept her hat over it. She removed her shoes and jumped into the water. She sang a song as she played with her cow into the water.

She rubbed the lotus petals on her skin as it was a special day. After she was done bathing, she changed into the red frock as Betty covered her up. She combed her hair that reached till her knees. She applied some lipstick and some powder.

"There! We are ready for Kirito," Vivian tied a bow around Betty's neck and hugged her "See Betty, I'm so big now. Kirito is finally here-- It's all like a magical dream,"

Betty mooed and Vivian chuckled. She looked into Betty's blue eyes "Let's go home now. We might be late,"

They both walked back downtown from the hill. When she reached her house, she saw her mother standing at the door. 

"Mama, I got Betty," Vivian smiled.

"Vivian!" Mrs Garnette shouted carefully, making sure her voice wasn't loud "Good thing you're already dressed,"

"How do I look?" Vivian asked as she held her frock "Beautiful right?"

"Yes, indeed," Mrs Garnette smiled and quickly went inside the kitchen.

Vivian walked into the verandah where Delia stood. She was peeping through the door.

"Oh my God, he's handsome!" Delia squealed. Vivian looked at Delia. She slowly walked towards her and peeped inside the drawing-room. She could see through the open door--A young man of about her age, dressed up in a black suit and leather boots sat on the shabby and worn out sofa with two other people, maybe his parents. Delia went away to help her mother.

Vivian could look at Kirito. He was so big now. All these years seemed worth the wait. She could feel her chest tightening and the air passing in and out of her lungs. She looked at him as if he was the only person she had ever known. And she wanted to know him more.

She didn't know what caused him to turn but he did and their eyes met. They looked at each other for a while as if they had learned about each other already just through their eyes. He smiled and waved at her. She quickly looked away.

Delia suddenly tapped her shoulder and Vivian flinched "Go inside. Father is calling you,"

"But I'm not emotionally prepared," Vivian was red already. Delia crossed her arms and glared at her. Vivian took a deep breath and opened the door. She looked everywhere but at Kirito and he didn't look anywhere but her.

"This is my daughter," Mr Garnette introduced her to Kirito.

"Vivian!" Mr Hiomi got up from the sofa "How are you, my dear?"

"I'm good, uncle," Vivian looked at the floor.

"You can call me dad," Mr Hiomi said.

"Yes, dad,"

"Aw, you're shy?" Mr Hiomi laughed "Why don't you kids talk to each other for awhile? I need to have a chat with Lucus too," He proposed.

"Alright," Kirito got up from the sofa.

"Vivian, why don't you take him to your room? There you can talk without any disturbances," Mr Hiomi suggested.

"Yes, dad," Vivian turned away "Please follow me," She said to Kirito and both of them walked to her room on the first floor. She opened the door only to remind herself how messy her room was, with books and clothes thrown everywhere.

"My cow did this. It is not always like this," She started picking up her stuff quickly.

"It's okay. My dog has eaten hundreds of homework assignments too," Kirito leaned and started picking up the books thrown on the floor. His fingers touched hers and she leapt back giving a tiny shriek.

"Please sit on that sofa for now," She said as she clenched her eyes "I'll do this myself,"

"Sure," He sat on the sofa and a farting sound covered the room. He quickly got up and saw a pillow.

"Sorry that's my toy pillow. But I swear it wasn't there to embarrass you," She snatched the pillow from him.

"This is quite an interesting room," He looked around. She stood before him and he stared at her. "Why don't you take a seat?" He patted his hand on the sofa.

"You mean sit beside you?" She asked.

"Yes," He smiled.

She quietly sat beside him and looked at the wooden floor while twisting her feet. There was a moment of silence until Kirito asked what her hobbies were.

"I can sleep for 24 hours," Vivian said.

'What am I saying?! You beschevert sau!'

Kirito laughed "That's nice. I don't have any hobbies," Kirito said.

"Did you especially learn German?" Vivian asked.

"Yes, to talk to you," Kirito said.

"I learnt Japanese too!" Vivian said.

"That's amazing, now we can converse in both the languages," Kirito smiled. Vivian nodded and looked at the floor again.

"Vivian, honestly tell me-- Do you like me?" Kirito asked. Vivian looked at him. He took a deep breath.

"We don't really know each other that well, so I was thinking if you would like to cancel this engagement,"

Vivian looked at him with surprise. Did he not like her?

-To be continued