Chapter One~ NEJI~ Somewhere, a Bird Sang
“Big Brother, look!” Hani exclaimed.
Neji glanced up. His “little sister”, Hani, a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes that normally wore overalls and a green shirt, crouched under a large tree.
Neji stood up. “Hey, what is it, Hani? Did you scrape yourself?” he asked, briskly walking over to where the child was kneeling.
A small brown bird was nestled in Hani’s palm. The tiny thing had its eyes closed and was not moving. Neji’s heartstrings tugged at the sight--the poor thing was dead.
“What happened, big brother? Why won’t the bird wake up?” Hani asked, looking up at Neji. “Hani found the bird sleeping under the tree, but it won’t wake up.”
Neji knelt down next to Hani, gently taking the bird from her. “It won’t wake up, Hani.” He said softly. “It’s dead…the bird must have fallen out of the tree.” Neji looked up. There was a bird nest about fifteen feet above them.
“The birdie is dead?” Hani asked, shocked.
Neji nodded silently.
Without warning, the small girl burst into tears. “Hani’s sorry!” she sobbed. “Hani’s sorry, big brother!” Tears rolled down Hani’s soft face. She hiccupped, than wiped the tears away, only to produce more. “Hani’s sorry…”
Neji stared at Hani in astonishment. “Why are you sorry, Hani? It wasn’t your fault.”
“Hani knows that.” Hani hiccupped. “But the birdie--maybe if Hani didn’t find it, it wouldn’t be dead…!”
Neji’s heart ached. “Oh, Hani…it wasn’t your fault. Come on. Stop crying.” Neji wiped Hani’s face with his long white sleeve. “Don’t be sad. The bird is…in a better place now. I’m sure it’s singing in Heaven.”
Hani sniffed. “Really?”
Neji smiled. “Really. Now, let’s bury the bird, all right? We can come back and put flowers here later, and pay our respects.”
Hani looked at Neji and smiled. “Uh-huh. Okay.” She said, nodding. “Hani and Big Brother will make a grave for the birdie and put flowers on it.”
As the two worked diligently, somewhere in Heaven, a bird sang in joy.
