Chapter 63: Night View Chatters
Sunnie smiled at him as she patted him on the hair. "You’re so considerate and adorable. So little."
"I’m not little and not adorable," Little Black protested, brushing her hands off. "I’m not a kid.. I’m older..."
She stared at him. "Is that so? Then how old are you?"
Little Black hesitated. "I don’t tell anyone this, but since it’s you, I’ll tell you. I’m twelve."
Sunnie raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure you’re not eight?" She blinked.
"I’m not. I’m twelve. And that’s it," he said with a soft pout. "I just look little and all.. but I’m older!" He insisted.
Sunnie blinked with a nod. "I see.. I see. You’re still a kid then." She smiled. "Twelve is still a little one."
"I’m not a kid," he muttered. "I never was one..."
There was silence as Sunnie stared at him for a while before she said with a soft smile, "What happened to you? If you don’t mind.. I’d like to hear your story. Can I?"
Little Black hesitated, hugging his legs as he stared down at the ground. He was quiet for a while before he finally spoke.
"I lost my mum and dad when I was still little..."
The words were heavier than Sunnie thought. She could only stare in silence, sympathy creeping in.
"Mum and dad were exiled from the land for something they didn’t do. No one believed them. They cursed at us and cast us out when I was still so little."
"Dad was sick, so Mum went around asking for help, but no one listened. They rather sent us off here to die.. and before that, Dad died before we got here..."
"Mum promised she’d take care of me. So when we got here, she was struggling to do that. But nothing was good enough in this land for survival, and I watched Mum die while trying to take care of me. We met some people passing by here.. we asked for help, but no one would help us.. and so Mum died..."
He sighed as he continued as though it was nothing. "I knew I was alone. Maybe I was born to be alone. So I began striving alone. I spent years here alone, surviving and doing everything.. and so I survived everything..."
Sunnie watched him bite his lower lip as he added.
"That’s why I’m grateful that you took them in.. so they don’t suffer like me. Especially the little cub."
Sunnie gently patted him. She felt a rush of pity hearing his story; she didn’t know how to feel. But she knew she had to console him.
With a smile, she said, "Mum and Dad must be glad that you’ve grown into a strong person now. I’m sure they are."
He had his head down without saying anything for a while. And then he shook his head and said, "I’m not telling you this so you can pity me, though. I’m just saying..."
She smiled while nodding. "Okay, sure, sure... I won’t. But feel free to tell Sister Sunnie anything now. We’re basically so close now. I’ll be your big sister from now henceforth."
He looked away. "Whatever."
Sunnie smiled at him as she added, "Don’t worry about that and go take your sleep. I’ll make sure I take good care of you and them."
"I don’t think I can sleep in there with them," he said.
"Why?" Sunnie stared at him.
"It’s Zukka! Ever since he came, he’s been a problem! I don’t like him," he complained.
Sunnie smiled. "What did Zukka do now?"
"He keeps cuddling me while I’m trying to sleep!" Little Black snapped, but Sunnie laughed.
"Why are you laughing? I’m being serious! I can’t sleep!" He complained, but Sunnie kept laughing still.
Little Black frowned. "I think we should send him back to his tribe. I don’t like him."
Sunnie smiled. "Don’t be too rude now. He just likes you and is trying to be friendly. So you should accept his friendship too."
"I don’t want to at all," Little Black snapped.
Sunnie continued laughing as she said, "Okay then. I won’t interfere then. I’ll just let you two keep playing push and pull until you finally become friends."
Little Black frowned. "That’s never happening." He looked away. "And I won’t go to sleep then."
Sunnie smiled. "Okay then. If you say so. You can actually stay outside here and keep me company."
Little Black folded his arms with a "Humph." Sunnie sat there staring into the sky without saying a word.
"Do you think we can survive here?" Little Black asked after a while of silence.
Sunnie smiled. "Yes. We will. I’m sure," she expressed with a smile.
And so the two of them quietly sat there on the rock staring into the sky with their ears out. It took a while before Little Black began dozing off again.
He rested his head on Sunnie before falling onto her lap and falling asleep. Sunnie looked down at him with a smile.
"Already asleep?" She said as she gently caressed his hair while watching him sleep. "Sleep tight..." She stared into the sky for a while.
After staying there, Sunnie carried Little Black gently in her arms and made her way to the cave. She got in and went to the position where he was sleeping and gently laid him down between Zuna and Zukka.
She smiled as she watched him fall asleep while crawling up to Zukka’s side. "I guess he’s an angel while sleeping.. adorable."
She smiled as she got up to her feet and made her way to her corner. She slowly lay down while staring up at the rocky ceiling.
She couldn’t sleep. Sunnie was feeling uneasy and uncomfortable. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, but she felt uneasy, making it hard to fall asleep.
Her stomach groaned as she turned to the side and forced herself to sleep, shutting her eyes and counting lambs until she didn’t recall the last number she had counted.