Just Friends

CHAPTER 12

"No matter how hard the past is, you can always begin again." 

- Budha

^^^

Kiara was staring at the picture with a smile playing on her lips. "Here you are!" Commented Maya, grabbing her attention from the piece of memory she was admiring. "You still love my piece of collection." Maya sounded pleased as she made her way towards Kiara.

Kiara hugged Maya, murmuring softly in her ears. "I missed you..."

"I missed you as well, little angel." Maya voiced, pulling from the hug. "You have grown so big," she chuckled, making Kiara to roll her eyes. "Still the small and tiny one." She teased at the end, making Kiara to narrow her eyes at her.

"Maya, please you don't start it." Maya giggled at Kiara's remark. Entire life Kiara had continuously heard, how small and tiny she was compared to her smaller cousin.

"Hey, I was teasing..." Maya murmured on seeing Kiara's annoyed face.

"I know..." she murmured but sounding upset.

"What's up with this spoiled mood?" Maya inquired making Kiara caution.

"Nothing..." Kiara attempted to fake it with a smile but Maya stared at her, curiously.

"Fine, if you don't want to share it now. I will be waiting..." She assured her, squeezing her hand. "Now, come let me show you the room for rest of your stay here," Maya muttered cheering her up as she dragged her to the corner of the living area. Taking some left and right turns, Maya stopped in front of a room.

Kiara widen her eyes in horror, she stared at Maya in confusion. "You aren't gifting this room?" She couldn't believe her eyes.

Maya had a special space for her grandma's room. Maya assured her with a smile. "You often adored the room. Unlike others you not only admired its beauty but valued my memories linked to it." A beautiful smile was stored on her face. "You never questioned me for holding something like a room so prestigious. I guess I can trust you with this treasure."

"No, Maya... This room holds a lot of value to you. If I stay here, it will miss the significant. This room isn't just a wall built with bricks. You have memories store over here. You feel her presence and you shouldn't allow anyone to erase it."

"I want to allow more memories to be created, Kiara. Sometimes holding close to our past memories don't allow us to create new. I want to allow new ones to be created while appreciating the past ones." Maya's those words made Kiara to stare at her a minute longer.

Kiara admired Maya's presence as she was way similar to her, and it was easy to understand each other. Kiara could understand importance of memories one held in life. The reason, she had stored so many birthday cards still in her locker. She no longer had contact with those individuals yet those card was stored as their memory. She valued it as much as Maya did!

Kiara loved the vibes, Maya's mini-cottage provide her with. She often had loved to visit it as a child. As Maya had lived her childhood with her grandma. She was much closer to her than her parents. Kiara on her visits often had mentioned how much she adored grandma's room, never thinking in her wildest dream that Maya would ever offer it to her. Maya opposed the idea of anyone entering her granny's room. Other cousin considered her sentimental but Kiara understood the emotion's involved with the room.

"You know, Kiara," Maya whispered, taking a step into the room. "Granny used to say that we should never hold on to our past too tight. It always hinders our growth for future. I never understood her until I saw you staring at the picture." Maya's words made Kiara stare at her in curiousness. "I don't know, what is it Kiara? What moments of your past is you holding so tight but allow yourself to loosen up. Only if you loosen your grip on the past, you will be able to grab your future."