Allium - A loss is also a gain...

Two years ago…

                Liliane hummed happily as she walked alongside her mother towards the hair salon. She had been working with her mother at the salon for about a year now. Liliane felt so proud to work by her mothers side. While her heart yearned for an adventure, she was still very happy by her mothers side, learning to do what she does. She learned all sorts of tricks but her favorite thing was surely dying hair. She enjoyed it greatly for some reason. Perhaps it was due to the fact she got to create a very unique look for someone, or maybe it was just that it was like painting.

                The day was like any other, it seemed so normal, so peaceful. Liliane was sweeping up the hairs from the last customers. Liliane’s mother had asked her to retrieve something from the back. Liliane couldn’t recall now what that was even if she tried her hardest, what came next was far too world shattering. She returned just a few minutes later, but found her mother collapsed on the floor. She cried out in fear, her heart racing as she rushed over and tried to get her mother to speak to her.

“Mother?! Mother! Mother please say something! Please!”  she begged, frantically shaking her before pushing two fingers against her neck, trying to find a pulse. She was able to find one, but it was weak. She rushed from the salon quickly, rushing down the street. “Help! Someone please help!” she cried. “I need a doctor!” she rushed towards the nearest doctor she knew of, bolting into the room and begging with the nurse to get him. “Please you must hurry! My mother collapsed! Please!” she pleaded. It took a few minutes but Liliane returned with the doctor just in time. He managed to get her stable and two men from the town helped carry her mother to the doctors office.

                Hours felt like days and days felt like months. It had been about a week of her mother being bed ridden. She had woken up after a few hours, but kept sleeping quite often, as if she didn’t have enough energy to keep going. The doctor was finally able to deduce her mother had been struggling with a heart condition for years now that had finally caught up with her. Unfortunately nothing could be done with the damage that she had taken over the years.

                Liliane felt the world crushing down on her chest after hearing this news. Having no other family around, she suddenly felt as though she was very lonely in this world. Even with momo always by her side, she still worried she’d not have anyone to teach her things anymore, that she could never be as good a hair stylist as her mother without her direct help. After learning the news, liliane cried in her chair for a few hours. Her mother woke up and found her that way. She called her over and held liliane tight.

“Don’t cry my sweet girl…no matter what happens to me, I will always be with you…” she told her, smiling and nuzzling her hair. “I will guide you, and you won’t even know it. I will watch you grow old and get married someday…you will never be alone...” she hummed softly, making liliane calm a bit from the familiar tune. It was a song her mother always sung to her as a child. Liliane slowly began to hum with her, closing her eyes as she sniffled softly.

                Not having her mother around seemed so unfitting. But she knew that she’d make her mother proud, she’d do her best and work hard, no matter what it took. She wouldn’t let anything get in the way of her dreams anymore either. She vowed this day that she would become an adventurer, no matter how long it took her.

                Only a couple days later, Liliane’s mother passed away in her sleep. She had a small funeral, letting anyone who wanted come to mourn her passing. She stood in the front, holding momo in her arms as she watched. It seemed even momo knew what had happened, and wept for liliane who had been seemingly as emotionless as possible.

                That night though liliane held onto her companion, sobbing and crying to her hearts content. She felt more alone in this world then she had ever felt before, but tried her best to remind herself she still had momo, and her father could be out there somewhere. She let out a shaky breath, shaking her head before looking at momo.

“I’m gonna be an adventurer momo…someday…im gonna save all I can..” she said before smiling a little and sniffling. “We’re gonna go on a big adventure and see the world…” she nuzzled momo’s hair, smiling as momo let out a squeaky giggle. Even though she had lost someone so important to her, she knew it was only meant to be. She couldn’t let it ruin her life, or make her life unworthy of living. Instead she chose she’d live for the two of them, live her life to the fullest for her mother. That is the best way to honor her memory…