THE LITTLE PRINCESS OF HIROSHIMA - chapter 1

Author: Pierre Marchand

Vietnamese : Doãn Thị Quý

English : Seamus Browne

Illustration: Catalina Pérez

THE GOOD SIGN

The little princess had something unique : she seemed to be the friend of the wind.

A Summer morning, she left her house very early, no sooner she was dressed, to rejoin her friend the wind and to run with him, until she was out of breath.

Her mum was saying by joking to whom wants to hear, that the little princess had learnt to run even before to know to walk !

In her race with the wind she did not notice the hot sun of this month of August, that dazzled the eyes of the people walking around, by playing with her long black hair. She, she looked only ahead.

This day, the sky was as blue as the sea that spread far away, to the infinity. Not a single cloud in the blue sky azure. The princess lives there a good luck sign, she always saw signs of good forebodes everywhere !

Back in her house, she found her sister and her two brothers that still slept peacefully.

“Wake up, get up !” she call to her elder brother, " it is the Day of Peace today !

Yawning and stretching, her elder brother grumbled some incomprehensible sounds. He would have liked so much to sleep again and again. As all boys of its age, fourteen years, he liked a lot to eat. More than the words of the little princess, it is the good smell of the breakfast that decided him finally to lift.

The princess helped her younger brother to dress, to avoid to waste time. For a six years boy, it is still quite difficult and he often forgot where he had left his shirt or a sock ! Then the princess, in her haste, made equally the beds. Her sister, who was nine, helped her to finish to tidy up the whole.

As a whirlwind, she rush in the kitchen.

"Oh, mum, I am too impatient ! Gives us quickly our breakfast so we could go to the carnival …", she shouted, clearly excited.

Her mum was busy preparing everything, but was surprised by the words of the little princess. " My daughter ", she said, " you are grown up enough now and you would have to understand the senses of this day. You know although this is not a carnival. You are eleven years now, it is great time that you realize that we celebrate today - as each year - a unforgettable day that we call henceforth the Day of Peace ".

Her father was listening at the door. " Yes ", he says, "and you would have henceforth to show respect. Because you should always remember you that this barrel equally the day where your grandmother pass away in great suffering". The princess seams constricted of her exiting, the impatience that prevented her to hold in place since the second where she had woke. " Yes, Daddy ", replied - intimidated by him, " but I respect grandmother. I pray for her each morning. But I am so much happy today, so much happy… ".

"Well, that may be", tells her father, " it is the hour of our prayer now".

All the family gathered in circle around the little altar of the house, on which rested a photograph of the grandmother in a browned framework.

The little princess, very discreetly, lifted her eyelids, to see if ever she could see the spirit of her grandmother floating above the altar. But her father reminded her gently to close them, and she declined again her head as all the family.

Her father prayed to voice aloud. For the rest of dead, but equally to thank for the barber’s work, and equally for its wife and their four children. Finally he prayed that members of its family be spared from the terrible sickness that had struck so many of families in the city. Leukaemia had been spreading death for nine long years. Ever since the day that was remebered now as the " Day of Peace ".

The little princess, as soon as the prayer was over, has been unable to prevent to swallow noisily her breakfast. Her elder brother joked by saying that girls were eating as dragons. But the princess remembered the feast of the last year, she remembered the immense crowd, the music and firecrackers !

Of course, she ended up her breakfast before everyone else. She lifted so hurriedly that she fails even to jostle the table ! She was rather tall for her age and her long legs seemed always on the move… She asked her sister to help her to wash the dishes so as to be able to rush out as soon as possible.

As soon as the kitchen was clean, the princess stand firm in front of the door, now even more impatient !

" We do not leave before half past seven ! " tells gently her mum, "goes therefore to seat… ". Her relatives were never in a hurry. While she sat, a spider crossed the coin. For the little princess, that could be only a good sign ! It was therefore again more sure than this day was going to be wonderful. She took the spider in her hand, then put it delicately outside.

Her brother mocked her again, " spiders are not signs of good luck… ", he says with insurance. " We will see well, waits and you will see well ", she replied joyfully.