Song Of Life

Part 2

Harmony woke up Melody and stared at the food on the small table. Three chairs was placed around the round table, the delicious smell overlapped with other smells making it hard to think how unappetizing the food looked. "This is Kai Med Ma Muang, chicken with cashew nuts. Tourists go crazy for this! I learnt how to make this from my friend! It's delicious!!" Helena said proudly. The twins tried a sample and gasped at the taste. The wildly contrasting textures of the saucy chicken alongside roasted cashews and onions. Their was sweet soy sauce spread around the dish, chillies, pepper and carrot making the red color. The twins could taste a hint of mushrooms and honey. This simple but scrumptious dish is yet still totally Thai!

"Wow!" Breathed Melody. No food could be as good as this! Not even sushi, which comes in quick second. "I knew you would like it!" Helena said, looking relieved. "Now for dessert," she trilled, grabbing three bowls of some kind of white ice cream. "Thai coconut ice cream!"

Harmony and Melody each tried a spoonful, and moaned at the blissful taste. It was cold and creamy, with the occasional crunch from the nuts.

"This is amazing!" Melody gasped out, scraping her bowl clean in seconds. Helena chuckled merrily. She really loved the girls. "Who wants to play Uno?" she asked, cleaning up.

"Aww, can't we have some more ice cream?" Harmony whined, licking her own bowl clean.

"No, you can have some tomorrow," Helena told her sternly, wagging a finger. The three had fun for the rest of the night, playing Uno, and shrieking with laughter. The evening ended way too quickly, and night was beginning to roll in. Helena glanced at the clock on her mantlepiece, and pursed her lips at the time. "Bed," she said curtly, packing up the cards and putting them in the packet.

Both girls pouted, and turned on their puppy-dog eyes. Helena wasn't charmed for a second. "Bed," she said again. "Tomorrow is a big day. You need to be rested, otherwise I will force you to stay home."

Melody's eyes widened in disbelief. "You wouldn't!" she gasped.

"Yes, I would." Helena said. The girls sighed and trudged half-heartedly to their room. All of a sudden, their eyelids felt like lead, and struggled to remain conscious.

"Goodnight Melody..." Harmony yawned sleepily, drifting off to sleep almost immediately. Their heads hit the pillow and let the darkness pull them in a deep sleep. Melody drifted off as well, her dreams about their parents and whether they will come to retrieve them.

Little did they know that their parents won't come. Never...

Helena watched them breath softly, and smiled sadly. Chi and Squiffy jumped on the bed and snuggled next to the twins. They deserved to know the truth, but she didn't want to sadden them.

~

"WAKE UP GIRLS! WE HAVE TO GO TO THE FESTIVAL!" Helena yelled, chucking a pillow on their peaceful faces. Harmony's face turned into a sleepy scowl. A smirk plastered Helena's face.

The two girls stumbled into the shower one at a time, sleeping thinking about the festival.

"There, you look lovely!" Helena trilled as she adjusted Melody's ebony fringe. They left the house to the warmth outside, to the mall in the city for some accessory shopping. Bracelets and necklaces galore, bearing Thai symbols and animals and more.

Helena loved spoiling the children, as she didn't have any. But she knew that she would have to tell the children about their parents sometime soon, though she couldn't bear to spoil their fun.

The day went by exceptionally fast, and it was nearly time when they got home to get dress. Helena told them they would be going to the Yi Peng lantern festival.

Crickets and animals chirped, coming out of their holes and stretching. The air was cool and fragrant with the smell of blossoms. The white sand shimmered in the fading sunlight, and the coconut trees swayed in the breeze.

Monks streamed out, each grasping a beauty with flames, the Lanterns. Everybody lowered themselves onto the marble stone ground, settling into a comfortable position to meditate, to relax the body and mind. The monks presented every family with a candle Helena carefully lighted the candle on the stoney ground. The three placed the lightened candle into the foldable lantern, and waited for the lantern to be filled with hot air.

Helena told the girls to whisper a wish or prayer before the lantern took off. Slowly, the lantern lifted into the sky, helped by the lightened candle. Watching the lanterns fly above, Helena reminded them that if your lantern was out of view before having its light extinguished, you will have bad luck. So with fingers, arms and toes crossed they watch the lanterns it looked like thousands of stars gathering to form unity.

~

Helena dragged them from stall to stall, purchasing food, decorations and more accessories. They sat on an immaculate bench, munching their way through Thai delicacies and snacks. Just as they had finished the last crumb, Helena pulled them to buy another lantern. She softly explained to them the history and the importance of this annual festival, and the reasons Thai cherished this tradition so dearly.

It was nearly midnight when the trio left the city square to the comfort of Helena's home. Helena fought with herself, debating whether or not to tell the girls now.

But they she decided to tell them in the morning, after breakfast. Better let them sleep peacefully.

The sisters went to bed happily without being told about the sad news. Helena watched them wistfully, wondering how she was to tell them. She trudged off to her room and yawned sleepily.

The next morning she was woken up to a massive hug from her two favorite girls and her two favorite pets.

"Morning girls," she mumbled sleepily. Squiffy licked her face softly, while Chi snuggled up beside her.

"I have some bad news."

Entering her small living room, she found Harmony and Melody awaiting the news.

" Girls your...." Helena started, but she couldn't get herself to talk.

"Is it about our parents," Harmony asked her face becoming stony. "Did you kidnap us? Our parents are probably looking for us right now, and we are being held captive by you. I thought you were our friend!"

Helena was reduced to tears. Harmony had every right to say that. Through her sobs, she managed to say, "Your parents are not here, not in this world anymore..."

"What does that mean? What do you mean they aren't here. They will always be, they said so," Melody said, a dull pit in her stomach while a lump formed in her throat.

Helena just shook her head sadly, not daring herself to speak. Knots forming in her stomach. The sisters gathered the worst from this. "Who will take care of us?" Harmony asked softly, her hard eyes turned glassy and wet with unfallen tears. "Could you Helena?"

Helena was touched. "Of course my darling girls. Come here," she said, holding her arms out. Harmony and Melody ran into them, and neither could hold their emotions in anymore. "We shall treasure all the memories we have made together!" Helena said, her voice turned confident.

Over time, the scar of their parents death faded little by little, but didn't disappear. Helena did her best to care for the girls, treating them like her own children.

And every year, they went to the Yi Peng Lantern Festival as a reminder to the time they all met.