Started with Goodbye

Someone's Point of View I saw a girl running on the street. She looked like she's on a hurry and she doesn't even bother giving attention on her surroundings. She continuously bump into people, say sorry, then run again until she arrived at the pedestrian crossing like nothing happened. She did not bother to look if a car will pass by or if the light is green or red, she continued to run across the street when unexpectedly, a car appear. I suddenly feel nervous for her, so I run as fast as I could towards her direction. I heard the shouts and voices of the people around us but I don't give a d*mn about them, the only thing in mind was to save the girl. The car was just a meter away from her when I reached her arm and grabbed her. We roll out on the cemented road while I was hugging her tiny and fragile body to protect her from any scratches. I didn't care if I had wounds, scratches, or even broken bones, the only thing in my mind is to protect this child, this girl named Hera. After that, all I can hear was the loud screams and shock voices of the passersby and nonstop buzzing of the vehicles. I looked up and scanned the surroundings, when I already made sure that everything is under control, I stood up and helped Hera to stand. "Are you alright?" I asked her while checking if she had any scratches. I stood still when I saw that she had large cut on her left knee. "You have scratches, let's go I'll go with you in the hospital to check if you're really alright." I got my phone on my pocket and look for the number of emergency to call an ambulance for her. She needs to be check. I thought. I was a bit startled when someone suddenly held my hand, when I looked who it is, it's Hera. I suddenly panicked and asked her, "Why? Are you alright? Where does it hurt? I'm already calling the hospital for an ambulance," I asked while leveling my height on her. She just shook her head and whispered something but I can't hear it. I lean closely to hear what she was saying. "What is it?" I asked her. She looked at me straight to my eyes. "I'm alright Mister. Thank you so much for saving me," she said but tears are starting to build up in her eyes. "Are you sure?" I asked for confirmation. I also bring down the phone I'm using to call the emergency hotline of the nearest hospital. Instead of answering me, she just nodded her head to confirm that she's okay. I feel assured and lead her to the park near the place where the accident happened. The out lookers that surrounds us went away one by one when they saw that both of us were in good condition. We sat on a bench while I carefully tend her wounds, making sure not to hurt her in any way. I put band aid on her wounds when I make sure that it was already clean and free from infection. I saw her looking at what I'm doing on her wounds while trying to prevent herself from crying. I smiled because of that. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked her while preventing myself from laughing because I saw her trying her best to put on a brave face. "Of course! Mommy said to me that I have to be brave so that other kids will not bully and make fun of me. Mommy also said that crying means you are weak that's why I will never cry because of this small wound!" My smile widen because of what she said. "You are very brave indeed, Hera." I can't stop myself from saying that, she is very brave indeed. It seems like I got her attention because she smiled sweetly at me and suddenly she starts to tell stories on how brave she is. "Did you know Mister, I never cry just because of my wounds. When there is someone that will fight me, I also don't cry." Her stories continued while I just sit there, listening while smiling on her every story. After she finished talking I asked her, "By the way, why are you in a hurry a while ago? Is everything okay?" She suddenly freezes while her eyes are turning big like she remembered something she needs to do. "Ah! I forgot them, I forgot Rabbit," she said and hurriedly rose from where she was sitting. I got shocked when she suddenly held my hand while smiling. "Let's go Mister, I will introduce you to Rabbit as a thank you gift for saving me." She tugged my hand that's why I didn't have any other choice but to follow her into where she is going. "Careful, Hera," I said because she walks too fast and I'm afraid that she might fall. We walk for a few more minutes until we reach on what I think is a pet adaptation center, or a place that is similar to that. Hera went to the area at the back of the pet adoption center and that's where I saw why she was in a hurry. Hera let go of my hand and reach out her hand that is full of foods for rabbits. She sat down beside me while looking at the rabbit she is feeding. "Is this the reason why you are in a hurry a while ago?" I asked her while looking on what she is doing. She looked at me and cutely grinned. "Yes Mister, there is no one interested in taking care of this rabbits, that's why I asked the caretaker of this center if I can feed them. They agreed but the rabbits are not allowed to go outside of this place that's why I'm feeding them here," she told me while getting a tub full of foods on the bag she's carrying. I stilled when she suddenly handed me one pack of the food she brought out. "You can feed them too, Mister." I smiled at what she said and grab the food she's offering. We just continued to feed the rabbits until one old man, what I think is the caretaker of this animal or pet adoption center, arrived. The old man smiled at Hera, his gazed turned to me, stare at me for a second, and smiled. "Oh young lady, you're here already. You don't even greet me when you arrived earlier." Hera looked at the old man and smiled until it reached her eyes. "Hello, I'm sorry I forgot to greet you, it's just that I arrived late today because of something that happened on my way here. Good thing that this Mister helped me or else I will be on a very big trouble." She turned her gazed at me while showing her brightest smile. I got up from where I was seated and shoved away the dirt on the pants I'm wearing before I face the caretaker of the center. "I saved Hera earlier because a car was so close on hitting her. She was running so fast because according to her she was already late on feeding this rabbits. Luckily I was passing by at the area and pulled her on the sidewalk before she the car can hit her," I explained to him. The calm expression of the old man suddenly changed. He walked closely to Hera and check if she had any wounds or scratches. "Didn't I told you to be careful every time you're going here?" He lectured Hera. "But... But he saved me, this mister saved me." The caretaker carefully looked at me for a brief second before he gave his attention back at Hera. "What if this happen again? What would you do? Huh Hera? What if it happened again and he's not there? I'm sure your mother will be worried again. Be careful next time okay? Do you understand me, Hera?" Hera bowed her head down, but just like earlier she didn't cry. "I'm really sorry, promise this will never happen again. I just want to feed Rabbit along with the others, immediately." The caretaker sighed like a problematic man before he stood up. "Rabbit and the other animals can wait for you young lady. And, they will be glad if you are being careful while going here," he said before turning to face me. "Thank you so much for saving her, I will never ever forgive myself if something terrible will happen to her." I show my most genuine smile and nodded, "No problem, I just did what is right." The caretaker sighed deeply before he bid goodbye, "Alright, I'll leave both of you here, Hera always remember what I told you, be careful next time okay?" Hera nodded while she cheerfully waved goodbye at the caretaker. "Okay, be careful to you too!" The caretaker also waved his hand, nodded at me and left. We stayed there for about an hour before Hera urged me to go home. I went with her and guarded her while walking towards her home because the surrounding is slowly consumed by darkness. "I have a question for you, Mister." I slow down my pace so that we can walk side by side. "What is your question?" I asked. "How did you know my name, Mister? I remember clearly that I did not say my name to you," she asked me, confusion is written on her adorable face. I suddenly froze because of her question, "Mister?" Her voice brought me back to reality because I just stopped walking, thinking the right answer for her question. I smiled at her. "The caretaker did say your name a while ago, remember?" She think for a while before she frowned at me, "Liar!" I stopped walking for the second time because of what she said to me, "Why did you call me liar, Hera?" "You said my name before we went to the center, I remember clearly that I did not tell my name to you, not even once," she said while I'm walking behind her. I smiled at her before I walked towards her, I got my wallet at my pants, and took out a picture that I'm keeping for a very long time, a picture of her. Hera stop walking when she realize that I am not walking beside her anymore. "Mister?" she called me while I'm walking slowly towards her direction. I knelt down in front of her to face her eye to eye. I reached out for her soft little hands and gave her the portrait. "You will know someday Hera, not now, but someday for sure," I said, softly. Hera look down on the portrait I gave her. "Who is she, Mister?" she asked. "She is everything," I said. "Your wife?" "She is my world." I smiled at her. She looked again at the portrait she's holding. "She is so beautiful, Mister." My smile widen because of what she said. "Indeed she is. For me, she is the most beautiful woman I ever met." I stood properly before I turn my gaze at the sunset. "Do you love her?" "She have a huge part on my life that cannot be filled by someone else, she is someone that cannot be erased, Hera. The reason why I'm here today," I explained to her "Then why are you giving this to me?" Tears are starting to build up in my eyes. "Someday Hera, someday you will understand everything." She was about to ask me another question when someone called her name. "Hera." We both turned our head to look for the one who called her, I smiled. It was her mother. "Mommy!" She squealed before she ran towards her mother. "Hera, who is he? The one with you?" her mother asked her while looking at me. "He saved me a while ago, Mommy." She then told her Mom what happened and why I am with her. "You see Mommy, he is not a bad guy, he even help me feed the rabbits at the center," she told her mom as she finished her story. Her mom tuned her gaze at me before she carry Hera, "Thank you so much for saving her." I nodded while smiling softly, even though my heart is shattering slowly. "No problem, I just did what is right." "Let's go, Hera." They turned their back and walked away from where I'm standing. I can't stopped myself anymore, my tears began to swell up and fell down from my eyes, nonstop. "Bye, Mister. Thank you for today. Thank you for saving me," she said brightly while waving her hand at me. I tried to stop my tears from falling, I tried to answer her but I can't, my voice is cracking and I can't help but to choked up. I watched her walk away from me while she is holding her mother’s hand. She waved her hands at me again then she walked without looking back at me. I smiled and dropped my hand. "Bye Hera, until you meet my yesterday.”