Story of a Girl

By Aparajita

Mai Minomoto knows it ain’t easy being half – Indian and half - Japanese. To make matters worse she doesn’t get along with her family and she starting a new school! She doesn’t know how she’s going to make friends and she doesn’t if she’ll be accepted. Worst of all the demons of her past aren’t ready to let her go so what’s she to do

• Language: English
• Publisher: Notion Press
• Release date: Sep 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9789383416943

Book preview

me

Prologue

What are friends and family? What are relationships and bonds? What are dreams and aspirations? What is freedom?

These are the questions that I have always asked myself. I have never known what family was or what friends were. I don’t understand the true meaning or importance of a relationship or a bond. I don’t understand why people dream. I don’t understand why people like to know that they are free. I’ve heard that friends and family are important, but my own family has thrown me away, and my own friends stabbed me in the back. I’ve been told that my dreams are important as well – then why have my dreams always been shattered? I’ve heard that everyone is free – then why have I always been locked away and chained, unable to live the way I wish to?

So I ask again, what are friends and family. What are dreams and aspirations? What is freedom?

1

Story of a Girl

I got out of the car and ran towards my new school. I could hear the warning bell ring.

Awesome.

Late on the very first day. Way to go Mai.

I ran into the school a few minutes before the front gate closed. I went to the front office. A lady stood there and she was screaming in the phone. She turned around, looked at me and smiled. Good lord that was one creepy smile.

Okasan! Otosan! Tasukete! (Mom! Dad! Save Me!)

Hello sweetie, new student? she asked and I nodded.

She flashed me another creepy smile and then took hold of my hand. She led me out of the office to the corridors where there were children roaming around. The students looked at me and some of them giggled. I didn’t have to guess why.

The office lady was still holding my hand. God this was so embarrassing.

Let go.

Let go.

LET GO OF MY HAND!

She led me to my class which was the humanities section class XI. There was absolutely no one in the class. There were a few bags lying around but no kids. The office lady smiled at me and then left. I just stood in the class and stared at the empty chairs.

Where in the world was everyone?

Two girls brushed past me and gave me a weird look. They threw their bags on random seats and then left. Well, better go and get a seat rather than stand around like a complete moron. I went to the last seat of the third row, put my bag away, and sat down. I was fidgeting like a squirrel and I didn’t know why. I already knew what was going to happen.

People were going to come into the class, take one look at me and declare me a weirdo. Then I would spend the rest of my high school days as a loner.

This wasn’t something new for me. In my last school I had to go through the same thing, so I didn’t care much. Well at least I thought I didn’t. My attitude right now shocked me a lot. What was wrong with me?

A girl walked up to me. She had shoulder length dark brown hair and brown eyes, and she wore specs.

Hi! she said cheerfully.

Hi, I squeaked.

Yeah Mai. Nice time to become the nervous dufus.

My name is Naomi. What’s yours? she asked.

My name is Mai, I said and she stared at me.

My? she asked.

No. M-A-I. Mai. I tried to explain while she stared at me blankly.

It was so obvious that she thought I was a freak. I was prepared for her to make up an excuse and run for it.

Uh- uh- uh Kohinoor! Come meet Mai. She called out to the two girls who had just entered.

The girl looked at Naomi, and then she smiled at me and introduced herself.

Kohinoor had brown hair which seemed to be always covering one of her eyes. She had a pair of hazel green eyes and they were so very pretty.

Naomi and Kohinoor were best friends. They seemed so very different from each other, but even I, a stranger, could tell they were close.

They were asking me about my school and other random things when the bell rang again and students began to come in. As the students streamed in I began to shake on the inside. Otto-san! Oka-san! Taskete!

Everyone went to their respective seats but no one sat down. They joined their hands and began to pray. Oh hell. They began to chant the prayer while I just stood there looking around. I didn’t know any prayers. I was an atheist for God’s sake! Atheists don’t pray!

The prayer ended (finally!) and everyone sat down.

Good morning class! The teacher said as she came in.

The whole class greeted her while I looked around nervously.

Ok class, we have some new students, so that’s why I want each student to get up and introduce themselves, the teacher said, and I groaned.

Shit! Oh shit!

No. No. No. NO!

Not this! Anything but this!

I did not want to get up and introduce myself because if I did that then everyone would stare at me and I hated being the centre of attention.

One by one everyone got up and introduced themselves and soon it was my turn. I took a deep breath and got up while tugging at my uniform’s skirt.

Hi. My name is Mai Minamoto, I said.

Everyone stared at me, waiting for me to say that I was joking but I wasn’t. I knew why they were all shocked. They must be thinking, how can she look like that and have such a name? Sometimes I wondered the same.

I was half-Indian and half-Japanese. My dad was Japanese while my mom was Indian. They met each other on some college school trip and fell madly in love.

Amongst all my siblings I was the only one who looked like a fully fledged Indian and had a fully fledged Japanese name. My older siblings had American or British names while I and my younger brother had Japanese names. Unfortunately, my younger brother looked Japanese and he didn’t go to school yet.

Yay me!

Um ... Ok Mai. You can sit down, the teacher said, and I blushed furiously.

The class finally knew what a freak I was and that was the end of the Mai looking forward to making friends. Now I was just looking forward to my lonely high school life.

I was completely alone. It was like I was invisible to the whole class and it was really sad. I knew this was going to happen. I should have never expected to make friends. I mean seriously, what the hell was wrong with me?

The bell rang and it was time for recess. Most of the kids left the class while some were still sitting inside. I decided to do some writing because I knew I was going to be alone even during recess.

I always wrote when I felt lonely and, well, that was a lot. I was a person with no friends and I didn’t get along with my family, so I spent most of my time writing. When I wrote I didn’t feel alone. I had just pulled out my notebook when Naomi called for me.

Hey Mai what are you doing all alone? Come sit with us! she said, and I just stared at her blankly.

Somebody actually wanted to hang out with me?

That was new.

I got up and sat down with them. With them were two other girls. The girl with the long, straight black hair and blue eyes was Megha, and the girl with the curly brown hair and black eyes was Alia, Megha’s sister. Megha and Alia were fraternal twins.

I instantly clicked with Naomi and Kohinoor. Even though they were different from me I could easily get along with them, which was new for me since I didn’t get along with anyone.

When everyone was finished, Naomi treated us all to ice cream. On the way to get our ice creams Megha and I got into a heated discussion about school uniforms. We could all agree that our school uniform was the best.

We had barely taken our ice creams out of the wrappers when the bell rang. It was time for class. We all chomped down on our ice creams on the way to class. I was so going to get a brain freeze. In the hurry to get back to class and finish my ice cream I lost everyone except Naomi. Naomi and I finished our ice creams before entering the class. The rest of the gang was already there.

Where were you guys? Kohinoor asked.

Lost, I replied.

How can you get lost in school? Alia asked and Naomi and I burst out laughing.

The others joined us as well and the people around us stared at us like we were freaks. This was the first time that someone actually stared at me while I laughed, and it felt kinda good.

The day had ended; I was back home and was alone. No one was home yet. Mum and Dad were at work while my older siblings were at college. Yoichi, my younger brother was too young to stay home alone, and so Mum took him with her to her office. She didn’t like the idea of sending him to day care so she kept him with her.

I went straight to my room and locked the door. I spent the rest of my day listening to music and writing. I didn’t know when my family came back home and I didn’t even care. Around 8 p.m. Mum called me for dinner, and so I went for dinner. At dinner I didn’t say a word to my family and they didn’t say a word to me. Dinner ended and the time for any conversation with my parents also ended. Other than dinner I never saw my parents and siblings. Most people would be depressed, but I just didn’t care. My family didn’t care whether I was alone or not, and I didn’t care whether they were there or not.

It was always like this, and I knew that it would never change. I had long ago stopped hoping for things to change, and I had long ago stopped caring.

My parents bought me clothes and anything else I needed and sent me to school, and I knew that other than that I would get no affection from their side.

I had spent more than half my life without their love, and I knew I could spend the rest like that as well.

2

We Don’t Need No Education

I was sitting in class and staring at two guys slow dancing. It was funny as hell. The first guy who was supposed to be the girl in the dance had brown hair and he was quite tall. His eyes were closed and for some reason he was pouting. The other guy was even taller and he wore his hair long. For some reason even he was pouting.

These two are Anil and Sahil, the pretend gay couple of our class, Naomi explained.

Pretend gay couple? I asked.

Yeah. They aren’t really gay they just pretend they are. It’s nothing against gay people, she explained.

Wow.

This class was getting weirder and weirder.

Anil! My beautiful girlfriend I love you! Sahil exclaimed and Anil blushed.

Wait wasn’t Sahil the girl? I asked.

No. Anil is the girl and Sahil is the boy. I know it’s complicated but after sometime you’ll get used to it, Megha replied.

Um ... ok if you say so, I said.

I heard that our class teacher is leaving school, Kohinoor said to Naomi.

Seriously? Naomi said.

I wonder why, Megha said.

Her husband got a transfer and she’s going to Dubai with him, Kohinoor said

Everyone got into a discussion about the teacher while I just looked at them as they spoke. I had friends but I was still kinda alone. Everyone had known each other for a long time while I was the newbie. They knew everything about each other and sometimes talked about things which I didn’t understand. I was glad to have friends, but I was still keeping my distance because nothing in my life lasted. The only thing that never left me was my loneliness.

Hey Mai what do you think? Naomi asked.

I just shrugged my shoulders because I actually didn’t have a clue about what they were saying. It just seemed rude to say that I was too busy thinking than listening to what someone had to say to me.

Mai are you ok? Kohinoor asked me.

Yeah I’m fine, I said and flashed my best fake smile.

She still didn’t look convinced and was going to say something when the bell rang, and the teacher came in followed by the principal.

Our principal Mr Kumar was a short fat man with a receding hairline. When I met him the first time during my interview with him I thought that he couldn’t possibly be the principal. Up till now, all the principals I had seen were sophisticated and extremely strict looking people while Mr Kumar was always smiling and seemed to have a laid back attitude.

Good morning sir, said the whole class, and Mr Kumar smiled.

"Good morning class. I just came by to tell you a few things. Behave and study hard because 11th is an important class and you have to get good marks. Treat your teachers with respect.

Be friends with the new students and do not try to pull any stupid pranks," Mr Kumar said glaring at the boys

Ah yes, Mr Kumar was also known for his temper. He was extremely laid back and never lost his cool, but when he did lose his cool, yeah, well the people because of whom he lost his cool were as good as dead.

Mr Kumar looked around the class, and then he saw me sitting all alone and smiled a crazy smile. He winked at me and then left. Ok weird.

Hey Mai, have you stayed in India your whole life? Naomi asked, and I shook my head.

I came to India about three years ago. I have lived in Japan for the better part of my life, I said.

Why did you suddenly come to India then? Megha asked.

Oh due to certain family reasons, I replied.

Come on you gotta tell us why, Naomi said but I shook my head.

I wish I could but I can’t, I said, and they all let it go.

They didn’t seem happy about the fact that I didn’t tell them why I was in India. Why would I? Me being in India was a secret, and secrets were only told to friends you trusted. I had barely known any of them and anyways I knew that even they wouldn’t stay around for long. No one ever did.

After that conversation no one seemed to notice me. My existence was once again ignored, but I didn’t mind. I was just used to it.

Half the day was already over. My friends were still not really speaking to me, but I didn’t do much about it. I actually didn’t know what to do about it. I had no experience with friends and the very fact of me not telling them something and them being miffed about it confused me. Everyone had a right to keep secrets, so why were they angry that I kept one?

It was the middle of History class when an announcement was made.

All senior and junior school teachers please report to the conference room for a staff meeting, the principal announced.

Naomi grinned at Kohinoor as the History teacher left for the staff meeting.

This is so cool! Staff meetings take forever, so by the time the staff meeting is over it’ll be last period! Kohinoor exclaimed.

Let’s play the trust game! Naomi announced to the whole class.

The whole class cheered. I looked around bewildered as the boys got up and started moving chairs and desks away from the teacher’s table. Anil came up to me.

Can I take your desk? he asked.

Excuse me? I asked shocked.

Your desk. It’s flat, so it’s the best for the Trust Game, He explained, but I still didn’t get it.

He motioned for the desk and I just let him take it. As the boys arranged the class Sahil began to sing.

We don’t need no education! he sang.

Was he singing Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd?

We don’t need no thought control! Anil joined in.

Yes. Yes they were.

No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teachers leave them kids alone Hey teacher leave them kids alone, Naomi sang.

All in all it’s just another brick in the wall. All in all you’re just another brick in the wall, Kohinoor sang.

Then the whole class joined in. I just sat in my chair like a mute duck trying to figure out what was going on. Chairs and desks were being moved away and the children were singing on the top of their lungs. Weren’t they scared that the teachers may hear them?

What if the teachers hear you guys? I asked Megha, and she grinned.

That’s the best part of being in this school. The campus is really big and to top it off the Conference room is on the other end of the school, so the teachers would never hear us, she