Angel beside her.

Promises

"I'm not your Uncle Stephen young lady. I'm the great Loin King," softness dropped from the voice and all of a sudden it was booming and echoing in her room.

As the lights switched on she saw Stephen wearing the robes like those of Lion King, she remembered watching that movie months ago.

"I'll be extremely delighted if you join me for dinner Young Lady," he offered his hand for her to take. She held his hand and jumped down from her bed. For the moment she forgot about his promise of Amusement Park and continued to play along Uncle Stephen's new game.

"What's for the dinner Lion King?" she asked smiling as they went downstairs.

"Everything you want," he returned the smile answering with his booming voice.

"Anything?" she looked surprised.

"Yes young lady. Here you go," he clapped his hands and lights switched on.

Susan found herself looking at the most beautiful dinner she had ever seen. A large table in the centre had all sorts of dishes decorated on it. Candles lighted in the corners of room, walls were glowing with beautiful lights; a soft scent in the air gave it a fresh feel.

"Woaaah!" she looked around.

"Have a seat Young Lady," 'Lion King' pulled a chair out for her. Susan was too astonished to speak anything she nodded enthusiastically and sat on the chair.

"Begin serving dinner to my royal guest," he clapped again and her mother and grandma appeared with royal blue robes and started serving dinner.

"Woaaah! You too look awesome," she commented looking at them with awe.

"You too look splendid Young Lady," Lion King beamed while taking a seat beside her.

"You made my favorite cheese sandwich?" she squealed.

"All for you young lady," he bowed making Roxanne and grandmother giggle.

"I loved it Uncle Stephen!" Susan delightfully poked her fork into last piece of chocolate cake. "Now I'm all stuffed," she did a thumbs-up sign.

"I'm happy that you liked it Young Lady. Let's go back to your room now." He offered his hand again, "You should get a beauty sleep as you don't have a holiday tomorrow," With that he dropped her to her room thinking the child forgot about the promise.

"Grandma I need your help," Susan walked into her grandmother's room with a pen and notebook along with her.

"What's it my child?" she asked softly looking at the little figure standing in the middle of her room.

"Can you help me write my diary? I'm not well versed in writing like you," she put forth the beautiful notebook she had gifted her this year on her birthday along with a pen.

"You're so adorable Susan. Come let's get started with it," she beamed and both of them sat on the bed.

"I'll say and you'll pen down everything. Kay Grannie?"

"Yes mam," she laughed.

"Today was Sunday. I woke up remembering Uncle Stephen had promised me that he will take me to Amusement Park. I waited for him after we had our breakfast. He didn't return until 6:30 p.m. in the evening, he was feeling tired due to work and forgot about his promise. But he organized a great dinner for me. He became The Lion King and Grannie and Mother also dressed up in beautiful robes. Dinner was amazing; they made my favorite things for me. I wanted to go to Amusement Park but I think dinner was a great idea too. Right now Grannie is writing this for me since I'm not well-versed in writing like her but I'll learn to write just like Grannie someday." Tears rolled down her eyes as she wrote the diary for Susan.

Surely a child cannot forget about promises adults make.

"What's wrong Grannie?" Susan looked at her as she wiped her tears.

"Nothing my child. Come here let Grannie give you a hug," she opened her arms and engulfed her holding onto her as if protecting her from the world. Susan fell asleep in her grandmother's arms that night.

***

"I've admitted you to Redwood High School, and you'll be going for hostel there," her father announced at a dinner one evening.

"I don't wanna go to hostel I'd rather stay with Grannie here." Susan said without looking up from her plate.

"For God's sake Susan can you ever grow up? You can't stay with your grandmother forever!" Roxanne raised her voice.

"And you are no one to tell me that!" Susan slammed her hands on table as she rose up and left the dining room leaving everyone staring at her.

"You should be gentle with her while making such a big decision. You are well aware that she barely makes any friends at school. Sending her to hostel at an early age will create another social isolating situation for her." Her grandmother said looking at Xander directly in his eyes. Her gaze was sharp and soft at same time.

"Mother you're making things difficult here. Being exposed to a different environment will make her develop more," Roxanne interrupted.

She sighed, "All right. She's your child after all,"

'I don't wanna go to hostel.' Susan started writing in her diary as a soft knock at the door interrupted her.

"What's it?" she demanded placing her diary back into her desk.

"It's me Susan," her grandmother replied form other side.

Susan opened the door and let her inside.

"I wanted to talk to the stars today. Wanna join?"

"Let's go!" she answered without hesitation.

Both of them sat on the bean bags in the balcony. Wind was blowing softly relieving them in the summer season. Stargazing was something Susan had always loved since she was seven. Her grandmother had taught her a great deal about many stars and constellations up there.

"So you think you're not ready to go to hostel?" Her grandmother asked gently stroking the leaves of [garden plant].

"I don't wanna talk about it," she said stiffly, something she had never done before.

She sighed looking up at the Hercules in the sky.

"Look at the sky my child; it looks like it'll rain in a few days."

"How can you say so? The sky is clear tonight." She said in a soft manner now.

"Clouds take time to form, and so does the rain." She paused for a while, "You see when a drop falls from a cloud it goes into river and then continues down to the ocean. A lot of other drops in the ocean right? But that one drop makes it straight into an Oyster. Deep down. What made that one drop different from others was its choice to leave the comfort zone."

Susan listened silently. She traced the outline of Hercules in the sky.

"I don't wanna go. The thought of leaving you makes me sad,"

"Feeling sad to leave doesn't mean you shouldn't go,"

Susan looked at her with tears threatening to fall down anytime.

"I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me." Grandma said as she moved to hug her. That soft hug made her lose it all and she burst into tears.

"Shhh! You go and study well okay your parents and Stephen are here to take care of me. Besides, I want you to work hard for your life," grandmother patted her as she sobbed while hugging her.

"Mhmm" Susan said as she was unable to get the words out of her throat.