Swimming back to Crums was much easier compared to when she was swimming to the surface. She smartly manoeuvred her way too from being seen by the security guards.
She did it with ease this time because she felt relieved of all the pains and because she has met someone that she loves.
She felt more life, strength and hope in her unlike before.
"My coming to the surface was not by mistake." She said to herself, Maneuvering her way across the little rocks under the sea.
At a point she felt bad within herself.
She began to think of what will happen next to her if she gets home.
She tried to envisage what the reactions of Empress Lulu and her daughter princess Bellina would be towards her.
"Will they be happy with me if they see my face again?
I wish to see them in a good mood when I get there so that they wouldn't hurt me or try to interrogate me unnecessarily again.
But…..what if they start bombarding me with questions when I get to the abode, what would be my response to them?"
She kept thinking and panicking on her way home but not until the green fish swam past her, distracting her from her thoughts.
Pam! She hit the green fish which caused it to produce plenty of water bubbles.
She dived over the bubbles with immediate effect.
"You little thing!" She said to the green fish which was wagging its fins in a way that splashed water around that area.
She then continued her journey to the Crums.
This time, her thoughts were deeper.
It was that deep that she almost lost her way.
It was when she could not see clearly anymore because the route she took was darker than usual that she came back to herself.
"Mira, gurl!! You're lost in your thoughts. Think less, gurl. You can do this!"
Those were the words she said to herself to help herself.
She quickly navigated to the supposed route and swam quietly this time while thinking less.
Just a little distance away from the Empress's abode that she collided with Gilmore.
"Oh, shit!" She said, placing her hands on her face.
"Gilmore…..I'm sorry. I am really sorry for not seeing you earlier. I guess I was lost in thoughts," she continued.
"Come here! Don't be sorry dear. He hugged her tightly.
She didn't allow the hug to last so that nobody would see them coupled with the fact that the injuries on her skin have not really healed.
She quickly released herself from him while they looked each other in the eye.
At this moment, Mira was already breathing fast as a result of tiredness.
But that was not bothering her because she knows how to handle her stress no matter how hard it hits her.
After they stared at each other for a while, he lit a smile on his face which made Mira smile back.
"What happened to you, I mean, your skin?"
Mira was quiet, she was hurt at the same time. She wasn't even able to say something instead, she bent her face
"I got your back, Mira. That's why I am here for you.
Like…..I know your problems now and I understand exactly what you're facing but hey…. it's all well.
It's just a phase and you're going to pull through, ok?" He said while holding her by the hands.
I know all of these, Gilmore. I pray to the moon goddess to give her little daughter the strength to put up with everything that is surfacing or might be surfacing later on. She said with a little smile on her face while still trying to hold the tears that had accumulated in her eyes from dropping.
Gilmore then heaved a sigh of relief.
"So, tell me……
What happened to your skin? How did you get all those bruises and where have you been? My sister and I came looking for you but we didn't even see your greenlight.
Thank God that I came back to check on you this evening.
And seeing that you're safe makes me happy."
"Guess what?" Asked Mira excitedly.
"You know how bad I am at guessing, this pretty thing." Said Gilmore dragging her nose.
This very action got her laughing.
"My nose!" she said, amidst laughter.
She tried to adjust herself a little.
This time, she went closer to the rock that was behind them.
"Don't worry…..I will tell you.
I will tell you everything, she continued with a smile on her face.
I will tell you how I got the bruises and my adventure today."
Then, she began to talk.
Gilmore likes listening to her when she's talking because she is a girl of wisdom and again, she had got a cute voice that was really sweet to listen to. She would always say things that would go a long way to inspire the listener depending on what she is talking about.
So, he listened with keen interest to know exactly what kept her away from the Crums almost throughout the whole day.
"Ok….."she rolled her eyes up, and sideways.
"I will tell you everything, '' she continued while grabbing the sun flowers that were located behind the rock they were leaning on.
"Everything dear!" Responded Gilmore with a smile.
"I'm all ears. You know how I like to watch you talk and how much I love listening to your voice.
Like……right now, I am all ears!" He said with his voice a little bit louder this time.
"You know what happened to us the other time when you rescued me from falling, right?" She asked Gilmore.
"Of course, I remembered everything."
"Alright!
So, as regards to that. Before I got home, Princess Bellina had lied to her mother that we went into a passionate romance behind her abode…."
"But that's not true, Gilmore cut in. But even if it's true, it isn't wrong because I…… " but Mira interrupted him.
"While I was trying to defend myself and make her understand that her daughter was not telling the very truth of what happened, she accused me of calling her dearest darling a lier.
Before I knew what was happening, she already called the squad and commanded them to treat me like a criminal who committed a horrible atrocity.
That was how those hefty and heartless entities dealt with me and played with my skin using a bundle of spiky sticks. They drew the sticks with force at every lash. As they did so, it inflicted more deep injuries on my skin.
This got me screaming with hot tears dropping from my eyes but they made mockery of me instead of showing me pity.
Even as I pleaded with them to let me go, they paid deaf ears to all my cries and everything.
What they could do was to shun me and doubled the lashes they dashed me.
I needed help but all I got was the mockery of princess Bellina. She was extremely happy to see them inflict pain on me.
She was glad that they messed my skin up."
At this point, she - Mira was already in tears.
When she realized that the tears were about to drop from her eyes, she quickly used the tip of her right thumb to get rid of them.
Gilmore felt like crying at that point too, but he could not. He tried to be a man by holding his tears back into his eyes.
He went closer to her, stood beside her and held her hands while still staring at her beautiful and innocent face that became more attractive regardless of the tears.
After that, she continued narrating.
"They kept beating me until they got my skin torn to this extent before they left me.
I managed to crawl out on the Empress and her daughter with shame.
Gilmore……, that was not enough. I was also denied dinner that very night.
Throughout the night, I could not sleep because of the pain.
I prayed to the moon goddess to help me to see today and thanks to her that she answered because if not, you would have been hearing another different story about me by now."
She paused to look at Gilmore who was already feeling sad and guilty.
Immediately Gilmore casted his gaze on her, he could not help the matter than to burst into apology.
"I'm so sorry for everything that happened to you just because of me.
It wasn't my intention to drag you into trouble. Please, do forgive me," he said, staring at her directly in her face.
"Oh no! It wasn't your fault.
It was because they didn't want to understand what happened and how it happened and because they hate me. That's why.
You owe me no apology, ok?" She said, smiling.
"So…..she continued.
Because of these bruises, I hurriedly did all my chores and left to the surface to feel the heat of the sun just so I could feel better.
Swimming to the surface was not easy at all as the journey was a long one coupled with the bruises on my skin but I am happy that I went there. Going to the surface was not by mistake."
She then lit a smile on her face at this point.
°°°°°°
"Hey……! Do you like humans?" She asked, playing with some strands of her hair while staring at him as he listened with curiosity.
"I do, I really like them because they're unique." He said.
"Exactly!" They are. Mira, cut in
"They are so different from us. They have legs and they look cute on their legs.
It's really thrilling and exhilarating being with them."
"How do you mean, have you had an encounter with them?" Asked Gilmore.
"Yes. I have. I had an unforgettable experience with him today.
Like….I met him, we talked." "My…. goodness!" She exclaimed excitedly and continued.
"He is human and he has a kind heart. He was nice to me unlike the people I take as my own here in Crums."
"I thought that they didn't like us." Gilmore said amidst his confusion.
"Hey…. come-on! Kill that rubbish mindset of yours, man!
It's just like the way it is here in Crums. There are the good ones amongst them and there are also the bad ones too.
The bad ones are the ones who hate us. Just like some of us do hate them too.
No matter what they say, I don't care. All I know is that I like them and I don't give a fuck about my love for them."
"Really?" Questioned Gilmore in awe.
"Yes! I really do. Sometimes, I wish that I am human. I think life will make more sense being human.
Check this….the environment out there on the surface, the beautiful sun, the broad sharp light, the trees, the boats and in fact, everything.
Oh my!! She continued.
Don't you think that we're missing a lot over here, Gilmore?"
Gilmore, who was still surprised at her, could not even give an answer to her question.
All he could do was to look at Mira who was busy fantasizing about humans and being a human.
Unfortunately, they got interrupted by the princess's weird echoes.
That was when it dawned on her that she needed to go back to the empress's abode.
"Hey…. Gilmore! I need to go now.
I have been away from home for a while now and I think that they might be needing my assistance by now.
Do extend my kind regards to Bella, ok? Bye!"
"Alright, she will hear." Gilmore said. He really wished that she didn't have to go at that moment but that was them saying their goodbye.
Mira waggled her tails in such a way that produced countless ripples on the water and began to swim in a haste to the Empress's abode.
Gilmore had no other option left than to blow her passionate goodbye kisses on the air and left to meet her sister.