Xiamora

Fahmeen's POV:

"He is little strange, no?"
I didn't expect her as the petite sized gardener rises from attending the shrubs below. I stand on the fine line between River's garden and ours. He had help, which made complete sense given the size of the property.
"A little, but that's not always a bad thing." I shrug, River was a different but alluring soul. The gardener offers me her gloved hand and I gladly accept as she has one big smile on her face. I love it when people smile at me.

"Master River is good man. I work for his family for 30 years."
From her features and accent I can tell this lady is Asian. Her black hair, with grey streaks running through it is cut into a short bouncy bob under her sun hat. Her eyes are sparkling like jewels covering a secret box and I know this little gardener has some very interesting tales to tell. And she's very eager to share them.
"What else can you tell me about Master River?"

...

I waited till her shift had ended, which was most of the afternoon. Eventually, we managed to settle into one of the sun rooms back at Rolf's family home. The house was empty besides me today as there were errands to be done. I was more than happy to stay back and enjoy the very large mansion to myself. Rolf understood. He wanted to top up on supplies for his wood crafting. Apparently he had a big project planned and he intended on getting started on it straight away. He was tight lipped on it though.

As I pour Sandra Amano, which as I learnt was her name, some herbal tea she watches me with keen interest. I've noticed she's been doing that whilst she thinks I hadn't noticed. Sandra was a little weird, but she was terribly cute and happy. Great company and a spiller of secrets, apparently.
"You remind me of her." She whispers, her eyes a little wider than before and she gasps so quietly I nearly leaned in just to hear it.
I place the tea pot down.
"Of who?"

Sandra's face grows sad and painful as a memory from so far back replays behind those twinkling eyes.
"Xiomora."

The loud sound of thunder makes me jump.
"Wh-who is Xiomora?" The skies turn dark and I look all around me and the glass ceiling is the only thing which keeps the sudden downpour of rain from touching us.
"Master River love her so much." Sandra looks down and shakes her head as tears nearly fall from them.
"Where is she, Sandra? Where is Xiomora now?" I grip her hand across the table, desperate to know as I feel my stomach drop. Why does everything feel so awful right now?
"I will tell you. The story of Master River and his lady, Xiomora."
I sit back in my seat, all I can hear is the steady unyielding rhythm of the rain and the irregular beat of my own heart as I open myself up to take in what Sandra is about to tell me.

"Master River is only child. He live with his mother and father here his whole life."
I learn that his father had practically golden ancestry, the kind worth millions. And so, one day when River was a kid his father had introduced him to this hard eyed stranger and a little girl. She was his age. The scary looking man would become a business partner of his father, one that would solidify an important professional relationship between them. River learnt early on how significant it was to always maintain respect towards Mr. Nakamura so as to not jeopardise the business.

"But there was problem, the little girl. Master River liked lady Nakamura and... she liked him too." Sandra giggles as she says this, a childlike wonder in her eyes as she narrates the beginning of their friendship.
"Mr. Nakamura, proud. Strict. Always unhappy. But lady Nakamura? Sweet, graceful, very beautiful."
As the children grew, River knew to keep respectful of the new business partner and his foreign customs but that couldn't stop him from falling in love with his daughter. They shared a secret, innocent love which couldn't be exposed lest Xiomora be punished by her father. He would never tolerate his daughter to be with a White American. The only option was to keep within their culture.

Xiomora was like a princess you only hear about in the ancient stories. The kind who are soft and gentle to everyone and anyone they meet. She was often used as an example of grace and feminine strength. She vowed to keep her innocence and only give it to River once they got married.

The older they got the more passionate their love grew, even though they could not express nor share it in anything other than stolen glances and chaperoned meetings.

River really began to struggle with keeping himself away from her and eventually it became obvious to both families their feelings for each other. This caused a slight rift between the business partners and so River was warned off by Xiamora's father and gently advised by his own to not pursue her.
This worked for a while until Mr. Nakamura talked of sending her to Japan to finish her studies and settle with a worthy husband there.

Xiamora began to fear for River because she understood he would try to stop that from ever happening; even though she hated the idea herself and wished to not go, even just to please her father.
One day, River suddenly professed his love for Xiamora and this angered her father. But to everyone's surprise, he remained calm.
This however only meant Mr. Nakamura raged in silence and so eventually his passive aggression would turn into something more ugly.

"He propose to her! Master River chose this beautiful ring just for lady Nakamura and I remember her face when she saw it."
He promised to take her away so that they can start their lives together. Xiomora happily accepted him, despite the danger of facing her powerful father but she hoped they could get far away.

On the day of the secret marriage ceremony, River awaits his bride. But to his dismay, he is left standing at the altar, alone. He knew Xiamora would never leave him without saying goodbye, so he suspected her father to have been involved in this somehow. River instinctively knew it was something terrible.

His suspicions were quickly and cruelly confirmed once he left the wedding registry and found Xiamora's dead body on the steps of the building.
She was wearing her wedding dress.

"No." I cover my mouth in horror and deep sadness as I listen to Sandra's sobs. Oh River.
"It is true. Master River never got married and lady Nakamura could never escape her evil father."
I clench my fists as a wave of fury passes through me. What is it with fuck up fathers?
"What happened next?"

"Her father disappeared and is never found by the authorities."
Sandra leans close and gestures for this next piece of information to be a secret.
"Master River believe Mr. Nakamura may be Yakuza."
My eyes widen at this shocking fact. The Yakuza?! A gang.
I realise just how doomed they were from the start.