InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Go Home Kagome ❯ Chance Meetings & Home ( Chapter 4 )

Four

2005:

 

A rich, warm, deep feminine voice sounded from beside her.

 

“It looks like we are going to be on this plane until tomorrow.”

 

Kagome glanced up as she was yanked from her thoughts. “Yeah it does.”

 

The woman's hair was wrapped in a colorful scarf and she wore gold hoop earrings that accentuated her mahogany complexion. Kagome paused then realized she'd spoken in flawless Japanese.

 

“My name is Maxine what's yours?” she asked. Kagome didn't even hesitate.

 

“Oh, I'm Kagome.” She left off her family (last) name as Maxine had hers.

 

“Like the game? That's a sweet name.” Kagome nodded.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“My little grandson, he's only five and he loves the Kagome game.”

 

Kagome nodded again not knowing what to say. The woman continued.

 

“Oh I wish I had a picture to show you but oh well that isn't what I'm here for anyway.”

 

Okay now this is weird. Here for what? Kagome kept a polite smile. “I'm sure he is adorable.”

 

“Oh you know it.” The heavy woman turned in her seat to face Kagome.

 

“You have something just hanging over you. It's so big that I can see it weighing on you. If you aren't careful it will pull you down.”

 

What in the hell? Kagome forced the smile to stay put on her face. “Mam, I'm sorry but I don't know what you are talking about.”

 

“Yes you do but that's okay. Your mamma she misses you SO much.”

 

“I guess she does.” allowed Kagome.

 

“She only did what she felt was best. And it was the right thing to do. Every woman should go out on her own; it helps us to be strong later.”

 

Kagome chuckled sarcastically. “I've more than proven my strength and self reliance.”

 

“Yes but that was not in this world, you needed to be grounded here. Not there.”

 

Kagome's blood chilled and goose bumps appeared on her arms.

 

You need to find your heart, that's the key to his.”

 

“Umm…key to his what?”

 

“His heart. He isn't bad, he's a good man and with your help he will see that.”

 

Who is this woman?

 

Kagome stumbled then said, “I've tried that. He doesn't see.”

 

“He doesn't see because you haven't told him.”

 

“I have, twice when I was a teenager. He ignored it.”

 

She shook her head. “You loved him as a child. He must know you love him as a woman.”

 

Kagome's eyes bulged in their sockets. “You're telling to sleep with him.”

 

Maxine laughed and it was a musical gospel sound. “Heavens no. He is afraid you have left him behind.”

 

“But I can't do all of this on my own. Nothing can be done if he keeps being so stubborn.”

 

 

“Sometimes all we need to do is extend a hand to others for them to grab on to. Some people aren't strong enough to ask for that hand.”

 

“But he's angry because…he's…a half breed…” Kagome's face flushed as she worried she sounded racist. This woman won't understand…

 

Maxine smiled. “So that is his problem to overcome. He has you and the world hasn't ostracized him as much as he likes to think.”

 

“His half brother has.”

 

She shook her head. “That one isn't as bad as he'd like to think. But his heart or lack there of one, isn't your work. This other man is.”

 

“So what should I do then?”

 

“That is up to you. Just do something. So many people just float through life and do nothing. Regret is the biggest sin of a wasted life.”

 

“Are you a miko?”

 

She replied matter of factly. “No. But you are.”

 

Kagome nodded silently. Maxine took her thin, pale left hand in her large, warm brown hand and squeezed it.

 

“You are a good person and it will be okay. Now if you don't mind, my sugar is acting up and I'd really like a can of that cold orange juice they pass out on these flights. Would you mind getting up and getting me one from the little cart up front?”

 

Kagome, who forgot about the flight attendant call button, gave Maxine a sincere smile. “No problem.”

 

When she returned to her seat Maxine was gone. Kagome shrugged it off assuming she'd gone to the restroom but the bathroom lights were both turned to vacant.

 

Twenty minutes later before take off Kagome asked the stewardess about her seatmate. She was told the seat next to her was vacant. She causally searched the plane by walking to the restroom but Maxine was no where to be seen.

 

Kagome spent a good portion of the flight deep in meditation. She had no idea what she'd do about Inuyasha but now she knew she was going to do something. That was much better than ignoring it. It bothered her that she didn't know where Maxine had come from or gone to. But she felt better after talking about it with someone. All these years and she had no one she could discuss the whole truth with. Her shoulders were lighter and her headache was gone. It was a good thing too, because the in flight movie was an Olsen Twin flick and had her spirits been low she might be forced to attempt suicide by flushing her head down the airplane toilet.

 

She slept some of the flight, waking for the vegetarian special dinner she ordered. Another movie was announced, this one staring J-Lo. Kagome winced and wondered if this constituted as torture under the Geneva Convention.

 

Kagome woke at the announcement the plan was about to land. She checked her watch and saw it was 7pm yesterday Georgia time. She'd left the Walker house 12pm was it the day before? More thirty one hours ago. She moved her watch to Tokyo time which made is 8 am the next day. Ugh. It's like being dragged by my hair into the future. I hope I can catch a nap later on…

 

She stood with the other passengers and waited her turn to exit the plane. Kagome crossed the ramp and trudged past security. The plane was nearly an hour late. Her family must be beside themselves.

 

She saw them first. Souta was taller and lean. His haircut was short, spiky and trendy. This coming fall he'd be a freshman in college and he already looked the part.

He was holding up a big decorated sign that read: WELCOME HOME DR. HIGURASHI KAGOME! He'd drawn a cat and dog on the sign and stuck band aides on them. He wore a hot pink plastic party lei around his neck, just to be silly.

 

Grandpa looked well but he seemed older and frailer than she remember. He was waiving about some kind of petrified good luck charm. Her mother seemed the same just smaller. Kagome's heart broke open unleashing a surge of emotions she'd held back for months. She opened her arms and ran to them.

 

Souta yelled and grabbed her in a bear hug. He was now taller than her! Her mother and Grandpa both joined and it became a massive group hug.

 

Kagome pulled her diploma from her bad and showed everyone. There were much ohhs and ahhs as her family examined it. Grandpa was concerned the school might have misspelled her name and was only satisfied after examining it personally. He rubbed the petrified water god foot against it for good luck. Kagome winced but let him have his way. It was only paper after all. And if he ruined it then UGA would gladly send her a replacement for a meager $20 fee. She'd checked before she left just in case something happened to it on the plane.

 

They retrieved all three of her huge suitcases from the luggage belt and carried them off to the car. Once home Souta helped her carry her bags up to her room.

 

Kagome threw open the door and was struck how tiny her room was. It wasn't much bigger than her old room in the apartment. It was decorated in white, pink and lavender. It was a bit childish. She decided as long as she stayed her she should re-do it. She walked around and noticed her mother kept it dusted. She tried the window and found it locked from the inside. She'd left it unlocked when she left but someone had come behind her locked it.

 

Souta stood and watched her reacquaint herself with her old life. He hadn't said anything but already knew what the question was, especially when he saw her run a hand over the comforter covering her bed. It was perfectly smooth. No one had been sitting on it.

 

Kagome turned to her younger brother. All she could say was, “Has he?”

 

Souta shook his head. “I haven't seen Inuyasha in maybe three or four months. Mom locked him out of your room but he'd knock on my window and I always let him in.”

 

Three or four months wasn't such a long time.

 

“Did he know today was the day?”

 

Souta nodded. “He isn't very good of keeping track of our dates but he knows.”

 

She sat on her bed. “Oh. Has he said…anything else?”

 

Souta grinned, “He wanted to know how you were doing and he asked about your grades.”

 

“My grades?” He never cared about my grades before.

 

“Yeah, he said there was no point in going across the world if you were gonna flunk out. But that if you did you'd be back here all the sooner.” Kagome closed her eyes at this. Inuyasha would say something like that. Coming back was always more important than good grades.

 

“And?” She prompted Souta.

 

“I told him you would be graduating with honors. The top of your class. And he said something to the extent of …'that is just SO like her, always outdoing everyone else.' I thought it was a funny perspective for him to have.”

 

Kagome snorted then broke into mad giggles. “He really hasn't changed at all has he?”

 

Souta frowned. “I wouldn't say that.”