Chapter 21: Testament

The morning came with clear skies. Yuki and Hana woke up at the same time with tiredness and hunger. Hana began to make breakfast while Yuki was fighting the urge to go back to bed. Hana decided to make pancakes and seasoned eggs for breakfast. Yuki smelled the cooking and was happy to the fact that it was on menu. Hana then at the same time made tea to wake herself up from the drowsiness that she had. Hana then turned to Yuki to make a request.

"Yuki, can you go see if Valero san is hungry? I'll bring him breakfast soon." Hana told Yuki. She complied and went to his room. When she got there, Joaquin looks as though he is at peace. Soundly sleeping she thought as she walked up quietly and slowly towards him. She got over him and tugged him to wake him up.

"Valero san, it's time to wake up." Yuki told Joaquin. There was no answer. He was still. Yuki tried again to see if he was OK. "Valero san? Are you OK?" Still no answer. She became worried. She checked his nose for breaths, there were none. Her fears came true when she felt his chest and no heart beat came. Joaquin Valero, the man who came from nowhere and had a huge impact on the family, was gone. "Mom?!" Yuki yelled to Hana.

"Yes Yuki?!" Hana replied.

"Valero san's not waking up!" Hana then ran inside his room after hearing that. She ran to him and saw no movement or life in him. She checked his pulse on his neck, none, he was dead. Yuki's eyes filled with tears as did Hana's. She put the blanket over Joaquin and walked Yuki out of the room.

The ambulance arrived with the stretcher after the phone call from Hana. They put Joaquin in a coroner's bag and brought him out to the ambulance. Hana saw the ambulance drive away and felt a part of her died again when Okami was dead before all those years ago. She dropped to her knees and cried.

A month passed with Hana all alone again. The funeral for Joaquin took place back in New Mexico. Her family wasn't allowed to go due to the fact that they were not immediate family. He was buried with honors and traditional Navajo setting. Songs of the Navajo tradition and incenses used to lift his spirit to the great divide with his ancestors. At least that's what a letter from Joaquin's tribal member said. Hana wished she would have seen it.

A day went by when Hana was getting ready to tend the garden. Yuki came by to help her with it since the planting season was almost done. Hana and Yuki were dressed in gardening work clothes and went outside to get started. Then a car started driving down the road which leads to the house.

"Mom, are we expecting anyone?" Yuki asked Hana.

"No sweety, why?" Hana asked.

"Because we got a car coming." Yuki saw a dark green Mercedes coming up to the house. Both of the girls dropped their tools and walked over to the car. Two men came out of the car, one Caucasian in his fifties in military dress and the other African American in his late thirties in a business suit holding a suit case. The man in the business suit approached Hana.

"Excuse me ma'am, are you the head of the house hold also known as Hana?" The man asked Hana.

"Yes I am." Hana responded questionably.

"Ms. Hana, I am David Lance, I'm a lawyer who specializes with military related cases and other specific tasks. This man is Col. Magher of the 1st Special Forces Detachment, where the recently deceased was assigned too." Hana wondered what these two men were doing here. "Ms. Hana may we go inside? We have important business to discuss." Hana welcomed them in the house. Yuki walked behind them in the wuestioning of what was going on.

They sat at a table in the dining room Lance and Magher sat on the opposite sides of the table, the girls on the other end. David opened up his suit case and took out some papers with writing in them.

"Ms. Hana, you and your children Yuki and Ame were acquainted with Specialist Joaquin Valero of the 1st Army Special Forces division, were you?" David asked Hana. Hana wondered about the question and the papers on the table, but she answered to know more.

"Yes we were, he stayed with us for a while and died here." Hana responded.

"Yes, from a form of cancer he sustained in the field."

"Excuse, but how does one sustain that from battle?"

"I'm sorry madam that's classified." Col. Magher interrupted. Hana found it rude at first but understood.

"What do you mean classified? What was used to give him that?" Yuki asked. Col Magher gave the same answer, classified information.

"Ms. Hana, we have a will that was done during late winter from Valero. He left you some things and your children as well." David said. Hana was shocked; Joaquin left the family a will. "I will now start reading from the will:"

Hana, you have been a friend and a blessing onto me. I was lost in the mists of death and you took me in at a time when I was near the end. Now my time has come and I have left this world. I wish to leave you and the children some things of mine of this world. David looks at Yuki. Yuki, you are a strong young woman with so much to offer to this world. I know you will grow to do many great things in your life. However, the most important thing I want for you is to be happy, that is all. I leave you my beret that you were wearing that time since you like it and look good in it by the way. I also leave you my motorcycle, just promise you will take care of her, be good to her she'll be good to you and ride the wind like I taught you. Yuki was amazed at the gift, Dorothy, the old bike was hers.

"Wow! I can't believe it! I gonna look so cool at school! I'll honor her forever Valero san!" Yuki said with such gracious joy.

"Well lets first wait until your old enough for a license, and get it registered here." Hana said calmly.

"Ms. Hana where is Ame?" David asked. Hana reacted with a surprised look, Joaquin left something for Ame?

"He's not with us, he doesn't live here." Hana responded with a sad face.

"Ok then I'll just read it: Ame, if you are not there then I understand. This world can be difficult and it makes you want to run away. I know kid. Anyways I'll leave it with your mom. I leave you my dog tags, Navajo necklace that was made by my grandmother, and my wisdom to you. You and your sister are Yapino, remember, choose to be you." Hana was so happy with tears in her eyes. "Ms. Hana do you need a moment?" David said with weary.

"Ah no, I'm good, please continue." Hana requested. And so David continued with the will.

Hana, the one who took in a dying man like me. I am so sorry I never told you about my condition because I had plans to end my life. You brought life to me again, and now that my time has come, I leave you some things of mine. I know you have been reading my journal, so therefore the book is for you. Read it so you'll know what my life was. Read it to the children so they know what my life was and learn from it. I also have money stored away, so it's yours, $50,000, 5,000,000 yen. Please use it to help you and the family. This is all I have, I hope it can help. May you all be blessed forever

Joaquin Valero.

Hana had tears coming out. She couldn't believe that this man left such gifts to the family. Money to help with the bills and even for some college for Yuki. Then Col. Magher got up and went to the car. Opened the door and pulled out a folded American flag with the Congressional Medal of Honor on top of it. He walked back and walked over to Hana.

"Ms. Hana, this flag of the grateful nation of the United states of America and the Congressional Medal of Honor for going above and beyond the call of duty is presented and being given to you in honor of Specialist Joaquin Valero for his actions in the Philippines. Myself, and the grateful people of the United States ask you please take these items of honor and memory for Valero." Col. Magher said to Hana presenting the gifts to her. Hana looked at them and decided it was best in honor of his memories.

"Yes, thank you Col. Magher san." Hana responded.

"Madam, if I can get your signatures here? We'll give you the check." David asked Hana. She accepted, signed the papers and received the check as well as the promised items from the will. The men said their goodbyes and left. Hana was left holding the flag and the medal. She grasped them and hugged them tight while crying. Then she heard the howling of a wolf, it was Yuki howling in wolf form with tears in her eyes as well. Hana was surprised, then she smiled at Yuki. She grabbed her and hugged her.

"Yuki, promise me you'll never let society choose for who you want to be." Hana said while holding Yuki.

"I won't mom. I made that mistake before; I'm not making it again." Yuki responded. The day was of rebirth. The death of human Yuki and the rebirth of Yuki.

The months have passed and fall was around the corner. Yuki was back in school and wrote back on how mom was doing and how was Dorothy. Hana would respond with "Still waiting for you to drive her." Hana was making herself dinner for the day. She was sad that she was alone again. She had the picture of Joaquin, she and Yuki from the fall festival set up on the same stand were Ookami's license was, with the flag and medal at the bottom of the picture. She sat down to eat as the sun was going down. As she set the food on the table, she heard foot steps outside her door. She went outside to see who it was.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" She said as she was approaching the door. She then saw a figure, a young boy with blue hair and brown eyes appeared. He had on a long sleeved shirt and jeans. Hana looked at him with surprise and joy. She ran towards him and hugged him tight.

"AME! MY BOY AME!" Hana said while grabbing him. Ame was happy to but couldn't breathe.

"Mom it's good to see you too, but I can't breathe." Ame said with remaining breath of life in him. Hana then realized her strength and loosened her grip.

"Ah sorry!" Hana said. She was so happy to see her son yet curious as to why he came to the house. "Ame what are you doing here?" Hana asked Ame. He looked at her and smiled.

"Mom, I live here of course." Ame said to Hana. Her face lit up with surprise and excitement. She was happy to hear that her son was home.

"But what about being the guardian of the forest?" Hana asked Ame

"A wise man once said to me, what the hell is so wrong with being both?" Ame responded. Hana then looked at him and hugged him with a smile.

"You need to watch your language young man." Hana said with a smile and tears. She then looked at the picture with Joaquin with a feeling that he was looking back. "Thank you."