Heartsmith

I stared at those letters. I knew what's inside those letters and I smiled. My black turned grey hair blew following the wind. And then, a flashback waved towards me as I smiled.

"Ei, Elijah! Let's go!" said a boy as he pulled my hand. "Eugene, wait!" I ran a little to follow the boy's step. He pulled my hand and we both ran across the alley.

"What are we..." I stopped as Eugene pulled my hand again and now we were in a shop. "Well well. Look who I have as my guest today." Said an old voice. A man in his 60 welcomed us with a warm smile.

"Mr. Heartsmith! Good to see you again!" said Eugene happily. Mr. Heartsmith nodded as he turned his gaze towards me. "And this girl are....?"

"Sir, he's not a girl. His name is Elijah." said Eugene while defending me. I smiled awkwardly. Mr. Heartsmith smiled as he apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't aware."

"No....that's fine..." I said. "I am Elijah Lectores. You can use she if you want." I continued as I smiled. Eugene pouted. "But you're a boy!" He said to me.

I laughed. "I don't care about my pronounce. You can call me she too, if you want." Mr. Heartsmith smiled warmly.

"Then, on what purpose do you have to appear with your friends, Eugene?" asked Mr. Heartsmith as he went to his workplace.

"I want you to help him!" shouted the boy. I looked at him. "Why...What do you mean by I need help?" I asked. Eugene turned to face me.

"Elijah." He placed his hands on both my shoulders. "You're hurt. I need to help you." I understand what he tried to say. But I couldn't sacrifice himself only for help.

"Please. I don't want to see you in pain." The boy said again.

"Eugene. You need to hear this. You're till a kid. Don't push yourself." said Mr. Heartsmith, worried. "But, the hate Elijah will got if his heart not tough enough..."

"Eugene, She will be fine. For now, at least. Therefore, I can't take risk to work on a kid's heart." said Mr Heartsmith again. Yes, a heartsmith can't do some work on a kid's heart due to the policy.

Especially when they have no guardian. "But.... I can be his guardian! I am not his parent, but I am the one who was with him through spring and winter! Not his parents!" The boy shout in anger.

I startled. Mr. Heartsmith too. Eugene shed some tears. "I.... I just can't stand it when Elijah's parents abused him just because he is a non binary. So I brought Elijah out of his own house. He....He suffered a lot!" Said Eugene as he broke into tears.

I panicked. "Eugene...no. Why are you crying? No, that's fine. There's no need to care for me that much." I said, tried to calm himself down.

"This is why everyone taking advantage over your kindness, Elijah! You know they hurt you, yet why you don't fight them?!" Eugene's voice raised again.

"I.... I want to see Elijah lives with joys. I don't want to see him being mocked for being a non binary." continued Eugene as he wiped his tears.

Mr. Heartsmith sighed. "Elijah." He called me.

I turned to meet Mr. Heartsmith's gaze. "Where do you live right now?" he asked me.

"At his house." I said as I pointed my fingers towards him. Mr. Heartsmith nodded as he continued asking.

"Did you go to school?" Mr. Heartsmith asked again. Without turning my head, I shook my head. "No. My parents felt ashamed because of my gender." I said as I can feel my heart was pierced.

"Then, do you want to live with me?" Mr. Heartsmith asked. I hesitated. I turned my head to meet gaze with him. Was I hearing it wrong?

"Wha..?"

"Elijah Lectores. live with me. I shall teach you." said Mr. Heartsmith again. I stared at his eyes, as he did the same. I could feel the honesty and a bit.... loneliness in his gaze. He....was lonely?

Eugene pulled my arm as he hugged me from the side. I startled again. "Don't....Leave....me..." He was still sobbing.

"You can't keep Elijah forever, Eugene. She have her own life too. And what will your parents say?" said Mr. Heartsmith, trying to persuade him.

"But it's not like I will separate you from her anyway. Your friendship is as strong as a diamond I see." said Mr. Heartsmith again.

A month had passed by. Mr. Heartsmith taught me many things such as how to count, read, write and other basic things human would learn.

He lived alone. And I pitied him. Then, I decided to help him with his business as a heartsmith, a person who fixed human's heart. Each time, the heart will appear in many way.

Some were stabbed, some were already shattered, like a glass. there are some which were black; it was poisoned. There were also many scars at the heart, showing how bad a heart can be affected.

At first when I saw the hearts, I felt scared. That's how a heart could be. But Mr. Heartsmith didn't push me. He wanted me to take my time. Mr. Heartsmith was really generous.

Eugene was forced to move to a new school, meant he was forced to leave me. Yes, it hurt so much to the point I nearly ran for him but Mr. Heartsmith helped me overcome it by donating some of his hearts to me.

When I know about that, I cried. This old man shouldn't do that. He sacrifice his own heart for a person who barely related to him.

And that's how, I, Elijah Lectores, learnt about the price of heart that would effected someone's life.

It's been 20 years since that incident. Tears running down my face. I immediately wiped the tears. I took one of the letters and read the sender.

'Eugene Evergreen'

I wiped the tears. I couldn't help myself from read it. I put back the letter, and took my cardigan. When I opened the heartsmith's workshop front door, a guy with black turned grey hair and green eyes smiling at me.

"Elijah Lectores. I'm back." He said while handing me a bouquet of Purple Hyacinth. I burst into tears and hugged that guy.

He patted my back lightly as I cried on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm here. What you prefer being called as?" He asked with respect.

I broke the hug. I wiped my tears and tucked my stray hair behind my ears. "Now I prefer being called they. Why? You wanna marry me?"

"No. Is it vice versa?" He smirked.

"Nope. not really." I said as we then got into the workshop.