Delilah

“So, using a phone is one of the easiest things ever! Trust me, if you can work out how to fasten a seatbelt and how to speak Japanese, this should be a piece of cake!” Kenji explained.

Both of them were sitting on the sofa as Kenji held the phone and painstakingly explained things to Delilah, she listened intently, eager to learn.

“So, this is how you talk to someone,” he clicked on the icon with the picture of a phone and two names popped up, first was Kenji and just below him was Mamoru.

“And if I click on that I can talk to you?” she asked.

Kenji nodded, “Yup, it’s really that simple.”

“Oh.”

Delilah was going to be bringing this back home, she was learning new things every day and took her time studying her surroundings. The more things she learnt the more she realised how behind the times her Kingdom was, but as soon as she was back things were going to change for the better.

“Do you want to try?” Kenji asked, passing her the phone.

Nodding eagerly, she took the phone in both hands, it was slightly heavy with a large screen. As Kenji had explained before she clicked on the phone-shaped icon and then on Kenji’s name. Soon a buzzing sort of noise came from the device startling her.

“It’s okay, it’s meant to do that, look,” Kenji took the phone out of his pocket and held it up, it had Delilah’s name on the screen.

“That’s me!” she grinned.

“Yup, now I’m going to call you and show you how to answer it.”

Kenji did the same as Delilah and called her, but instead of a buzzing noise music started playing from the device in her lap, looking towards Kenji he swiped left to right and the music stopped but Kenji’s voice could be heard coming from the other side.

“Whoa!”

“Pretty cool, huh?” he winked.

Delilah giggled; she came to enjoy Kenji’s company even though she only knew him for a bit.

“Okay, now this is a little tricky. But this is how you send someone a message.”

Delilah passed the phone back to Kenji who clicked on the icon with a funny-shaped bubble. Kenji’s name was at the top and there was a small bar at the bottom, when he clicked on the bar another thing popped up but this time it had letters, Delilah was truly fascinated by this small contraption that was able to do many things.

“Just click on these letters and soon you’ll be able to send me a message, and then to send it to me click on this arrow, okay?”

“Can I try by myself, please?” She asked, smiling.

“Of course!”

Delilah did as Kenji had explained and clicked on the bubble, once she could see Kenji’s name on top of the screen she started typing Hello, she clicked on the arrow and a few seconds later, a cute ping sound came from Kenji’s pocket. Smiling he retrieved his phone and showed it to her, her message was on his phone.

“I’m going to do the same and see what happens, okay?”

As before he was much faster to bring everything up and type the message, soon the cute ping came from Delilah’s phone and she held it up to see Kenji’s message Hi, Del. She had a hard time containing her excitement.

“Okay, I am going to quiz you now to make sure you understand what I was saying.”

“I’m ready,” she nodded.

“Good. Now, let’s say we are outside in the shopping centre and you have lost us, how would you call me?”

Delilah quickly clicked on the icon with the phone and found Kenji’s name, she clicked on it and brought it up to her ear, and a few seconds later music came from Kenji’s phone.

“Good,” he smiled, “Now, we are near but you see someone threatening coming towards you, drop me a quick text, go.”

With the same speed as before she went back but this time clicked on the icon with the funny bubble, she typed out a message and soon Kenji’s phone pinged with the message, Help me written.

“Very good!” he held his hand up for a high five which Delilah gladly gave, “You’re a natural, Del. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you,” she blushed and looked at the phone in her hands.

“Should I show you how to take a picture now?”

“You can take pictures with this?” she asked, surprised.

“Yep! Here let me show you,” Delilah passed the phone back to him and watched, “So click on this button with a camera, and look,” he stretched his arm out and held the phone slightly above, “Smile.”

Delilah smiled and Kenji clicked on the button in the middle and brought the phone down, “Where’s the picture?” she asked.

“Here, look,” he clicked on the little picture on the left-hand bottom corner and soon their picture was on the screen.

“Aww, that’s so cute.”.

The door opened, and Mamoru walked in, “Hello, children.”

“Where the bloody hell were you?” Kenji asked.

“Had to get groceries because someone ate just about all the food I had,” he narrowed his eyes at Kenji looking down at his phone.

“Yeah, you do have a real rat problem you know, they’re always eating your food, maybe get a cat,” he looked up, grinning.

“The only rat here is you!” Mamoru mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. Kenji was too preoccupied with his phone to notice but Delilah couldn’t help but giggle, she happened to notice how his eyes softened just briefly before they went cold again, “so, what have you two been up to in the two hours I’ve been away?”

“Oh, Kenji’s been teaching me how to use a phone,” she perked up.

“Did he now?”

“Yup, and I must say for a girl who came from a Kingdom where there is no technology she’s a natural!”

“Brilliant,” Mamoru nodded, impressed.

“Yup. When I go back home, I’m gonna tell everyone about these! Soon everyone will have a phone,” she chuckled, but soon her smile turned into a frown at the mention of home.

“What’s wrong, Del?” Kenji asked.

“Nothing,” she shook her head.

“Are you sure?”

She plastered a smile and nodded, “I’m sure.”

“If you’re wondering about how everyone is back at home, they’re fine,” Mamoru spoke up while putting the stuff he brought away.

“Really?” Delilah asked, instantly.

“I promise,” Mamoru nodded.

Sighing in relief she turned her gaze back to her phone, she looked at the picture she had just taken with Kenji and looked at Mamoru who had his back towards her.

“Um, Mr Himeji,” she called out to him.

“Yes?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Can I take a picture of you? Please.”

“Uff! Good luck with that. Mamoru hates it when people take pictures of him,” he starts to laugh, “One time…”

“Okay,” he replied, making Kenji stop mid-story.

“What?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, sure why not?” he shrugged.

“B-b-b-but? Eh?” Kenji sputtered.

“I’m serious, now where do you want me to stand?” he asked.

“Um, I think where you’re standing now is pretty good,” she smiled, and stood up to stand opposite him, she opened the camera app but it showed her, she looked at Kenji who clicked on the camera picture with an arrow.

“Now stand over… there,” Kenji guided her before standing behind her, “When you’re ready to take the picture just press the middle button, okay?”

“Okay,” she nodded, “Ready, Mr Himeji?”

“I am,” he nodded.

“Okay, smile.”

Mamoru stood there with a straight face.

“Smile,” she repeated.

Again, Mamoru just stood there with a straight face.

“That’s not a smile,” she folded her arms, “Kenji is that a smile?”

“No,” he shook his head.

“For the love of… does it matter if I smile or not?” Mamoru asked.

“Yes!” both Delilah and Kenji yelled at the same time.

“Oye! Whose side are you on?”

“The Princess’s.”

“Wow! So, what happened to bro-code rule number 1?”

Kenji mimicked kicking something out of the window before turning around and grinning at Mamoru.

“What’s rule number 1?” Delilah asked.

“Always have your bro’s back,” Mamoru glared at Kenji, he sighed before turning his gaze back to her, “Whatever, Delilah please take the picture, I’m ready.”

“Okay, smile.”

Mamoru smiled a little.

“Yes! That’s it, just a little bit bigger now,” she held the phone with both hands.

“I can’t do this please just take the picture.”

“Uff!” she face palmed, “Mr Himeji do you have to pay additional taxes if you smile? This is how you do it,” she smiled wide showing her teeth before mimicking his frown when she realised, he wasn’t going to copy her and turned to Kenji, “Mr Himeji’s smile is as bitter as Peppermint!”

“What did you just say?” Mamoru raised an eyebrow.

Delilah flinched a little at his reaction, she shook her head and looked down.

“No seriously, repeat that for me.”

“Peppermint,” she mumbled.

Mamoru started laughing at that which took Delilah and Kenji by surprise, “Peppermint, unbelievable! Kenji have you ever heard someone compare a smile to Peppermint? My smile isn’t like Peppermint yours is!”

Delilah started taking pictures of Mamoru laughing and smiling.

“Selfie!” Kenji announced.

Before Mamoru had the chance to react, Kenji ushered Delilah towards him and took a selfie capturing the three of them smiling, it truly was a picture-perfect day, (pun intended).