The Warmest Secret
Where the maple leaf began
The next Saturday, Mr. Mori invited me into his home.
He showed me an old box from the garden shed.
Inside, I saw many notes and a small maple leaf .
"This was Hana's box," he said with a soft smile.
Then he told me the story at last.
Hana loved Maple Street from the first day they arrived.
Every week, she wrote kind notes for all the neighbors.
She drew a maple leaf because it was her leaf.
Long ago, I saw a photo of Hana with the small trees.
In the photo, she carried her notes down the quiet street.
Before she died two years ago, she held Mr. Mori's hand.
"Please keep our street happy," she asked him gently.
So he made a promise, and he never broke it.
For two years, he walked outside at night with the notes.
That was the dark I saw by the mailbox!
Coco always ran to his gate because the dog loved him.
Now I understood every on our quiet street.
"You kept your promise for a long time," I said kindly.
Mr. Mori nodded, and his eyes were warm and calm.
"But I am not going to do it alone now," he said.
Mrs. Kimura and I are going to help him every week.
We are going to write notes and draw the maple leaf.
Next Sunday, the street is going to meet in his garden.
Hana's kindness started here, and it is never going to stop.
I smiled because our quiet street was full of love.
Thank you, Hana. We are going to keep your warm .