Birth -- Day 133

The parents of the unborn child wanted to have a little girl who will be plump, adorable, and sweet from top to bottom. But on the day the mother was to be due, there came a loud cry. “It is a baby boy,” the nurses and doctors told the parents. “What will you name him?”

The mother, was somehow disappointed to find out that the baby was a boy, but not a girl. However, she was happy that she finally became a mother, and that she has a child that she and her husband helped bring into the world. As her husband held the baby up so she could see his face, she smiled and said, “Satoshi.”

Trust -- Day 134

Satoshi was slow to warm-up, his mother would tell the other mothers around her neighborhood, but she also told them that Satoshi was the sweetest little thing in the world. Despite his incessant cries, that rattled and angered their neighbors at night, Satoshi would smile at the sight of her. She can tell, by the looks on their other mothers’ faces that they were jealous, but they dared not to say it out loud. Instead, they just smiled and babble baby words at Satoshi.

She mentally rolled her eyes. That’s not how you’re supposed to talk to a baby, she thought.

Her meetings with other moms were cut short, though, because Satoshi needed tending to. She immediately excused herself from the group of women and quickly ran back home.

“It’s ok,” She hushed Satoshi as he continued to cry, “Mama is here.”

And just like that, Satoshi’s crying died down as a small smile was placed on his lips.

Autonomy -- Day 135

Satohi’s mother was busy cooking for her small family, whispering under her breath that her husband will be home soon. After placing Satoshi in a small pen near the kitchen, so she could keep a close watch on him, she resumed being a housewife, her job before Satoshi was born.

It’s a good thing I bought all of those toys for Satoshi, she noted as she glanced for the hundredth time on Satoshi that day. She read in a book once, while she was still pregnant with Satoshi, that children Satoshi’s age should have simple toys that are colored in black and white. At first, she thought it was bizarre since she believed that children loved colorful and complex things to play with. But being a new mother, she didn’t know why until her doctor told her that at Satoshi’s age, his eyesight was not fully developed yet, and simple things, like a box, was satisfying enough for Satoshi.

“Oh,” She said then. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

She sighed with delight, forgetting about the onions on the wooden board, as she watched Satoshi discover things himself.

“He’s going to be a smart kid,” She said. “I don’t doubt it at all.”

It was the sound of the rice cooker that brought her back to senses. She immediately went back to chopping.

Babble -- Day 136

She was excited. When she heard from the mothers that their children began to babble, she couldn’t wait for Satoshi to do the same thing. Everyday and every waking moment, she had a camera in her hand. As soon as she pressed the record button, she hoped that maybe, just maybe, Satoshi would say something, anything, as long as she can record this very precious moment. However, Satoshi, who barely turned two, just stared blankly at the camera in her hand. He did this every time she brought the camera out, and he wouldn’t babble.

“Well, we can’t always expect everything to happen at a certain moment...”

There was a day, however, when she woke up to Satoshi crying. He’s hungry, he always is. She immediately got up out of her bed although her husband told her to go back to sleep. Usually, she brought her camera with her, but in the midst of things and worry over her son, she left it in her bedside drawer.

Once she had sat Satoshi down his baby seat, she took a small bowl and fresh vegetables she picked from her own garden outside. Her doctor also told her that it was unhealthy for Satoshi to eat chemically produced foods, and that she should make food for Satoshi instead. So she did this same routine everyday, making vegetables liquid so it was suitable for Satoshi to eat.

“Ah~” She opened , hoping Satoshi would imitate her as she sat down with the bowl of liquid vegetable.

The sight of food must have helped Satoshi to stop from crying because he was opening his mouth. At the sight of her trusting son, she smiled...

The vegetables from the bowl was completely devoured since Satoshi had eaten it all without mess, well, except for the small mess he made around his mouth. As she got up to wash the dishes, however, an odd noise caused her to stop.

“ba...ba...”

She whirled around in an instant and eyed Satoshi who was giving her a huge smile.

“D-did you say something?” She stuttered excitedly, hoping that it was Satoshi who made that noise.

“ba ba ba ba!”

“Oh my-- Where’s my ca-- It doesn’t matter!” She set the dishes aside as she ran to Satoshi. “My son talked!”

Although his first words weren’t ‘mama,’ which he wished it was, she was happy that her son babbled. As long as she heard it, she didn’t need a camera.

Preschool -- Day 137

Satoshi knew how to talk by the time he was five years old, and spoke in a much sensical manner. She believed, by then, that it was best to bring her son to preschool for the first time. The day she signed him up for the nearest preschool she could find (and the best one for Satoshi), she was hesitant.

As she sat, waiting to be called in to the head’s office, she was nervous and began to doubt if preschool was a good thing for Satoshi. Maybe, Satoshi can be homeschooled, but then she realized homeschooling wouldn’t help Satoshi gain social skills. Was this how her mother felt too?

“Ohno-san.”

At the sound of her voice, she called for Satoshi and her son came running to her offered hand.

“Mama, why are we here?” He asked her as they walked to the office room.

“Because preschool is good for you, sweetie,” She told him the best she could through her shaky voice.

Satoshi cocked his head to the side and gave her a confused look. “What’s a ‘preschool’?”



Satoshi was begging her not to give him away. He kept pulling her away from the door, screaming and yelling that he hated the uniform on him, and that preschool was scary although he had only seen it once. She kept trying to tell him that he needed it, and that preschool had very nice people in it. But knowing Satoshi, he was shy and very kept to himself other than his own parents. He even claimed once that they were his only friends in the world.

“Honey, the preschool is a wonderful place.”

“But you’re sending me away!” He shrieked. “I don’t wanna go there...”

“I know, Satoshi, but it’s the first day of preschool and I’m sure everyone would be happy to meet you too.”

“But mama...”

“Satoshi...” She sighed as she bent down to face him and pulled him to an embrace. “Mama is scared too. To see you go and leave home. I think grandma was scared too, when I had to leave. But you know what grandma told me? She said to be a big and strong girl, I have to face everything, even if I didn’t want it. You’re a big boy, Satoshi. Mama and Papa always says so.”

He pulled away and she could see a twinkle of hope in his eyes. “Really? I’m a big boy!” He said with a huge grin on his face, “Let’s go, mama! We don’t want to be late.”

“That’s our big boy,” She laughed, embracing Satoshi once again.

It's not like Satoshi will leave her so soon anyways, but still, he would miss him for half of the day.