When I was five, my father came to me and asked,
“What’s wrong, son? I heard you didn’t want to play with our new neighbor. She cried a lot, you know...”
“She’s fat,” came my reply.
“What?” My father asked, surprised with my answer.
“I don’t wanna play with a fatty,” I told him.
“Oh, son…” My father let out a breath, and he continued,” have you seen her mother?”
I looked at him in question.
“She’s beautiful don’t you think?”
I looked at him in agreement.
“Be nice to her, she could grow up more beautiful than her mother.”

That time I forgot, that her father was Anpanman looked-alike.

When I was ten, my father came to me and asked,
“What’s wrong, son? I heard you refused to be in a group with our neighbor. She cried a lot, you know…”
“She can’t sing,” came my reply.
“What?” My father asked, confused with my answer.
“It’s for the music class, I’ll play guitar and I need a vocalist,” I told him.
“Oh, son…” My father let out a breath, and he continued,” have you heard her mother play the piano?”
I looked at him in question.
“ Beautiful, isn’t it?”
I looked at him and recalled.
“Be nice to her, she could be a famous musician and greater than her mother.”

That time I forgot, that her father was tone-deaf.

When I was fifteen, my father came to me and asked,
“What’s wrong, son? I heard you yelled at our neighbor at school. She cried a lot, you know…”
“She’s a nag,” came my reply.
“What?” My father asked, confused with my answer.
“She told me this, she told me that, she’s not my mother,” I told him.
“Oh, son…” My father let out a breath, and he continued,” have you seen her mother…”
“Stop it, father…” I cut him.
“It’s not working anymore…”

When I was twenty, my father came to me and asked,
“What’s wrong, son? I thought you were breaking up with our neighbor…”
“Look at her, father.”
He looked at me in question.
“Do you think I’m that stupid to let go of a girl like her?”
He looked at me in surprise.
“Be nice to her, father. She could be your daughter-in-law someday…”
And my father laughed. He laughed in joy.