Sequel: A Cry or a Scream ›
A Word or A Letter
Daddy Pride
I’m renting a small room near the city. The little child has stayed with me. I told the twins about her, and Tom says he’s on his way to help. I asked him about his own family, to which he answered, “I’ll explain when I get there.”
The child is five years old, and has yet to start school. I’m thinking of enrolling her in a Japanese school, but I figure it would be best to discuss with Tom the best course of action.
~
Hearing a knock at the door, I stood from my reading to answer. As expected, Tom stood in the entrance.
“Come in,” I said. The child saw Tom, stood, and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her into Tom’s embrace.
“Daddy!”
I stood, shocked at the display. Tom was hugging the little girl, “bawling his eyes out.”
“Daddy, why are you crying?” asked the child.
“I thought I had lost you! Just like how I had lost your mother. Why did you run away, Pino?” The child, “Pino”, looked at her shoes in shame.
“I thought I made you sad, because I looked like mama.”
“No, mama makes me sad; you make me happy, Pino!” Tom gripped Pino’s shoulders while saying this. He gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead, and turned to me.
“Thank you, John, for keeping her safe.” The smile Tom gave me was so brilliant, I looked away, blushing.
After that, Pino and Tom watched some movies, while I went along with my reading. When Pino went to bed, I confronted Tom.
“What happened?” Tom’s eyes do, he answered in a tone e that was dead.
“Maybell left. She walked right out the week after Pino came home from the hospital. I was struggling to pay the rent and take care of Pino. My pride prevented me from asking anyone for help. Then, Pino just up and vanished too! I had called everyone I could think of! Then, when I was about to call you, you called me, telling me of a little child you picked up with blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair. I thought, maybe it was her.”
The emotions radiating off of Tom made me uncomfortable. I was happy for him; I just had no way of expressing it. So, awkwardly, I patted Tom’s head, despite the fact that he was over a foot taller than me. I froze as he rapped me in a hug.
“Thank you.”
I hugged back, hoping I could except all the gratitude he was giving me. We realized, and stood there uneasily, trying to gain back some of the useless pride we had lost.
“I was thinking of enrolling Pino in school here,” I said in a rush, trying to change the subject.
“I lost the apartment back in the states. Can I stay with you?” I nodded. “Then it would be best if her and I both went to school here and learned some of the language,” Tom laughed.
The child is five years old, and has yet to start school. I’m thinking of enrolling her in a Japanese school, but I figure it would be best to discuss with Tom the best course of action.
~
Hearing a knock at the door, I stood from my reading to answer. As expected, Tom stood in the entrance.
“Come in,” I said. The child saw Tom, stood, and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her into Tom’s embrace.
“Daddy!”
I stood, shocked at the display. Tom was hugging the little girl, “bawling his eyes out.”
“Daddy, why are you crying?” asked the child.
“I thought I had lost you! Just like how I had lost your mother. Why did you run away, Pino?” The child, “Pino”, looked at her shoes in shame.
“I thought I made you sad, because I looked like mama.”
“No, mama makes me sad; you make me happy, Pino!” Tom gripped Pino’s shoulders while saying this. He gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead, and turned to me.
“Thank you, John, for keeping her safe.” The smile Tom gave me was so brilliant, I looked away, blushing.
After that, Pino and Tom watched some movies, while I went along with my reading. When Pino went to bed, I confronted Tom.
“What happened?” Tom’s eyes do, he answered in a tone e that was dead.
“Maybell left. She walked right out the week after Pino came home from the hospital. I was struggling to pay the rent and take care of Pino. My pride prevented me from asking anyone for help. Then, Pino just up and vanished too! I had called everyone I could think of! Then, when I was about to call you, you called me, telling me of a little child you picked up with blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair. I thought, maybe it was her.”
The emotions radiating off of Tom made me uncomfortable. I was happy for him; I just had no way of expressing it. So, awkwardly, I patted Tom’s head, despite the fact that he was over a foot taller than me. I froze as he rapped me in a hug.
“Thank you.”
I hugged back, hoping I could except all the gratitude he was giving me. We realized, and stood there uneasily, trying to gain back some of the useless pride we had lost.
“I was thinking of enrolling Pino in school here,” I said in a rush, trying to change the subject.
“I lost the apartment back in the states. Can I stay with you?” I nodded. “Then it would be best if her and I both went to school here and learned some of the language,” Tom laughed.