Life goes by so fast. Cynthia remembered how she taught Raphaelito to walk and to talk.

She used to tell him about his daddy who had passed away but whose spirit was always with them.

It became very common for both to talk in a natural way about life and death. She wasn‘t sure if that was the correct thing to speak about with a child but he accepted it anyway as something natural. As natural as he enjoyed playing with his toys as well.

She noticed that the boy had taken after her in a certain aspect. He loved the evenings. When everything was so quite, he wanted to go out. Even as a toddler, he wanted a bit of evening-air before sleeping. Then she used to take him in her arms and she walked around the garden with him until he couldn‘t keep his eyes open anymore.

Looking at him, she always got that warm feeling in her heart.

Then the day arrived that she had to buy a birthday cake for the little one and after singing together, they blew the candles out.

She put the child on the floor and… there it happened!

“I‘m big, I‘m big now. Now you can teach me how to read and write“.

You will learn that soon enough my boy. Tomorrow you‘ll have to go to school.

“Mom…, I won‘t fit in the crib anymore“.
“Oh dear, it‘s true. I forgot to buy you a new bed. Never mind; tonight you will sleep with mommy in the big bed and tomorrow I will buy you one of your own. Or don‘t you want to sleep with me?“ she asked, teasing him.

“Oh yes, of course I will. Now that I‘m a grown-up boy, I need to sleep in a big bed.“
“All right then. Are you sleepy?“
“Only a little bit. I just wondered if you would like to play with me in the garden. It‘s so beautiful and quiet in the afternoon. The sound of the wind in the bushes and the lights of the houses and the lighthouse.

There went Cynthia again… She had to do everything possible to avoid that Raphaelito could see the tears in her eyes as she remembered how she used to walk in the evening hours with his father on Lighthouse Island.
“Yes, my dear; I will play tag with you”.

They played until the boy was exhausted and, to be honest, she herself was sleepy as well. They kissed good-night and went to bed.

Cynthia didn‘t get much of a night rest because she was afraid of hurting the boy while sleeping. She tried not to move too much but the boy himself was moving constantly. No, it was not good for a child to sleep with an adult. First thing in the morning she would prepare his bedroom. Finally she fell asleep.

Next morning she prepared breakfast for the boy and she sat there looking at him as a proud mother. Between bite and bite, he asked her “Do I really have to go to school today? Can‘t I go next week? It would be nice to be together now that I’m big!”

Cynthia laughed and explained: “Everybody is registered at the Town Hall. That means that School knows about you and how old you are. You are expected there. If I would keep you here with me this whole week, then somebody from Social Care will come here and take you away from me in order to give you a proper education. Now… would you like that?”

“No… no; please mommy, I want to go to school. I will never ever be taken away from you; I promise that I will go to school as long as I have to.”

“Hey, I hear the bus waiting for you.” She hugged him and off he went to school with her advice in mind: Behave well and try to make friends.

The bus was very big. He never had been in one before because usually his mother took him walking or by taxi. He enjoyed the ride. The boy who sat next to him told him that he had started school a few weeks ago.

Gosh… that school was really a big house. He had to get used to the echoing sound in those big classrooms. It seemed that every little sound was magnified. He was very impressed.

After school, he was anxious to go home. He had never been such a long time without his mother.

When Cynthia heard the school bus arrive she went immediately to the front door to hug Raphaelito and ask about his first school day.
The boy answered that he didn‘t remember what he learnt today but he told her about the big house and the echoing sound. Then he noticed that he was very tired and said: “Mom, I‘m going to sit next to dad to tell him about school.” He needed to digest all those new impressions.

“That‘s all right Raphaelito, meanwhile I will prepare lunch for us.”
“Mom…. Please don‘t call me Raphaelito anymore. I‘m a big boy now.”

“Well, shall I call you Raph?“ The boy nodded and went to that special place in their garden.

With a view on Lighthouse Island, he sat next to his father‘s grave and then, for the first time he felt his body getting cold as ice and afterwards a lovingly warmth crept into his body and mind.

He felt very comforted and knew now that his mother had been right all the time. His father really was there and loved him.

To be continued….