His Father’s Son – Part 3

Posted on 01/02/2014 by margotoele

“Mat? Hi, it‘s me…, Raph. Hey I wanted to ask you something about the babies in your family. Oh, wait a moment, he whispered, my mom‘s coming.” When he saw that his mother didn‘t have any intention to leave the study, he asked his friend: “Can I come to visit you? Oh…, you think that we better meet at the grocery-shop? Let‘s say in half an hour? All right, I‘ll be there.”

He turned to his mother and said: “Do you mind mom, if I go out and play with Mateo?“
“No of course not, my dear“ answered Cynthia. She was already pleased that nowadays he spent more time playing than being alone at the Library.
She hugged him and off he went, running to meet his friend.

Cynthia felt again the presence of her late husband and she was happy with that though she missed her friend Ilona who had moved to another street. She was considering going back to her old job at the cemetery but then she would have to leave her boy to be taken care of by someone else and she definitely didn‘t want that.
A few days ago when she was sitting next to Raphael‘s tombstone, an idea showed up in her head ‘let go, don‘t exaggerate, he has to learn as well a bit of independence, let go…’, but she just couldn‘t make the decision.

In the meanwhile, Raph had arrived already to their meeting point but Mattie still wasn‘t there. He saw another classmate and chatted a bit with him and they joked until his classmate had to leave.

Then he saw Mateo arrive. The boy came badly humored like he just to be. He asked him: “What was so important that you couldn‘t ask me on the phone?“
“Well, I just wondered something…; perhaps you can help me out as an expert in babies.”
Now, Mateo started feeling important that he was considered as an expert in babies and he said: “All right, what do you want to know?”

Then Raphael told his friend that he had been talking to his mother the other day, asking her if it would be possible to have a brother or sister.
“What did she answer?“
Raphael looked very unhappy when he answered: “She said that it was impossible because there‘s no man around the house. I didn‘t like that answer, because I am a man and I can help her taking care of the baby. I told her so and then she said that it wasn‘t exactly what she meant. Besides that, I noticed that she made fun of me. Do you have any idea what she could have meant?

 

Mattie answered: “Most probably, she thinks that you‘re too young to help taking care of a baby. I can imagine though that you didn‘t like that. She thinks that you still are a little boy; I hate that too when my mother treats me that way.”
Raphael said: “Yeah, but how can I convince her that she should have a baby?“
Mateo: “Yes, there is something you can do! I‘ve noticed one thing that could be important…” Then Mattie asked: “Do you have some money with you?”

 

“Well, yes. My mother always wants me to have some money for just in case something happens. Why?“ Mattie: “Let‘s go to the bookshop. There is a book about babies. Always when my mother reads it, she tells my father and me that she will have a baby. Now that can hardly be a coincidence. You buy that book and put it in a place where your mother can find it easily. She will surely read it and… it might work.” Raphael got very excited and said: “That‘s a good idea. I knew I could count on you; you‘re my best friend!”

 

They bought the book. Raph had a quick look at it and afterwards they played tag. When it was about time to go home, Mateo said: “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you…; she always dresses wide clothes when she expects a baby; that might be important as well. So, you should observe her very well. Hey Raph, are you really sure you want to carry on with this? Don’t come complaining afterwards because I’ve warned you that it’s not always a big deal to have babies.”

 

Raph answered that he was very sure and he trusted that his mother would continue loving him. They said goodbye and went home. Raphael was very excited by the idea and while walking home, he thought that he would put the book on the floor in his own bedroom. There she would find it for sure.

Once at home, Raph had something to eat while his mother was in the kitchen. He thought that he would have a good look at the clothes she used to wear.

Then he went to bed and dreamt that he had to share his room with many other children and that his mother didn’t have time to hug him.

Next morning he woke up sweating and quickly had a shower before going to school. He saw in a glance that the book was still there, in the same spot where he left it; so nothing could have happened so far.

He had a quick breakfast, kissed his mother and ran to the school bus while Cynthia started to clean the house.

Cynthia smiled when she saw how much energy her son had during the morning… and she started to clean the house.

To be continued…

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His Father’s Son – Part 2

Posted on 29/12/2013 by margotoele

After this special experience, Raphael would spend every day a little time next to his father’s grave. He just told him his every day’s things. If he had a question, he used to ask his father. He didn’t speak but asked him in silence. After that, an answer would shop up in his mind. That did not always happen… only when it was important.

He didn’t want to bother his mom with these things, so he tried to find an answer at the Public Library. There he made his homework and he spent hours and hours reading. He was already considered as the local bookworm.

Cynthia observed all this and she thought that the boy needed other children because he was too young to be that serious. He should enjoy his youth.

So she sent him over the the Hemmingways to take a message to her friend Ilona. That message wasn’t really necessary but there he would meet Ilona’s oldest, Mattie. They were about the same age.

Ilona herself wasn’t home but Chester was and Raphael gave the message to the man.

Then he started playing with Mateo. After a while Mateo invited him to eat somethings his mother had left in the fridge.

Raphael wasn’t hungry but he would do his homework while Mateo was eating. During that visit, he found out that Mateo Hemmingway used to be bad humored.

He asked him why. Then Mattie said that his mother was always with the twins and hardly had any time for him. Today she had gone to the pediotrician with them. That’s why he was alone again.

“But you’re not alone; your father is here with you” said Raphael. “Yes, but he has to work during the evening and night so he has to sleep during the day.”

“Ah, I see” said Raphael and he thought that he was far better off because his father was always at home, in the garden. He always had time for him and so did his mother.

He said good-bye and ran home.

During days he remembered what Mattie had told him and he wondered if it would really be that bad to have a younger brother or sister. He was kind of daydreaming of how it would be to have a baby in the family. He even forgot about the books during some days.

“Raphael Lightkeeper”, echoed the teacher’s voice; “please tell us what I was explaining!”

His cheeks turned red because he hadn’t paid attention.

“So you were daydreaming! You’re not attending very well lately. Is there anything wrong?”

“No madam, it’s just… hm…

I didn’t sleep very well last night because we had a burglar and due to the alarm and the police, I couldn’t sleep.” He didn’t lie; there had been a burglar at their house but the police officer had not been able to arrest him.

“That’s not an excuse! You can make it up by taking these important papers to the Town Hall.. after school of course!”

So, Raphael went to the Town Hall after school. He had called his mother to say that he would come later because he wanted to go to the library as well. He promised he would be home before dark.

There he was again; at the library. He wondered why so few people went there. Most of the time, he was there alone. It was that afternoon that he found a book about oriental philosophy. This was very interesting for him. It explained that you couldn’t get the skills only by reading; you had to put the advice into practice. He didn’t understand everything but he found this so thrilling that he forgot all about time and when he was aware it was late, he hurried home.

Entering the garden, he felt guilty. He had promised his mother to be back before dark and he thought that perhaps she would be angry with him.

Cynthia, as a matter of fact, was angry. She didn’t understand why the teacher sent him tot the Town Hall on the first place.

When the boy told her that it had been to punish him, the old Cynthia woke up in her. She shouted: “Tomorrow I’m going to school to have some words with yur teacher! Has she gone mad?!”

Raphael stood there watching his mother. He had never seen her this way and the more nervous she got, the more he calmed down.

“Mom… why are you angry with the teacher? She was right; I didn’t pay attention and she has nothing to do with the fact we had a burgler last night! The only one to blame is me…, for not paying attention in class and for forgetting to look at the clock when in the library. Please, I beg you not to go to school tomorrow. I would feel very uncomfortable.”

Cynthia looked down at her son and at the same moment she looked up at her husband. She had recognized his spirit in the boy’s words. She hugged the boy and said: “Excuse me son, I was very worried and just don’t want you to get hurt and bullied.”

He smiled and said: “How can they hurt me…? Even when you’re nog around, dad is with me.” Then he made a funny movement with his nose and said: “Hmmm… I smell that you prepared something nice for dinner.”

While the boy was eating and afterwards washing the dish, Cynthia was thinking that she should think twice before speaking. After those wise words from her son’s mouth, she understood that his father had been with him during the day.

*****

Next day when she left for her daily walk, Ilona came up her way. She told her she was pregnant again and that they had to find a bigger house. So… she would be moving very soon, most probably to a house near Hospital. She was very busy with the twins and not really pleased to have another little one so soon. The twins just had their birthday and were toddlers now, needing all of her attention and she hardly had time for anything else.

The women said they would keep in touch and they would phone each other regularly.

Cynthia was thinking that some people have so many children and she had only one. What would happen within a few years? The boy would grow up and would start living on his own. She would be alone again.

She had tried to find comfort next to her husband’s grave but this time she couldn’t make contact. She understood that even for someone who passed away, it would be difficult to be on 2 places at the same moment. She almost started to envy her son.

To be continued…

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