Ch 1: A Second Chance - Pt 2: My New Life

Several years went by quickly and quietly. My hair started to grow thicker, and by some chance I not only shared eye colors with my parents -- I ended up with a blend of their hair as well. It was predominantly black and grew like my father's, so I resembled him more. My mother's genes snuck in through random streaks of gold scattered around my head as though someone took a highlighter to my hair.

Ironically, my favorite snack so far was a fruit resembling a blue apple called a manzana. I dabbled in studying Japanese, but I did not know a whole lot about other languages. Still, I was pretty confident that the name of this fruit was literally just the Spanish word for apple. What was going to be next? Purple strawberries named ichigo?

Things like this really made me confused about where I was and what was happening. As I ate the manzana slices, I could not help but wonder if I had just been living an ignorant life before. Were blue apples just another thing I did not know about? What made them even more delicious was the way my mother would cut them into little rabbits. There was absolutely no reason the shape should have made a difference, but I would swear on my second life that the apples tasted infinitely better that way. Those two losers probably would have killed me again to get their hands on these juicy delicacies.

Other than the medieval living style and the strange foods, my life here started to feel so ordinary. So much so that I began questioning whether this was simply some foreign country I had never heard of. I mean, who was I to question the scribbly writing? For all I knew, it was simply some offshoot of Arabic.

Perhaps what bothered me the most was that I still barely knew anything about who my parents were or why we were all alone out here in the forest. I had yet to meet anyone else. I could not even recall a time either my mother or my father even mentioned another person.

On the other hand, I could not say that any of us needed anybody us. We were about as happy as a family could be. Miyo and Hakuma were a perfect match with the smiles on their faces never fading. They always supported one another. They never forgot to say "good morning" or "good night" each day. They frequently complimented each other and expressed thanks for their contributions around the house or with meals. Most importantly, they clearly loved each other deeply. Five years of bliss like this must have been a record for a honeymoon phase.

Just like the phrase suggests, the years without a single disagreement came to an end. And, of course, the first argument had to be about me. The two of them were in the kitchenette cleaning up while I finished up my daily bunny-eared snack.

Without taking her eyes away from the sink, my mother handed the next dish to my father for drying. "Aoi is much too young and innocent to be worried about carrying a sword. First, he needs to learn how to take care of himself."

Similarly, my father grabbed the bowl without so much as a glance and wiped it with a worn towel. "Having the ability and the confidence to defend yourself and those around you is part of taking care of yourself, Dear."

Lowering the soapy into the running water, my mother brought her head up in thought. "Well, I suppose it is... But I'm still against it. As his parents, Aoi should be able to rely on us to keep him safe. Let's start with something more peaceful like farming or simply preparing food for himself."

That straightened my back. Is it too late for me to tell them I already know how to do that? Although, I wouldn't mind learning how to cut apples like this.

"Why is it so difficult for you to recognize we won't always be here for Aoi?" Hakuma tensed up, causing the muscles in his arms to flex. "You might have run off on your own, but I never had a choice!"

Both my mother and I flinched at the sound of shattering glass. The white towel in my father's tightened fist was slowly staining red. "I thought you of all people would understand what I went through... Maybe this was all a mistake..."

"Hakuma!" Miyo about sliced her own hand with a knife as her body jerked. The inflicted heartache made no effort to hide itself, escaping through the profile of her face and her trembling arms.

Uh-oh. I was kind of hoping I could put this sort of stuff behind me. I walked up behind my parents with my empty plate. "Excuse me, Mom and Dad."

My mother turned around with her eyes still widened. She tried her best not to worry me. "Yes, Aoi? Oh, I forgot you were still eating. Let me take that."

I handed the apple-less saucer over. "Actually, I have an idea that might bring an end to your fight with you both being happy again."

My father peered down at me, ashamed. "I'm sorry you had to see this, Son. This is between your mother and I. No need to put yourself in the middle."

I calmly met my father's eyes. "But I already am in the middle of it. You and Mom are my parents, and I am your son. Plus, you two are only fighting because of me."

Hakuma's eyes widened and wavered. "No, that's not--"

"Sweetie... I know you are worried about us, but we will be fine." My mother squatted down in front of me and looked up at my father woefully. "Let's hear what he has to say, Darling. It can't hurt."

Her husband closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "All right. What's this idea of yours, Aoi?"

The way the two sets of eyes watched me so intently was a bit nerve-wracking. "Well, um... I guess..." I took a breath, straightened up, and faced Hakuma. "Dad, though I don't know what happened in your past, I understand you just want me to become strong. However, I can't rely on a weapon for everything. To be honest, I hope I never have the need to."

I turned to Miyo. "And Mom, I know you want me to stay safe and healthy, so you worry about me practicing swordplay and preparing myself for battle. And I know I am still young and don't know much about the world, yet, but if it is so important Dad feels so strongly about it, I can handle it."

Without a word, my parents met somber eyes and looked back at me.

"What I am trying to say is that Mom and Dad are acting with my best interest in mind, and I truly appreciate that. The way I see it, neither of you are wrong, and there is nothing keeping me from supporting both sides of the argument. I can train with Dad, and I can help Mom in the garden. Why does it have to be a choice? The easiest decisions to make are the ones that don't require sacrificing the alternative."

With gaping mouths, Miyo and Hakuma were dumbstruck. Was it something I said? Did I overdo it?

Two gentle arms wrapped around me, and some soft hair hit me in the face. A sob filled my ear. "It's hard to believe you are only five. You are growing up too quickly for my fragile heart." My mother wiped the small tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Stuck in place by the embrace, another thought came to mind. "Since I am part of this, too, I would like to make an additional request."

My father raised an eyebrow at me. "What is it?"

"I would like you to teach me how to read and write."

Although Hakuma still stared with suspicion, his shoulders dropped. "Is that all? I think we can arrange something as long as your sword training and garden work take priority. You can survive being illiterate, but you won't last long if you can't defend or feed yourself."

Miyo stood back up. "I'd be glad to teach you to write. Your father doesn't have the prettiest handwriting." She smiled at Hakuma. "He can teach you to read."

"Really?!" Growing eager to begin, I rapidly shifted my head back and forth between the two of them.

My father grinned with one side of his mouth. "All right. How's every other night sound? Your mother and I will take turns."

And so, with my first mediation ending in success, the schedule of five-year-old me became busy as a bee. Mornings were dedicated to training, afternoons were spent gardening, and evenings were reserved for reading or writing. This continued without fail for about three years without a single argument. Overall, that time remained pretty quiet. Even so, I found myself enjoying my new life. If only it could have stayed that way.