Adolescent children and their pains.

He was moaning and groaning from the moment he came in. Mama looked over at him. That's how he usually is..every time he comes to Mama, some sort of ailment or woe will pop out. It's his way of saying "I love you. Now love me back."

But Mama knows better than to just ask "What's wrong?" No, that won't do the trick. He doesn't want all his siblings to hear him mumbling and moaning mishaps to Mama. He isn't weak. Mama knows her baby all too well. Instead she asks "...and where did you come from?"

He looks up and starts counting out on his fingers the various eateries he went to. Is he whining of a tummy ache? Oh no, see..in order to ensure nobody sees him as weak, he must first answer Mama's questions: Where did you come from. Now that the formalities are aside, he is now free to tell Mama what is really bothering him.

"My friend knocked me with his elbow"

"Ok, dear.."

Mama thought it was over, so she turns to the other children as she stirs the pot for that night's dinner.

"When he knocked me, I straight away fell to the ground."

"Oh no....u poor baby"

Mama again turns over the soup to make sure the bottom wasn't scalded.

"I blacked out for, like, five minutes!"

Ok, he really needs this. Mama turns to him.

"...and how tall was this friend? How could his elbow come in contact with your head?"

"I don't know..we were running towards each other while playing basketball, then all of a sudden everything went black."

"Is your vision alright?"

"yes"

Baby pretends to scribble away nonchalantly. Mama thinks it's over, so she again turns to the other children.

"It still hurts here"

Oh God, he really is my baby, isn't he? No, I have to remind myself that  only borrow him for a while; that out there, there is a mother who birthed him and raised him years before I ever knew him.

"Have you told your mother?"

"Do you think she would care?"

Mama gets it now. Here is his place. Here is where he depends on someone to care. And true enough, yes, I care. But, I don't exactly know how. So here goes..

"Are you sure your vision's alright?

*looks up at the board* "Yes"

"Do you have back pains?"

*stretches back* "No"

"Do your ears feel bunged up?"

"No"

"Well, the pain will subside, I suppose..how many friends were with you just now?"

*counts with fingers* "Seven"

"Did they carry you off when you fainted?"

*scrunches up entire face* "Why would they carry me off?"

"I don't know... aren't they supposed to carry you off to the side or something? Then what did they do?"

"They waited for me to get up"

"Well tell them that next time they should carry you off to the side"

*obviously irritated* "Why would they do that? It's in the middle of a field! What would run over me? A stray rabbit??"


Oh my darling sweet little baby Cyclops..how far we've come since the days of "I hate you" and crouching in corners in fits of anger. I love that you come to me for comfort and support; you have no idea how much I have learnt from you.





To love when the love comes easily, is a pleasure.
To love when the love is fought for, now that, is a blessing.