Cute Yoshio

Two years later

Yamada Estate

“Yoshio, you need to take Sora to the opera tomorrow. “ his mom ordered as she’s done for the last two years. It was always the same thing...take Sora here, take Sora there, do this for Sora, do that for Sora... he was sick of it. But he was also sick of fighting with his mother. He just started to ignore her.

“You’d better be there do not bring shame to me like you did last time. I’ve already promised Sora’s mother that you would take her,” she continued on. Yoshio just sat there his mind a millions miles away.

Whenever his mom would nag him he would just go some place else.

‘Today that little boy would be two years old. I wonder what he looks like?’ Yoshio let his mind wonder with thoughts of the baby that was taken from the hospital. Today he thought about what he would be like. Does he smile a lot or is he serious. Does his mom love him or did she give him away. Is he happy or always said.

“Yoshio!” His mother yelled his name bringing him back to the moment.

“Yes,” he looked at his mom.

“What’s wrong with you?” She asked him resting her hand on his forehead.

“Nothing just thinking about work,” Yoshio said moving his mom hands away from his forehead.

“Good I don’t need you getting sick right now,” she said continuing to talk about Sora’s wants and needs.

City A

“Mamá,” Yoshio rushed to his mom arms.

“Don’t run. You’ll fall,” Elizabeth said scooping him up her arms. His smile was infectious and his voice sweet.

“He was so good today. Ms. Moore. Bye Yoshio see you tomorrow.” His teacher smiled and waved at him.

“Bye teacher,” Yoshio smiled and waved goodbye to his teacher.

“What should we have for dinner?” Elizabeth asked him as they reached the front door. They took their shoes off. They lived in a small one bedroom apartment which was okay for now. She thought back to when he much younger.

They live in a single room in someone else’s house. She had saved enough money from her part time jobs to afford the rent of the room for one year. After that she couldn’t pay and Yoshio was so little she couldn’t leave him alone with anyone. She didn’t have family so no one to take care of him. But luck was on her side. She got work with a wealthy family, who offered room and bored as part of the job. She also got a part time job at as construction worker on the night shift while Yoshio slept. She would be back in the morning just in time to make breakfast for the Ito children.

The Ito family was very kind to her and she was sad when she had to leave. But she wanted Yoshio to have his own space. The construction company offered her full time position paying 300,000 which was enough for a one bedroom apartment and daycare.

“I want tori katsu and rice for dinner,” Yoshio said bouncing into the house.

“Okay,” she smiled and put down her work helmet and boots and hung her safety vest on the hook.

Yoshio went into the living room and took out his coloring book. They didn’t have a tv so he would color or do puzzles while dinner was being prepared. Elizabeth went into the little kitchen inside the apartment and started cooking. The space was small but it was their space. She looked at Yoshio and smiled, he was happy. A tear rolled down her cheek when she thought about when she almost lost him.

“Mom can I ask you something,” he walked over to her pulling on her apron.

“Yes, you may ask,” she continued cooking the green onions.

“Do I have a dad?” Yoshio asked looking up at her with those big brown eyes. She knew that question would come someday; she just didn’t think it would be so soon. She stopped cutting and wiped her hands in her apron and scooped him up in her arms and walked over to the sofa. She sat him in her lap and looked at him. What should she tell him, he would be turn three in a few months. She didn’t know what to say to him or how to explain things. She wished to have more time to prepare her answer but she was out of time. Her little boy was asking right now. Elizabeth looked at him and took a deep breath. She rested her hands on his cheeks.

“Yes you have a dad,” she said gently; she steadied herself for the next part of the question.

“ do we have a picture of daddy?” He asked catching her of guard. To thought for sure he would ask where he was.

“No,” she answered gentler than before.

“Oh,” he sounded disappointed and rested his head on her chest.

“Why do you ask?” She robbed the back of his head.

“Everyone is taking a picture of their dad on Friday for show and tell. I won’t have anything.” He explained his voice cracking at the disappointment.

“Oh I’m sorry. We do have something of daddy’s,” she said and he perked up.

“What is it?” He asked with a smile from ear to ear.

The night she had gone to the Lotus hotel and slept with that man for her freedom. He was having trouble taking of her dress and ripped it. So the following morning she didn’t have anything to wear to make her escape.

“It’s daddy’s shirt,” she took it out of it’s hiding place and held it up to Yoshio. She didn’t know why she kept it all this time. She was going to toss it a bunch of times but never did.

“Is that daddy’s smell,” Yoshio held the shirt to his nose and took several deep breaths. She hadn’t washed the shirt so it still smell like that man after all those years.

“Yes,” the answer made Yoshio very happy he wrapped himself up in the white bottom up shirt.

“What if mommy takes a picture of you wearing daddy’s shirt and you can take that for show and tell on Friday,” Elizabeth suggested.

“Yes!” He jumped up and down on the sofa.

“I’ll get the camera,” she went back into the bedroom to look for the camera. She knelt next to the bed and cried.

She realized that Yoshio would never know who is father is or was. The only memory he’ll have is of wearing the shirt she ran away with when she got pregnant with him. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled. Her job was to raise a happy boy.

“What are you doing?” Yoshio was standing up on the sofa with the bottom all mixed up.

“I want to wear it like daddy would. Do we have a neck thing,” he asked pointing to his neck.

“It’s called a tie and we have one I’ll get it,” Elizabeth walked back into the bedroom and got the black tie that she had worn for her interview.

“Let mommy help you,” She undid the bottoms and did them up right and fixed the tie for him. She looked at him and tried too see if he had any similarities with that man but the image of his face was beginning to fade in her mind. She could hardly remember anything about him.

“Mommy do I look like daddy?” Yoshio asked jumped up and down.

“Yes, lets take the picture so I can finish making dinner.” She said and Yoshio plopped down on the safe. Elizabeth took several photos and would take them to print the following day so the could have them for Friday.

“Thank you mommy,” Yoshio jumped from the safe to her arms and kissed her on the cheek. He buried his face in her neck and hugged her tight around the neck. She hugged him back and a few stray tears rolled down her face and onto the shirt.

‘I’m so sorry Yoshio but you’re going to be happy I promise,’ she thought as she hugged him.

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