Sometimes we think something is a disaster when it might actually be an unexpected blessing.
Three
Mom, Mom. Who's your mom, huh? Eww. I'm still way too young. Maybe someday I'll want to have a child. With all the emphasis on the word “maybe.” I still haven't decided.
I wanted to protest, gently but firmly keeping Diva at arm's length. But my heart is weak and melts too easily. I couldn't get mad when those tiny arms wrapped tightly around me. Especially when she said, “I love Mom.”
Aw. Is this what being a mother feels like? I felt like I was willing to sacrifice my body and soul for this child. Her round eyes, shaded by thick eyebrows, blinked over and over, spreading cheerful energy. I wanted to smile and smile. And hug her even tighter.
Wait, what am I even thinking? Why am I spiraling off in every direction like this? Focus on what's important. Find out the main thing. I looked around, as if Diva's mother might appear and happily take back her responsibility. Then I could stroll away from this situation and return to my life.
Which wasn't exactly pleasant when I thought about it. I still remembered my landlady's threatening nagging because I was behind on my rent. Not to mention that I had to find extra money for graduation later. And my stomach was starting to rumble. Again.
I peered behind Zio. No beautiful woman appeared—she had to be gorgeous, judging by the genes she had passed down to Diva. Zio seemed perfectly calm too, as if he wasn't expecting anyone to show up.
“Um, it's nothing, sir… uh… Zio, or whatever,” I whispered toward Diva's father. “Where's her mom?”
The light had been shining brightly in Diva's father's eyes, but it suddenly vanished. He looked away and cleared his throat. I thought he wasn't going to answer, but after a minute or two, he let out a long sigh. He bit his lip, perhaps to steady himself, before glancing at me.
“She passed away.”
Oh.
I felt even worse. Maybe Diva had latched onto me because her mother was gone. If her father was this incompetent and so scatterbrained that his child could easily slip out of his supervision, it made sense that Diva wanted to cling to anyone who seemed to be on her side.
And that meant… me? Ugh. I was still a teenager who couldn't always be there for her. I could barely manage my own life.
Diva bounced on my lap. “Dad! Mom! Hungry!”
“Okay, what do you want to eat?” Zio nodded toward me. “My treat.”
Ah, thank goodness. I thought I was going to have to crawl home with my head hanging after washing dishes here because I didn't have enough money.
Diva babbled, and I couldn't understand her, but her father seemed to. “French fries, ice cream, and soda? Okay.”
“Not okay!” I protested. Ugh, once again, my mouth refused to apply the brakes. “That's not suitable food for a little kid! You have to think about the nutritional value too.” I asked the server for the menu, then quickly read it.
“Looks like the only decent thing here is cream of carrot soup. Order one, okay? Just orange juice to drink. No sugar. Oranges are sweet enough, right?” The server nodded. I added my order, and so did Zio. After the server walked away, Diva let out a howl.
“I don't waaant it…” Diva protested.
“You want to grow up? Get strong? So those naughty kids won't bother you anymore?” I looked into Diva's eyes and tried to get the message across seriously. “Then you have to eat and drink properly. Just trust me. You'll have extra energy afterward. You'll become a brave kid who isn't afraid of anything.”
“Huh?” Diva tilted her head and stared intently at me. Ah, was she confused? At least she stopped whining.
“I'll feed you later. You have to finish it all, okay? You're hungry, right?”
Diva nodded repeatedly. “Mom feed me! Want! Want!”
I ignored her calling me “Mom.” Maybe once she was full, she'd stop calling me that.
“Those naughty kids bothering her?” Zio furrowed his brow across from me.
“They made fun of her and threw a ball at her over there.” I pointed to the children's play area, one of the café's amenities. “Mister… uh, Zio, where have you been this whole time? How could you not notice your own child was in danger? It's a good thing she only cried and wasn't hurt. What if she'd fallen and gotten injured? What if someone had kidnapped her? Parents have to be responsible, you know!”
Oops. I knew, I knew. This mouth of mine was one of the sources of my disasters because it just wouldn't stop yapping. What could I do? I couldn't stand parents who shirked their responsibilities. If you're ready to have a child, you have to be ready to take care of one too!
At this point, he lowered his head and looked ashamed. “I was waiting in line at the ATM. I told Diva not to go anywhere. I only realized she was gone after I finished at the ATM…”
I said “huh” in disbelief. “How could you be so careless and not watch your child?”
“I… I… sometimes when a certain melody is playing in my head, I have trouble concentrating on anything else… I immediately start imagining playing it on the piano, or combining it with other instruments.”
Huh. A melody? Piano? What was his name again? Fazio Mahawira?
Fa… Zio. Ma… hawira.
Fama!
Fama!