Father’s love

June took excellent care of Nathan and provided him with everything he deserved. She threw a big party in the cafe when Nathan finally called her “Muma.” She was the most loving and coolest mother ever. Nathan turned 4 when June decided to admit him to kindergarten. She was with Rita in a kitchen in the cafe. “I do not understand why you have to send Nathan to kindergarten. It is so soon,” said Rita. “Rita, you have helped a lot by allowing me to bring Nathan here all these years. I cannot forget this, and now I realize it is time and not too soon to put Nathan in kindergarten. I am sure he will be alright. He will learn, play, make friends,” said June. Rita smiled and wished June all the best for Nathan’s bright future. June stopped Rita while she was heading out to the counter, “Rita, I know I am insane when it comes to trusting anybody, but you have been there for me at every step and in every thick and thin. I have never hung out or partied with you. I invite you over for dinner tonight at my place,” June said. Rita’s eyes got filled up and shiny. Taking a deep breath, Rita said, “you are inviting me for dinner at your place.” she held herself up. She was trying not to let emotions get over her and ran to hug June. 

It was the first time she invited anyone over to her house, so she did not have a clue how to make arrangements. She cooked delicious Italian noodles, mango sushi, baked banana, and avocado cupcakes. She reminded herself of a restaurant and tried to arrange her table. She could almost copy the style, but not that well. She stood back and saw everything was looking up and down, not symmetrical, and not what she had imagined in her mind. She looked at Nathan, who was playing with his toys near a fireplace. Nathan was picked up and forced into the bedroom. “You stay here for a moment,” she whispered. She ran outside to the dining table and closed her eyes. Focused on her energy she opened her arms and pointed out towards the dining area. A white flashlight emerged from her and passed over the dining table lights. The light spilled across the table to the walls, transforming the room into a galaxy. She made her home light up with different colored lights. It was especially impressive how lights on the wall resembled a milky way. She brought Nathan to the hall carrying him in her arms. Nathan looked around his home, and with a surprised expression on his face, he asked, “mother, lights, are we in the sky?” June laughed and blew a kiss on his forehead, “no my child, I made our home look like a sky. Full of lights and happiness all around,” June said. She made Nathan sit on the couch, and she sat down, facing Nathan. June said, “This is just decorations, but it feels so positive.” Nathan smiled and nodded his head, “yes, mother.” 

“Our life is the same, it depends upon you, how you want to mold it. Either you can leave it dark, or you can lighten it up like this. If you understand the positive energy inside you, you can maintain this level of living. You should always keep throwing that energy out into the world, which will make everything around you look like this. Your life and your surroundings will become positive, happy, and beautiful. Just like the sky,” June explained.

June heard someone clapping outside, and when she looked over her shoulder, it was Rita standing at the door. June quickly stood up and walked to her, “Oh! I am really sorry. I was cleaning around and left the door unlocked, I think,” June said. The door was half open. June opened the door and found Rita with someone else. June was shocked to see a male figure with Rita, and of course, he was uninvited so June could not say a word but just got confused. Rita laughed, “Ahhh! So he is my cousin, and I wanted him to come with me because it was already dark, and I know it will be darker when we go back,” she added. June smiled and welcomed both of them inside. Both Rita and her cousin were astonished to see her house. Rita asked June, “How did you do this miracle?” June smiled nervously, looking shy. Her fingers were constantly twisting amongst each other, which was clearly depicting how agitated she was. “What happened? I understand it is your first time sharing dinner with someone. No worries, I am your best friend, and this man here is also very generous and kind. “Who knows, he might become your closest friend as well,” Rita said, cracking into a burst of laughter and winking at him. Leaving both June and him embarrassed, Rita realized she had opened up a little too much. “Oops! I am sorry.”

Introducing her cousin, Rita said, “June, he is my uncle’s son, Patrick, and Patrick, you already know about her.” Patrick smiled and approached June for a handshake. “Of course, I have heard about her. She is even more amazing and magnificent in person than what you described to me, Rita,” Patrick replied with a manly voice. Then June smiled and responded, “Well, hello, Rita described you as well, a… [pause] I mean she told me about you, and today I got to meet you in person. It’s great to meet you.” Patrick left the scene and approached Nathan. “This must be Nathan,” he said. June ran towards Nathan and grabbed him. Yes, he’s Nathan, my son. He won’t go to strangers, he cries, so let’s start dinner,” she said. Rita understood because she knew what her friend June was like. But Patrick, on the other hand, was still calm and did not look confused due to June’s reaction at all.

With dinner and a bit of chit-chat, they had a wonderful time. June found Patrick joyous and had a good sense of humor. She was enjoying talking to him, listening to him, and laughing with him. June was offering them the dessert she prepared. Patrick thanked her and asked, “Hey, June, I heard you saying such a good thing to Nathan when we were outside. I have a question for you.” June did not say anything but is waiting for Nathan to continue. Nathan continued, “sometimes the sky turns dark too, sometimes it hides all the beautiful stars, and lights. It is not always glamorous.” June smiled, “you are right, what I know about life till now, for sure, just like the sky, your life is not always beautiful. You cannot always expect your life to always be fair. When the weather turns otherwise and leaves the sky dark and dusty, soon after getting dark, there goes thunder, a wave of anger. What do you see after that? It leaves a raindrop and starts to shower on earth. After that, you see the sky clear, and the rain makes this planet clean and much more beautiful than before. Everything looks so bright, and all the dirt is wiped off. Likewise, your life faces many mysterious and bad happenings. But losing hope and not letting your fear and darkness out will turn you negative. You need to keep thinking positively, keep yourself bold, and wait for the right time. Once you shower all the darkness and negativity out with the rain droplets of positivity, it will make your life and your surroundings clean,” she stopped while looking at Nathan. Patrick was overfilled with emotions and said, “I like your thoughts and efforts of staying so optimistic. No doubt, your aura is surrounded by such powerful vibes. While Rita was looking at the two of them, she leaned forward and said, “I think it’s time to take your leave, June.” Patrick was not looking in a mood to leave, but it was too late. “Oh yes, I need to go to work early in the morning [turns to look at June] I would love to meet you again sometime,” Nathan said. Rita smiled, but June did not give any reaction. 

“I will see about that,” June said. Rita held Nathan in her arms, kissed him goodnight, and Nathan did not carry him but held his hand and said, “next time I will not come empty-handed for you, buddy.” Little Nathan smiled listening to him. Patrick moved away from the boy, but Nathan did not leave his hand. He held Patrick’s finger tightly closed in his tiny hand. June was shocked, looking at the scene. Rita felt happy and overjoyed when she saw the view because it was really emotional and cute. June took Nathan from Rita and said, “let them go baby, I am sure aunty will come back again.” Patrick’s finger got free from Nathan’s small hand, June looked towards Patrick and continued to say, “and your new friend too.” Patrick smiled, and Rita gave a teasing look. Rita and Patrick left the place. June did not stop thinking about Patrick even once. Lying next to Nathan, she was tapping and singing him a song as she put him to sleep. But, she was not there mentally. She was thinking about the time she spent talking, laughing, and eating with Patrick. June had never felt this way with anyone before. Especially with someone she was meeting for the first time. June found Nathan asleep and slowly got up from his bed and headed out to the hall. She lay on the couch, looked up at the lights and was talking to herself. “Why did Rita bring him here, why can’t I stop thinking about Patrick? What is so special about him?” June drifted off to sleep while thinking about Patrick that day.

The next day was Nathan’s first day in kindergarten. He was delighted. June took Nathan to Shower Bells Kindergarten, his first step to learning, and meeting people. She was emotional at the moment, Nathan’s teacher came to take Nathan inside. “Can I come in, can I drop him inside?” June asked. “I am sorry madam, I cannot allow you to come in. There are other children inside who do not want to sit or be here, so we do not allow any parents to come in. I hope you are understanding,” said a teacher. June wished Nathan good luck and kissed him and said, “make your mother proud.”

She watched him until he disappeared from sight. After dropping, she drove to the cafe. Inside the kitchen, she found Rita baking pastries. She changed into her cafe uniform and joined Rita. Rita was quiet and was not saying anything. She finally started by asking “Hey, you drove home safely last night?” Rita did not answer her. June continued to work, and as she walked towards Rita, she heard a bell from the counter. Rita patted her clothes with her hand and stepped outside without saying a word. June was still calm as she began making pastries. When Rita helped customers and entered back into the kitchen, she was expecting June to ask her again. However, June had a smile on her face and was working as usual, while smiling and crooning.

Rita cleared her throat to catch her attention. June did not look at her or talk. Rita lost her patience and got close to June. “June, why don’t you think of getting married?” Rita asked without any fear of what June might think or say. June stopped and halted her crooning. She looked up to Rita, “pardon me.” Rita held her hands and replied, “June, you are my best friend, and I love you. I cannot see you alone. And yes, before you say anything else, remember that you are not alone and you also have Nathan now. I need to make it clear that one day he will ask you about his identity. He will ask you about his father. He will need a father. What will you tell him then? One day he will move out. I understand he loves you and he always will, but you cannot keep him with you forever. He deserves a life where he can have both a job and a girlfriend one day. The generation is changing, you see. You need a man in your life, June.”

June heard Rita carefully; each and every word pierced inside her like a sharp object. She loosened her hands from Rita’s grip and moved away from her. June was breathing heavily, and the energy inside her was activating. There was a bright torch in her eyes. She could not see Rita, so June moved away from her, “you right, I am here on purpose, and I keep forgetting that,” June said. Rita is relieved but concerned about why June was breathing so heavily and what does she mean by having a purpose. As Rita was getting closer, a customer rang a bell. Rita headed out to help. She immediately went inside the washroom to calm herself. June requested Rita to give her a day off from work because she was not feeling well. Rita asked her so many times what was the matter. June just replied that it was nothing, but she had a headache. Rita asked her to leave and get some rest. When June was leaving the cafe, she looked back at Rita, “you are right, I will think about it. Nathan needs a father’s love.”

June said this and headed off, and Rita smiled, thinking about her cousin Patrick and June together.

Will June consider what Rita said? Will she let Patrick get into her life, especially Nathan’s?

What is her purpose that she keeps reminding herself of? 

We still need to find out, let’s go.