The Unavoidable Question.
Reva was sitting on her bed in her room. It was still very dark, dawn hadn't even broken yet. But Reva had been awake for several hours. In fact she hadn't slept much at all last night. For a few days now she had been troubled by a question and she couldn't seem to come up with an answer. She knew it couldn't be too hard but for some reason she found that she was unable to come up with anything that could explain it to her.
A whining noise came from the foot end of her bed and she reached out to pat Robin on his head. The Assylia had grown considerable over the last few months but he still refused to sleep anywhere except for on her bed. She didn't mind it very much though her parents had had some doubts about it in the beginning. It was winter and he kept her feet nice and warm and he was someone to talk to when she couldn't sleep or when she had had a nightmare. Besides that he made an excellent teddy.
Noises from outside of her room snapped her out of her current line of thought. She tilted her head sideways slightly and listened more closely. After a few moments she was able to distinguish her parent's voices. She stopped her patting and slid off her bed, landing on the ground with a soft thud. She waved her hand at Robin, signalling him to follow her and then she crossed her room to the door and pulled it open. After both she and Robin had exited the room she closed the door behind her and then she crossed the hallway to the door that lead to the living room.
She stepped into the living room, Robin only a few steps behind her. The lights in the living room were already switched on and she could hear noises coming from the kitchen. She followed the noises and emerged into the kitchen a few moments later. Her mother was already very busy preparing breakfast. She was hustling and bustling around the kitchen while humming a soft tune to herself. Jima smiled broadly as she spotted her youngest daughter. "Good morning dear" she said brightly. "You're up bright and early". "Where is papa?" Reva asked her mother. "He made himself some coffee and then he went back to bed," she answered.
Reva regarded her mother very seriously. "Mama, I have a question," she said just as seriously as her expression. The corners of Jima's mouth twitched slightly as she suppressed a smile. "Not another Assylia I hope dear? I don't think your father could bare that," she asked. Reva shook her head. "No nothing like that" she answered. "I just want to know something". Jima smiled and knelt down in front of her daughter and absently straightened out the little girl's nightgown. "Ask away Reva" she said. Reva cleared her throat and took a moment to formulate her question properly. "Where do babies come from? And how are they made?" she asked.
Jima's eyes widened a little in surprise but she showed no other sign of surprise to this question. "Well.." she said slowly and then stopped to consider her answers. "You know what dear?" Jima continued. "I think you should ask your father that question". Now it was Reva's turn to look a little surprised. "Papa? Really?" she said, a frown forming on her face. "Are you sure mama?" Jima chuckled wickedly. "Oh yes. Trust me dear. Your father is an expert at making babies". Reva shrugged. "If you say so mama" she gave in. Jima smiled and rose again. "Here" she said, handing her daughter a plate with a smile amount of breakfast on it. "Take that to your father. He gets grouchy if he doesn't get fed on time". Reva giggled and took the plate from her mother. "Can I leave Robin with you? Papa doesn't like having him in the bedroom does he?" Jima shook her head. "No he doesn't. Leave him here and I'll get him his breakfast".
Reva left the kitchen with the plate in her hands and went to the bedroom that her mother and father shared. The door was wide open but she gave a polite knock on the door anyway. A vague grunt came from her parent's bed. "Can I come in papa?" Reva asked. The lump underneath the blankets stirred. "What are you doing up this early Reva? Go back to bed" her father's gruff voice commanded her. "Papa, I have breakfast for you and I have a question" she continued. He gave a very audible sign and then he kicked back the covers. "Fine" he grumbled.
Reva smiled and walked into the bedroom and then to her father's side of the bed. She held out the plate she was carrying in his direction. "Breakfast" she stated simple. He took the plate from her and placed it on the nightstand, next to his coffee. Then he reached out again and grabbed his daughter by the scruff of her nightgown and lifted her beside him on the bed. She giggled and crawled underneath the covers and watched while her father sat up in bed and picked up his coffee mug.
He blew off the steam and them looked at her. "What was it you wanted to ask me Reva?" he asked her. Reva sat up herself and regarded her father seriously as he took a gulp from his coffee. "Papa, where do babies come from?" she asked. Without warning Vegeta went into a fit of coughing and sprayed all of his coffee over the covers. Reva regarded then entire scene with both of her eyebrows raised. When he was done coughing her father turned back to her. He seemed to be enraged. "What is this nonsense girl? What do you care were babies come from?" he demanded of her. "Well, one of the maids had a baby three days ago and Sako and I went to see the baby yesterday. And I was just wondering. Do the mama and papa buy babies at a store?" she asked breathlessly, looking at her father.
Suddenly his expression went from enraged to looking very uncomfortable. "Why are you asking me this? Go ask your mother" he said, while taking another sip from his coffee. "I did. But mama told me to ask you. She said you are an expert at making babies" Reva replied. Again Vegeta went into a coughing fit and sprayed his coffee over the covers. "Jima! I want to have a word with you" he raged and slammed his mug down on the nightstand.
Thoroughly confused Reva followed her father to the kitchen. There they found Jima leaning against the counter, laughing uncontrollably while tears of laugher were streaming down her face. "I suppose you thought this would be fun," Vegeta demanded of her. Unable to speak, Jima just nodded her head. Vegeta narrowed his eyes and glared at her but Jima was oblivious of this. "I do not find this amusing Jima," he snarled. Jima dried her cheeks with the sleeve of her robe. "I – did" she hiccupped.
Reva found the entire scene quite frustrating. Her parents still hadn't given her an answer. "Mama! Papa!" she exclaimed angerly and stamped her little foot on the ground. "I want an answer to my question! Where do babies come from?" Jima stopped laughing and Vegeta stopped shouting at that point. Her parents turned around to her and she faced them defiantly. "Well?" she demanded. Her parents shot each other an uncomfortable look. "After three times you think this would get easier," Jima murmured. Vegeta just nodded and looked back down at his daughter.
"Well Reva, you see…" her mother began. "A mother and a father make a baby together". Reva blinked at this. "How?" she asked and looked from her mother to her father and back again. Jima prodded her husband in his side. He cleared his throat. "They…. sleep together" he said. Reva blinked. "You and mama sleep together every night" Reva said. "You should have had more babies then me, Sako, Kaell and Korban". Jima burst out into a fit of sniggers. Vegeta shot her an angry look. "They have to do something while sleeping together" he continued to explain to his daughter.
Reva's eyes became alight with interest. "They have to do what?". "They…. join together" Vegeta said. Jima's fit of sniggers turned into another fit of laughter and she had to clutch the counter to keep on her feet. "At last I'm trying" he spat at her. Jima nodded, still laughing. "Trying yes, succeeding no," she giggled. "You do it then" Vegeta said and crossed his arms.
Jima wiped her eyes and turned to her daughter. "Reva, a mother and a father have to have sex to make a baby" she said. "JIMA!" Vegeta roared in outrage. "Oh Vegeta, come of it. Reva is nearly seven and she's a smart enough girl, aren't you Reva?". Reva nodded. "Yes I am. Thank you very much for telling me mama". Jima smiled. "You're welcome dear. Now do me a favour and wake your brothers and sister. Breakfast is ready". Reva nodded and turned to leave the kitchen. She was halfway out of the kitchen when she suddenly realized something. Turning around, she looked at her parents.
"Mama, papa, what is sex?".
Jima & Reva © DOAC
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