Rei's Home
Sayoko.
Sayoko.
Sayoko.
I say that name over and over again so that I can get used to it. As long as I can remember, I've been going by Rei. That's been my name for so long, that it was not feasible that it would not be my real name. While my last name, Ayanami, was correct, my first name wasn't Rei. My parents named me Sayoko.
That's right, according to Dr. Akagi, I was not artificially created. I was actually adopted by NERV themselves. While Dr. Akagi did not tell me why my parents gave me up for adoption, Dr. Akagi gave me directions to where my parents still lived after fifteen years. Apparently, Dr. Akagi knew my mother from their time in medical school, so she gave me the address. And just like that, I was on the bus, on my way to an apartment building on the other side of town.
Despite my normal calm and collected composure on the outside, on the inside, I was panicking and nervous. Thoughts kept creeping into my head that my parents would forget me, or remember me but wouldn't want me. I kept trying to tell myself that this wouldn't be the case, but I wouldn't know how these people were.
Before I can wrap myself further into these thoughts, the bus came to a stop right in front of the apartment building where my parents lived. I got off the bus, not taking my eyes off of the apartment housing my parents. I walk up to the complex, going up four flights of stairs. There was an elevator, but living in my apartment for years with a broken elevator made walking up the stairs a force of habit.
Room 2D. This is where Dr. Akagi said my parents resided. I feel my breathing become labored. I try to calm down, but the thoughts of my parent's reactions still weigh heavily on my mind. After what felt like hours of silent deliberation, I rang the doorbell to the apartment. At first, I hear no footsteps coming for the door. I was about to try the doorbell again, but then I heard footsteps jogging towards the door. A few seconds later, a rather skinny man in glasses and long black hair is staring at me.
"Hello?" the man asks, looking me up and down, probably curious as to who I am. I take a deep breath before I begin speaking.
"Hello sir. I know this may be difficult to believe, but I think I might be your daughter," I said, my voice cracking and shaking, wondering how he'll react. I observed his facial features, and at first, his eyebrow was raised in confusion. Then for the next couple of minutes, he looked at me closely, specifically my hair and my eyes. After a few more minutes, his jaw dropped, and tears began to form in his eyes.
"…Say…Sayoko? I…is…that…really you?" the man said, while violently shaking. I look up at him and nod.
"Yes…Dad," I answer. Before I can continue, he wrapped me in a tight hug that spread warmth throughout her body. I was frozen, but after a few seconds, I hug him back.
"I…we…thought you were gone…forever," my father said, with tears from his eyes falling on my shoulder. After what felt like hours, I heard footsteps coming from the kitchen, and approaching us. When I heard the footsteps, I looked up and saw a petite blonde woman looking at me, completely frozen in place.
"Hello…mom," I say, feeling a mix of confidence and fear. The blonde woman remained frozen for a few more seconds before started to have tears flowing down her cheeks, before she ran to me and my father and joined in the group hug.
"I…can't believe it's really you, Sayoko," the blonde woman said, running her hand through my hair. After another long while encased in my parent's arms, they let go and led me to the couch in their living room.
"We have so many things to talk to you about, Sayoko!" my father practically yelled.
"…like what?" I asked. I was never one for conversation, so I was curious to learn from…my parents.
"Everything! Our jobs, friends, and…everything else. But before all that, we want to hear from you," my mother replied, looking at me with a toothy smile on her face despite the tears streaming down her cheeks. I was very interested in my parent's lives, but there was one nagging question that I was asking myself since I first heard about my parents.
"I would love to tell you all about myself, but I just want to know first…why did you give me up for adoption?" I asked, trying not to hurt their feelings. Their feelings indicated that they may not have wanted to give me up, but I was still curious. My parents looked at each other before looking at me.
"I was just a college student at the time, and your father was working at an electronics store. We couldn't afford to take care of you. We tried our best, but child services found out, and put you up for adoption," my mother said, looking down at the ground with a frown replacing the shaky smile she had on her face only moments before.
"We tried looking for you everywhere, but we were never able to find out where you were living. We lived our lives, got the jobs we wanted, and have a nice home. But, we always missed you and we always wanted to see you again," my father continued, looking at me with what looked like guilt in his eyes.
"And we're glad that we're finally able to see you again," my mother said, her voice breaking made me think she was going to cry again. Not wanting that, I walked over to my mother and gave her a hug.
"I'm not mad at you. I'm not mad at either of you at all. I'm just happy that you want me in your lives. I was so worried that you didn't want me, and that…the fact that you want me in your life and still love me just…just makes me so…so happy," I say, choked up with emotions. My parents and I held each other in another group hug. After another long while, me and my parents released each other, with smiles on our faces.
"Why don't I make us some dinner, and we can catch up," my mother suggested, running into the kitchen leaving me and my father alone. We go to the dining room table, after which my father gives me a kiss on the forehead.
"It's so amazing to have you back, Sayoko," my father said, smiling down at me. I smile back at him and sit down next to him.
"I'm happy to be back as well…Dad," I say, my entire body feeling warm and happy. I give my father a side hug, still overwhelmed with the happiness that I was feeling right now, knowing that I had a family that loved me and waited for me for so long. I had a feeling that this happiness would follow me for a long time to come.