Disclaimer: I do not own POT
Chapter 10: Akihiko
"AKIHIKO RYUUZAKI!"
A small 3 year old boy was quick to look towards the loud sound, his button brown eyes widened in slight trepidation as he was quick to get on his wobbly feet and tottle away from the sound. The little boy had light brown hair which was lighter than his own mothers but had his mother's nose and eyes.
"Mama! Mama!"
The little boy called out in fear as he rushed through the room just as a mother reacted to her infant's call, opened the entrance door and called out worriedly
"Akihiko?"
Akihiko did not hesitate and dive into his mother's embrace and wrapped his small arms around her legs as tight as he can and buried his face into her legs. The woman tried to pry Akihiko's hands from her legs but he refused just as the thundering voice came around to be a lovely vibrant woman who leaned down and said sternly
"Akihiko, what did I say about taking a nap?"
"…M…mm….Aki…Akihiko want to wait for mama…"
The mother gently spoke to Akihiko and coaxed him to look up. Sure enough his eyes were filled with tears to show he was apologetic which melted his mother's heart the same way he did when he was first born.
"Akihiko, you should take a nap and Mama promises that the moment you wake up… I will be right there with you."
Akihiko hiccupped a little as he nodded responding
"Sorry…mama…"
"It's ok Akihiko… what about…?"
His mother gestured to the lady standing before him, her anger seemed to have dissipated after seeing how tearful it made Akihiko.
"So…Sorry ma."
Akihiko said through his sniffles as the lady forgotten all about her anger and picked the little boy up in her arms. The lady had lovely short orange hair in stark contrast to the one Akihiko called 'mama', she adjusted to Akihiko's weight and said
"You know what you can do? You can listen to me read to you constitution rights for nap time."
Akihiko giggled as he leaned against the lady and muttered
"Don't want…"
"Oh you drive a hard bargain here mister! Don't worry… Constitution Rights will make you fall asleep pretty quickly."
Akihiko started to cheer up as he giggled and cuddled the lady just as the lady turned to the woman still standing at the entrance way with a smile
"Alright, fine. Your mama can read you, your favorite. Pinkie pongka goes kaponkie"
Akihiko turned to look at his mother as his eyes light up with joy and he raised his arms to her as though he wanted to be carried by his mother who giggled a little before taking Akihiko into her arms.
"Akihiko want! Akihiko want!"
Akihiko moved in anticipation as his mother laughed a little just as the other lady stretched saying
"Thank goodness, that storybook makes my tongue feel like falling off. Tell you what Sakuno, you read him pinkie pongka goes kaponkie and I make us some coffee."
Sakuno laughed a little as Akihiko seemed to get a lot more excited just hearing those words, he was literally jumping while his mother was carrying him.
"Thanks Ann…"
Ann smiled and responded
"No problems, did Tomoka say what time she will be back from the conference today?"
"Kaa-san, Kaa-san coming home?"
Sakuno cuddled Akihiko a little to stop wriggling a little as she responded
"She said something about getting a ride from …Horio…"
Ann rolled her eyeballs as she said
"Alright, as long as he doesn't step into this household, his presence will be forgiven."
Sakuno smiled as she said
"I better put Akihiko to sleep before he decides that he is far too excited to sleep."
Ann nodded and pecked Akihiko on the cheek
"Have a good nap Akihiko,"
"Nappy nappy Ma!"
Ann and Sakuno looked at one another and burst into a fit of giggles because Akihiko decided that since 'nighty nighty' is for night time, he called his afternoon naps, 'nappy, nappy'. Sakuno carried him into their room as she put Akihiko down and he did not dally and picked out his favorite book for her to read to him and snuggle close to her, not to forget his favorite teddy bear in his arms as he listened to her read to him about the whole ordeal of the pig going through an inking machine.
Sakuno could not believe this bundle of joy was her one true purpose, after the whole pregnancy having their ups and their downs Akihiko was born her beautiful little boy. Akihiko from the moment he could wake up, he would hold Sakuno's finger, his eyes unwavering as he stared up at his mother. When he became 1 years old he took his first step, made Sakuno burst in pride deep within her… when he could speak his first words were 'mama' and the name stuck to her. Akihiko may have had his father's hair but from his button brown eyes to his small little toes… and to his personality… he was nothing but ever-loving and kind.
"Mama! Mama! This one! This one!"
Akihiko once finished with Pinkie ponkie goes kaponkie was eagerly reaching for the book on their bedside table. It was his favorite book, a book that Sakuno had written when she first caught sight of Akihiko for the very first time. It was titled 'Friends, you… and me'. Sakuno was touched when it became Akihiko's favourite book, he made sure she'd be the only one to read it to him and be the very book just before he slept. Sakuno took the book from Akihiko's hands and helped him under the sheets as she tucked herself right next to him and opened the book filled with pictures of which she had personally drawn.
There once was a little girl who was scared of everything,
She was scared of thunder, scared of heights…
Scared of boys and scared of people.
The little girl grew up, she was still scared and very lonely.
One day two girls came to her and said
It's ok to be scared
It's ok to be sad
It's ok to worry about everything
But know that you will always have us!
When the three girls grew up to become ladies,
That was when the girl who was afraid of everything was attacked by a big black monster.
After that, the lady became very scared of thunder
Very scared of heights…
Very scared of boys and Very scared of people
The lady ran and hid in her room,
She didn't want to speak
She didn't want to eat
She didn't want to do… anything.
Her two friends found her and said to her
It's ok to be scared
It's ok to be sad
It's ok to worry about everything
But know that you will always have us!
For many years the lady was scared of everything until one day God felt sorry for the lady and gave her a present.
He said that this present will make her brave, will make her strong… he said it will make her scared no more!
The lady had a beautiful baby boy name Aki, the lady loved her baby Aki so very much that…
Every day, the lady braved the thunders to soothe her little Aki to not be afraid
Every day, the lady will brave herself to climb higher heights so that her baby Aki will be safe and sound
Every day, the lady made herself fearless to talk to boys… to talk to people so that she could protect her baby Aki with all her heart.
Because with each and every day, the lady loved Aki more than she loved herself
I love you Akihiko, that is what she will sing
And so it is ok to be scared…
It is ok to be sad
It is ok to worry about everything
Because Akihiko will always have Mama and that is that.
The end.
Sakuno finished the book in time to see that Akihiko was all curled up close to his mother and breathing slow and evenly. Sakuno couldn't help but to watch over her little baby lovingly as her fingers ran through the soft strands of Akihiko's hair. Sakuno leaned down and lovingly pressed a kiss to Akihiko's temple before she slowly got up from the side of her bed making sure that Akihiko was tucked in properly and well away from the edge of the bed before she left the room.
To be continued...