She Misses Him
[Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or its characters. Their use in the following work of fiction is for entertainment only. Also this story makes use of the lyrical structure of the song "She Misses Him" as performed by country music artist Tim Ruslow, which I have borrowed as well.]
[AN: I decided I needed another little solo piece while gearing up to complete "Little Mr. Odaiba". I took inspiration from a song I heard on the radio coming home from a family reunion. Enjoy. -- BM]
From her kitchen Minako Hida heard her young son Cody quietly announce his arrival back from one of his now frequent outings with a computer club he had joined through school. "Hi Mom. I'm home now, I hope I wasn't gone too long. Do you need my help with anything right now?"
She came out to the living room to greet him, and found herself accepting one of his nicest bows as he saw her. "You're in plenty of time Cody. I'm just planning dinner now, no real need to start until Grandpa gets back from his walk. Did you have fun with your club today?"
Cody may have heard the word "fun", but chose to register his Mom's question more pragmatically. "We did well today, thanks. I guess I better put my backpack away and get started on my homework before dinner." He started off toward his room, but stopped. He noticed that his Mom smiled, but it was her tense smile. The smile that made the sad little lines around her eyes and mouth a little deeper. "Is something wrong Mom?"
Minako Hida sighed and let go of the tense smile. He was getting good at reading her face. "Well Cody, nothing is really wrong right now, but I am concerned about something. Go ahead and put your things away, then we can talk about it in here, OK?"
"Of course Mom. I'll be right back." he affirmed. Cody went briefly to his room, but promptly returned to join his Mom on the living room couch. He sat down next to her very properly and looked up with concern tinting his green eyes. "What's the matter Mom?"
"Cody, your homeroom teacher called me today. Do you know why?" Minako did her best to keep from sounding stern, but she was pretty sure Cody did know why.
The boy lowered his eyes for a moment, then looked up again. "It's that wilderness adventure trip, isn't it."
"That's right." his Mom confirmed. "Your teacher said that you were the only boy in your homeroom who hasn't signed up for the trip, and its deadline's coming up. It sounds like fun Cody, why don't you go, I'll let you, don't worry about that."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the offered trip Mom, but I decided right away that I probably shouldn't go, so I didn't bother you about it." Cody told her.
"Why shouldn't you go Cody?" his mother asked gently.
"It's basically a ... father-son trip." he told her simply.
"Yes, that's what I was told ..." Minako related even more gently "... but Cody your teacher said that you were free to bring along another man or even an older boy to be your trip partner. You can ask Grandpa."
"Mom, I don't think it's Grandpa's kind of trip. There's rock climbing and river rafting, and a big ropes course. I know Grandpa's spry, and I know he'd try to go if I asked, but that's exactly why I can't ask him." he explained.
"What do you mean Cody?" his Mom wondered.
"Grandpa would try his best to keep up with a younger group, but he really might get hurt, or worse. I just can't take that chance with Grandpa, not on my account. I'd feel so responsible if he went and something happened to him." The boy professed sincerely.
Grandpa Hida's longevity was a sensitive subject with Cody, so Minako gently pressed the alternative. "Well, what about one of the older boys you know? Tai or, Matt, or Joe, or even TK, you can ask one of them."
Cody sighed, and hoped his Mom would understand. "Mom I'm the youngest member of ... our club, and I try hard to get the others to see me as more than just a little kid. I don't think asking one of the older boys to go on a father-son trip with me will help that. Besides ... it wouldn't really be the same." Tears formed in the corners of his eyes and he blinked them away. There was a moment of uneasy silence between them. Finally he added "Mom, I really don't think I want to go on that trip ... but I will if you want me to."
The only thing she really wanted him to do was to have a little fun, but now he looked hurt. Compelling his participation would only defeat that purpose. "No, it's OK Cody. I won't make you go if you don't want to, but please think about it a little bit more and see if you're sure about that, OK?"
"OK Mom, I will." Cody promised.
"Thank you Cody. You can take it easy until dinner if you like." his Mom suggested.
"Well, I think I'd better get my homework started, I'm not that tired." Cody determined. "Is that OK Mom?"
"Sure Cody, but you don't have to work on it all at once." she reminded.
"I know. " the youngster assured. He bowed to her and made his way to his room.
She watched him go and waited until she knew he'd closed his door. Then Minako Hida went over to the small bookcase shrine the family maintained for her late husband Hiroki. The woman whispered quietly in the direction of Hiroki's picture. "Oh Hiroki, sometimes I don't know who to miss more ... you ... or Cody." She contemplated the reason for Cody's sadness, and her own --
* Cody's her son
with short, cropped hair
a little boy with a serious air.
He seldom plays
he rarely shouts
he feels it's his job to help her out.
He'll read his books
and kendo train
but in dreams he'll cry and call Dad's name.
A younger self held deep within
and what she feels is
she misses him.
She misses her carefree child
and the way his Dad could make him laugh.
She misses the boy he was
in all their family photographs.
Still so kind, so polite, so smart
But the boy he was in his Dad's arms,
she misses him.
His older friends
watch out for him
and draw him out of moods he's in.
It's really nice
but most of all
his guiding light is his Grandpa.
They help Cody grow
and carry on
they know he's sad with his Dad gone.
She's grateful that they're there for him
but there are times
she misses him.
She misses her carefree child
and the way his Dad could make him laugh.
She misses the boy he was
in all their family photographs.
Still so kind, so polite, so smart
But the boy he was in his Dad's arms,
she misses him.
She hopes he'll remember
though she shares his tears
that little boys should enjoy
happy childhood years.
She misses her carefree child
and the way his Dad could make him laugh.
She misses the boy he was
in all their family photographs.
Still so kind, so polite, so smart
But the boy he was in his Dad's arms,
she misses him. *
-- "Daughter? Is something troubling you?" The senior Mr. Hida asked his daughter-in-law gently, freeing her from her thoughts. Minako quietly explained the situation to the older man. "Hmm ... Would you like me to talk to Cody during his kendo lesson?"
"No ... no please. It's sad if he feels he should stay behind, but this is the kind of thing he has to decide for himself. It's very personal for Cody." she told him.
"Very well, what do you plan to do if he doesn't make the trip?" Grandpa Hida wondered
"Love him ..." she replied intently, looking to Hiroki's picture. " ... for the both of us. Then I'll just hope he gets enough pleasure out of that computer club of his. It's just boys Cody's age need a little adventure. It doesn't seem like staring at computers each afternoon can give him that." she replied.
"True." the older man agreed. "Maybe you could get some of his fellow club members to do something exciting with Cody for a change."
"I suppose that's a possibility." Minako reasoned gratefully. She really understood if Cody wasn't ready to participate in a father-son event. Minako remembered something Cody's friend Yolei had told her: "Sometimes with Cody you need to open a door and a window for him. Then, when you get him to look at one you push him through the other really fast." Of course, his Mom wouldn't go quite that far. Though she had trouble imagining Cody's computer club being any more exciting than the meatloaf she was about to make for dinner, they were her son's good friends, and they would help, so she determined to keep the boy's opportunities as open as possible. The rest would be up to Cody.