Autumn Love

Day Five: Family

Goku sat on his Grandpa's lap, kicking his legs and smiling at the kind, old man who found him in the woods and raised him. When he sat on Grandpa's lap, the Old Man wanted to tell him something important. It's happened a few times and Goku tried to listen and remember but sometimes he forgot. He hoped this isn't one of those times. "I am your Grandpa Gohan. You are my Grandson. We are a family and you should never forget that."

Goku knew what the words 'Grandpa' and 'Grandson' meant but not the other one. "What's a family, Grandpa?"

"Family is a group of people who live together. They love, support and take care of each other."

"Like you and me."

Grandpa Gohan patted Goku's head. "Yes, but there are different types of families, Goku. There are families you are born into and there are families you create. I created a family with you and one day you will meet a cute girl and will create a family with her. You two will have a child. You will love and for the child like I am taking care of you."

Goku didn't understand any of that. Maybe when he's older he will. Maybe this 'cute girl' he will meet will tell him. "If that's what I'm supposed to do, I will, Grandpa, but when will this happen?"

"When you grow up. I can't say how old you will be when this happens, but you should be a young man and not an old one like me when you create your family." Goku noticed a change in his Grandpa's eyes. He looked sad. "When you are old like me, you don't have a lot of years left and you will miss things with your family that you would not miss if you start a family when you are younger."

That went completely over Goku's head. "Huh?"

Grandpa Gohan chuckled. He had a feeling that was too much for Goku to understand and maybe it was best Goku didn't understand. That way, the young boy won't dwell on the knowledge his Grandpa won't live forever and will miss seeing him grow into a man, marry and start a family.

"Don't worry about it. Treat that cute girl and your child right. You will want to raise a good and happy family, Goku."

"Are there families not good and happy, Grandpa, like there are good and bad people?"

Goku can be slow at times but there were moments he is very perceptive. "There are some, yes," Grandpa Gohan acknowledged sadly. "There are some families that are family in name only. They don't love, support and take care of each other like a real family. Some of them start out loving and caring but things happen and they change. Don't create that family. Always love, care and support your family. Don't let it change into a family that doesn't."

Grandpa spoke soft but stern. It was enough for even young Goku to understand how serious this is. "I won't, Grandpa," Goku promised. "I'll make sure the family I create will love, care and support each other."

"Well, Grandpa, I did it. I created a family."

Goku, a man nearly twenty years of age, stood in front of a tall, thick tree. This wasn't where his Grandpa died but it was near the spot where Goku cremated him. The exact spot was lost to time and Goku's youthful memories. He was so young when he lost his Grandpa that over the years growing and living a life of his own replaced many of the memories Goku had of his Grandpa. As a man, Goku could only recall a few moments that happened and just feelings of what his Grandpa evoked in him. One memory that wasn't lost is Grandpa loved this tree. Goku remembered Grandpa smoking a pipe and taking naps against this tree.

It's why Goku chose this spot to talk to Grandpa about the changes in his life since he left Mount Paozu.

"I married Old Man Gyumao's daughter, ChiChi. We met as kids and I got engaged to her and I didn't know it." His friends questioned it but Goku never told them the exact details of how he of all people got engaged to a girl. "ChiChi's as naïve as me. Or she was then. She thought me patting her meant I wanted to marry her." Goku imagined Grandpa hearing this story and his reaction. "I bet you wanna hit me now, too, Grandpa. I know. I know. I shouldn't have done that but that was the only way I could tell the difference between a boy and a girl. I don't need to do that now," Goku confirmed. "I know the difference." He knew before meeting ChiChi again but he really knew now that he's married.

"After we married, I remembered what you told me about creating a family. I remembered my promise to you and I got scared, Grandpa. I got scared I made a mistake."

It was late with the moonlight peering into his bedroom as Goku sat up in bed staring at the woman who became his wife. They married a week ago and Goku was still processing it. They stood before a man promising to love, care and be faithful to each other. Only a week and so far it's been nice. There were things he and ChiChi do at night and sometimes day that were really good. ChiChi made yummy food for him. It didn't fill him but it tasted good. ChiChi told him stories about her life growing up and ask about his. Goku shared stories but when ChiChi asked about Grandpa, Goku changed the subject. It was strange. There was a small part of him that wanted to share but a large part that didn't. His friends whom he knew for years didn't ask questions about Grandpa, and if they did, Goku wouldn't tell them either. Even so, there wasn't that small part of him that wanted Goku to share with his friends. Only with ChiChi that part existed and Goku didn't understand why.

One day you will meet a cute girl and will create a family with her. You two will have a child. You will love and take care of that child like I am taking care of you.

Goku understood the difference between a man and a woman but he didn't understand what's cute. ChiChi had a nice face for him to look at but did that mean cute? ChiChi talked about them having a child. Goku didn't mind until he remembered his Grandpa's words about family. That reminded Goku of his promise to not let his family turn into a bad one.

But how can he make a family with someone he didn't know?

Goku touched ChiChi's arm and shook her. "Hey. Hey, ChiChi."

"Mmm?" ChiChi groaned as she was shaken awake. "Goku?" she spoke unsure it was him. She rubbed her sleepy eyes as she yawned, "What is it?" ChiChi flicked on the lamp and looked at the clock on the nightstand. "It's three in the morning. Why are you waking me so early?"

"We got married so that means we are a family."

"Yes, Goku." ChiChi closed her eyes again. "Go to sleep, Goku. We can talk about this later."

"Families love, care and support each other, right?" Goku asked for confirmation.

"Mm-hmm," ChiChi murmured as she drifted back to sleep.

"How can we be a good family if we don't know each other? I don't wanna create a bad family, ChiChi. I promised Grandpa I wouldn't."

ChiChi's eyes opened again. She stared at him for a long moment before finally pulling herself to sit up. "You're not creating a bad family, Goku. Why do you think that?"

"Grandpa told me a family is a group of people who live together. They love, support and take care of each other."

"That's right."

"That was me and Grandpa but we knew each other. That's not us. We created a bad family. We ain't the good one I promised Grandpa I will create."

Goku thought he said the wrong thing when he noticed tears welling in ChiChi's eyes. He didn't want to hurt ChiChi. He liked her. She got fiery but was kind to him. She made him yummy foods and taught him things no one else took the time to teach. It was as if she didn't see him as stupid as others did. She saw him as a person needing to be taught what he wasn't.

ChiChi wiped away her tears but he still saw hurt in her eyes. There was something else there, too. Determination. "You told me your Grandpa found you in the woods, brought you home and raised you. Do you think he loved you then?"

ChiChi's question floored him. Goku knew his Grandpa loved him but did he love him when he found him? "I don't know."

"He probably didn't love you then," ChiChi was blunt. "I think he saw someone he wanted to create a family with. He took you home and grew to love you." ChiChi squeezed his hands. "It's not all that different from us. We met as children. A touch from you caused us to marry. I know the real reason for that touch but I still want you. I saw how strong and brave you were at the tournament. That's the man I want as a husband. It's been a week but each day makes me feel better and happier about our decision to marry. Don't you feel that?"

Hmm. Goku had to think. "I like you more than I did a week ago if that's what you mean." Goku wasn't sure if he understood the question so he spoke his truth. "I like the food you make for us. I like showing you Mount Paozu. You want to know about our home here. I never met anyone who wanted that. I like that about you, ChiChi, but it ain't love. What I feel for you, ain't near to what I felt for Grandpa. Maybe it's wrong to say but it's the truth."

Goku thought his words would have angered ChiChi but she smiled.

"I think I understand, Goku."

"Good." At least one of them did. "Could you explain it to me?"

ChiChi giggled and Goku realized that was another thing he liked about ChiChi. Her laughed. She had a nice laugh. "Goku, we're at that stage of getting to know each other. Maybe we aren't in love yet but it's growing and we are going in the right direction to fulfill your promise to your Grandpa."

"We are?"

"Yes." She playfully slapped his chest. "Gosh. You had me so worried. All of this takes time, Goku. It won't happen in a week but we are doing the right thing and one day you will see that."

That was another thing Goku liked about ChiChi. She could explain things so he understood in ways his friends couldn't. No one else did that to him without trying to make him feel stupid. She also made him feel things like now. The way she smiled at him; the way the straps of her evening gown fell off ChiChi's shoulders right now. It did something to him. He wanted her close to him.

Goku laid back on the bed and pulled ChiChi against him.

"There's something else I like about you, too."

The tree swayed gently against the wind. Goku imagined his Grandpa listening proudly. "ChiChi made me understand we were becoming the family I promised you. I didn't love ChiChi then but now I love her as much as I love you, Grandpa. Might be even more," he confessed. "She does things for me and to me, that's good…. really good but she also gave me something I didn't think of having: a child."

He was tiny. He was precious. He was his.

That's what Goku thought when he saw his son. He was born a few hours ago after nasty storms past the area. He slept in a bassinet by the bed where he and ChiChi slept until Goku got him. ChiChi. Goku looked at his wife completely exhausted and deep in sleep. There were worries ChiChi wouldn't make it through the birth but she pulled through and gave birth to their son.

Son Gohan.

Goku sat by the window holding his baby completely enraptured. He had dark hair like him and ChiChi but the tiny spikes styling Gohan's hair came from him. Gohan's tail came from him, too. It was too early to confirm but ChiChi said Gohan's stomach came from him, too.

For months, he waited for Gohan's arrival. He watched his son grow in ChiChi's belly. He gave ChiChi stomach rubs, and pressed his ear against her stomach to hear his son move around. Sometimes he stared at the growing stomach and talked to his son. He talked of all the things he wanted to do with him.

Family is a group of people who live together. They love, support and take care of each other.

That's what Grandpa told him and that's what he created. Nearly a year ago, he worried about not keeping his promise to Grandpa. A year later he couldn't believe how foolish he was in his thoughts. He worried about marrying ChiChi. Oh, he didn't love her then but he did now. Looking at her now, he couldn't imagine anyone else in her place. He couldn't imagine marrying anyone else. No one could be to him what ChiChi is.

There were other women in his life but they were not his match. Maybe they had one or two appealing qualities but none of them could give him all of what ChiChi gave him. Those marriages would've been the bad family Grandpa warned him about. With them, he would've missed out on the good family with ChiChi and the son he fell in love with at first sight.

"That's why I'm here today, Grandpa." Goku came here once, alone, when he returned to Mount Paozu. He spoke then as a man happy but unsure of his future. Now he was a man still happy but excited for what came next. "I'm a Daddy now. ChiChi and I have a son we named him after you. I wasn't ready to share you with them but I wanna now." Goku turned around to see ChiChi smiling at him while holding baby Gohan. He waved, signaling ChiChi over. "I want you to meet my family, Grandpa. Son ChiChi and Son Gohan."

ChiChi handed Gohan to Goku and knelt in front of the tree. ChiChi pulled flowers from her tote bag and placed them against the tree. "Hello. I'm happy to finally meet you, Gohan. Dad and Goku told stories about you. I wished I met you when you were alive but I am happy more than anything you met Goku. Thank you for finding and raising him. Without you, we wouldn't have our happy family. I will take good care of Goku, Gohan and any other children and grandchildren we will have."

"Gohan can't talk now," Goku spoke for his sleeping son, "but he's happy to meet you, too."

"And we'll come back here often and celebrate you with him," ChiChi promised. She rose to her feet controlling the emotions threatening to burst from her. She knew how much Grandpa Gohan meant to Goku and was moved he finally opened this sacred part of him to her. "Thank you, Goku."

"I wanted to do it sooner, but I thought I should wait until Gohan's born."

"I'm glad you did but, Goku, I don't want our family to only be about you fulfilling your promise to your Grandpa. I want you to want this, too."

"I do." There was no doubt in his mind about that. "I didn't know anything about family until Grandpa told me about it. It was something that if it happened, I'd do it because Grandpa told me to create a good family but you made me want one."

ChiChi wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult. "You're making it sound like I forced you."

"No!" Goku laughed. "Are you kidding? You can't force me into anything I don't want. It's…" Goku thought of what he could say to make ChiChi understand. "I saw families growing up. I saw Bulma's family. I saw families on my travels. I never wanted any of that but when I married you and got to know you, I started to want a family. Now I have it."

"Oh, Goku." This time, ChiChi couldn't hold back her emotions. She kissed him. "I love you."

"I love me, too," Goku teased and received a playful slap on the arm from a laughing ChiChi.

The family of three left the sacred tree feeling fulfilled and carrying the wise words of the man who started them on their path to forming a family.

Family is a group of people who live together. They love, support and take care of each other