Son Family Week 2019

Family Album

Gohan

"I'm home!" Gohan announced. He slipped off his shoes at the door. He felt his parents Ki and followed it to the living room. Gohan saw his parents sitting on the floor talking and laughing as they looked through the family's box of pictures. "Mom, are you finally working on that album?"

"Mmm-hmm," Chichi finished attaching a page of pictures together. "And your father's been helping me."

Gohan placed his book bag on the sofa and joined his parents on the floor. He grabbed a handful of photos and sorted through them. A sad smile was on his face as he sift through the photos. These were taken during Goku's second death.

"What ya got there, Gohan?"

Goku had moved over to sit next to Gohan. He looked over his shoulder at the photos in Gohan's hands. "Oh, this must've been when I was dead."

Gohan shook his head amused. Only Dad would make a comment about being dead sound so casual. "Yeah." Gohan handed Goku a photo of Goten. Goten was in his onesie sleeper. His hands were stretched out towards Gohan as if he was trying to reach him. "I was coaching Goten to walk to me."

Gohan handed Goku another one. Gohan was on his hands and knees in the front yard with Goten sitting on his back smiling. "Goten was two then. I was his horse."

"Ah," Goku studied the photo. "I remember doing that with you." He noticed a third in Gohan's hands. "Who took that one?"

"Must've been Grandpa." In the photo, Chichi slept on the sofa with baby Goten sleeping on her chest. Gohan was in the background sweeping in the kitchen. "I was cleaning up after lunch." Gohan rubbed the back of his neck. "Goten was a handful. I guess all Saiyan babies are. I helped out when Mom let me."

Chichi explained herself. "I didn't want him helping so much because Gohan was a child and should've been focused on his books." She sighed. "But he is your son. Stubborn but helpful."

A photo in Gohan's hand caught Goku's eyes. It was a photo of his entire family. Gyu-Mao stood while Chichi sat in front of him with Goten in her lap. His youngest son held a picture of him. Gohan stood next to Chichi holding the four star dragon ball.

"That was a good one." Gohan smiled at the picture. "Goten was three when we took that one. It was the first time we really talked to him about you."

Gohan wiped a brow. The logs from the tree he cut should last them a couple of weeks and the boar he finished breaking down should last them three days but with Grandpa coming over later, Gohan knew it will last only two. It was a big boar and Mom will eat one serving for dinner but she'll work the meat in tomorrow's breakfast, lunch and dinner for him and Goten. Though three, Goten didn't have the appetite of a human three-year-old. He probably ate as much as the average twelve-year-old. Gohan laughed. He was twelve and ate like an adult.

"How much did Dad eat when he was our ages?" Gohan wondered. He shook his head amused. "I don't know how Mom did it with the two of us."

Gohan entered his home and removed his shoes at the door. All the tree cutting and animal gutting left him smelly and his clothes dirty. He'll need a shower. He considered soaking in the cauldron but doing so will remind Gohan of the one not here. Clearing his head, Gohan entered the kitchen. Food cooked in pots on the stove but half the carrots on the cutting board weren't cut. Next to it was a bowl of vegetables waiting to be cut. It wasn't like Mom to leave the kitchen with the food unfinished. Gohan saw the answer to his question when he spotted fresh red, yellow, blue and green paint hand prints on the kitchen table, a couple of chairs and floor.

"Goten."

While Mom cooked, Goten played with the paint. Gohan remembered doing this when he was Goten's age. Gohan used the paper his mother gave him to paint. He never used the table, chairs or floor like his brother. Goten probably got paint on himself and clothes which caused Mom to rush him to the bathroom to clean up.

Grabbing a bucket, he filled it with soap and water. He used a sponge to clean up Goten's mess. Mom didn't need to do this, too, when she came back. She had enough on her plate. Finished, Gohan decided to look for his mother and brother. Laughter from the hall bathroom drew Gohan to the door. He stood in the doorway watching his mother dry Goten fresh from his bath.

While his mother dried Goten, she dropped kisses on his face which caused Goten to giggle. "Stop, Mommy. It tickles."

Mom rubbed Goten's body with the soft, fluffy towel. "But you love being tickled." To prove her point, Mom tickled Goten under his arms which caused the three-year-old to break out in giggles. "See? You love it."

"Yeah," Goten admitted with a laugh. Mom kissed his cheek again.

"Hey, Mom." Gohan stepped in the room. "Goten had fun with the paint?"

"Too much fun." She rose with Goten in her arms. "He got it all over himself and the kitchen." Chichi sighed. "I bet the paint's dried. I probably won't get the stains out."

"I cleaned it up." Gohan smiled at his mother. "No stains."

"Oh, Gohan," Chichi sighed as she left the room. "It's not your responsibility."

"I wanted to." Gohan followed his mother to his room. "I also got more firewood and a boar to add to dinner."

Chichi placed Goten on the floor. Goten kept close to his mother as she took out clean clothes from the drawer. "I appreciate your help, Gohan, but you're not your father. It's not your responsibility to….. Goten's not ready for….." Goten was in the room. He couldn't hear this. Chichi handed Goten his underwear and socks which Goten put on by himself while she pulled out a shirt and overalls from the drawer. "Your responsibility is studying, playing with your brother and," she looked at him wryly, "taking a shower. You need one."

Ten minutes later, Gohan returned to his room fresh from his shower. Goten sat on the floor playing with his toy blocks. Mom was in the kitchen working on dinner. Goten looked up at Gohan grinning. "My name." Goten pointed at the other blocks that spelled his name.

Gohan sat on the floor across from Goten. "You're right, Goten. It's your name." Goten giggled and clapped his small hands. His laugh was so infectious. He was always so happy and carefree. From his hair to his mannerism, he was just like him.

"You're just like Daddy."

"Daddy?" Goten repeated the word. "What's Daddy like?"

It wasn't the first time Goten asked that question but it was getting to the point where he and Mom couldn't keep denying to answer it. It wasn't due to them not wanting to talk about Goku to Goten. They weren't sure if it was time. Getting older, Goten was growing curious and noticing things.

If Goku's name is mentioned, instead of ignoring it Goten will ask, "Who is Goku?" He noticed Goku's pictures around the house and say, "Me." When told it's not him, he will asked, "Who is he?"

It got to the point where Chichi did tell Goten he had a father but he was dead. In his own way, Goten understood what that meant but it didn't squelch his desire to learn more about his father.

Gohan knew Dad was a sore subject for his mother. On the anniversary of his father's death, Mom only wanted to be around him, Grandpa and Goten. If a moment or memory of Dad was triggered painfully, his mother would run to her room. Once, Gohan followed her and found his mother crying in his father's fighting gi.

Three years and he hasn't forgiven himself for his tragic error. Gohan didn't think he ever will. There were two important people paying for his error. To atone, whether his mother liked it or not, Gohan vowed to take over the responsibilities of the one who can't be here. He will tell his baby brother about the man he will never meet.

"Are you ready to know about Dad, Goten?"

The three-year-old nodded. "Mm-hmm. I wanna know about Daddy."

"All right. Wait here." Gohan left the room. He returned a minute later with the family album. He sat next to Goten and opened it. The first page was a photo of Goku and Chichi on their wedding day.

Goten stared at the happy picture of his parents. He put his tiny hand on Chichi's face. "Mommy."

Gohan smiled at Goten's recognition of their mother. "Right. That's Mommy." Gohan directed Goten's hand to Goku's face. "And this is our Daddy."

"Daddy," Goten murmured staring at the picture of his father. "Me."

Gohan chuckled. "No, that's Daddy. You see, Goten, you and Daddy look alike." He ruffled Goten's spiky mane. "You act alike, too. Daddy was always laughing, smiling and just happy like you."

Goten grinned, "Really?" He stared at Goku's smile in the photo. He put his tiny hand on Goku's face. "Daddy."

Gohan turned to a page of the album of Goku holding three-year-old Gohan on his shoulder. "So, Goten, let's talk about Dad."

"You're really going to tell me about him?" Goten asked awe at the smiling picture of his father.

"Of course, Goten. It's my responsibility."

"Our responsibility." Gohan and Goten looked up to see Chichi entering the room. She sat down and put Goten on her lap. She gave Gohan an encouraging smile. "Go ahead, Gohan. Let's tell Goten about Daddy. Start with your first memory of him."

"Right." Gohan returned the smile, happy his mother was coming around. He stared at the photo of his younger self and Dad. "My first memory of Dad…."