Diary of a Father

Summer Camp: day one

"Thank you parents for attending our Summer camp, a time to really bond with your children and understand their friends in the environment. We will be having some friendly competition and plenty of activities." The head councilor announced.

"That's my friend, Oey Chi." Yukio pointed excited to see him again but was a little afraid since his mother was present and she didn't look all that friendly. In fact Chi had told him stories of getting hit and yelled at when she got angry at him, but a lot of the children could relate to a whipping when they've done something wrong. They were all amazed and jealous when he told them his father never raised a hand or hardly his voice at them when he and Rin gotten in trouble.

Ninghong Oey stood with her son on the grounds of camp forbidding him to stray from her side, the True Cross Rosary pin caught the light through the trees.
"Hey dad, she has the same thingy you have." Yukio pointed out reaching up to grab the Rosary pin converted to dangle on a chain.
"Yeah, she works for the same people I do. She helps get rid of demons." He explained.
"Really!?" He gasped. Her job makes her a good person he thought but maybe just because she has the same job doesn't mean she's a good person out of her job. He noticed Mrs. Oey catching sight of them her eyes on the rosary as well. She looked like she wanted to speak with him but kept herself from doing so angrily looking away.
"Oh seems she's shy." Shiro chuckled taking notice as well, "maybe her son was shy too, a lot of people act in violence when they're shy and don't know how to approach people or situations."
"I guess so, but he still doesn't like Nii-San."
"No one likes me." Rin grumbled holding on to his father's leg.
"Aw it's alright Rin, I like you." Shiro pet his head softly, "I'm going to talk to Mrs. Oey."
The boys held back while they watched their father approach the woman.

"Ohayō!" He greeted her kindly, the two boys watching and her son Chi hid behind her.

"What if she only speaks Chinese?" Rin whispered seeing them engage in conversation.
"Well, dad told me that where he works they have to be skilled in speaking other languages, at least enough to differ in dialects." Yukio explained.
"What ever that means.." Rin shrugged, "so dad knows Chinese too?"
"I don't know, maybe a little of it." Yukio began to look through the bag, "oh here nii-san, I made you something."
"R-really?" Rin looked back and squat next to him, "what is it?"
"A lady was selling them in front of the gates of a shrine, they're little bottle charms with things in them that are supposed to bring good luck and stuff. I got one for you that keeps you safe and calm."
"Calm? Are you saying I'm too loud??"
"No, the lady said that if you were calm you can notice things that would hurt you so that you can stay clear of them, there for making you safe."
"Okay." Rin shrugged and let Yukio put it around his neck while he put a charm of his own around his neck, "what does yours do?"
"O-oh, mine gives strength and good dreams..." Yukio said shyly clutching the tiny bottle charm with scented oils.
"You don't need that silly, you're the second strongest person I know!" Rin smiled.
"Who's the first?" Yukio smiled back.
"Dad of course!"
"Yeah he's pretty strong."

"Oi!" Chi ran to them as fast as he could looking back at their parents still talking, "your dad is talking to my mom."
"Yeah." They both agreed and Rin started to back away knowing he wasn't accepted in the circle.
"No! She never talks to ANYONE!" Chi gasped, "ever since we moved here she goes to work and then comes home and never smiles at anyone like she used to not even a 'hello' back to the cashier person. She hasn't been the same but she's actually talking to someone!"
"Oh, why doesn't she talk or smile?" Yukio asked grabbing ahold of his brothers hand with all his might to keep him from slinking back.
"She doesn't like it here. I think because dad once took a trip here and never came home, ever since then she turned to ice. And now that she's here she hates pretty much everyone, she gets mad after work talking about a elf clown... I don't know why she gets so angry, it sounds fun to me! ...Hey how come you guys look alike, but you don't look like you're dad? Did he really find you in a watermelon??"
"Yes." Rin answered back.
"N-no! The watermelon story is just his nice way of saying he adopted us."
"Oh so you aren't his real kids." Chi thought for a moment, "but aren't step parents supposed to be mean?"
"He's not a 'step' parent." Rin growled, "he's our dad, no stepping on anything, and he's super nice so just leave him alone!"
"Hey I wasn't asking you monkey face!"
"You wanna say that again!?"
"Yeah! You're a monkey face!"
"Th-then I'm a monkey face too!" Yukio budded in hoping to stop them, "you said my brother and I look alike, so if he's a monkey face then so am I."
"..." Chi looked at the both of them and Rin looked just as amazed, wasn't Yukio afraid of loosing a friend to stand up for him? "Well, fine I guess you're alright. I'm jealous, I have a real mom and she's mean sometimes and hits me."
"Really?" Rin felt a tickle in his stomach, he said he was fine, and jealous!
"But you love her right? And she isn't mean all the time... I'm sure she does a lot of things to protect you and all, as long as they do that stuff I don't think it matters if they're 'step' parents or not."
"Yeah." Chi nodded until his mother's voice startled him.