Scars

"Because what we were and what we are, is hidden in the scars." - Miley Cyrus.

"Where did you get that?" 

"Get what?" 

"Your scar." Brianna said while pointing at the disfigurement she found on my left arm. She immediately moved her chubby fingers tainted with barbeque sauce and sucked them again.  

It was a bright sunny day in June and everybody was anticipating going to the beach and swim or just chill and make barbeques. I was wearing a white tank top and shorts that revealed the majority of my skin and not the usual business suit and long sleeves I usually wear the entire weekday. It was probably the first time Brianna saw my scar.  

Looking at my baby girl reminded me of when I got my scar. "Mommy got her first scar when she was around five years old, sweetie." Her blue eyes widened suggesting for me to continue the story while she munched more barbeque. 

"I was with my mommy at the mall. She was so busy looking at the pretty dresses and I got so tired from all the walking and I just couldn't follow her anymore. So I just hid under the hangers of pretty dresses and sat there." 

"Why didn't you sit at any chair?" Brianna interrupted. 

"Because there were no available chairs at that mall. All they had were stalls, mannequins and old but good music." 

"And then what happened?" 

"Then one boy sat with me under those dresses. I bet he was tired from following her mommy as well. I didn't talk to him because I didn't know him and my mommy usually reminds me not to talk to strangers. He wasn't talking either but I could see that he was looking at me. We were both silent until I felt him bit my arm." 

"He bit your arm?!" Brianna exclaimed as I let out a chuckle. 

"Yes, he bit my arm, sweetie. I didn't know why. He just did. But it hurt a lot and so I screamed and cried. Good thing the sales ladies and my mom found me before I could even lay my fangs on the boy." I roared flashing my pearly whites with invisible fangs. Brianna laughed at the mention of fangs and flashed her teeth as well. 

"What happened to the boy?" 

"Her mommy abruptly took him away, I think. I couldn't remember much because I was crying at the sight of the wound. It was bleeding and his teeth marks were very evident on my skin." 

"Ouch." Brianna pouted. "What about this scar?" She pointed at my elbow with another obvious blemish. 

"Are we going to spend the rest of this wonderful day counting my scars?" 

"Please? Mom? Please?" Brianna continued saying 'please' in between every kiss she gave. 

"Okay, alright. I got this scar when I was in third grade. I was playing with my friends on the street when fourth graders decided to play Tag with us. I was running fast when the next thing I know, my world was spinning around and all of the kids were laughing at how I tripped over." 

"That's clumsy." Brianna giggled as she finished her last stick of barbeque. 

"No! It was an accident. We were all running fast and some random kid tripped me over." 

"What about this scar, mom? It looks like a spade." She said, pointing at the scar on my right leg.  

"Spade... Uhmmm.. What a nice vocabulary. I'm guessing you get that from watching your dad and Alex play cards." The sound of her laughter was pretty delightful to my ears as I poke her ribs and tickle her neck. "Listen, if your dad asks you to check your brother's cards once again, tell him that that is cheating. Okay?" I said as I gasp. My lungs totally screamed for air from all the laughing.