When Were-Ah’s family heard that someone had called her and had wished her to come and collect something of her’s. They were a little shocked, Were-Ah had never shown much interest in art. Unless it was done by someone that she knew personally. But no one said anything aloud and Were-Ah went on her merry way. To pick up whatever belonged to her.
Now when that something that needed to be collected turned out to be a bouncy baby boy, everyone was more than a little surprised. Several of them started to act homicidal. [but Were-Ah didn’t know about this of course.] Those of the pet variety of the household were not surprised in the lest. The three cats had made predications about the next child-- etc. And the Family Guardians would giggle and chuckle about this to themselves.
Were-Ah wasn’t sure if she could take care of the baby, whom she had named Damisin. [For reasons unknown.] Were-Ah always had a bit of a self-esteem problem…or at least that what her best friend was always saying.
The first several of weeks of Damisin’s life were that of bliss for the Scott/Glass household. Everyone wanted to help out. Sadiki wanted to be his protector, she would even introduce him as her baby not just as her baby brother. Tracee was already planning out his school life and buying him mountains of stuff animals. Tracy was having a bet with a friend whether he would be a warrior or grow up into something else. It would be a long time to wait for the outcome but… they were men. And that’s what men do.
Were-Ah on the other hand was learning more and more about herself. Gaining confidence as well…
But one day, as if out of the blue, that confidence flew out the window. Damisin began to cry without reason. It wasn’t just any cry either, it was a lonely and empty howl. Something that such a small baby should not have been able to create from his tiny vocal chords. This must have gone on for three days before any of the household thought anything unusual of it.
At first everyone had decided that he must be sick. So taken to the doctor’s office he was. But nothing was wrong, but swollen eyes. So there was nothing physically, maybe the formula…? The toys? Attention? The list went on and on. Unfortunately nothing worked.
Were-Ah, who could almost never get a full eight hours of sleep, hardly slept. It was amazing that she could walk with only sleeping in classes. Several of her teachers [and friends.] were not very happy with her at that time. But her father just told them that many of the students besides her slept in class. So what was the big deal? Treat her like they did everyone else. Headmaster’s child didn’t make her a god. But Were-Ah really didn’t care what her friends thought for the first time in her life. All she could think about was that constant wail of her second child. It rang in her head even when she was the dormitories at her school. And her heart ached because… Damisin never cried when he left the home. He was cranky, full of energy, and would sniffle a lot. But he would never throw out that horrible wail. No one could figure it out…
Sadiki, Damisin’s older sister, had developed a plan. She would try and convince her mother and family to rid themselves of Damisin. But the Headmistress of Were-Ah’s school quickly set the little Neko straight. Sadiki no longer schemed to get rid of her little brother…
But she was still scheming.
Finally Were-Ah broke and asked the school’s doctor what she should do. What he told her was frightening and yet it could possibly work. The doctor had told her too place him in a room by himself and if he started up this wail again… no one would was supposed to go into his until he was finished. Were-Ah had repeated this information to her mother and aunt. They all decided that this would be a last resort. So once again they took him to a doctor. But this doctor was in another town. A city to be precise. The doctor gave them a list of things that they could change to get rid of the wail and then sent them on their way.
Were-Ah had opened the list… and all of the things that they had tried were listed. After that, another story that took place. Daimisin’s guardian and mother broke. Just completely broke. But that was another story, more of a side story that Damisin and Sadiki would never hear.
Aftet that, Were-Ah announced that they would be using the idea that the school’s intern doctor had said. Everyone was rather shocked. Only a few days before she had shied away from the very thought! What had made her change her mind. But Were-Ah would never say and the screaming and howling Damisin was placed in a room by himself. So that he could cry his heart out without interference from the family. And cry he did. But not for very long. It seemed that whatever had possessed him to cry for so long had left him. Something happened in that room that only Damisin would know about. But soon he would forget that day, with he reaches of toddler… child… teenager… and too adult.
Then out of the blue the normal baby lonely cry came from the small green haired boy. The family was dumbstruck, none able to move for many moments. Were-Ah was first to come back to her senses and rushed up the flight of stairs to her baby. Her mother and daughter followed in suite.
And there was the same happy bouncy baby boy that had come into their home only a few weeks earlier. He was a little bit crankier… but he would never let out such a cry [at least not in such a way.] ever again.
Revised version. September 30th, 2006.
