Week #101- Dog

[ca_te]

 

It was when Light was 11 years old, it was a quite sleepy Sunday, and Light was sitting in the living room reading, as his mother and his father were planning some vacation for the upcoming summer break. A little, hyper-active Sayu burst into the room, her brown eyes shining, and Light was sure that she was up to something. He really had never been able to understand how she could be so excited about things, indeed there was nothing worth of such excitement in their life.

Many times Sachiko had thought that she had probably made some mistake with Light along the way, but those were thoughts that she kept for herself, locked up inside her heart, because it seemed that she was the only one to worry about a son who was a first ranking student. But, from what she remembered of her childhood, children were not supposed to be like that, they were supposed to always want to play, they were supposed to have that flickering light in their eyes, which she had never seen in her son’s eyes, despite his name. So when a little Sayu, eyes round and shiny, tugged at her sleeve she couldn’t help but smile, her daughter was like a ray of normality into a family which was way too unfocused on life. She leaned down, cupping her daughter’s face with her hands and brushing her thumbs lightly over her cheeks.

-Do you want something, Sayu?

Light glanced at her mother, he still didn’t know why but he found all that motherly care somehow disturbing. He went back to the pages he was reading.

Soichiro smiled at the sight of his wife and his daughter, he found family something refreshing and needed, he truly hoped that someday Light could build a family on his own. He imagined that his son could be a good dad, already so intelligent and firm.

-I want a dog, mummy!

Sayu’s voice was clear as a tinker bell, overflowing with excitement. Sachiko smiled and looked at her husband from over the holidays brochures.

Light, his eyes glued to the pages he was reading, could anyway imagine the kind of glances they were sharing. He heard his father sighing and then he heard the sound of the chair being moved, probably his father was now kneeling in front of his sister, probably patting those silky hair of hers.

-And why do you want a dog now, Sayu?

Light thought that his father’s voice covered in sweetness was almost disgusting. He shifted on the couch and glanced up from his book. As he had imagined Soichiro Yagami was kneeling in front of Sayu.

-Because my friend Midori just got one, and it’s so cute. Please daddy?

Sachiko glanced up and looked at Light. It had been so long since he last had said a word like daddy. Light looked right back at her, no sign of hesitation in his eyes, Sachiko lowered his head and bit her lower lip. Then there was Sayu’s little hand on her lap, grabbing the fabric of her skirt.

-Please mommy, tell daddy that we can have it.

And even though Sachiko knew all too well that she was going to be the one to take care of the little creature, along with the house, she couldn’t help to think that having a puppy would have been another little hint of normality, another little piece in the broken puzzle which sometimes she had the sensation she could never finish. So she pressed her lips to Sayu’s forehead.

-I think your father and I can try to find a puppy for you, Sayu.

She looked up at Soichiro and her husband smiled at her as he ruffled lightly Sayu’s hair. She could swear that she heard a sigh coming from Light’s direction, but she didn’t have the courage to look at him, at the creature she had had in her womb and that yet was so distant.