Death Stone is now a four-year-old. His father took a good take care of him but not of himself. He always accuses himself for the loss of his wife and his daughter. It left him devastated.
Dr. Stone needed someone to look after Death when he went to the Rehab center. As a father, it's his responsibility to make sure his son is doing okay. That's why he searched for a babysitter.
Lisa was desperate to get a job when she came across Dr. Stone. It was after a week she got fired from a coffee house she used to work for her sister told her about Dr. Stone. Lisa's sister, Maya, was Dr. Stone's patient.
"Where exactly do you live?" Lisa asked.
"It's not so far from your University. I'm positive you'll like it," Dr. Stone answered, trying to convince her.
"Let me see your place first," Lisa said. She didn't want to rush into decision.
"That's okay with me. I need you to watch my son from dusk till dawn," he searched her face for any disappointment. "I mean you should be there when I leave for work and spend the day there. Does that sound good?" He explained.
"That's fine. I really need the job... so"
"Let's go, shall we?" Dr. Stone led Lisa to his car.
Dr. Stone took Lisa to his apartment. He lives on the third floor. His neighbor glanced at him when he saw him with a woman. He thought the two were involved.
"Who do we have here?" Lisa said when she saw Death playing with his Legos.
"Hi?" Death greeted. His father didn't tell him that he's getting a babysitter.
"Awww you're so cute," Lisa said as she kneeled down to get closer to him.
"What's your name?" She asked the worst question for Death.
"It's D-," he mumbled.
"Don't be shy. Tell me," Lisa said making him comfortable.
"It's Death," he said bracing himself to see her reaction.
"Death?" Her eyes widened.
Lisa stood up from her kneeling position and "I- I need to go" she stormed out. She liked Dr. Stone solely for his first impression. She didn't know the job she signed up for is to watch Death. "What the hell have I gotten myself into? What kind of lunatic names his own child DEATH!?" she thought for herself. "Doctors these days," she added.
*****
Dr. Stone believes that it's now the right time for Death to go to kindergarten. Getting his son educated and successful, that's his hope, a hope for life. It's the only thing that kept him from committing a suicide.
"Let's go," Dr. Stone commanded looking in the mirror next to the front door. He put the mirror there to make sure he looks nothing but confident. Confidence, that's all that matters to Dr. Stone.
"What you wear and how you look doesn't define you." Dr. José Stone always says to his image on the mirror. The tall man with black eyes and uncombed messy light brown hair stares back at him in the mirror. That gives him energy to face the reality. He needs it as he has no close friend to talk to. He still works in the Rehabilitation Center. For the past 10 years he has been working there. He describes the feeling to see one of his patients all clean as priceless.
Dr. Stone and little Death are now in the Kindergarten. The teacher was surprised and shocked to find out about the boy's name. She thought either Dr. was pulling her leg or it was a horrible dream.
That's not the first time people got shocked to know Death's name. Dr. Stone stopped contacting his family because of this. Because they didn't let him live his life the way he wants to live it. As a result, he had to choose between his life, that can't be replaced, and his family who never supported him, who never truly cared about him but themselves.
"I'm sorry, but I have to let you go," Dr. José Stone says when he thinks about his parents. Life hasn't been easy for him. But he still stands tall, facing the world.
He was born in Mexico. That's why he is named José Antonio Stone. His mother insisted on giving her second child a Spanish name. She thought it would be a nice way to make up for the feeling she felt not given the chance to name her first child, Peter.
Dr. Stone tried his best to get his son to kindergarten. "We won't let Death in," most of them mocked when he asked them to register his son.
Death felt so bad about it. Accepting his own name was hard for him. Name is not an issue for most of you. However, it is a big deal for Death. Death wanted his father to call him "son" instead of "Death". His own name felt like an insult to him.
"Am I dying?" he asks his father. "We all will die someday. We are humans. That's what we do. We don't live forever. However, son, you should live your life as if every day was the last. You should care about what good things you do to make this world a better place. That way you won't fear death. Death is just a path where you leave this world and get to a much better place," Dr. Stone answers without getting tired when Death asks.
"But why did you name me Death? I don't like it," Death mumbles.
"I will explain everything when you grow up, okay?" Dr. Stone answers.
"When exactly? When will I grow up?" Death inquires.
"Son, that's when you become a man, when you turn eighteen. Now you're just five. Don't stress out." He messes Death's hair.
"Wait a sec... You really named your son Death? That's hilarious," Principal Cunningham said laughing. Death insisted on speaking to the principal before giving up.
"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?" Dr. Stone said fed up.
"You're a genius," The principal continued laughing. Death Stone let out a frustrated sigh.
"Okay okay," The principal said after a few seconds. "The boy will start here. I allow him to do so. After all it's immoral to discriminate based on names," the principal continued.
Death finally got to Kindergarten. Now he can play with other kids. Even if his father gave him enough time, he feels lonely. As if he is the only child in the building, he has no friends. People in the apartment don't let their kids play with or even meet Death. They think Dr. Stone has gone mad.
But Kindergarten isn't so nice to Death. Yes, he received education. But, what's education to a 5-year-old without friends? His classmates tease him. Only Fredrick Adam was willing to talk to him and defend him. Death still doesn't understand why Fredrick did that for him. From all the people that surrounded him, he was the only human. Humanity, kindness and mostly lack of friends made Fredrick Adam stand up for Death Stone.
Death managed to survive school with the help of Fredrick and his father. They're the only ones he's got. They're the only ones to stick with him in his successes and failures, happiness and misery, certainty and doubt. Other people come and go, leaving their marks. No other real friends, no relationships, nothing permanent.
Death Stone stuck with videogames. He spends many hours playing. Fredrick likes it too so the two of them made spending the weekend at Death's place a tradition. They never skip even one weekend without videogames. Yes, they play only for two hours if they have exams.
Dr. Stone and Fredrick's parents are concerned about the boys' health. Their parents made them go to the gym three days a week. That way Fredrick and Death got to keep their videogames. It is some kind of a reward.
YOU ARE READING
Death
Fantasy"What's your name?" She asked the worst question for Death. "It's D-," he mumbled. "Don't be shy. Tell me," She said making him comfortable. "It's Death," he said bracing himself to see her reaction. If death were a person, how would he live?
