"Hi, Ka! Long time no hear," his father greeted him with a big smile on his face, no doubt.
"Hi, Dad. Do you have a moment?"
"Of course! Nothing can stop me from talking to my child. Not even zombie apocalypse."
Kagetsu snickered, getting where he might have gotten that thinking.
"I need to talk with you... about something." Kagetsu shifted before walking forward. Standing in one place made him uneasy, and this would not be an easy conversation.
"I know you are in the age when talking with us old bags may seem annoying, but rest assure, I'll always be—"
"You aren't annoying! You're my dad, no matter the age!" A silence spread on the other side. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to yell."
"It's alright. You were always kind and honest with your emotions." Mr. Kamini giggled. "Like with Mrs. Hinako's hat. My midriff hurts till now."
Kagetsu puckered his lips. "I still think it looked like a squashed poo."
"Me too."
The sputter turned into laughter as both revisited the old memory.
"So, what are you calling for? Is there anything I can help?"
The boy nodded. "Yeah, I have a question."
Mr. Kamini-san gasped on the other side. "Need dating advice? No problem!" His son's eyes widened as he needed time to comprehend the words. "Never ask her for age, weight, and three numbers, or you shall face serious consequences."
"Wait! You mean girls have more numbers than just phone one?" His shoulders slumped. "That's insane! Why are they so complicated?"
His father softly laughed. "I know. Some women are like an enigma, a never-ending mystery. Maybe that's why sharing life with them can be so much fun... so exciting."
His father's tone turned a bit sad as if an old memory resurfaced and brought tears into his eyes.
"Dad, was Mom... a good person?" He had to ask the question he placed as a kid a lot. With years, he stopped as it always brought tears into his father's eyes. Right now, he needed to hear the answer again, as if he yearned to anchor himself in the reality to not drift away.
"She was the best. Looking back, I need to ask how she could have so much patience with me."
"I miss her." He looked at the dark sky where only a few stars shone as rest was hidden by street lights. 'But can you miss somebody you had never met?'
"I know." His father's voice shooed the thought. "I miss her too. But I know she is proud of you."
A tinge of a blush crept across his cheeks. "Even after I peed myself in the fifth grade?"
"Of course. You were brave. You cleaned everything after that without crying."
"Thank you." Kagetsu turned around, heading back to the main entrance. He was sure his brothers were worried about him.
"So, do you need any dating advice?"
The youngest Kamini jerked his body. "No, not that!" He took a deep inhale. "I'm just curious if... I had an accident with a horse or pony. I totally freaked out when one ran my way. I'm scared."
"There's nothing wrong with being scared for your safety. It's natural."
"I didn't mean that. I'm scared I may hurt somebody when I'm freaking out. I didn't know what I was doing. I can't remember anything except for blackness."
Mr. Kamini-san sighed. "Why I'm not surprised. You always put others before yourself. Never caring what bruises you would suffer as long others would be fine."
"So, did I?" Kagetsu pressed, his heart pumping the need to know into his veins.
"There wasn't an accident you could have with a horse or a similarly big animal."
'Dang it! So what?'
"But you used to have a lot of nightmares as a kid."
"I did? I don't remember." He paced to a free bench, sitting down and resting his elbows on his knees.
"It stopped when you were around five years old. You often screamed from your sleep and needed somebody next to you to fall asleep or small, dim light. My guess is this horse reminded you one of those nightmares, and your body reacted. I've heard a black horse is an embodiment of nightmares, but that's just a legend."
"This is so dumb," Kagetsu uttered, facing away from the phone.
"It's not. The brain is full of mysteries, and we have hardly grasped a small portion of its functions. Dreams are one of them. What forms them, and are they stored in our brains or vanishes as we wake up? World of dreams is equally fascinating as it's scary."
"But doesn't it make me weak? It was just a dream, and I freaked out. You wanted me to grow strong and brave."
The other line remained quiet except for a soft noise.
"You are brave."
"Come again?" Kagetsu blinked.
"Every person has something they are scared of. Be it mouse, car, or a small space, fear is part of us. It's a defensive mechanism that warns us. However, it's upon us if we let it control us.
"And sometimes it's important to embrace our fears as well. It allows us to understand ourselves better. Also, talking about your weaknesses is not being weak but brave. Because it takes tremendous strength to open your heart."
Kagetsu hiccuped as tears dripped into his mouth. Those were the words he needed to hear.
His father continued in a soothing voice, "If there is anything rooted in you, hiding in the darkness, know I'll be by your side and help you to discover it and fight it. And it's not just me but your brothers and your friend."
"Friend?" He wiped the tears.
"Yes, that girl, who holds the pear. I may not know about her much, but I'm sure she is a special person. Somebody I can entrust my children to."
"She is the kindest! I think she reminds me of Mom!" He gasped.
"I'm sure of it."
A far away gong had reached his ears, and as he counted, he realized how late it had become.
"I need to hang up. It got quite late, and I'm sure Ri would scold me for staying up too late."
"Right, you have school tomorrow. Good night, my child."
"Night, Dad." He hung up as a thought formed in his mind. 'Did he ever call me a son? I think he uses only a child towards me. I wonder why?'
As fast as it came, it drifted into the sky with a big yawn of his. So much had happened, his brain couldn't keep track of it. It was time to call it a night.