The Sandbox CHAPTER 8

“Hello, Mrs. Alexi’s mom! Where’s Alexi?” I asked with reservation knowing that I wouldn’t be liking the answer I would hear.

For now, Alexi’s mom could not talk at all. Her eyes are closed fiercefully as she tries to stop a river of tears. But this river has reached the waterfall.

Momentarily, she was able to hold her composure. “You can call me, Olivia. Come sit down with me, I have a story to tell you.”

“Is it ok if I just stand here, Mrs. Olivia?” I asked. I did not want to sit down. I’m as anxious as can be.

“It is much more respectful that you sit down when someone is telling you a story,” Olivia replied.

She is indeed Alexi’s mom. Doesn’t let Alexi go out in the rain, doesn’t let me stand up.
Nevertheless, I sit down beside her.

And so Olivia begins her story…

“Jacob, five years ago, I gave birth to the most beautiful angel in the whole world. I named her, Alexi. And she was all any mother could ever hope for. From the moment I held her little hand, I promised myself to always take care of her and always keep her happy…”

My anxiety couldn’t take it any longer. I’m a kid. What do you expect? I have an attention span as big an ant. I had to ask her, “Then why don’t you let Alexi go out when it’s raining? You scare her off of the rain as if it’s going to be the end of the world each time it rains! You said you always wanted to keep her happy! Then why do you stop her from having fun?! She played in the rain once last week and no she’s never to be seen outside?!”

My outburst pushes Olivia to tears again. But she quickly composes herself and gives me an upset look. Right now, she’s confused between being a mother and being an adult. But she answers back.

“Jacob, it’s not easy being a mother. There is no other person who gets caught up with more right-and wrong situations than a mother. Of course I wanted Alexi to be happy. And, of course, I wanted to take good care of her as well. But there’s a big difference in decisions with taking good care of her and keeping her happy. As a mother, you want to do both, you’d do anything to make both happen, but somehow life is just not set up that way.”

Olivia got me as confused as her. I’m a little boy. I’m the exact opposite of a mother. Of course I don’t know what it’s like to be a mother. But I had to answer back. I feel that although Alexi isn’t here, I have to stand up for her. I want to stand up for her.

“Mrs. Olivia, no offense, but what makes life sad, or, for our conversation’s sake, the opposite of happy, are the rules that we create. Don’t mistake me. There’s nothing wrong with rules, but rather, the basis on how we make them. When people make rules to prevent what they’re afraid of happening, they end up putting handcuffs on life. Where’s the fun in life when it’s handcuffed?”

Olivia begins to look at me in disbelief. But I continue.

“Mrs. Olivia, you made this rule on Alexi not to go out in the rain because you were afraid of something. Please! What is it that you’re afraid would happen?”

Olivia looks astonished as she answers back. “Oh my! Young man, were did you learn to talk like that? It’s amazing for such a little boy to speak his mind. The answer to your question, Jacob, is in the story that I was telling you until I was so rudely interrupted... which… oh… now turns you back into being a normal mischievous little boy.”

Olivia gives me a wink. That wink was a big gesture. With that wink, I cross out the “most strict parent in the world” label I had given to her.

“Please continue your story, Mrs. Olivia,” I tell her as I reverse my anxiety.

“Very well, Jacob. Similar to what I had said, life doesn’t always turn out the way we want it to be. It’s not always a perfect moment. In fact, it rarely is a perfect moment. That’s why perfect moments are treasured. And giving birth to Alexi was my perfect moment of all perfect moments. But that perfect moment, was soon to be hit with horrifying news.

A couple weeks after Alexi was born, the doctor gave me a call. He had some news regarding Alexi. I found out that Alexi was born with a very rare disease. This disease was very complicated. It’s like an extreme case of pneumonia. Every time Alexi would catch a cold, she is in the risk of losing her life.”

I feel paralyzed now from the neck down. I can’t move. I can’t talk. There were only a few gestures my body allowed me to do. But one of them showed exactly what I felt inside. I closed my eyes, and then I put my head down.


“And that is why I laid on that rule to Alexi to never go out in the rain,” Olivia continues.

“And yes, I created that rule based on something I was very afraid of… losing Alexi. I told myself that I would never live to see Alexi die. When time comes, she will write my obituary. Not the other way around. And so, in your words, I handcuffed her. I know it may have been a handcuff on her life, but a handcuffed life is never the end of the world.”

I continue to have my head down. This is the only way I could hide my own tears that are beginning to fall. I just want to break down. And before I could, Olivia gives me a motherly gesture and puts her arms around me in comfort.

“Come on now, Jacob,” Olivia says to me. “Try not to cry. There is a bright side to this story…”



End Chapter 8.