Zita's restless pacing outside Tashi's room came to an abrupt halt as she tightly clutched the fabric of her blouse, creating small wrinkles. Her eyes remained fixed on the closed door, her mind consumed by worry. Nervously, she nibbled on her nails and tapped her foot repeatedly, the only sounds breaking the silence of the hallway.
"You barely slept last night," she murmured, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "Why aren't you up yet, Tashi?" Impatience welled up within her, causing her to shift her weight from one foot to the other, her body swaying subtly. Her hands, no longer occupied, clenched and unclenched at her sides.
Unable to contain herself any longer, Zita gently but insistently rapped her knuckles against the door, the sound reverberating through the quiet hallway. "Tashi, my darling," she called out, her voice filled with longing and concern. "Please, let me know if you need something." She pressed her ear against the door, straining to catch even the faintest response, but only silence greeted her. She knocked again, this time with more force, her worry seeping through her words. "Tashi, are you alright? Can you hear me?" Her hand instinctively reached for the doorknob, her fingers tightly wrapping around it, her knuckles turning white with the force of her grip.
As the persistent silence continued, Zita's breath grew quick and shallow, her chest rising and falling rapidly with anxiety and fear. With trembling hands, she hastily turned the doorknob, her heart pounding in her chest like a frantic drumbeat. Pushing the door open just enough to peer inside, she felt a surge of fear grip her tightly. To her surprise, the room appeared empty, devoid of any sign of Tashi's presence. Panic tightened its grip on her, urging her to search further.
Driven by a mother's instinct, Zita raced through the room, her eyes darting from corner to corner, desperately seeking any trace of her beloved son. The empty bed amplified her growing concern, and her footsteps hastened, each stride quicker than the previous. And then, her heart skipped a beat as she entered the bathroom.
Shock coursed through Zita's veins as she beheld Tashi lying motionless on the floor, his body sprawled across the tiles. Panic seized her heart, and she immediately rushed toward him, calling out his name with a mix of desperation and fear.
"Tashi! Oh no, Tashi!" Her voice trembled with worry as she dropped to her knees beside him, her eyes scanning for any signs of harm. But as she observed him more closely, she noticed that his expression remained serene, undisturbed by any hint of distress. "How did he end up asleep here?" Zita's racing heart gradually slowed as she watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest. She wondered what dreams danced within his mind, what secrets lay dormant.
Leaning closer, Zita gently brushed a strand of hair away from Tashi's forehead, her touch infused with a mother's tenderness. In a hushed tone, she whispered, "Tashi, my dear, what do you dream of? Do your dreams take you back to the time you were away?"
As if in response to her whispered question, Tashi's eyelids fluttered, tears trickling down his cheeks. Zita quickly covered her mouth, suppressing the pained gasp that nearly escaped. She leaned back, trembling, cautious not to disturb his slumber with her own sorrow.
In the realm of dreams, Hideyoshi found himself in a place where memories intertwined with the inexplicable, where the past and the could-have-been melded into one. Fragmented pieces of Tashi's history came alive before him.
He witnessed flashes of Tashi's childhood, experienced emotions he couldn't quite place, and encountered faces he didn't recognize. A mosaic of feelings, a collage of moments, shaped the dream. Loneliness, anxiety, reactive anger, confusion, depression, guilt, hope, sorrow—Hideyoshi felt them all, intimately and fully.
Zita watched, anguish and guilt reflected in her eyes, as Tashi's emotions played out across his face. She witnessed the pain of having his world taken away. As Tashi's dream began to fade, his consciousness transitioning back to the waking world, Zita held her breath, eager to comfort him. Taking a deep breath, Zita reached out and gently placed her hand on Tashi's, their fingers intertwining. "Please know that we never stopped searching for you. We never gave up hope," Zita said, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I can't remember anything. It's all a blank," he said, his voice filled with frustration. Hideyoshi momentarily lost himself in Tashi, flabbergasted by the revelation that the boy had his childhood stolen from him, and felt powerless that he himself could not remember what happened to Tashi during that time. "I have no memories of the past 16 years," he thought. "What in God's name happened to Tashi?"
Zita's grip tightened around his hand, her voice filled with empathy and love. "I can't imagine how overwhelming this must be for you, Tashi." She fought back tears, determined to be a pillar of support for him. "You may not remember the past 16 years, but I remember every moment I spent longing for your return. You were always loved, cherished, and missed. And as we face this unknown together, I promise you, my dear, that your father and I will be here for you every step of the way."
Zita's voice wavered, her emotions threatening to overflow, but she swallowed them down, wanting to be strong for her son. She pulled him into a tight embrace, wrapping her arms around him protectively. "You're home again, sweetie... home again."