Amelia! Amelia Cervi. Born on 14th of June, 1998 in Shibuya
She has heterochromia iridum, one of her eyes is blue
And one is dark brown
She is our only child, our daughter
June 2004
"母! My stomach hurts" I screamed
"Dear, I think we need to get you to go to the clinic"
"I don't like doctors… they're smelly" my stomach begins to hurt even more
Mom took me nearest the clinic – she rides me a bicycle, around 30 minutes and my stomach keeps hurting me. The doctor was a lady – she uses her stethoscope to check my belly and chest, then my bottom begin to wet the mattress. Then she and mom take me to the bathroom and told me to change my underwear with a diaper she gave.
"Madam, she reached her menstruation"
"Oh my god doctor, is it that fast? She's just 6 years old. I got my period when I was 12 years old, Doctor"
"Yes, she's one of the fastest one, the average menstruation is 12 – she's now a mature girl" the doctor answered, "please take care, this is the time she'll explore things – and the internet is booming in this time of year"
"Yes doctor"
When we got home, my mom told me to keep changing this new "diaper" when I feel hurt again and "peeing" unwantedly. I do not know what this hurt called but I heard mom and the doctor say something-something "men-tru-tion", when I'm being helped by the nurse, to wear a diaper.
Mom is making cookies and Ton Katsu for the guest, they are coming tonight with Dad. Dad said it is his friends, and someone mom knows. There will be people with Dad, and all of Dad's friends are from his work mom said. Dad also promised me something, Dad wants to give me something tonight – a present. While waiting Dad come home, I'm helping mom do the dishes and do the dining table: cleaning, placing the plates, cups, spoons, forks, a pot of rice, and… Ouch! My belly hurts again. It must be "metrution" again, I don't like it at all.
母 : (Haha), Mother
June 2008
"Mom, Danny was bullying me again today, he called me something ugly"
"What did he called you? How do you know it's ugly?"
"Miss Gloria (Teacher) told me its ugly, but I don't know what the word Danny used; Miss Gloria doesn't want to tell what the meaning of the word"
"Dear, whatever the word is, you're not the words Danny called you. Instead, when a person mock another person, the word that person used is a reflection of themselves"
I don't understand what mom really said. But, it helps me feeling better – I'm not really sad anymore. Mom wipes my tears with her hand, I gave her my smile – She smiled back. I love mom, and I know Mom loves me. Because Dad doesn't love us anymore.
"Mom, can you explain by 'reflection of themselves' sentence?" I asked as I rest my on mom's leg
"Let's see… reflection of themselves." Mom mumbled, "The character you have, you are, is shown from your behavior, how you say something, how you look and respond something" – "For example, Amelia is a kind girl who likes to help her mom cooking and listen to what the teacher says. People can see Amelia a good girl by how you say something, talk – and even your face Amelia. You have angelic faces, people know you are a kind girl – a kind person"
"Thank you, mom. So a character is the behavior and natural reaction people have, right mom?"
"Clever girl" Mom smiled while brushing my forehead
It was a very deep talk about the character a person has and going to be at that young age. Everything you've done, say – are molded since adolescence, an age where you know nothing about the world. I couldn't thank my mom even more, for teaching valuable point of life at a very very young age. Though, I still screwed everything – I am not a good girl my mom taught me, I am Daddy's bad girl he brought that night – one of his hobby and collection. The present that torn our family apart – torn my future or my present I'm living in. Thankfully, I am an independent girl, like mom through these years; the world being harsh to me is not a problem anymore. Living with mom really taught me of life.
. . .
February 2013
School is just my second home, home where it has: teacher, friends, boyfriend, tennis court, computer, and foods. I enjoy most of my time in the cafeteria during break and lunchtime – we usually ordered takoyaki, tapioca milk tea, and just hang out there; we can spend the time there, exceeding our bell-time, even when we heard it – our talk could dilute next course period. I like tennis, my boyfriend is the person that gets me into the ship. He taught me to step by step, I learned faster from him than the coach, Mr. Dell. He is an outsource teacher, but he's the one that shows frequently in the tennis club and not our PE teacher. Oh yeah, I also forgot mentioning my boyfriend's name oops… he's…
"Amelia! WAKE UP! It's 7:30"
Oh shit, my eyes opened wide red, hearing my mom shouting from the living room. I look at my clock, and holy shit it is 7:30, I'm going to be late again. I ran to the bathroom, and just rinse myself, wear my uniform and school vest, grabbed my bag, and ran downstairs immediately.
"Amelia, I already prepared your breakfast in the Tupperware"
"Thank you mom" and I kissed my mom's cheeks, and we hug each other, and whisper's our pray to ears. It is a habit we do since I enrolled in elementary school. I ride my bicycle and wave my hand to her.
"気をつけねえ", mom shouts
As I ride my bicycle, I wonder what's my breakfast in the Tupperware, well brunch to be exact because I will eat during break time. Hopefully, it's toast, mom really knows how to make perfect toast, even when it has only butter and bread, it would still taste magical.
I passed 2 red lights and the park already – I would arrive at my school shortly. Though I'm already late, the first class started at 7:45, and now is 8:07, first class is Misses Katherine class, biology class. She knows me pretty well, but not about lateness – so, this is her first time seeing me late for her class. Sorry, miss Kath.
I stopped my bike, waiting for the final red lights to go off. As I look into distant, I start to think about whether I carried the right books or not. I panic, I open my bag and take each book inside it and read the cover page: biology, math, arts, and literature. Phew! Thank god – even though my dreams really keep me busy sleeping, I still managed to pack up my books. Hmm…dream, I dreamt I was in school, talking in the third person and describing my tennis teacher. What else?
TIIIINNN!!!!! Fuck, I forgot I'm still in traffic lights, and that fucking car HAVE to horn the siren. I know I'm wrong, but that fucking car doesn't have to hold the siren for a fucking long period. Sigh.
8:30, I arrived. But, I won't make it into Miss Katherine class – I fast walk to the class, room 123, 124, 125, and boom 172, wait 126, I'm drunk. As I reach the handle, Miss Katherine open the door, and stand right in front of me – tall, because I'm 161, and she's firm looking. She places her hand both on my shoulders, and whispers
"why are you late?", silently in my ears
"There is a construction site covering 2 blocks, so I need to reroute my way to school"
"Alright, but you still get demarking points"
Shit! I mumbled.
"I know this is your first time, but please don't be so rough" – "you know, you'll lose all your score if you three times right"
I didn't catch her words after 'I know this is your time, but please don't be so rough'. What a weird way to say.
"Yes I know Miss, I won't be late again"
"Now then hurry up, we are doing pop-up quiz right now, already 30 minutes in" she holds my back and accompanies me to my table and already prepared me for the quiz on the table. I looked on the paper, and there's a sticker on the last page of the paper saying 'Ganbatte ne", she always do that on every paper's we hand in or she hands out. She also prepared me an eraser and pencil already, because she knows its time consuming getting my hand into my bag to get eraser and pencil, nice.
I don't want to talk about the pop-up quiz, I know I'll get bad.
I found Miguel in the cafeteria with his friends having their lunch, he comes up to me and holds my hands, "I didn't see you this morning, where were you?"
"I was late today, woke up at 8 something"
"Were you drunk last night?"
"Of course not, we are not even allowed to drink until 18"
I saw Mia and my other friends, I join them and eat lunch together. I carried out my Tupperware and yesss! Its toast with melted chocolates in it – it's cold, soggy, though still edible.
"toast? Again?"
"Yea, jealous? With your fresh sauteed spaghetti carbonara and tapioca milk tea"
"VERY"
Mia touches my hand, "by the way, I didn't see you this morning? Where were you?", others also added, "yeah, where were you, Mel? Are you sick? Were you drinking last night?"– "Did your boyfriend dump you?"
"No, no, and DEFINITELY NO" I tried to make things calm and not so dramatic, "My alarm didn't wake me on time, I had a pretty good sleep last night"
"what time did you sleep last night?"
"Hmmmm…I don't remember what time, I don't even remember what I was doing last night-"
"See girls! She must be drinking, she forgot everything she did last night" Lea interrupted me, "Huuu… naughty girl"
We went to our next class, arts, and literature. We basically studying the most useless course ever, the history of arts and literature, while we are living in a world where everything moves on really fast and growing. We read classical literature like poems by Shakespeare, Byron, Shelley, then books talking about dystopian future and things. Not my kind of fetish nor boredom to go to. Since, I forget everything I learned in this class, the way you use words in sentences correctly and in style. I definitely am, not a born poet nor author – also no interest in that area. Mia couldn't agree more with my argument on this class, she's the one who was very confident on this course, but now she got bored with it.
"Mel, let's hang out for a while in the cafeteria after school," said Mia right next to me
"Okay, is there something important? I also need to help my mom this evening"
"yea-yea, it'll be quick, just a quickie"
We head to the cafeteria, I bought vanilla ice cream and Mia bought matcha ice cream. We sit near the corner of the cafeteria. Where fewer people to hang out at, most of them are at the center or front of the store. We don't like to be the center of attention and eyes looking at us – not because I'm introverted or something, it feels uncomfortable.
(Part 1)