The Parenthood Drabbles

Medals

Medals

In the style of Emily and Mei Zhang

Emily was packing, which of course gave the house a center of gravity for everyone to rotate around. She walked in her room with her paperback copy of The Art of War in her hands. Frank was kneeling down in front of her wardrobe and looking at her dress uniform which hung from the handle, fitted onto a coat hanger.

"What are you looking at sweetie?" She asked putting down the book.

"Wasdat?" Frank asked pointing to it.

"That's Mommy's dress uniform," she said scooping up her two year old.

"No. Wasdat shiny?" He said pointing again. He was pointing at the medals.

"The medals, sweetie? Those are because Mommy did good at her job, like when Miss Katie gives you a sticker at school."

There was a sneer from the door.

"Did good at her job? No, no, no. Listen here Fai."

Emily spun around and saw her Mother standing in the doorframe. The old woman hobbled towards them and joined the huddle.

"When someone is brave and patriotic enough to join the army, they get this medal. If they get injured fighting they get this one called the Victoria Cross and I remember when she got this, your mother broke her leg at three different places while she was dragging an injured soldier over barbed wire fences and she had to be evacuated to two different places before they could finely treat her properly."

Her mother proceeded to name each medal by name, when Emily had gotten it, what she'd done for it, and how prodigious it was.

Emily had never realised she'd known.

"Now, that's an answer to your question. First she calls you a name that is as Chinese as French fries, then 'Mommy did good at her job', what next with your impossible mother, Fai?"

Frank chose silence as his best option and Emily couldn't agree more.

"Well, enough of that. Let's let your mother pack. Maybe I can find something to make you do so that you'll think that you're helping me make lunch." Mei said.

As soon as she put him down, Frank galloped downstairs, still too young to register anything but 'help make lunch', and Mei hobbled after him at a much slower pace. Emily starred at her for a while, still in shock.

But she'd be away for over a year this down. And in all these years, nor Emily nor Mei had ever spoken up. It was now or never to do so, and Emily went for 'now'.

"I didn't know you actually saw merit and value in my job," Emily said.

The old woman stopped on her way to the door.

"Of course I do," the old woman snapped turning back towards her. "You are my daughter. My only one. I have no choice but to be proud."

She marched out of the room but her fingers lingered on the door frame for a second too long for it to be an accident.

"And even if I had a choice, I would be proud of you," she said quickly before slipping away.