The Dharma Force

I sold my son for his future

This is a really weird feeling.
I sold my son to a house with several big rooms of kids of all ages.
My wife paid the lady at the front office, and that was final.
We, (my wife and I) lulled our 2 year old son into a yard with some other kids, and we planned our escape.
First, my wife told him that she was going away for a bit, but she will be back. Then she was gone.
My son looked up from his interest in a beat-up old tricycle, and found me standing by the gate. He did not object, merely looked down at the tricycle again.
He was not smiling. I can see that. He was a little bit weary of the place, too many strangers, and they all spoke the language that his sister sometimes uses. He had not gotten a hang of it yet.

Then I escaped. "I'm going to work now, " I told him across from the fence, "Your Mum will come to pick you up in a while. Bye-Bye."

He did not say Bye-Bye back, but he did not cry. He just watched me gone.

I did not go, of course. I merely went inside and watched him from a different angle.

The tricycle is starting to lose interest to him. Instead of playing, he was looking up, searching, for at least one familiar face.

But not one was in sight. He did not cry, ... yet, just looked lost.

I went back to my wife. We took care of a few finer details. Paid the lady, got a passcode to come in, and gave all the information on how to contact us.

Then, we could not resist, we went back to steal one last peak. My son was at the gate. He was trying to work it open. The teacher was trying to stop him. He is tall for his age. He could reach the latch. Knowing my son, I know it will only take him a couple weeks, then he would sneak out. He was not crying,... yet. He looked at his teacher, trying to watch her, trying to work on her limits.

Like thieves at night, my wife and I left, leaving our son with some strangers.

This is my son's first day at a day-care center. My wife went back for him two hours later.
The teacher told her that he cried for about 30 to 45 minutes. Then he stopped, and started to play.
The lunch was rice with stewed beef and applesauce. He finished his portion, and asked, "More please!" And he got some more. His first English words to a stranger.

When my wife showed up, he did not run to her, but he did give her a kiss. When they left, my wife asked him if he'd like to go back tomorrow. He shook his head.

Too bad for him, since he is still too little to control his life.

It is surprising that I had already forgotten how my daughter went through her first day. She was a lot younger than my son at the time. My son is 2 years old now, my daughter was 13 months at the time.

We sent them out mostly for their own good. All of us, my wife and I, my parents, spoil the kids too much! And I can see my son is at the age that he started to be interested in other kids, in other people. It is time, I told myself. It is time, I told my wife.

But still, I could not help myself but feeling miserable to give my son away to a few strangers. He cried for 30 minutes, very typical of him. I don't know how long he will cry tomorrow.

Well, it is time for him to go into a center, right? I mean, you'd better say yes, if you still want to remain my friend.

He is ready to be separate from his Mum. I want him to be brave. I want him not to be shy from other people. If we keep him all to ourselves any longer, he'd lose something on how to interact with others, on how to deal with other situation.

Besides, it will only be a couple hours at first. And I know my son can flourish there. He is a charmer, very good at taking advantage of someone's good nature.

Did I ever tell you, that in China, at my mother-in-law's neighborhood, they still tell stories about him.

"That little Kevin in the No. 4 building. I wonder how he is doing. " They talked among themselves, and asked my mother-in-law.
He has a fan base there. Middle aged ladies used to flock to see him whenever he was taking a walk around the little garden.
My mother-in-law is still remembered not as her real name, but as "Kevin's Grandma".

I mean, if he can work on the people over there, he can definitely take on the people at that center, right?