It’s raining like crazy here in Tokyo, so I took the car to pick up my four-year-old son this afternoon from preschool. I then drove to pick up my two-year-old daughter from hers. I usually bring an umbrella for him as well, so he can use it himself when he goes to pick up his sister. I forgot it — so I carried him with umbrella in hand. Upon coming out of my daughter’s preschool, I picked them both up in my arms with my boy, holding the umbrella to protect us from the rain so I could walk to the car to take us home.
That’s when I slipped.
I twisted my ankle and felt my spine compress as my butt hit the pavement. My son surprisingly landed on his feet, but my daughter plopped on her butt and began to cry. There’s a salon directly across the street from the preschool and there were four people in there just looking out at me as I scooted my ass up the embankment with my daughter in my lap crying where I slipped in pain to get us out of the rain. My daughter’s crying and my son is still holding the umbrella over us and somebody actually came down from the elevator behind us and simply walked around us. I composed myself and was able to make it to the car with the kids. I have absolutely no idea how my body is going to react as I’m stay at home father with kids to bathe and dinner to cook.
In my little over two years here, I’ve had wonderful experiences and have met amazing people. Regardless, I now can relate to then stories I’ve seen on here and the diaspora about how cold some can be in this country when others may be in need.
by MSotallyTober