Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Krazy 4 U ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Krazy 4 U

A Digimon fanfiction by Bexi(Madmangabexx@hotmail.com)

Chapter Two 

Masaharu groaned as he drove home.  He didn't expect to work as long as he had but a last minute assignment had been handed to him.  He favoured doing his work at the office rather than taking it home; there weren't as many distractions as there were at home.  If he were at home, he preferred to spend his time with his son than spending every hour glued to the computer screen.  He believed that working at home often consumed him so much that it made him forget about Matt being in the house with him.  Masaharu found that out the hard way when Matt was eight and fell down the stairs and broke his arm.  Matt constantly apologised to him, saying that it was an accident but Masaharu blamed himself for not being vigilant and putting his work before his son.  After than he avoided working at home unless it was absolutely necessary because it wasn't worth his son feeling neglected, despite what age Matt was now.

He never thought about it much.  As Matt grew older he tended to keep himself secluded and only socialised with a selected group of people outside of school, which mainly consisted of the DigiDestines or his band.  He hardly spoke to Masaharu about his own problems but was always offering help and support if his father ever needed it. 

'Just who is supposed to be the child in this family?' Masaharu sniggered. 

It was true that Matt was mature for his age but he was also expected to do things that any normal child his age wasn't expected to.  Saving the world from evil digimon was one of these things but he had large responsibilities before hand.  He had to grow up faster than other children when his parents divorced and he and his brother were separated. 

Masaharu shied away from remembering that particular time because he was half to blame.  He had to be strong for Matt and help him in any way possible.  He had to be both parents from now on.  He was working longer hours to provide for Matt, which also involved finding a new home to reside in.  It wasn't as large as the home he shared with his now ex-wife but it was time for a new start.  It didn't help that he woke up one morning and found that she had taken T.K. to go and live with her mother, who lived on the other side of Japan.  Masaharu soon called and argued over the phone about how selfish she was being to him and Matt.  She admitted that she needed to clear her head and returned.  She said her goodbyes and they both explained to Matt and T.K. that neither of them were to blame.  Masaharu argued furthermore when she decided that T.K. would live with her, as he was the youngest and it should be best if he lived with his mother, and Matt should stay with his father.

He knew the real reason behind the decision because no mother would take one child and leave the other.  Not only would it confuse and upset the children it could also have psychological effects on them in later adulthood.  He had read about children whose parents were separated and the effects it had on their behaviour: 

Children who suffered separation might grow up unable to love or show affection? 

Matt may keep himself to himself but that meant nothing, he had his own way of showing affection even if it wasn't direct. 

Separated children might not care about other people? 

That was rubbish!  Matt cares about the people he loves more than anyone could know.  He would probably give up his own life to keep T.K. from harms way.  Matt wasn't the DigiDestined of friendship for no reason! 

Separated children might also fail to learn properly at school, and might be more likely to turn to crime when they grow up? 

That was just a load of toss!  Matt was dedicated to his schoolwork and had never been on the wrong side of the law.  He didn't smoke or do drugs!  He didn't go out vandalising school property and calling it fun!  He did nothing that could get him into serious trouble.

Lack of love in early life could be a very bad start for a child's emotional development?

There was nothing wrong with Matt!  Physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially he was fine.  Masaharu had raised Matt as best he could when it was just he.

Masaharu was more than aware that Matt would be affected by the separation.  But he, himself, also found it difficult to be without the woman he had been married to for seven years and had children with.  She meant everything to him.  She was his world.  His anchor.  She was now gone. 

He spent the first few weeks in a mixture of shock, denial and depression.  Him and Matt lived in a small apartment that wasn't fit for a young child aged eight.  He refused to work.  He refused to eat.  He lived in a daze.  It was only after two weeks that the shock and realisation that his eight-year-old son was looking after him, that he began to pull his life together.  He would go back to work and move out of that cramped apartment when he had enough money.  Matt was always helpful around the house.

'He must have taken in everything his mother did: cleaning, cooking, taking care of the family.  I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have Matt around.  He'll always be my son … not matter how much he takes care of me!'

Masaharu wondered whether he had really moved on.  He hadn't remarried and found a suitable motherly figure for Matt.  He avoided forming any type of intimate relationship with another female after the first one went terribly wrong.

It had been nine months after the divorce that he met up with a lovely female named Akiko Mishima.  She was image of radiance and beauty with a contrasting complexion.  Her skin was as white as freshly fallen snow and her hair as black as the midnight sky.  Her almond-shaped eyes were as light hazelnuts.  Masaharu had been given early leave from work and didn't need to pick Matt up from school because he was staying around a friend's house for the evening.  He was drinking coffee and she sat at the same table.  Next minute they were talking as if they had known each other for years.  Since the divorce, it was the first time he had formed such a relationship with a woman. 

He could remember the feeling in his stomach when he introduced Akiko to Matt.  What if Matt didn't like her?  He wouldn't stay in a relationship if it would cause his son to become upset and uncomfortable.  But it was like an angel was watching over them all.  Matt took to Akiko and she treated him as her own son. 

Masaharu had been serious about Akiko and proposed after a year.  She said yes and they would be a family.  Matt would have a mother figure and he would have someone to share his lonely nights with.

That was soon to change.

It had been going perfectly.  But just after Matt's tenth birthday something happened that would change everything.  He stopped talking and refused to acknowledge anyone.  It wasn't a problem at first because Matt sometimes was quiet.  He only communicated by nodding or shaking his head, which was forced most of the time.  Masaharu constantly asked Matt what was wrong and lost him temper several times.  Akiko said that Matt would stop playing soon; he was just looking for attention.  He was unsure whether to agree with her -- was Matt just looking for attention?  In all the years he had known his son, Matt wasn't clamant and prone to seek attention.  Had something happened to his son to make him act this way?  He thought the worst from there on.  What if his son was being bullied or abused by some sick paedophile?

Matt eventually broke his vow of silence and told Masaharu what happened.  He was relieved to hear that it wasn't what he thought but it hit like a bomb. 

Matt was scheduled to go to a friend's house after school but plans changed.  Masaharu was at work but Akiko would be at the house.  Matt wasn't prepared for what he saw when he got in the house.  He panicked and ran to his room.  He was young but old enough to know that it was wrong to see Akiko in bed with another man if she was going marry his father.  Akiko heard the unexpected noise and went investigate.  She told her male friend to go and had a word with Matt about what he saw.  At first she tried telling him that nothing was going on but she couldn't fool herself.  Akiko told Matt that if he told his father, bad things would happen to him.  She told him that Masaharu would be angry with him and send him away to a children's home, and he would never see his father again.  She told him that Masaharu would blame him for breaking the family up -- because that's what they were, a family.  Right? 

Akiko knew that Masaharu wouldn't bear to be separated from Matt but the child didn't know that.  One parent had already gone and taken his brother, what was stopping the other from abandoning him too?  She panicked and said the only things that she could think of.  It was the best way to keep the child quiet.

Masaharu was appalled.  He couldn't believe what his ten-year-old son was telling him.  Akiko wouldn't do that to him.  Matt must be mistaken.  But he couldn't continue to believe that when Matt cried, telling him that he didn't want to go to a children's home and never see his father again.  Masaharu found that Akiko had thrown in some extra alarming lies to scare Matt of what would happen to him in a children's home.

He wouldn't accept that the woman he thought he loved had threatened his son to this extent.  When he confronted Akiko, she tried telling him that Matt was lying, which infuriated Masaharu furthermore.  His son would not lie about something as serious as this. 

That was the last they saw of Akiko and it went back to being just Masaharu and Matt, which didn't bother either of them.  Masaharu decided that Matt didn't need a mother figure, he was fine the way he was.  There was nothing wrong with the way he raised his son because he gave him as much love as two parents ever could.      

Masaharu was relieved to be home at last.  He could see that the lights were still on so that meant that Matt must be awake.  He remembered the phone call and Matt telling him about the person who kept ringing the house.  'I wonder whether they stopped,' he sighed.  Matt sounded aggravated on the other end, which wouldn't surprise him if he were pestered with anonymous calls when he was working.

He opened the door and looked around the house.

"Matt?" he called.

No answer.

Masaharu walked into the living room but couldn't see Matt there.  He carefully placed his belongings on the sofa and noticed a small flashing number.  He could see it from where he was.  It was number of messages that were left on the phone.  He walked over and thought for a moment.  The light read nineteen new messages.

'That's strange.  It can't be anyone for me because they knew I was working overtime and Matt's friends would have tried his mobile if he didn't answer the phone because he takes that everywhere.'

He shook his head and sighed as he ran his hands through his short, brown hair.  His eyes were tired and his face showed it clearly.

"Hey, Dad?  Is that you?" Matt called from upstairs.

"Yeah, I called up but you didn't answer.  I thought you might be asleep already -- it is the early hours of the morning."

"I was practicing with my headphones -- I'll be down in a sec."

Masaharu looked at the phone once more and nodded determinedly as his finger hovered over the 'delete' button.  He did wonder whether it was anything important but the chances were slim.  He could hear Matt slamming his door shut and walking slowly down the stairs.  Masaharu repeatedly pressed 'delete' quickly and erased the messages before Matt came down.

Matt smiled at his father and looked at the phone.  All the messages had been deleted.

"Did you delete the message?" he asked Masaharu as he placed his father's things on the table.

Masaharu nodded.  "It wasn't important so I deleted it, did you want it saved?"

"No, it was just rubbish.  There wasn't anything else, was there?  I couldn't hear the phone ringing when I was upstairs."

"No, just the one," Masaharu lied.

"Good, obviously the person took the hint, aye, Dad?" he said as he walked into the kitchen and flicked the light on.

"I told you they would grow tired and stop after a while."

He knew that the calls were bothering Matt so no harm was done.  There was no point in having an immature teenager scouring the phonebook for numbers and playing pranks on people.  He followed Matt and forgot about the messages.  They were history now.

To be continued…