Ta-ta-ta-ta... "Whoa! Rachel can sure run fast, can't she?" I commented to Yen after spotting Rachel run across our room to her own.
"Oh, yes. You should check out her face after her 'run' too!" Yen offered. What did Yen mean? I have not been at home at nights enough, due to work. Worried, I went over to our children's room. Felix was sprawled on his bed, reading. And Rachel? She sat on hers, with little tears in her eyes.
It turned out that our eldest girl, is afraid of the dark in four-and-a-half. It was funny as I had never noticed this earlier. Yen concluded that she must have developed this 'condition' lately after being told some scary story in play-school. Rachel did not offer anything. She barely shook her head and cried when I asked her to walk alone in the dark to another room.
These few weeks had been trying due to a host of reasons - monetary woes from me, rushing of work for both Yen and me, and battling with illnesses in the recent week. I spent some time to try to coax Rachel to let me in on the origin of her fear but had not got far. The only thing I had succeeded was to get her to walk to unlit places, with Felix holding her hand.
Last night saw a change - one that I hope would not rebound back to its original state too soon. Kayleen came crying when I was reading with Rachelk and Felix in their bedroom. "Mickey mouse..." Kayleen offered, in between her sobs. She was referring to her 7-inch plush toy that Uncle Eddie and Aunt Huijun had given her during their last trip to Hong Kong. The toy had been her best friend ever since she lay her hands on it.
"Felix, where did you leave it just now? I saw you playing with it last," I queried. I told him to look for it and return it to Kayleen. "I... I'm scared... it's too dark..." It was Felix's turn now! Sigh! Looking around, I saw Rachel reading. Surely I cannot... Let me try.
"Rachel, can you hold di-di's hand to go look for Mickey in daddy's room?" I suggested to our elder girl. "Huh? What? Felix, (are) you afraid of the dark? There's nothing to be afraid of! Come, let's go..." And of she led Felix, to my room to look for the toy, and came back successfully within seconds.
