The First Steps
When I opened my eyes, it felt as if only five minutes had passed. It was as if I had slept for a little while. I opened my eyes and saw all the nurses around me, wiggled my hands and feet, and saw that everything was fine. All the staff breathed a sigh of relief and teared up. They must have thought I had died, and then I heard that I had been without a pulse for a minute. I was impressed because I was starting to understand them; I thought something was wrong here.
The aura of the man who had entered the room seemed as if it had never affected anyone. As if this incident had never happened, the only one who paid special attention was the man who had come in to see the newborn baby, who, as soon as I woke up, left without saying anything.
My mother's hands trembled as she held me. "You were… You were dead!" she stammered, her voice full of fear and relief at the same time. Her eyes were red from crying, but now tears of joy were flowing. My father stood speechless, his gaze lost between shock and relief. For the first time, he seemed not to know what to say. "We will never go through this again… never!" he finally said, his voice firm but with a hint of fear.
I just smiled. I couldn't explain to them what had happened. But for the first time, I felt like they were truly mine. I saw a lot of people around them; they must like them… But it was time to eat! So, everyone slowly left and then slept.
The hours at the hospital passed slowly, with my mother sitting beside me continuously, holding my small hand. When it was finally time to go home, the feeling was like a new chapter was beginning. The warmth of home and the embrace of my family felt like a promise that everything would get better.
When I woke up, I was at home. The classic life of a baby: play, eat, sleep! Our house had large windows that let the sunlight enter everywhere, filling every corner with warmth. In the garden, the flowers bloomed in colors that seemed to come out of a dream – deep red, soft purple, bright yellow. In the mornings, the dew on the leaves glistened like tiny diamonds, making my world seem full of magic.
Time passed, and I tried to walk, with my mom at first, then with a nanny. My father was often absent due to work. I would greet him every time he left for work, and he would return days later. But I, for my part, was also trying to work hard to walk soon.
My mother knelt in front of me, opening her arms. "Come on, you can do it!" she said with enthusiasm. I gathered all my strength. One step… two… and then… boom! Straight to the floor. My mother laughed and gently lifted me. "It's a good thing you have a hard head!" I smiled, even if I didn't understand every word. But I knew one thing – I wouldn't give up so easily.
One afternoon, when I was three years old, I found myself in our backyard. The dew on the leaves and the sounds of the birds made the world seem magical. Every step I took was like a discovery, full of excitement and anticipation. My mother had left the door open for a few minutes, and I, full of curiosity, crawled outside. The world was big, unexplored. And then… I saw a cat. Excited, I tried to call it, but the only thing that came out of my mouth were incomprehensible words. The cat looked at me, perked up its ears, and… ignored me. "No!" I thought. "I won't lose like this!" I tried to stand up, took one step, two… and then fell flat on my face. My mother ran to me. "My God! Are you okay?!" I said nothing. Instead of crying, I stood up again. "I will do it."
Time flowed by. I walked, I talked, I adapted. I was now four years old. But inside me, something didn’t change – I knew more than I should have. I was a child, but my mind carried memories and experiences that didn’t belong in this life. It was like I was a stranger in my own body. I felt like I was watching my life go by in slow motion, unable to outrun my body.
One day, my father bent over me before he left. "I'll be gone for a few days, but when I get back, I'll bring you something special." My eyes lit up with anticipation. I thought about all the things this promise could be – maybe a toy, maybe a story I had never heard before. But there was something in my father's gaze, as if he knew that what he was promising had a much greater significance than I could understand. I looked at him with curiosity. "Promise?" He smiled and put his hand on my head. "Promise." But as time went on, I started to understand. My father's promises were like the wind – they came and went, leaving behind only anticipation.
My parents were strict, but my mother was more present in my life than my father. Diomedes Era, my father, was an officer in the army. He was a consultant and strategic organizer, with the role of a healer. He was away from home quite a bit. My mother, Lux Era, on the other hand, was a therapist at a clinic, in the pregnant women's department, and provided various treatments. Before that, she was in the emergency room, where the two of them met.
The fact that they managed to have me, despite their obligations, was something no one expected. They had to hire a nanny to take care of me, after all. At night, my mother would sit next to me, gently stroking my hair as she sang an old lullaby. Her voice was sweet, filled with a strange melancholy. "Your mother loves you, my little one," she whispered one night. "Even when I'm not here, I will protect you." At that moment, I felt a sense of security that I couldn't explain. Maybe it was the first time I felt that someone was truly protecting me.
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