The Beginning

A Story by Dr. Kittin

A strange short story about a mother and her son.

“Mommy?” The young child pulled on his mother’s sleeve, impatient for her attention. “ Mommy? Mommy, are you listening?”

“Yes, yes, I’m listening.” His mother said, picking him up, and setting him down on her lap. “What do you want?”

“I have a question.”

“Oh?”

“Mommy, where do we come from?” His mother smiled at him kindly, and hugged him close to her.

“Well, you come from me.” Her son struggled away from her and sat, impatiently, facing his mother.

“No! That’s not what I meant! I mean, where does everyone come from?”

“Well, sweetheart, everyone comes from their mothers.” She wiped a strand of hair out of his face and tucked it behind his ear. The boy shook his head, and it fell back, partially covering one eye.

“Okay, well, where do mothers come from?”

“Their mothers.”

“Mooooom!”

“I’m sorry sweetie, I don’t understand.” She reached out to tuck the hair back behind his ear, but he pulled away.

“ I mean, where do we come from in the beginning? Where do all the moms come from?”

“Ahhh, the beginning.” She shook her head. “ When you’re older, sweetheart, when you’re older.” The young boy pushed out his lower lip, pouting.

“But moooom…”

“No, no buts.” She set her son down onto the living room floor. “Now go outside and play.”

“Hey.” The young man sat down at the dining room table, letting his school bag fall from his shoulder onto the floor with a thud. “Hey, mom, you busy?”

“No.” His mother came out of the kitchen and sat down across form him, casting a distasteful glance at his backpack. “Are you going to move that?” Her son nodded.

“Yeah, later. Mom, can I talk to you?” His mother smiled kindly.

“Of course you can. What do you want to talk about?” He shifted in the chair.

“I have a question.”

“Alright.”

“Mom,” He paused, thinking for a moment. “Mom, where do we come from?” His mother raised an eyebrow and chuckled slightly.

“I’m sure that we went over this before, and I know that you went over it in middle school.”

“No, that’s not what I meant!” The young man said quickly. “ I mean, where did we come from originally?”

“In the beginning?” The young man nodded.

“Yeah.”

“When you’re older, sweetheart.” The young man looked at her, confused.

“Why can’t I know now?” He asked. His mother stood up from the table.

“Because you wouldn’t understand, now. You will when you’re older.” The young man opened his mouth to argue, but his mother interrupted before he had that chance.

“No more of this, now. A friend of yours called earlier, and invited you to dinner tonight. Go call them back and tell them if you’re going.” The young man sat there for a moment, conflicted. Then he sighed and stood up, grabbing his backpack from the floor, and re-slinging it over his shoulder.

“Yes mom.”

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“Mom.” A grown man sat down in a hospital chair next to a hospital bed and said, quietly, “ Mom, are you awake.”

“Yes, I’m awake.” The grown man reached out and took his mother’s hand.

“Mom,” He said, squeezing her hand gently, affectionately, “I have a question.” His mother smiled.

“I know.” She said. “ What happened in the beginning, right?” The grown man blinked in surprise.

“Well, yes.” He said, placing his other hand atop of hers. “ How did you know?” She sighed a warm, pleasant sigh.

“ I just knew. Mother’s intuition.”