1. A Boy & A Dream (part 2)

"What if… the moon got too close to us and crash?" I asked, not knowing full well of the words I just said.

Hearing the question, everyone on the table only turned silent. Dad and Grandpa continued eating while Mom placed down her spoon and fork. It looks like she is preparing herself for another deep conversation with me.

"That will never happen, hun." Mom said with her usual soft smile.

"But, if the moon can get closer…"

"While it is true that the moon can be as close as it is, it doesn't mean the moon can truly get closer and closer. It is stuck in a perpetual loop, simply circling around the earth endlessly until the end of time. There is truly nothing for you to worry about."

"But… if it decided to come closer…"

I kept on asking again and again, making Mom feeling defeated by how her explanations did nothing to get me understand. Noticing this, Grandpa lifted his right hand and patted me on the head.

"Stop making your mother annoyed by asking pointless questions. Now, eat your dinner before it gets too cold." Grandpa sternly said to me after realizing Mom's disappointment, and I can't help but realize I've really crossed the line.

"Ah… I'm sorry--"

"Hahaha! It's all good, Nathan! It's good to always want to increase your knowledge. But sometimes, you should learn boundaries before you start asking questions! It is unwise for you to keep halting your mother from enjoying her meal by asking her odd questions." Grandpa explained to me what I did wrong, and I immediately realized how terrible the thing I just did was.

"I'm sorry, Mom." I apologized hurriedly to Mom, and she only waved her hand at me.

"It's all right, hun. I will always put my spoon down if it means satisfying your curiosity. After all, nothing is more important than learning!" Mom said after hearing my apology, and I smiled as well hearing that she is supporting me that way.

Next to her, though… someone looks like he wants to ruin this dinner table.

"That is the second nerdiest thing I've heard tonight--"

After that, a spoon literally went flying.

The dinner continued with Mom eating with only her fork, and Dad holding up an ice cube on top of his head. Grandpa did not say a word of what just happened, and neither did I. No one really dared to mess with Mom once she gets angry, and even my Grandpa does not have the bravery to mitigate the conflict.

"What can I say… Nathan has gotten a little too smart for his own good." Mom suddenly said to break the silence. She must've realized that the dinner has gotten quite cold because of her, and she took the liberty of breaking that silence by saying something.

Next to me, Grandpa agrees. "I agree, but I don't see why it can be negative. The only downside that I can see from this was how he won't be that good of a fighter. You know? Because he studies too much." Grandpa turned to me with a rather concerned expression, and Dad cleared his throat from across the table.

"Well… it's still not quite the time yet for Nate. He is still nine years old. It's true that most children found their fighting talent around the age of seven to ten, it's still not too late for Nate to show his true talent." Dad defended me by explaining his perspective. "After all, we won't have to worry about it considering who his parents are!"

"That is exactly why I am concerned. As the son of the village chief, Nathan should have shown his capabilities before the usual age of seven." Grandpa continued to express his concerns, and I fully understand why he is like this.

As the son of the current village chief, I have the expectations to not only be able to lead the village in the future, but also have the strength to back up my leadership. I need to not only be smart and wise, but also strong enough to protect the village people. That is, after all, the necessities that a village chief needs.

Unfortunately for me, Dad just happens to be the stupid chief of this stupid village. Grandpa is also once a village chief, but he has stepped down and let Dad took over a few years back. Now, Grandpa just lives with us, inside this house that belongs to the village chief.

And as the chief of this large village, both of them are very… very strong. Grandpa is famous all over the kingdom for being so strong, and Dad was just as good. They are both strong fighters who fights with their flame origins, and many fighters in the world wants to be just like them.

However, the most important person in this house was actually not these two.

"Amazing that the two of you actually has the greed to actually want more from Nathan…" Mom said so suddenly while drinking her tea, and both Dad and Grandpa quickly realized who the real ruler of the house was.

"Well… Nate is bound to be a strong fighter someday, right?" Dad tried reasoning with Mom, and she nodded firmly and confidently.

"Of course! But before that happens, he must first learn the probability that a dice number has when it gets rolled, don't you think?" Mom answered in the most horrifying way for me, and I got really scared simply listening to her talking about it.

It was math. She is talking about my homework from school.

"It's… one in six, wasn't it?" Grandpa tried answering honestly, not realizing he has fallen into one of many traps Mom has laid out.

"And what if three dices was thrown?"

"Uh… How many sides is that?" Grandpa really tried his best to answer, but Mom is only smiling widely. 

I already knew that it was never the right thing to just answer her right away since she will always follow up with an even harder question, so I just stayed silent. But, Grandpa…

"One in… eighteen?"

"Wrong. It's one of two hundred and sixteen." Mom gave the right answer, and Grandpa's eyes looked like it was about to jump out of his face.

"There's not that many sides to a dice!!" Grandpa tried reasoning, but Mom ignored him and turned back to me.

"Learning that can save you many troubles in the future, honey. Learning how to fight may have been very important for you to defend yourself, but learning knowledge like math and probabilities will not only save many people, but also increase the livelihood of your people." Mom explained the importance of learning knowledge to me, and nobody dared to butt in considering how right she is.

I understand what Mom is trying to tell me, and I also realize that she is right. Simply being strong may have given me the ability to save myself as well as other people, but if I'm smart, then I can in some way make their lives even better.

As a reply to her, I just nodded at her silently. Mom received the nod fully knowing that her message has arrived loud and clear.

Meanwhile, the two stupid adults in the table only stayed silent. I also can't help but realize just how powerful Mom's position in our family truly is.

Grandpa is famous for being one of the strongest people in the kingdom. Dad is famous for being one of the most talented people in the land of Avenor. These two are feared by many and looked up to by countless people. And yet, here they are cowering in silence in front of a very smart woman. 

That's my mother. She can literally tame lions if she wanted to.

"Well, if there is one thing that I want Nathan to learn more than statistics and math, I just hope he learns how to talk to girls!" Mom stated loudly to break the silence again, and both Dad and Grandpa spat their food out of their mouths.

"It's too early for that!" Dad hurriedly denies Mom's words, and she became confused by how sudden the rejection comes.

"Why not? He is going to be a teenager very soon, right? He is bound to meet girls, one day. Unless you want him to look for boys instead--"

"Maybe… Nathan can decide the importance of that topic himself." Grandpa tried reasoning to support Dad in this topic, and Mom looked rather disappointed by that suggestion.

"No! Nathan, you have to learn how to speak to girls! Otherwise, you will suffer once you get older!" Mom stated to me very clearly, and I had no idea how to reply since this is the first time the topic has been brought up.

"The time will come… But until then, let Nate decide for himself if he wants to chase after ladies." Dad tried calming Mom down, but then he turned his concerned gaze at me. "Nate. Please find a soft and caring lady for yourself. Otherwise, you'll suffer like me."

"Do you really want another spoon flying?" 

Mom stared at Dad with a soulless expression, and she turned to me quite sternly. "Find a smart lady for yourself! Someone who can sort out all your problems with her brain! It doesn't matter if she isn't strong! Just find someone useful!"

I only nodded very quickly at the both of them, and Grandpa patted me in the shoulder. I turned my gaze to him and found him smiling softly at me.

"Find someone you can truly enjoy being with for the rest of your life. A funny one would be preferred, like your grandma." Grandpa said with a faint sadness in his tone, and I can't help but this is one of the rare occasions when he talks about Grandma.

Grandma passed away long before I was born, and I never got the chance to meet her. I did hear about her from Dad's stories of when he was younger, but I rarely hear about her from Grandpa. I think Grandpa has some regrets left within him when it comes to Grandma, that's why he rarely talks about her.

"Was Grandma that funny?" I asked Grandpa out of curiosity, and he laughs a little as he recalled.

"Well, she was indeed the talkative jokester. You can look at your Dad if you're curious about her humor." Grandpa turned his gaze at Dad, and Mom scoffed from hearing it.

"Nothing about him is funny." Mom said dryly, and Dad looked very hurt.

"Then, why did you marry me!?"

"Because you're handsome. That's all I cared about."

"Don't lie! You said you accepted me because I was funny."

"Are you not talking about someone else? I've never recalled ever saying anything like that."

"Just why do I have a wife like this…?"

Dad looked very defeated, and Mom is proudly keeping her chin up. Grandpa laughs seeing the two quarrel like this, and this is really not the first time the two fights over little things such as those. It was indeed quite fun to see them once you get used to it. I used to be very afraid of seeing them fighting, though…

This evening was indeed just as lively as the eves before, possibly even rowdier. As always, Mom lectured me about the importance of studying certain subjects I learn at the school of our village. Dad would always get yelled at by Mom, though I think this time he might've crossed the line when the spoon was thrown. Grandpa would tell me some really wise stuff that only an old man like him can ever say, and for some reason, I always find his words to be holding more weight than anything Mom ever explained to me.

This family is really something to me, but it wasn't just them. The people of the village was also a big part of my life since I will spend my entire life here in the village. Everyone loves me for who I am, and I have made a promise to both Mom and Dad.

"I will become the best village chief!!" I loudly announced to the dining table, and everyone was quite startled. 

It was always obvious that I've kept my wishes hidden for a while to them, and it has always been them who are pushing their wishes towards me. But, when the topic is about what I truly wanted to be in the future, it's only right that I stated what I truly aim for in the future.

Mom, Dad, and Grandpa smiled hearing the statement being made. They are watching the makings of the greatest village chief that will rule the village one day, and it truly makes them happy considering how much they have done for me.

I was able to form a wish, right there at the dining table. It is only right that I continue to stand by that declaration and made sure it comes to reality.

However, as I stared into the large moon in the skies after we were done with dinner, my thoughts changed almost in an instant.

With the large moon suddenly turning dark red, the skies turning darker, and the stars disappearing from view, my foresight and thoughts of the future was swiped away.

The way my life changed, right before my eyes.