I Hit My Head

"You said that it wasn't because of a heartbreak, like I thought. And you said that you aren't going through anything difficult and that you're happy with your life...So, if it's not because of any of those reasons, why did you decide to change all of a sudden?" She said, while pondering over why I changed. 

She then looked at me and carefully asked, so that I wouldn't get scared off by her question

"Kafi, if the reason is not too personal, can you tell mommy what happened that made you change in one single day?...You don't have to tell everything that happened, but just a little so that mommy can be reassured that my Kafi is doing fine...I know that your mom is being unreasonable here, and is asking you about something that you probably don't want to talk about. But can you do your mommy a favour and tell me what happened just once? Just so that mommy can have some peace of mind."

"C-Calm down, mom. You don't have to get that worked up and request me that much." I patted my mom on her shoulders and told her to relax, since I didn't know how to respond when she was being so sincere with me. 

"The reason why I'm suddenly acting the way I am isn't that big of a deal for you to ask me so thoughtfully. It's actually so simple that I would've answered even if an acquaintance had asked me why I changed so much." I explained so that she didn't make a big deal about what happened. 

But the fact that she was willing to be so patient for my wellbeing touched me greatly and helped me understand what it felt like to be doted on by your mother for the first time, which was something an orphan like me always wanted to know. 

"Oh, then what is it that made you change so much?" She relaxed a bit after hearing me say that it wasn't a big deal, but it looked like she still wanted to know what happened just to be sure.

"I just fell off the bed and hit my head on the floor." I initiated a lie to mask the truth of my transmigration into this world.

"You fell and hit your head?!" My mother was shocked at what I said and immediately pulled me down and started checking my head for any injuries.

"Does it hurt anywhere, Kafi?! Is it bleeding from any spot? Even if you aren't, I've heard that you can get blood clots from impacts to the head, which you don't really feel until it's too late. Let's go to the hospital just in case something like that happens!" My mom panicked and looked like she was ready to drag me to the hospital.

"It's fine, mom. It's really fine. It was just a small fall where I bumped my head and got up immediately. There's no need to go to the hospital for such a small bump." I pulled her back from rushing out and reassured her that it was nothing significant. But seeing that she still looked worried, I pointed at my forehead and said 

"Look, this is where I got hurt. Do you see any sort of sign that looks like I'm seriously injured?"

My mother immediately brushed my hair back and pulled me down to check the place I got hurt, the moment she heard where I got hurt. 

After examining that place for a few seconds, while our faces were so close that I felt her breath go down my neck, and gently touching the place I showed her to see if I would react, she let me go and said 

"It really doesn't seem like a major injury. There isn't even a scar or bruise to indicate that you were hurt, as if you never got hurt at all. "

That's because I never really got hurt, and lied about the place that hit the floor. 

"But how does hitting your head on the ground have to do with changing so much? It's not like your memories were altered after you fell or you got a case of amnesia like it happens in those serial dramas." My mother said, as she remembered those cliche scenes where the protagonist loses his memory after getting into an accident.

"...Or did they?" She suddenly looked up at me with a worried look on her face, wondering if her son was also suffering from that repetitive and cliche event.

"Of course not. You've been watching too many dramas for you to think that your son got amnesia from a little bump on his head." I cleared up her ridiculous thoughts and reassured her that it wasn't anything that bad.

I could honestly say that I did have amnesia, and that's why I was acting like a different person. But that would severely mess up our current relationship, and it would take some time to mend it, so I took the simpler route.

"I don't have memory loss or anything. I just got a massive wake-up call after hitting my head." I gave the reason why I was acting so differently, which was way better than the old amnesia excuse.

"You got a wake-up call?" My mom raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, a wake-up call that made me realise what I've been doing my whole life and how I didn't want to live in such a way anymore. The moment I hit my head on the ground, it almost felt like I woke up from a very long dream, and got up to a reality that I absolutely abhorred...The reality itself and its surroundings weren't really the problem to me, but the person I was and the person who I became through the consequences of my actions is someone I really detested." I recalled what I apparently felt at that time, while my mother seriously listened to my words.

"And to change the person I was...No, sorry. 'Change' wouldn't be the correct word to use in this situation, and it should be 'improve'...And to improve the person I was, my character, and how everyone sees me overall, I decided from here on forth that I would be honest with myself and make decisions that positively impact my life for the better."

"Decisions like what?" My mother asked how exactly I was trying to improve.