family & judo

1987

4 years old.

The sounds of birds chirping woke me. Opening my eyes I look around my room.

The floor was cluttered with toys, my walls had posters of my favorite cartoons.

Stretching my arms and legs, then I let out a yawn.

Sitting up I slowly make my way off of my red race car bed, with my friend Teddy securely in my arms.

At the end of my bed is a pair of small bright blue slippers.

Once off the bed, and my slippers on, I navigate through the toys and make it to my door.

Thankfully the door was slightly open letting me open it.

I wasn't tall enough yet to open it on my own.

Making my way through the hall I walk into the living room.

The smell of coffee filled the room, with its rich aroma.

As well as the smell and sound of breakfast being cooked.

Sitting at the table already was Andrews's dad, reading the morning newspaper.

David Cole was a medium-sized man at 5'9, but the military uniform he wore made him seem bigger.

David Cole was a career soldier who slowly, and with dedication made his way up the Ranks to a full colonel.

David had dark brown hair shaved down on the sides with a little more hair on top.

He also had dark brown eyes that carried an intensity to them.

Setting a cup of coffee in front of him was Andrews's mother.

Stacy Cole.

She was the beating heart of the family with her gold-blond hair and bright blue eyes, she was a ball of joy and happiness.

She was a stay-at-home mom who used to be a teacher but decided to stay at home with me.

Stepping up to the table my mother says in her always happy voice.

"and look who it is, finally awake just in time for breakfast."

"You wouldn't forget me, momma," I said with a wide smile.

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that little man, if you were just a few more minutes late I would have eaten all the food," my dad said, setting down his newspaper and smiling at me.

He might look like a tough man to everyone else but as soon as he was home he was a loving caring man.

"You wouldn't," I said in a fake stern voice I learned from him, as I set Teddy on the table and slowly lifted myself up and onto a seat.

Leaning on an arm and leaning forward my dad said with a small smile.

"I could get all of my men together and try to eat your breakfast and we wouldn't be able to do a dent buddy."

Since before I could remember, I've always had to eat much more than anyone else.

Momma and I have seen doctors but they said I just have an extremely active metabolism that burns the food I eat really fast.

I had to get a bunch of tests done, but they said there was nothing wrong with me, I just needed to eat a whole lot.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as 4 to 5 granola bars in between.

I just smile at his words as my mother sets a plate of pancakes, eggs, and sausage in front of me.

Without waiting for a second to pass I dig in, while my parents talk.

"What are your plans for today?" my father asks my mother.

"I just need to run some clothes to the Goodwill, then just some small Arends."

After I finished every crumb on my plate my mother took my plate away.

"get dressed love We are going to go out soon," my mother says while putting my plate into the sink.

Getting down from my chair I grab Teddy and run to my room, losing one of my slippers in the process.

It only took a few minutes to get dressed.

Just when I finished putting on my shoes, there was a knock at the door.

"You ready to go buddy," my dad said as he opened the door.

"Yup," I said as I walked to the door.

Walking out the front door Mom and Dad say their goodbyes.

And mom lifts me into the back seat.

Sitting in the back seat in my booster seat. I look out the window while my mom drives.

It's only a 10-minute drive before we pull into the parking lot of a strip mall.

After getting out of the car we walk into a goodwill shop.

I was amazed at all the cool things they had, but I couldn't walk around.

Mom says that I would get lost, but I could find her anywhere.

After a few minutes, Mom drops off some old clothes I've grown out of, and we walk out the front door.

As we are walking out the front door, something catches my eye.

It's another shop in the strip mall.

On the sign is a man in weird clothes.

And then some words next to it.

After trying to figure it out for a minute I say the word aloud.

"Judo,"

I don't know why, but the word sounds very familiar.

"What was that honey?" my mother asked me.

I point one of my fingers at the sight.

"Judo," I say again.

She looks where I'm pointing.

"Oh yes, that place just opened a week ago," she said.

Then looking down at me she asks.

"Do you want to try it? A friend of mine told me they let kids join."

I nod my head in the affirmative.

Holding my hand we walked over to the place.

Opening the door, I could hear strange sounds that confused me.

Stepping in I figured out what that sound was.

There was a small group of around 4 or five people standing in front of another man.

All of them were wearing the strange white clothes that the man on the sign was wearing.

And they also didn't have shoes on either.

The strange sound was coming from the man they were standing around.

He was talking to the group and had a person in front of him.

Within a second the talking man grabbed onto the person in front of him.

He grabbed onto his clothes and pushed him back then kicked one of his legs out from under him, causing him to fall to the mat floor.

I looked up at my mother and said in an excited tone. "cool".

She smiled down at me.

Me and my mother waited patiently while the talking man grouped up the people watching him into twos.

Then once that was done he made his way towards us.

Once he got closer I was able to get a look at him.

The man had dark black hair and slanted eyes, as well as a wide happy smile on his face.

"Good afternoon, how can I help you today?" the man asked, in a heavily accented voice.

"Hello, I was wondering if you have a children's program," she said, gesturing to me.

The man smiled again and looked down at me.

"That we do, I haven't had anyone sign up yet so he would be the first to join but yes we do."

"That's great news, Andrew is a very active child and it would be good to let him get all of that out on something productive." my mother says while squeezing my hand.

The man crouches down in front of me and says.

"Hello there Andrew, I'm Haru, it's nice to meet you," he said while putting his hand out to shake.

Shyly I shake his hand while stepping closer to my mother.

He chuckled at that and then stood up.

"If you sign up today we can have our first lesson tomorrow," he said to my mother.

"That would be great," my mother says.

Later that night when my dad gets home we sit down for dinner.

My mother starts the conversation.

"I have some good news."

My dad looks up from his food and asks.

"Oh, and what would that be love."

She looks over to me and says.

"I signed Andrew up for judo classes at the new store that opened at the strip mall."

"His first lesson will be tomorrow afternoon," she says with a wide smile.

My dad looks at her and then at me in surprise.

"Really, that's great news"

He looks back at me and says.

"before you know it I bet you would be the best there is huh"

"Are you excited?" he added.

After chewing the food in my mouth I say.

"I am, you should have seen it dad, he was doing these cool moves, making people fall with them a-and it was soooo cool," I said in excitement.

Both my parents chuckle at that.

Later that night when I'm covered in my blankets and holding Teddy.

I look up at my ceiling, which has star shapes made from my night light.

And think about what will tomorrow bring.