That next morning, I was in my room pretending to be asleep when my mom came in my room and tried to wake me up. I pretty much ignored her. (Sorry mom!) I was tired and I hadn’t slept well last night. My mom went back downstairs for a while and then started calling my name up the stairs for me to come downstairs or something because they had something to tell me.

I had remembered that that was how I found out my baby brother and sister were going to be born, so I was excited at first. But then I came downstairs and saw the expressions on their faces.

My mom looked like she had been crying for a while, and my dad looked beat, like he’d just lost his best friend in the entire world. I was confused. “What’s wrong? What happened? Did someone die or lose their job?!” I asked.

“No, Yumiku. I wish. I truly do wish.” My dad said, his voice cracking.

“What is it then? What is it then?” My baby brother and sister were awake. Then when they saw the looks on our parents’ faces, they burst into tears.

“Yomo, Rono, we love you, you know that, right?” my mom asked them tearfully.

“Yes, of cores!” my twin toddler troublemakers answered at the same time.

“Well,” my mother continued, almost as if she was cutting her own eyes out by going on, “Me and your daddy have to go away.”

The twins were puzzled. “Herm? Whats do you meanings?”

My mom looked like she was being strangled and a baby being sung to at the same time. “Me and daddy are going to go on a spaceship so that you and Yumiku can be safe.”

“Mommy! Daddy! How coulds you doos that!” The twins cried.

“Yes! Why are you doing this to us?!” I agreed with the twins for once. Probably never going to happen again in their lifetime, I remember thinking.

Mom was crying by then, in long, loud, heaving sobs. “I’m so sorry!” she said through tears. Though it was hard to understand what she was saying, so it sounded more like “I ma soso ry,” if you can imagine what that sounds like.

“We’re leaving so that you can have a better life.” My dad said.

“A better life?!” I screamed. “WHAT KIND OF BETTER LIFE INVOLVES GRIEVING FOR THE REST OF TIME ABOUT YOUR PARENTS ABANONING YOU?!”

The twins seemed startled, as if they never expected such a shout could come from me. “Umikookoo! Why screaming? Work out with nice diafrog, and no screaming at each other.” They said. I was slightly annoyed but secretly proud they remembered what I had taught them from peer counseling.

“I’m sorry Rono and Yomo.” I said.

“No sorry us! Sorry to mommy and daddy!!” they said. They were really starting to impress me and get on my nerves at the same time.

“Sorry mom. Sorry dad.” I said my apologies rather reluctantly, I suppose. Then my mom and dad packed their bags and left. And I never saw them again.