A Childhood Secret
Yongguk's attachment to the plushie was wildly known by anyone in or close to the family and that couldn't be denied at all.
"Aren't you afraid he'll be a baby?"
"It'll stunt his emotional development."
"Why isn't he like his twin?"
"You should take the toy away before he becomes attached."
Mama Bang had heard it all. She'd heard nonstop comments and suggestions and tips and what people would call constructive criticism but was truly poorly masked judgement. No one thought that a four year old boy should have a toy plushie, a doll. What made it "worse" was the fact that Yongguk had no uttered a single word and that just made all the comments worse.
People pretended he was stupid, they pretended that he was incapable of understanding their words even though he was still hitting all his milestones and had proven he could comprehend; he just didn't speak.
Yongguk was sensitive. He was quiet. He was withdrawn and would very much prefer to be with his Tigger rather than play with his twin brother or other kids their age. Mama Bang didn't see a problem with that. Her boy was happy as he ran through the house with Tigger, gave her hugs and kisses in passing and helped out as any four year old was capable of doing.
She had a good boy and no one could tell her otherwise. He would speak; she had faith. It would just be sometime down the line when he was ready.
**
"T-Tigger...we g-g-gots to be quiet, remember? Nam-m-mie will hear u-us and he has to sleep o-or he'll get c-cranky-ky." It was a soft voice that was echoing in the bedroom filled with toys and walls designed with Winnie the Pooh characters and scenery, much at the distaste of the elder twin, but something the maknae of the Bang siblings took delight in every time he stepped into his room.
"Did you s-see what P-Papa did for us, Tigger? He's m-making Nammie and me a play-playhouse! I'm s-s-so excited." The boy wiggled in his footsie pajamas and tried not to make too much noise as he had a plastic covering beneath his sheet to protect the bed when he had accidents.
Across the small room, Yongnam lay facing his brother but unable to see in the dark. He was covered and his pillow had somehow ended up on the floor. As a car drove by and the headlights lit up the room, he saw the outline of his slightly smaller brother leaning against the headboard with Tigger in his lap. The smile was bright and he looked so happy, Yongnam understood his brother more than he ever would in his entire life.
Despite being four, he simply knew . His twin was speaking when he had everyone believing he didn't know how. And he just knew this was somethint to keep to himself, something that was unnecessary to share for any reason. He might tease his brother, but he still loved him dearly.
"Mama don't know you can talk. She tells me I have to be patient." Yongnam's voice startled Yongguk and he let out a small squeak. The smaller boy felt horrified and so scared that he had been caught, heard.
"Don't worry Gukkie. I won't tell anyone." Yongnam said as he rolled onto his other side, his bed lacking the plastic sheet and so didn't make a lot of noise.
"P-promise?" Yongguk stuttered as he shifted to lay down, Tigger pressed against his chest as he stared at his brother, wide-eyed in the dark and across the room.
"I promise, Gukkie."
"Aren't you afraid he'll be a baby?"
"It'll stunt his emotional development."
"Why isn't he like his twin?"
"You should take the toy away before he becomes attached."
Mama Bang had heard it all. She'd heard nonstop comments and suggestions and tips and what people would call constructive criticism but was truly poorly masked judgement. No one thought that a four year old boy should have a toy plushie, a doll. What made it "worse" was the fact that Yongguk had no uttered a single word and that just made all the comments worse.
People pretended he was stupid, they pretended that he was incapable of understanding their words even though he was still hitting all his milestones and had proven he could comprehend; he just didn't speak.
Yongguk was sensitive. He was quiet. He was withdrawn and would very much prefer to be with his Tigger rather than play with his twin brother or other kids their age. Mama Bang didn't see a problem with that. Her boy was happy as he ran through the house with Tigger, gave her hugs and kisses in passing and helped out as any four year old was capable of doing.
She had a good boy and no one could tell her otherwise. He would speak; she had faith. It would just be sometime down the line when he was ready.
**
"T-Tigger...we g-g-gots to be quiet, remember? Nam-m-mie will hear u-us and he has to sleep o-or he'll get c-cranky-ky." It was a soft voice that was echoing in the bedroom filled with toys and walls designed with Winnie the Pooh characters and scenery, much at the distaste of the elder twin, but something the maknae of the Bang siblings took delight in every time he stepped into his room.
"Did you s-see what P-Papa did for us, Tigger? He's m-making Nammie and me a play-playhouse! I'm s-s-so excited." The boy wiggled in his footsie pajamas and tried not to make too much noise as he had a plastic covering beneath his sheet to protect the bed when he had accidents.
Across the small room, Yongnam lay facing his brother but unable to see in the dark. He was covered and his pillow had somehow ended up on the floor. As a car drove by and the headlights lit up the room, he saw the outline of his slightly smaller brother leaning against the headboard with Tigger in his lap. The smile was bright and he looked so happy, Yongnam understood his brother more than he ever would in his entire life.
Despite being four, he simply knew . His twin was speaking when he had everyone believing he didn't know how. And he just knew this was somethint to keep to himself, something that was unnecessary to share for any reason. He might tease his brother, but he still loved him dearly.
"Mama don't know you can talk. She tells me I have to be patient." Yongnam's voice startled Yongguk and he let out a small squeak. The smaller boy felt horrified and so scared that he had been caught, heard.
"Don't worry Gukkie. I won't tell anyone." Yongnam said as he rolled onto his other side, his bed lacking the plastic sheet and so didn't make a lot of noise.
"P-promise?" Yongguk stuttered as he shifted to lay down, Tigger pressed against his chest as he stared at his brother, wide-eyed in the dark and across the room.
"I promise, Gukkie."