Papa in Japan

The days leading up to Papa's departure have been volatile. Uta has had daily breakdowns and explosions of uncontrollable sobbing for any and all inane mishap that has come his way. Last night was a good one. A UPS truck hit his soccer ball as it rolled into the street, and popped it like a ballon. Uta cried so hard his nose bled and then screamed at me because my refusal to go into the city at that very moment (right before bedtime) to buy him a new one, was clearcut evidence that I didn't care and didn't understand how special that ball was to him. True. But its hard to be sympathetic when the hysterics are happening round the clock. Its like little deaths of invisible friends replayed daily. Our poor boy has been acting a little loony. But I've suspected its all really due to the fact that Papa has been getting ready to return to Japan by himself, which is a first for us. And now that he has finally gone, and is at this very moment somewhere high above our heads on his way to Tokyo, a much needed calm has returned to our home. The going is so much harder to bear than when in fact he's actually gone. He's gone for good reasons and of course he'll be back. We wish him lots of luck and all the love in our hearts.