บท 230: Dinner
Sato's phone rang three times before the call went through. He spoke in an endearing voice, "Hey Gray, are you free right now to video call?"
"Yes." The couple switched to the video function on the application. Gray was in his army uniform, looking all smart and handsome. Sato smiled lovingly as they made a little bit of small talk. He eventually got down to business as he explained the circumstances of Little Leah to his husband. When Gray heard what had happened, the Major General frowned deeply. He too, was saddened by what the little girl had to go through. It wasn't new information to either of them to hear about domestic abuse. However, to think that the little girl was someone that they both had known before, it made the situation graver.
"Are you okay if Leah stayed at our place for now? I would like to try to foster her as best as I can." Sato asked worriedly.
"You can do anything you want, dear. If you are up for it, who am I to stop you?" Gray replied with an assuring gaze, "Do you need more helpers in the house? I can transfer a few over."
"No, there's no need for more. Two is more than enough." Sato shook his head as he rejected his husband's kind offer. "Come visit when you are freer, alright?"
"I will. Remember to take care of yourself too. Don't just put your attention on the child."
"I won't." The couple gave each other a virtual kiss before ending their call on a sweet note. Sato left the bedroom and headed downstairs to see Leah still watching television.
The young man made an effort to ask the girl what she was watching. Leah answered him back and explained the story as best as she could. Seeing this, Sato knew that one of his main goals would be to catch the little one up to speed with her language capabilities. For a seven-year-old, she was on the slower side when it came to her language vocabulary and grammar. However, this wasn't something that was hard to fix and would only require a little bit of Sato's time to guide her on the right path. For someone that had managed to pick up English from watching tv shows, Leah was surely a bright child.
"What would you like for dinner? Auntie Beth and Auntie Gwen will be making dinner soon." Sato asked the little girl.
"I no have to make dinner?" Leah asked back, confused.
"You make dinner yourself at home?"
Leah nodded to Sato's question. This made Sato more furious than he already was. What kind of family makes a seven-year-old do such dangerous tasks? What if she gets hurt? Asking Leah what she cooks for herself normally, the little girl answered back that she would normally cook an egg or two or a bit of leftover vegetable that was left to her own doing by the family. Basically, she ate to get by in the past two years and never really got a choice as to what she gets to eat.
"In this house, you will never have to make dinner if you do not want to." Sato explained to her the way it worked here. Leah was a bit confused as to the treatment she was getting. However, knowing that Sato was trustworthy, she did not doubt it. Sato, too, wanted what was best for her and so, he asked the helpers to create a wide variety of dishes for Leah to try.
Dinner time, Sato and Leah sat opposite of each other. The little girl was tucked closer into the table with the help of Beth. Her eyes were dazzling when she saw the amount of food on the table. The tantalizing smell of the food wafted into her nostril as her mouth watered involuntarily. Sato chuckled, seeing how happy the little girl was from all of the food. He told her that everything was for her to eat. There was no need to hold back.
It was only then Leah started to eat her second meal of the day. With every bite, Sato could see a little bit of vitality had came back to the little girl. She had been malnourished for the past two years and Sato wanted to change that too. It would be the last time that the girl would be left hungry. With him, Sato hoped that she would not have to experience such a life anymore.
"How is the food? Do you like it?" It was an obvious answer, but Sato wanted confirmation just in case. Leah nodded as she never stopped munching on the chicken wing. "Eat slowly. No one will take the food away from you."
Leah nodded again, understanding what Sato had said. Still, she ate so quickly and messily that the clothes she was wearing had food stains on it. Remembering that the little girl only had two sets of clothes, Sato made a memo to bring her out for shopping the next day for the essentials. Just like that, Leah once again took a shower on her own and wore a new set of clothes.
At night, Sato asked her, "Are you okay to sleep on your own?"
Leah nodded yes. As expected, the girl did not really speak much when she didn't have to. She was still used to her old lifestyle where she did not receive any attention from her adoptive parents. Seeing that she was okay with sleeping alone, Sato led her into the guest bedroom which he had the ladies set up for Leah. The sheets and pillow case were all white in color and the bed was a good queen size, big enough for the small little girl.
Sato proceeded to take out his phone and started to read to Leah a bed time story. Books are the best way to teach a child how to read and speak. If and when possible, he would make it a point to read Leah a story before she went to bed. After a quick story, Leah was visibly tired. Afterall, the little girl had been through a lot today. Sato pulled up the quilt to cover the little girl who was curled up cutely in a cocoon. Offing the night light, he left the bedroom silently.
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