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It was the first sunny day in East City in two weeks. The beautiful Spring sun brought out everyone eager to escape cabin fever. For Goku, Chi-Chi, and their three-year-old son, Gohan, it was their third day of vacation where they could truly explore the city.
It was Chi-Chi’s idea for the family to vacation in East City and Goku agreed. As much as he loved Mount Paozu, Goku didn’t mind getting out of the mountains for a few days. They spent the first two rainy days indoors visiting a science museum which bored Goku but fascinated Chi-Chi and Gohan, an aquarium which everyone enjoyed and an indoor play center Goku adored with Gohan while Chi-Chi took pictures of the two she loved most in the world.
After spending the day at a zoo and shrine, Goku, Chi-Chi and Gohan stopped by a park where they participated in a performance theater before playing with Gohan on the swings, tree house playsets, playhouses and slides with Goku gaining popularity with other kids in the park. When Goku pushed Gohan highly on a swing, other children asked to be pushed so they could go as high. When Goku spun Gohan on the Merry-Go-Round, many kids jumped on so they could spin fast, too.
Chi-Chi stayed back loving her husband and son play together, took pictures and chatted with Moms who were enjoying the break and happy to let Goku take on playing with their children.
After a couple of hours of playtime, Chi-Chi thought her husband and son deserved a break. She ventured to the ice cream cart and ordered ice cream for her family.
“Goku! Gohan! Ice cream!” Chi-Chi called out to her husband and son. Goku turned away to catch his wife signaling them. He slowed the Merry-Go-Round so he and Gohan could go. The children whined. They were having so much fun and didn’t want it to stop but Goku promised to be back after ice cream time with his family.
Gohan saw his Mommy by the ice cream cart and took off running. “Ice cream!” Gohan held his hands out to his mother eager for the sweet treats in her hands.
Goku took his time walking to his family. He laughed at his boy. He was a quiet and shy child but bursts of speed broke out of him sometimes. It was proof to Goku that Gohan had power in him.
One day I’ll see it.
Chi-Chi handed Gohan his two-scoop vanilla and chocolate ice cream cone and Goku a three-scoop vanilla ice cream cone. Gohan did a happy wiggle while his tail bounced as the sweet and cool cream touched his tongue.
“Do you like your ice cream, Gohan?”
Gohan answered with a big lick. “It’s good, Mommy. Thank you.”
“Anything for my sweet baby. Gohan, do you wanna pick out a bench so you, me and Daddy can eat ice cream together?”
“Mm-hmm.” The three-year-old looked around and saw a bench not far from them. “That one!” Gohan pointed and proudly led his family to it. It was a good spot, too. It was under a big tree to provide them shade while they looked at the ducks swimming in the pond.
Gohan reached the bench first. Carefully holding his cone, Gohan climbed onto the bench. He resumed licking his ice cream when a shadow appeared over him. Gohan looked up to see a freckled boy of eight staring down at him.
The child looked angry but Gohan wasn’t bothered. He licked his ice cream and sweetly said, “Hi!”
“Hey.” There was no sweetness in his voice. “This is my seat.”
Gohan looked around confused. “But no one was sitting here.” He checked the bench again for a name. He has a cup with his name on it at home. Daddy has one, too. Gohan knew if your name is on something it’s yours but he didn’t see a name on the bench. “Where is your name?”
“Are you getting smart with me?” the child got angrier.
Gohan licked his ice cream again. “My Mommy tells me I’m smart.”
The child glared at Gohan. Who did this toddler think he is getting smart with a grown kid like him? “You sat here before I could but it’s mine. I get my Dad once a week and we always sit here for ice cream.”
“Mommy told me to pick a bench for us to sit on.”
“Oh,” the child understood and had a bit of sympathy for Gohan. “You live with your Mom? Me, too.”
“I live with my Mommy and Daddy.” Gohan licked his ice cream. “We went to the zoo today. Daddy played with me on the swings and slides. We had fun with the other kids, too.”
The boy did see a big man playing with other kids on the Merry-Ro-Round. They were having fun while his Dad only sat with him on the bench for cheap ice cream. He didn’t play with him on the swings and slides like other kids’ Dads. He didn’t play with him like this kid’s Dad. He didn’t live with him and his Mom like this kid’s Dad.
“Ya bragging you got both parents at home!” The child slapped the ice cream out of Gohan’s hands. “Let them buy you another ice cream while I take my bench!”
Shocked, Gohan looked down at his broken ice cream. The two scoops and cone were getting devoured by ants. His lower lip quivered. Mommy got him that ice cream. Why did the child hit him? Why was he mean to him? He was a good boy. Mommy told him so. Gohan looked up at the child with glistening eyes. His sadness made the kid laugh. It was a cruel and mean laugh.
“Hey!” Chi-Chi approached the child. She stood back to watch how this will play out but seeing her baby boy hurt forced Chi-Chi to step in. “That wasn’t nice, little boy. You do not hit children. Apologize to my son.”
“No!” the child stuck his tongue out. “You can’t do anything or my Daddy will beat you up.”
Chi-Chi’s right eyebrow sharply rose. “Beat me up? Your Dad?” She looked around at the men trying to decipher which one of them had a spoiled child. She heard the conversation between Gohan and this child. He comes here for ice cream with his Dad. He was a divorced man. Chi-Chi looked around separating the couples from the single men until she spotted a man approaching with two ice cream bowls. He was tall with a round stomach and thick arms. He looked dirty with his dingy mechanic shirt and oiled-covered cap. “Is he your Daddy?” Chi-Chi went to the approaching man. “Hello.”
“Sorry, Lady,” the man brushed past Chi-Chi to his son. “I have a kid. I ain’t tryin' to be a father to another.”
Another? As if she would want him. “I’m a married woman and my son has a father. I want to talk to you about your son. He knocked ice cream out of my son’s hands. My son did not deserve that.”
“So what?” the father handed his ice cream to his son. “Your boy shouldn’t be sitting on our bench. This is the bench my son and I sit on when we come here. My son was protecting his territory.”
“Territory?” This isn't your home, jerk! “This is a public park. Everyone is free to sit anywhere they want. This bench was empty and I told my son to pick a spot for him, me and his Daddy.”
The man sat down next to his son. He pushed Gohan with his hip, ushering the little boy to get off. Sniffling, Gohan went to his Daddy who looked on to see his wife handle the situation.
“So, it’s your fault your boy lost his ice cream.”
Chi-Chi clenched her fists upon seeing how this man rudely pushed her son off the bench. The audacity! “No. It’s your fault for raising a spoiled, entitled and rude child. Your son can’t buy my son his ice cream but you can.”
The man laughed. If this woman thought she would get him to reimburse ice cream for her wimpy son…. “And it’s your fault for raising a crybaby. Well….” The man noticed Goku. He sized up Goku’s slim frame and scoffed. He could take him if it came to blows but he knew it wouldn’t. The crybaby’s father was shorter than him. He looked at his arms. They weren’t too small or too big. He could take him. “You and that beanpole husband.”
“My husband is not a beanpole! You will stop insulting my husband and son.”
“‘You will stop insulting my husband and son’,” he mimicked Chi-Chi. She was an annoying one. The man handed his bowl to his son and stood up to Chi-Chi. He looked down at her expecting his extra eight inches in height and wider frame to intimidate the slender woman. “Your son overstepped taking my bench. You can get all Momma Bear on me and try to trigger your wimpy husband to set me straight but let me stop you before your embarrass yourself.”
“Embarrass?”
Ah, so she was slow, too. He had to break it down to her. “I know your type. Loudmouth women who send their husbands to a fight they can’t win because they can’t shut up. If you don’t want me to break your husband in half and embarrass him in front of your crybaby son, I suggest you leave right now.”
A scoff escaped from Chi-Chi’s lips. Now he was insulting her. “I don’t need my husband to step in for me. I can handle you on my own.”
The father laughed loud and boisterous. What did this petite woman think she could do against a guy like him? “What are you gonna do?” He laughed in Chi-Chi’s face. “Bet you never had anyone put you in your place.” He looked at Goku who watched them while finishing his ice cream. Wimpy husband cares more about his ice cream than protecting his woman. “I know he hasn’t. Women like you need a good, hard----” he was startled as Chi-Chi grabbed the collar of his shirt.
“Listen,” he warned Chi-Chi, “I’m not above hitting a woman to put her in her place so you----” he didn’t finish his words for Chi-Chi lifted him off his feet and flung him hard where he soared out of the park like a flying baseball.
He would’ve gone past the park’s parking lot if not for the oak tree catching him.
Onlookers stared in shock while Goku whistled at Chi-Chi’s arm. “Your arm’s gotten better. If it wasn’t for that tree, he would’ve gone for half a mile.”
Chi-Chi dusted her hands proud of her throw. It was good she thought smugly. “There are some benefits to marrying the world’s strongest man.”
“Yup.” Goku would’ve tried to not manhandle the guy if he had to step in but he couldn’t argue against Chi-Chi’s approach. “Guess he won’t be coming back to the park.”
“He shouldn’t return until he and his child learn some manners.”
“Speaking of the kid,” Goku looked at the shaking kid. He had never seen anyone do that to his Dad. His Dad was always the one who put his hands on others and left them crying. To see this small woman do it, frightened him and sent him running.
As the child ran off to his Dad, Goku exhaled, “Guess that takes care of that.”
Goku knelt to his son who still clutched his pants leg sniffling. It was good Mommy took care of the mean Dad but his ice cream was gone. “Gohan,” Goku gently patted Gohan’s head. “Daddy will buy you another ice cream since Mommy kick that guy’s butt.”
“Yay!” Gohan jumped into his Daddy’s arms.
Goku stood with Gohan in his arms and went back to the ice cream cart with Chi-Chi. Everyone in line for ice cream saw what happened and parted like the Red Sea for Goku and Chi-Chi. This quickly brought them to the front of the line to a trembling ice cream man.
“Hi!” Goku grinned. “Can we get three ice creams, Sir? Gohan, what do you want?”
Gohan pointed to a picture of a chocolate and vanilla ice cream cone. “That one.”
“I want three scoops on a cone. I want a white, blue and pink cone. Chi-Chi, what do you want?”
Chi-Chi looked at the pictures on the cart. “I’ll take a single cone of lavender ice cream.”
The ice cream man quickly prepared the ice cream.
“How much?” Goku asked.
The total was seven zeni but he felt if he charged them, he would be tossed out of the park next. “Buddy, you can have these on the house.” When Goku didn’t appear to understand, he elaborated. “It’s free!”
“Free?” Goku thought that was so nice of the man. “Thanks. You’re nice.”
“Here you go,” the ice cream man shakily handed the ice cream to Goku who passed it to Chi-Chi and Gohan.
Chi-Chi licked her ice cream. “What do you say, Gohan?”
Gohan smiled with smeared vanilla and chocolate on his lips. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“And?” Chi-Chi gently prodded her son.
Gohan bowed at the ice cream man. “Thank you, Mr. Ice Cream Man.”
The people in line parted again to allow the Son Family to walk away and settle on the empty bench. Normalcy resumed as children and parents played around them. A happy father, mother and son sat on the bench, licked ice cream and enjoyed the warm spring day around them.
“Thank you, Mommy,” Gohan added as he forgot to thank his Mommy for handling the bully kid and his Dad.
“You’re welcome.” Chi-Chi licked her ice cream. “See, Gohan. It pays to have martial arts parents. Me and Daddy can fight the bad guys and bullies while you fight with your strong mind.”
“You got that right.” Goku licked his ice cream. “Mommy and Daddy will always protect you, Gohan.”
“That’s right,” Chi-Chi agreed. “We’re gonna protect you because you are meant for great things and it’s not fighting, Gohan. With your mind, you will change the world.”
Gohan nodded and licked his ice cream. His tail and feet wiggled as he thought of his mother’s words. Mommy always told him he is special. She told him he is very smart and always encouraged his learning. It made him happy to think Mommy thought he will change the world.
But how will I do that?
Thirty Years Later
Son Gohan stood on stage nervous. It wasn’t the first time he was on stage to receive an award. He wasn’t a novice to public events or speaking. He was Valedictorian of his graduating high school and college class but today was extremely important. It was so random for that day at the park to come to mind but as Gohan saw his proud Mom, Dad, brother, wife and daughter, and mentor, Piccolo, Gohan realized it wasn’t random for his mother’s words that day put him on the path to this special day.
“…… so today, we honor the youngest to receive this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Son Gohan. Please step forward and receive your Nobel Prize from the King.”