Damian did not like the weather in D City but after a heavy snowfall, he was able to make a snowman outdoors which compensated for his initial dislike.
As for Clarissa, she never liked doing activities in the cold snowy weather. However, any adult watching a heavy snowfall would revert back to being a child. As such, she helped her son build the snowman.
Yet, when the snowman did not meet Damian’s expectations, his mood dampened and he felt upset.
The boy whined, “Mommy, the snowman is so ugly. I don’t want it…”
Clarissa was helpless. “Damian, this is the best I could do…”
Still pouting, Damian could not bring himself to accept that the big, ugly, and shapeless snowman was his.
Left with no option, Damian started sobbing and crying.
Clarissa was at the end of her wits and all she could do was to text Matthew for help.
At that moment, Matthew was in a meeting. After receiving the message, he smiled when he saw the picture of the ugly snowman in the yard sent by Clarissa.
The text read: Help. Damian thinks the snowman I made is ugly. What should I do? Give me some guidance.
Building a snowman was not something that Matthew had done before and thus, he had no idea how to go about it.
In the conference room, the executives were silent for a moment, waiting for instructions from the president. In the end, what they got were not instructions, but instead, a question from him.
“Can anyone give me the fastest way to build a beautiful snowman?”
Everyone was dumbfounded before turning to look out the window, gazing at the snow that was still falling heavily outside.
Is the president trying to imply something? Is he trying to use a snowman as a metaphor for our work?
Yes, that is likely the case. Although making a snowman is something only a child would do, from the planning till the implementation, it requires both actions and also aesthetics. From the birth of an idea to carrying it out, it must be a combination of actions and thoughts. Is the president hinting to us that we’re only using our brains without practical action?
“President, I used to help my children make them. According to my experience, although making a snowman seems simple, it does require coordination. If you’re not careful, the snowman might turn out different than what you expected. So, for starters… Secondly… What needs to be noted is… Finally…”
Matthew listened and nodded thoughtfully, looking as if he was satisfied with the suggestions.
“President, I do agree with what he said, but I have a second feasible plan. I think…”
What came next was several people giving their own opinions or affirming what had been said. Of course, those who had actually built a snowman when they were young had the most say.
These suggestions were all recorded by Matthew using his mobile phone. After Clarissa received the information, she listened to how these elites talked about making a snowman through sophisticated planning, and she had mixed feelings about it.
Clarissa tried to put the ideas of these elites into practice. She felt that since these instructions on ways to build a snowman were from talented individuals of Tyson Corporation, it must be effective.
Hence, she trusted their methods.
Following the ideas and instructions step by step, Clarissa started making the snowman seriously and carefully, hoping to make up for the failed previous attempt.
Damian stood aside, full of expectation as he watched his mother trying to create a snowman that would hopefully be an adorable one that he had seen before in pictures.
Half an hour passed.
Which soon turned into an hour.
“It can’t be! I’m doing exactly as they instructed. Why do I keep failing…”
Damian was wrapped tightly in a down jacket as he stood in front of the second snowman that his mother had made. His small face had a serious expression. If one looked closely, one could even see the unhappiness and disappointment on the little boy’s face.
Clarissa stood nearby with an awkward smile on her face.
“Damian, I feel that there must be something I missed. Maybe I should just start from scratch again…”
Damian put his small hands in his pockets. After Clarissa finished speaking, he looked up at her, then sighed. He turned around and said as he walked away, “Forget it, Mommy, you’ve done your best.”
Clarissa was at a loss for words.
Is Damian looking down on me?
Feeling helpless and with the urge to cry, Clarissa threw down the shovel and followed her son into the house dejectedly. After changing into a fresh set of clothes, the mother-son pair were seated together on the soft rug. As Clarissa watched her son putting together a jigsaw puzzle seriously, she felt like she was a real failure.
My IQ is low and I can’t even put what I’ve learned into practice. Now, I can’t make my son proud anymore. I wonder what’s going to happen once this little guy grows up and gets smarter…
Clarissa could foresee that her son would grow up to be a genius in the future, and he would despise her even more. When that happens, I’ll become the dumbest of the family and both he and his father would definitely oppress me…
Thinking about that scenario sent a chill down Clarissa’s spine.
Quickly, Clarissa gave Matthew a call.
Before Matthew could say anything, Clarissa blurted out, “Matthew, in your eyes, I’m the smartest woman ever, right? In the future, you must never criticize me for being stupid, okay?”
Matthew’s voice was low and he sounded strained when he said, “Clare, I’m on the way to the hospital.”
Clarissa was shocked and she sprang up immediately, scaring Damian.
“What happened? Are you hurt? What’s the matter with you…”
“It’s not me, it’s George. He fell…”
Clarissa fell silent, for she realized how dangerous it could be for an elderly man to fall.
Her tone was calm when she said, “I got it. Hurry up and go, then.”
She did not say anything to console Matthew as no one knew what the outcome would be.
After hanging up, Clarissa sat down. Her son was looking at her with concern in his eyes.
“Mommy, what happened?”
Clarissa gave Damian’s plump little hands a squeeze, shook her head and replied, “Noting. It’s fine.”
“Alright.”
Clarissa was silent for a while before saying, “Actually, it’s about your daddy’s father, your Grandpa. He fell and Daddy has gone to the hospital to see him.”
“Grandpa?”
Damian knew words like Grandpa and Grandma. He also knew that Grandpa was his daddy’s father.
However, to him, his grandpa was simply a man who was a bit older, that was all.
He was not at the age where he could understand his father’s concern. He blinked and asked, “Is Grandpa going to receive injections? It will be painful, right?
“That’s right. That’s why, you need to remember that on a snowy day, you can’t run too fast or you’ll fall, okay? And if you fall, it will be painful for you when you have to go to the hospital for injections…”
The moment he heard about injections, Damian was so frightened that he clutched Clarissa tightly.
“Mommy, I’m a good boy and I won’t fall. You, too, Mommy, be a good girl and don’t fall, okay?”
Clarissa was amused by her son’s worried tone.
“Alright, I’ll be good.”
However, this incident reminded Clarissa that Catherine was getting on in age as well and she had to instruct the elder woman and Jenny to be extra careful. After all, the possibility of falling down at such an age was a serious matter.
Hurriedly, Clarissa called Catherine but she did not mention George falling down. Instead, she said she saw a news article which reminded her to call.
Catherine told Clarissa not to worry as the weather was cold and she hardly went outside. Hence, nothing could happen since she stayed home most of the time.
Damian took over the phone soon and he spoke quite a lot. The little boy instructed Catherine to be good and told her excitedly that he went abroad on a holiday with his parents, soaking in a hot spring pool and eating yummy food.
When night fell, Matthew still wasn’t home. It wasn’t until Clarissa took Damian for dinner that she received a call from him.
“I won’t be home tonight. George has broken several bones and he can’t move. I want to stay in the hospital and watch over him.”
Although there were many caregivers In the hospital, Matthew still felt that, as a son, it was his responsibility to care for his father.
Clarissa expressed that she understood in response.
The next morning, shortly after Clarissa arose, she received a call from Matthew. He sounded more cheerful than the day before, which was an indication that George’s condition must have improved.
However, Matthew had a request.
“Clare, George wants to see Damian.”
Clarissa fell silent. Matthew knew that this request was a difficult one for her.
“He can only see him, nothing more. After that, I’ll bring our son home so that I could change before going to work.”
Matthew promised her that Damian would visit George and that would be all. Nothing else would happen.
“Alright…”
Clarissa agreed. After hanging up, she explained to Damian that he was going to visit his grandpa later and that he must behave well.
On the way, Clarissa gave many instructions to her son. Damian did not understand why his mother was speaking much more than usual and he could not fathom what the instructions were for. However, Clarissa understood that the reason why she was acting out of character was that she was anxious and nervous.
When the car was parked, Clarissa called Matthew from the car.
“Come and get him. We’re in the car park.”
Before long, Matthew came and Clarissa let Damian get off the car. She smiled and said, “Go ahead. I’ll wait for you here.”
“Mommy, aren’t you coming with us?”
Clarissa felt her heart clench. “No, I’m not going. I’ll wait here for you and Daddy. Remember what I said. Be good and do not disturb Grandpa, okay? If you do well, I’ll give you a prize when we get home.”
“Okay… Daddy, let’s go, then.”
Damian was looking forward to doing well so that he could go home and get his present from his mother.
He had no idea of the struggle she was going through at the moment.
Matthew looked at Clarissa reassuringly and smiled. Then, he picked up Damian and walked into the hospital.
Clarissa watched as her son’s figure moved further and further away. Suddenly, she feel frightened.
