I had a wonderful discussion with my almost 5-year-old nephew, Mr. Red, a couple of weeks ago. He's a big fan of the French animated series 'Il était une fois... la vie' and due to watching it, he now knows that a sperm and an egg cell is needed to make a baby.
Red, his other aunt (my cousin) and I were sitting at the table discussing cousins and he asked us both if we wanted to have babies and that he dearly wish for girls. Then he proceeded to ask us how the baby becomes a girl or a boy. I told him that the egg cell has always the chromosome x and that the sperm can have either x or y, and xx means girl, xy means boy. Red looked at me for a while, clearly in thought.
"X for boy..?", he asked.
"No, x for girl", I answered.
He nodded and was very pleased with the explanation. A few days later when his parents arrived home from Paris, he surprised his mother, telling her "X for girls, y for boys!". She didn't know how he knew that before I told her about our discussion.
Red, his other aunt (my cousin) and I were sitting at the table discussing cousins and he asked us both if we wanted to have babies and that he dearly wish for girls. Then he proceeded to ask us how the baby becomes a girl or a boy. I told him that the egg cell has always the chromosome x and that the sperm can have either x or y, and xx means girl, xy means boy. Red looked at me for a while, clearly in thought.
"X for boy..?", he asked.
"No, x for girl", I answered.
He nodded and was very pleased with the explanation. A few days later when his parents arrived home from Paris, he surprised his mother, telling her "X for girls, y for boys!". She didn't know how he knew that before I told her about our discussion.
When I was young, there was a god with infinite power protecting me. Is there anyone else who felt that way? And was sure about it? but the first time I fell in love, I was thrown down - or maybe I broke free - and I bade farewell to God and became human. Now I don't have God's protection, and I walk on the ground without wings, but I don't regret this hardship. I want to live as a person. -Arina Tanemura
