The Diary of Andrea the Mercenary Raising Kids

*Diary format, first person

The world is entirely fictional. Please don't compare it to reality. (For reasons everyone understands, if you do draw parallels to reality, please make them overseas. Thank you.)

My name is Andrea. I'm about 24 years old, and I work as a mercenary. Five years ago, a twist of fate led my employer to assign me the job of raising a child. I'm still raising him.

The child I'm raising is five years old. His name is Chenxi. He still can't talk and hardly ever cries. He spends most of each day staring into space, like an exquisite doll on display.

Recently, I saw the four-year-old kid next door greeting me in a loud, babyish voice, so I decided to take him to a doctor.

The doctor was very old and kept giving me suspicious looks. He spoke sharply and had an accent. I couldn't understand exactly what he said, but the gist was: Why wait until he's five to bring him in?

I was sorry.

I'll skip all the tests. Basically, my little doll may have incomplete brain development from birth, or his vocal cords may not have developed fully, or he may have a psychological disorder... I asked the doctor why he kept saying "may." He said the physical examinations showed nothing wrong, but the child didn't react to external stimuli, so the cause was unclear. He could only make an educated guess.

...Quack.

I asked the quack how to treat him.

I didn't understand all the details, but basically, he suggested I keep a daily record of raising the child. A psychologist might find it useful.

...I've never kept a diary before. This will do for the first page. That's enough writing for now.

God bless him, or whatever local deity this country has. I hope this beautiful child has a healthy and happy life.

Theme: Free from attachment, there is no fear.