Never Liked My Name Before

      “So original,” one girl had snickered at him and walked off with her best friend, laughing when she thought Stintaro couldn’t hear her. But he could. His ears were just like that.

      So because of his suspicions, Stintaro never made any friends.

      “Cheer up, Stin,” his sister, Sunroom said to him one day. “It’s not a bad name. You know Mom loves to make up names. She doesn’t like numbers.”

      “I know she does! It’s just that she could’ve made a nicer name. Stintaro sounds like I get stung by Buzzes all the time!” he shouted. So Sunroom backed away and went home.

       Stintaro, because he didn’t like his name, therefore didn’t like his mother. He would either ignore her or do the exact opposite of what he asked her to do in hope that his mother would take him away to the pound where no one would want him. Many times, it was close that his mother did want to pound him, but she never did.

      “It hurts too much to do so, Stintaro,” she explained and went on to buy some food. “And Stintaro, would it kill you to come with me?”

      “Yes, yes, it would,” he replied smugly.

      So his mother would look at him for a moment, shake her head, and go on her way.

    ***

      One day, it was a fine cloudless day right after it had snowed. Terror Mountain had finally decided to take a snow break and gave all the inhabitants a warmer day then usual.

      “Stintaro, I don’t really like it that you’re always in here with no friends. So I’ve decided to take some of my savings and buy you this!” his mother said and held out her hands. On her hands was a small puff ball of a petpet.

      The petpet sat up and stared into Stintaro’s eyes. Its little tail wagged around to show that it approved of its new owner. It was a Raindorf.

      “I was hoping that you could start with a petpet for a friend and then get a few other friends too. Come on, just try for my sake!” she added when she saw Stintaro’s glaring eyes.

      “Alright, fine,” Stintaro reluctantly said and his mother broke into a grin. Stintaro was surprised; he hadn’t seen his mother smile at him for a long time and that he had actually agreed to do what she wanted.

      “Good. Well, I have to be off and prepare dinner,” his mother waved and raced off.

      “I think I’ll call you Raindrop,” Stintaro decided, looking at his new friend.

      The Raindorf wiggled its tail and nodded. The little bell around its neck tinkled softly.

    ***

      It was a few months later after that episode. Stintaro had grown fond of his little Raindorf, and he found it was a girl. Raindrop loved to climb onto his head and just lie there for a few hours.

      “It’s a nice day outside. Take Raindrop out for a walk,” his mother commanded him and Stintaro couldn’t agree more. Raindrop loved the cool weather out.

      “Come on, Raindrop,” he said and picked his petpet of his head and placed her gently on the ground. Raindrop smiled and quickly ran out the door. Stintaro had to run to finally catch up with her. He discovered Raindrop talking to another petpet, a Babaa. They were squeaking avidly, and Stintaro couldn’t help but smile.

      “So that’s your little Raindorf, eh? She’s so adorable!” a voice cried out and Stintaro looked up to see a Red Xweetok coming toward him. “I suppose that’s the reason why Yeti decided to run off.

      “So what’s your name?” the Red Xweetok asked. Stintaro decided to say something since she seemed nicer than a few other people.

      “Stintaro,” he muttered, keeping his eyes to his Raindorf.

      “That’s a nice name!” she said and Stintaro looked up. He could tell she wasn’t being sarcastic or saying it in sympathy. “I suppose you have the right to know my name. It’s Maratic. It’s bad, huh?”

      “No, it’s perfectly fine,” Stintaro said, blushing at the compliment.

      “Thanks,” Maratic smiled, and then turned to her Babaa. “Come on, Yeti, we have to go.” She scooped her Babaa up and waved goodbye. Stintaro picked up Raindrop and stroked her. Raindrop sighed happily.

      “Mom! Mom!” he shouted out as he reached his home. He had forgotten that he had locked the door and couldn’t get in.

      His mom came out and let him in. “You won’t believe who I met today!” he said and began to tell about Maratic. His mom smiled widely and said, “Your second friend! I do hope you two become good friends. You need them if you want to expand and get over your name.”

      And Stintaro couldn’t help but agree.

      Stintaro saw Maratic the next day and the next and the next. Each time they had something to talk about and their petpets were obviously happy.

    ***

      But then came the day when bad news decided to stick itself into Stintaro’s perfectly fine life.

      “I’m moving to Altador tomorrow,” Maratic whispered.

      “What?! Why?” Stintaro asked, stunned.

      “Mom doesn’t like the cold anymore so she decided to move to Altador for a nice warm place with the ocean around us. And of course, I have to go with her. Yeti has to come to so Raindrop can’t see him anymore,” Maratic explained and saw the hurt face on Stintaro’s face. She then quickly added, “I’ll neomail you every day!”

      “So this is goodbye?” he asked.

      “Yeah. Bye,” Maratic said sadly and got up, took Yeti, and trotted away. Raindrop looked as sad as Stintaro as though she had just heard their conversation.

      With his head bowed low, Stintaro said in a slow voice, “Come on, Raindrop, time to go home.” Raindrop climbed onto his head and Stintaro trudged home.

      “Mom! Mom!” he shouted, for he had locked the door and couldn’t get in.

      His mom came to open the door and let him in. “You won’t believe what’s happened,” he said, and he told his mom the story.

      “You almost sounded like that day you came in so happy to tell about Maratic,” she said after a while. “But you’ll make new friends and she’ll always contact you. It’s now always one friend. Friends always come and go, but all of the time, they stay with you. Outside around Neopia and inside your heart.”

      Stintaro looked at his mother. She smiled. “And don’t worry. Raindrop will find a new friend too. She’ll help you find another too. She helped you find Maratic, she’ll help you find more. So don’t worry.” His mother hugged and looked into his eyes. “You can always have more friends. There isn’t a limit, you know.”

      And Stintaro couldn’t help but agree once more. He smiled and decided that he couldn’t wait for Maratic’s neomail about life in Altador.

The End