By Lyzz Repa
It isn’t often that we meet someone who speaks the truth of what they see and how they feel about you –inhibited, unfiltered truth at that. For me that person comes in a “fun-size” package.
Mimine is not your average girl. She is as petite as they come, but boy does she pack a mean punch. Politically correct she is not, and I hope she never becomes it either. Mimine possesses this ability to know when you need to hear some words of wisdom, even if you are not quite sure of needing it. Her confidence is unmatched; doubtful that she knows there is a word such as self-conscious. As confident as I am, or would like to think that I am, I hope to be just like her when I grow up. Free of self-imposed restrictions to happiness, free of fear – be it conscious or subconscious.
Few months ago some of us were sitting in my uncle’s living room and having random conversation. My little cousin Josh who is learning Spanish started asking random questions in Spanish. Startlingly to us all, Mimine understood the questions and answered. Not wanting to be outshined Josh paused a fairly simple yet trick question “Mimine how do you say Spanish in French?” Spanish she answered and she was correct. Irritated Josh quickly followed with “then how do you say Spanish in Japanese?” Without hesitating she answered “Wah – Kay- Tak- ay.” We all stopped dead in our tracks. She said it so confidently and in what seemed to be a Japanese accent that we all pulled out our phones to google it. As we started to type what was heard it became apparent to us that she said “Walkie Talkie”. We all fell to the floor in laughter and started repeating “Wah – Kay- Tak- ay.” She looked at us as if we were crazy and muttered “What? It is how I say it.” There was no arguing with that. And in some weird way, answered Josh’s question. As far as she is concerned the question wasn’t how do you accurately say Spanish in Japanese but rather how do you say it. And that’s how she says it.
Recently I received a call from Leine detailing a recent conversation she had with Mimine. Leine is my Makomer (word of endearment to signify the mother of your godchild or to signify the godmother of your child). According to my Makomer she was going out with Mimine and was informed that she was fat. Not chunky or thick, fat. Exact words were “what are you doing, you are fat.” In true Mimine fashion, she didn’t care about the weight itself but rather wanting to know what Leine had been up to that provided her with the extra weight. When asked to explain her fat comments, she simply smiled and said “it’s fine, but you’re fat.” See, Leine isn’t fat by any stretch of the imagination. However, compared to her pre-baby-weight she is slightly bigger. Most of us when we hear the word fat we automatically think of someone who is overweight, but Mimine doesn’t think that way. To her you being fat is you being any weight bigger than your average size. She doesn’t care much for your weight, but she does care about why you are bigger. To her words and sentences don’t hold double meanings. What she says is truly what she believes. There is no reading in between the line. When she looks at you straight in your eyes and tells you that you are the greatest, she believes it. Often times I am greeted with “I love you” and “I miss you” (notice present tense). No flattery there, not wanting anything in return. And that is why she is truly one of my favorite person in life.
Nothing beats a conversation with Mimine, she possesses the kind of honesty that many of us no longer carry. We are too concerned about the meaning behind every word, the meaning behind every action and lost the ability to see something for what it is at its core. It’s like Einstein not being able to do basic math, brilliant mind but the little things no longer made sense. There is a wisdom that comes with being four years old and I hope to one day regain it.
Oh yes, Mimine is four years old and I enjoy speaking with her. Don’t judge me. Well, you can but it’s whatever.