I want to be convinced myself - A story about my neurodivergent son and his bankbook -

"Sit here."

I was smiling.

My daughter read the room and left the room.

Only my son hasn't realized it yet.

While attending university in the next prefecture,
he was also working a part-time job.

Every single month, the money in his bankbook kept increasing.

Judging by the sense of money from our Shikoku trip,
he's really grown!
I thought, and using my parental privilege, I would sneak a peek and grin at my son's growth.

- Until that day, that is.

One day, in that bankbook,
there were three entries of transfers
of several thousand yen to a certain place over a few days.

I thought, "Huh?" but
I didn't say anything.

But you know,
every time I looked, the amount kept increasing, didn't it?!

Always transfers to the same place.

A parent's sixth sense,
it's always right when you don't want it to be, isn't it?

Even so, I didn't say a word.

However, when a zero was added to those transfers,
I couldn't laugh anymore.

This is, probably...

Alright, I've caught the tail.

Next is the date and time for the interrogation.

“That’s it! The day after tomorrow, when we go out for a family meal,
that’s when I’ll do it!”

On the day,
while we were enjoying our meal,
I offered my son a drink,
and I and everyone else were in a great mood!

The words I said when we got home were,
“Hey, sit down here.”
That’s what I said.

My daughter understood immediately and left the room.

She was thinking, “He’s done something again.”

My son, of course, didn’t notice,
and sat down with a smile, saying “Hmm?”

Gotcha! Perfect!
I thought, and started explaining the situation.

My son’s face turned serious in an instant!
I just kept laughing.

“What do you think that money
was transferred for, anyway?”
I said with a smirk.

“Well, that was... um...”

The guy who was in a good mood and drinking just a moment ago
switched into 'Cops 24/7' mode in an instant.

His eyes were darting around, his brain was spinning at full speed.
He was thinking of all sorts of excuses.

……But you know.

Mom has let you get away with it five times already.

The evidence is all there.
I’ve got the bankbook, which is like a security camera!

“It’s okay, it’s okay!
Don’t worry! Don’t worry!
You’re going to spill it in ten minutes anyway, so...

Isn’t it a hassle already?

Just hurry up and tell me!!! Haha

A woman?
Gambling?
A fraudulent investment?

Well, which one do you think it is? lol

I know it's one of these, but
I don't know which one it is♪
Tell me♪

My son started to talk bit by bit.

What do you think it is?

The correct answer was [A woman]!

He met a girl on a dating site.
He felt like he wanted to see her again.
Then, he was told that if he paid the site's company, he could meet her.

He met her a few times.
They are also on LINE.

LINE is free, but
he has to pay the site when they meet.

Geez (≡ε≡；)
You've gone and created more material again.

"Listen, the person you're messaging on LINE has a deep voice and is balding!"
"What!!!!!"

"And what's more,

they're replying while drinking shochu."
"What!!!!! That can't be!"

"No, it's true! Before meeting you, I think an old man is showing the LINE messages to that girl and meeting you instead! lol"

His eyes kept darting around.

It can't be helped.

Let's let them dart around a little longer.

Yeah, yeah, that's fine! Go ahead, just keep spending money every time you see that person! It's money you worked hard for all month. I have no right to interfere with how you spend it. I'm just telling you the facts. Think about it yourself♪
That day, my son went back to his room with a look of dissatisfaction on his face.

How do you think it turned out?

A few days later, my son said to me, 'Yeah, it was a scam.'

Maybe I'm a cold mother. But that moment when he said with his own mouth, 'I got scammed.' That belongs to him. I believe it's a failure I'm glad I didn't take away from him.

I was raised that way, too.

Neither my son nor I usually understand things the first time. Because of that, we've been able to accumulate plenty of experience. Love might not be about interfering, after all.

Even when my child was little and fell, I don't remember ever taking his hand to pull him up.

I have always waited, no matter how long it took.

And when he stood up and walked over to me, I would stroke his head while he cried.

Now, my 26-year-old son helps me. But I will probably keep waiting from now on, too. If he falls. Until he stands up.