Stage 1:
The child from an ordinary family, who often feels his emotional needs go unnoticed, as his parents are occupied by the daily routines and works. Introverted and sensitive, the child enjoys isolation and aloneness, frequently immersing himself in a world of imagination.
With his parents frequently away at work, the child remains unaware of the growing tension between them, believing their family to be a picture of happiness.
Stage 2:
On a stormy night, a loud clap of thunder suddenly awakens the child. Heart racing, the child sits up in bed and hears raised voices coming from the master bedroom. Peeking through the partially open door, the child witnesses a fierce argument unfolding between his parents. As the conflict intensifies, the father, furious, storms out, causing the child to flee into the living room closet. The mother follows, her voice rising as she carries on the fight. In a fit of anger, the father slams a glass onto the floor, shattering it into pieces. The mother, seething in silence, glares at him. The terrified child, in tears, is found hiding in the closet, and the parents immediately stop their shouting.
Stage 3:
One day more—
On the dining table, snacks and toys lie scattered, alongside a note from their parents: they’ll be home late for dinner. Later that night, as the child lies in bed, they hear the sound of the front door creak open. It’s his parents returning. The mother quietly enters the child’s room, checks to see if he is asleep, and then resumes her argument with the father.
In that moment, the child feels their world begin to crumble. For the first time, he realize that the “happy family” he had always felt was merely a fragile illusion. He begins to grasp the complex and often dark realities of the adult world.
Stage 4:
From that night on, the child realizes the coldness between their parents, noticing how they struggled to maintain the appearance of harmony.
Seeking internal peace, the child begins collecting stones of various shapes and colours from the yard, the path to school, beach and the park. Each stone, in his imagination, carries a unique significance. With these stones, he constructs an ideal mind palace: one filled with parental love and bounding. Every afternoon after school, the child meticulously arranges the stones, whispering his thoughts and dreams to them as if they were beloved family members who were listening and understanding.