Words From the Heart Final Draft

MONKU, MONKU, MONKU BY ZAK TACHINO c/o 2019
   "Monku, monku, monku," said my mom as I refused to get up from bed. "I tell you this everyday." And she's right. I am the worst of all of my siblings. Although my mom says it to all of her kids, she says it to me the most. This is because as a child, I complained a lot and I didn't want to do things she told me to do. It could be for complaining about homework to how my whole body hurts. My mom's answer is always "monku, monku, monku".
     Monku is a Japanese word that means "grumble". So basically, when my mom calls me this she is saying that all I do is grumble all the time. My mom tells me this whenever I'm grumbling or if I don't do what she's telling me to. She told this to all of her children, but it is more important for me because she didn't tell my brothers this as much as she had to to me. But, I like when my mom tells me this because and it makes me feel special because this is the only phrase that my mom tells mostly me and not any of my brothers. She has been using this phrase since she had her first child. But, she didn't make up this phrase herself. She learned it from her mother, my grandma.
     "I said that to my children," my grandma stated. My mom took after her mother and that's why she says it to me and my brothers. But, even my grandma didn't make up this phrase. She learned it from her parents who used to tell her this, and they are from Japan. When they migrated from Japan to Hawaii, they carried along their Japanese language. Now, my grandma only uses some Japanese words such as "monku, monku, monku" and "ikimashoo" (let's go). These are phrases that have been used for at least three generations. But, I chose "monku, monku, monku" because this phrase was used on my mom and now she uses it on me. It shows how our family passes down things to the next generation such as phrases.
     Another perspective on this is from my brother Kaz. "I've heard mom say this, but mostly to you Zak." He said that our mom says this because I grumble all of the time. He also said that he has been hearing this phrase since he could understand words. But, since Kaz is the "good child" he isn't told this nearly as much as I am. That's why this phrase is so important to me. When I hear it, I automatically think they're talking to me.
     Nowadays, my mom doesn't have to tell me this because I'm in high school and I don't grumble that much. But, once in a while when I'm having a bad day, she tells me this and it teminds me of when she used to have to tell me this everyday as a little kid. "Monku, monku, monku" was used for at least three generations and I will definitely use this phrase on my children. It is really important to me because it is from my Japanese culture and I know I have one thing that has been used by my ancestors. I will never forget this phrase and I will certainly make sure it is passed down to the next generation of Tachino's just like how my grandma and my mom did.