Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 5/31
May. 31st, 2010 12:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. how do I tell him?
Fumie sat in a waiting room full of pregnant women and women with children. She remembered feeling nauseous, and the wife from the public bath asking, "Could you be pregnant?" A nurse called her, and she went in to see the doctor. The doctor smiled and said, "Congratulations. You're pregnant. I would say about two months." Fumie looked at the doctor and said, "A baby?" The doctor nodded. "Yes, you're going to have a baby." Fumie stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you!"
Back in the waiting room, Fumie said to herself, "A baby? I'll be a mother?" A small boy ran by and tripped and fell. Fumie knelt down and helped him up. His mother, with a baby on her back, scolded him. "What are you doing? Get over here." The woman turned back to the nurse at the desk and said, "I'll be able to pay you Monday, I think. Is that all right?" The nurse said, "Well, that will be difficult." Two other women walked by, talking about how babies cost so much.
Out in the street, Fumie walked slowly, talking to herself. "How do I say it? I've got some big news?" She shook her head. "Congratulations?" She grinned. "I guess I'm pregnant?" She chuckled, "He's going to be so surprised." As she turned a corner, a cold breeze blew her hair back. She looked up at the house, and the clothes blowing in the breeze. "But what if he's upset?" She paused for a moment, then smiled. "Oh, don't be silly."
When she walked into the house, she found the upstairs guy and Shigeru sitting at the kitchen table, staring at their teacups. She asked, "What's wrong?" The upstairs guy turned to her and said, "You've been very helpful to me." Shigeru said, "He's going back to Osaka." The upstairs guy nodded, "Yes, I'm giving up on manga. I haven't sent any money to my wife in three months. And she wrote to tell me that my mother is sick, and the children need food." Shigeru looked at him and said, "But what about work?" The upstairs guy said, "My wife knows a place that makes doors. I'll work there. At least it's a steady income."
Later, alone in his room, the upstairs guy packed. He put a couple of books and clothes in a woven basket. He picked up a pen, and stared at it for a long moment. Then he draw a little in the air with it, and shook his head. He put a bundle of brushes and pens into the basket.
In the kitchen, Shigeru told Fumie that the upstairs guy had sold everything to the pawnshop, and gotten enough to get back to Osaka. Shigeru shook his head. "Let's make him a real good dinner, though." Fumie agreed. Shigeru picked up his teacup. "It's so hard with children. School costs, sicknesses, hurts -- everything costs." Fumie slowly nodded her head.
Shigeru got up and started to go into his workroom. "Oh well, no time. Work, work." Fumie said, "Uh, well..." Shigeru turned. "Yes?" Fumie said, "Well, uh, um..." Shigeru said, "Oh, yeah, we should invite Inui to join us. Can you do that?" Fumie nodded. He went into his workroom and shut the doors. Fumie said, "I can't tell him now..."
At the cosmetics office, the saleslady looked at Fumie and said, "Congratulations. It's good news for you, but of course you can't work for us." Fumie said, "Oh, the doctor said I could work..." The saleslady shook her head. "Yes, but not here. We can't take a chance like that, and it wouldn't be good for our customers to have a pregnant person. You can't be responsible for customers and have a baby." She smiled. "How old are you, anyway?" Fumie said, "I'm 30." The saleslady said, "Well, you're still young. You can do lots of things. So, congratulations!"
That evening, Inui (the fan), the upstairs guy, Uraki (the sneaky guy), and Shigeru sat around the table. There were bowls full of carrots, potatoes, and other chunks. Each person had their rice bowl and chopsticks, and they were happily eating and chatting, with Fumie standing, serving miso soup. Uraki ate a chunk and said, "Oh, that's so good. That country flavor... Fumie, you can cook for me any time!" Shigeru said, "That's the only time you turn up, is when you can eat." Fumie said, "Dan dan (thank you, country phrase)." Uraki said, "Oh, you have the nicest accent."
The men talked about how the manga business was changing, getting worse. The upstairs guy laughed, "Three years ago, money was so good I bought a stereo." Everyone gasped. Inui said, "But now, the manga business is very hard. Publishers closing, no work." Uraki said, "Hah, there's still lots of work. You just have to know where to look for it." Shigeru said, "So, what are you doing?" Uraki said, "Look!" He held up two books. "I produced these, and they're doing very well." Inui looked at them. "What? Palmreading? That's a bestseller right now. Those are both bestsellers." Uraki grinned. Shigeru took one of the books, and looked closely at the cover. "Wait a minute. Palmreading, the essentials? This isn't the bestseller, it just looks like it." Inui looked at the other book. "Hah, you're right. It isn't the real bestseller." Uraki shrugged, and took both books back. "So? They sell well." He turned to the upstairs guy and said, "Here, why don't you take them with you? Maybe they'll help you find a better fortune."
Someone called from the entryway, and Fumie went out to answer the door.
While she was gone, Uraki said, "You know, that woman treats you too well." Shigeru said, "What would you know about it? You've run away from two wives!"
Fumie came back into the kitchen with Haruko, the cute girl. Haruko was grinning, and ran across the kitchen to kneel beside Shigeru. "Sensei! I sold a book! I've done it!"
Uraki looked at Haruko, a small smile on his lips. Haruko told Shigeru. "It was the 10th book that I had submitted, and they bought it! But it won't be the last one. I'm going to fight on!"
Fumie gave Haruko a bowl of rice, and chopsticks. Haruko tried the rice, and sighed. "Oh, that tastes so good. I've been living on bread, I haven't had money for rice." The upstairs guy gave a sad smile. "Yes, after you eat one thing every day for so long, any change is good."
Haruko looked around the group. "Why are you all here tonight?" Uraki smiled at her, and said, "Just for you." Then he grabbed the books and said, "Look, I'd like to give these to you. I produced them." The upstairs guy slumped. "It's probably better. My fortune is gone."
Fumie couldn't tell them her big news. Not in the middle of the upstairs guy's depressed leaving, or Haruko's excitement about her new beginning.
<to be continued>
Fumie sat in a waiting room full of pregnant women and women with children. She remembered feeling nauseous, and the wife from the public bath asking, "Could you be pregnant?" A nurse called her, and she went in to see the doctor. The doctor smiled and said, "Congratulations. You're pregnant. I would say about two months." Fumie looked at the doctor and said, "A baby?" The doctor nodded. "Yes, you're going to have a baby." Fumie stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you!"
Back in the waiting room, Fumie said to herself, "A baby? I'll be a mother?" A small boy ran by and tripped and fell. Fumie knelt down and helped him up. His mother, with a baby on her back, scolded him. "What are you doing? Get over here." The woman turned back to the nurse at the desk and said, "I'll be able to pay you Monday, I think. Is that all right?" The nurse said, "Well, that will be difficult." Two other women walked by, talking about how babies cost so much.
Out in the street, Fumie walked slowly, talking to herself. "How do I say it? I've got some big news?" She shook her head. "Congratulations?" She grinned. "I guess I'm pregnant?" She chuckled, "He's going to be so surprised." As she turned a corner, a cold breeze blew her hair back. She looked up at the house, and the clothes blowing in the breeze. "But what if he's upset?" She paused for a moment, then smiled. "Oh, don't be silly."
When she walked into the house, she found the upstairs guy and Shigeru sitting at the kitchen table, staring at their teacups. She asked, "What's wrong?" The upstairs guy turned to her and said, "You've been very helpful to me." Shigeru said, "He's going back to Osaka." The upstairs guy nodded, "Yes, I'm giving up on manga. I haven't sent any money to my wife in three months. And she wrote to tell me that my mother is sick, and the children need food." Shigeru looked at him and said, "But what about work?" The upstairs guy said, "My wife knows a place that makes doors. I'll work there. At least it's a steady income."
Later, alone in his room, the upstairs guy packed. He put a couple of books and clothes in a woven basket. He picked up a pen, and stared at it for a long moment. Then he draw a little in the air with it, and shook his head. He put a bundle of brushes and pens into the basket.
In the kitchen, Shigeru told Fumie that the upstairs guy had sold everything to the pawnshop, and gotten enough to get back to Osaka. Shigeru shook his head. "Let's make him a real good dinner, though." Fumie agreed. Shigeru picked up his teacup. "It's so hard with children. School costs, sicknesses, hurts -- everything costs." Fumie slowly nodded her head.
Shigeru got up and started to go into his workroom. "Oh well, no time. Work, work." Fumie said, "Uh, well..." Shigeru turned. "Yes?" Fumie said, "Well, uh, um..." Shigeru said, "Oh, yeah, we should invite Inui to join us. Can you do that?" Fumie nodded. He went into his workroom and shut the doors. Fumie said, "I can't tell him now..."
At the cosmetics office, the saleslady looked at Fumie and said, "Congratulations. It's good news for you, but of course you can't work for us." Fumie said, "Oh, the doctor said I could work..." The saleslady shook her head. "Yes, but not here. We can't take a chance like that, and it wouldn't be good for our customers to have a pregnant person. You can't be responsible for customers and have a baby." She smiled. "How old are you, anyway?" Fumie said, "I'm 30." The saleslady said, "Well, you're still young. You can do lots of things. So, congratulations!"
That evening, Inui (the fan), the upstairs guy, Uraki (the sneaky guy), and Shigeru sat around the table. There were bowls full of carrots, potatoes, and other chunks. Each person had their rice bowl and chopsticks, and they were happily eating and chatting, with Fumie standing, serving miso soup. Uraki ate a chunk and said, "Oh, that's so good. That country flavor... Fumie, you can cook for me any time!" Shigeru said, "That's the only time you turn up, is when you can eat." Fumie said, "Dan dan (thank you, country phrase)." Uraki said, "Oh, you have the nicest accent."
The men talked about how the manga business was changing, getting worse. The upstairs guy laughed, "Three years ago, money was so good I bought a stereo." Everyone gasped. Inui said, "But now, the manga business is very hard. Publishers closing, no work." Uraki said, "Hah, there's still lots of work. You just have to know where to look for it." Shigeru said, "So, what are you doing?" Uraki said, "Look!" He held up two books. "I produced these, and they're doing very well." Inui looked at them. "What? Palmreading? That's a bestseller right now. Those are both bestsellers." Uraki grinned. Shigeru took one of the books, and looked closely at the cover. "Wait a minute. Palmreading, the essentials? This isn't the bestseller, it just looks like it." Inui looked at the other book. "Hah, you're right. It isn't the real bestseller." Uraki shrugged, and took both books back. "So? They sell well." He turned to the upstairs guy and said, "Here, why don't you take them with you? Maybe they'll help you find a better fortune."
Someone called from the entryway, and Fumie went out to answer the door.
While she was gone, Uraki said, "You know, that woman treats you too well." Shigeru said, "What would you know about it? You've run away from two wives!"
Fumie came back into the kitchen with Haruko, the cute girl. Haruko was grinning, and ran across the kitchen to kneel beside Shigeru. "Sensei! I sold a book! I've done it!"
Uraki looked at Haruko, a small smile on his lips. Haruko told Shigeru. "It was the 10th book that I had submitted, and they bought it! But it won't be the last one. I'm going to fight on!"
Fumie gave Haruko a bowl of rice, and chopsticks. Haruko tried the rice, and sighed. "Oh, that tastes so good. I've been living on bread, I haven't had money for rice." The upstairs guy gave a sad smile. "Yes, after you eat one thing every day for so long, any change is good."
Haruko looked around the group. "Why are you all here tonight?" Uraki smiled at her, and said, "Just for you." Then he grabbed the books and said, "Look, I'd like to give these to you. I produced them." The upstairs guy slumped. "It's probably better. My fortune is gone."
Fumie couldn't tell them her big news. Not in the middle of the upstairs guy's depressed leaving, or Haruko's excitement about her new beginning.
<to be continued>
