mbarker: (ISeeYou2)
'nother Mike ([personal profile] mbarker) wrote2010-06-02 05:02 pm

Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/1

a.k.a. comparisons

Fumie and Shigeru said goodbye to the upstairs guy out in the street. The upstairs guy told them to take care. Fumie handed him a small package, and said, "It's onigiri (rice balls). You can eat them on the train." The upstairs guy pulled a lumpy envelope out of his pocket and said, "Here's the rent. It's really late." Shigeru said, "You don't have to do that. You'll need the money." The upstairs guy shook his head and pushed the envelope into Shigeru's hands. "No, take it. I owe you so much." Then he looked at them and said, "I think good fortune is going to come to you. I'm done with manga, but Shigeru is really an artist." He turned and set off. He had an old-fashioned army surplus backpack, with a little teapot tied underneath it. The teapot wiggled as he walked off.

Later, Fumie was in the kitchen looking at her budget. She looked at the promissory note from the publisher and sighed. "Two more months?" Shigeru was laying in his workroom, and looked over. "What? Did you say something?" Fumie remembered the women in the doctor's office talking about how much children cost, and Shigeru remarking that having children was hard with a manga artists income. Fumie shook her head. "Oh, nothing..."

When Fumie went to visit the bookstore, the wives from the stores greeted her with congratulations. And advice! One told her that she needed to eat lots of vegetables, to get vitamins and minerals, and handed her a bag full of vegetables. Another said she shouldn't ride her bicycle, because she might fall. Kiyo advised washing regularly. Michiko said don't just drink tea, you need plenty of water. And then one of the wives said, "We're all so happy for you. I'll bet Shigeru is too. Did he go out in the street yelling?" Fumie hesitantly agreed...

Michiko took Fumie back to her kitchen, and said, "Something's wrong? Can you tell me about it?" Fumie explained. Michiko nodded. "Oh, so you haven't told him yet." Fumie said, "Well, there was so much going on, and then he was saying children are difficult. I'm worried about how he'll react." Michiko said, "He only said that because he doesn't know." Fumie shook her head, "I just don't know." Michiko said, "He may get stronger." Fumie said, "What do you mean?" Michiko said, "My husband... my dead child, you know, I was pregnant in the middle of the war. When I told my husband that I was pregnant, he stood up and left. Without a word. I was so scared. But then he came back with a duck. He said we had to have a celebration. I still remember eating that duck. Give Shigeru a chance, and think about how to do it together."

When Fumie got home, there was a card from her sister in the mailbox. She invited them to come visit her family. Fumie read it as she walked into the house. Shigeru looked up from drawing, and said, "What's that?" Fumie said, "If you have a little time, I'd like to talk. This is from my sister, she wants us to come visit." He shrugged, "OK, why don't you go? You could stay overnight." Fumie said, "She invited us to come together." Shigeru said, "She's probably just being polite. Besides, I've got work to do." He turned back to his drawing.

Fumie said, "I think we should go together. We've got a lot to talk about. Please?" Shigeru looked up. "Talk? About what?" Fumie said, "Well, the other day I went to the doctor." Shigeru looked at her. "What? Is there some kind of problem?" Fumie looked at the floor.

After a moment, Shigeru said, "Just go ahead and say it. I can't work like this." Fumie knelt down. "Actually, the doctor said I'm pregnant. Two months pregnant." She took a deep breath, then said, "I'm going to have a baby." Shigeru stared at her. Then he said, "Really? Having children is hard, isn't it?" He turned back to his drawing.

Fumie went upstairs. She talked to the picture of her grandmother. "He's not happy? What do I do now?"

That evening, Shigeru drew downstairs in his workroom. Fumie slept upstairs.

The next morning, Fumie carried a bundle in her hands. She told the doors to the workroom, "I'm going." From inside there was a grunt. She said, "There's food in the pot for your dinner." There was another grunt. She shook her head. "I'll stay there tonight." Shigeru's voice answered, "OK. I understand." She turned and left. "Goodbye."

At her sister's house, the two boys were watching sumo on TV. Her sister was cooking, and said, "It's so noisy once the sumo starts." Fumie looked at the boys and smiled. She looked at the shrimp her sister was washing. "Those are so big. I haven't had shrimp since I came to Tokyo." The sister said, "Oh, they're special for us, too. But I wanted to celebrate your visit. It's too bad Shigeru couldn't come." Fumie said, "Well, he's very busy."

Her sister's husband came in. "I'm home!" He greeted Fumie, and looked around. "Where's Shigeru?" Fumie said, "He couldn't come. He's working." Her sister's husband said, "He should take a break sometimes." Then he glanced at the TV. He dropped his briefcase behind the couch and sat down. He asked the boys, "Did I miss much?" The boys said it just started. Fumie's sister said, "All anybody does anymore is watch TV."

Her husband glanced up, then got up. He took a box out of his briefcase. "I almost forgot. I got you some cake." She looked at it and said, "From Ginza? It's so expensive." He said, "But you really like that montblanc."

Then the boys called him. "This is the best part." He sat back down.

As Fumie watched, she thought about Shigeru saying that having children was hard. The boys yelled, "Yatta!" as a sumo wrestler pushed another one out of the ring. Fumie said, "He certainly looks happy."

She couldn't help comparing this house, with bright curtains, new furniture, and a family laughing together with her house, dark, drafty, and lonely.

<to be continued>