Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/7
Jun. 7th, 2010 03:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. names and smells and pains in the back
This week's theme is beating the ghost of poverty.
Shigeru was drawing. He got up, slid the door open, and looked around the empty kitchen. He said to himself, "Yes, everything is ready." Then he picked up his pen, and set it down again. He got one of the Kitaro books out of his bookshelf and started to look through it. He read some of it and chuckled. "Now that's funny." He looked at the drawings of Kitaro's father, an eyeball with a tiny body. In the book, someone stepped on him. Then he dragged himself over, picked up a match, and used that as a crutch to stand up. Next he went and hid under the edge of a building, and looked at whatever was happening in the street.
Outside, a taxi drove up to the front of the house. Fumie's sister got out, and helped Fumie get out with the baby bundled in her arms. Fumie's sister went around to the trunk of the taxi, while Fumie looked at the house, and then told the baby, "This is your house." The baby waved her arm near Fumie's face.
The voiceover explained that this was December 30.
Fumie, the baby, and her sister went into the house. "We're back." Shigeru greeted them, and they walked into the kitchen. Fumie smiled, and said, "It's so warm." Shigeru grinned. "I thought for the baby, we should keep it warm. So I got up early and turned on the heater." Fumie laid the baby down in a futon that Shigeru had put in the kitchen. Fumie's sister said, "I'll take these upstairs." She hefted the bundle and bag that she had brought in from the taxi. Shigeru said, "No, let me do it." He took the bundles and disappeared.
Fumie's sister said, "He's giving you special service, isn't he?" Fumie smiled. Her sister looked at the baby and laughed. "You didn't see him at the hospital. When the baby cried, he yelled it's born. Then he threw the bundle of clothes up in the air and caught it, and did it again, almost dancing in the hallway. He was so happy." Fumie looked at the baby, who stuck her tongue out.
Fumie's sister asked, "Did you decide on a name yet?" Fumie shook her head. "Shigeru is still thinking about it."
Out in the entryway, someone called, "Shigeru? Are you here?" Fumie's sister looked at her. "Isn't that the brother? Surely he doesn't want to take a bath today, does he?" Then Shigeru said, "Oh, that's special! Bring it in to Fumie."
Shigeru, his brother, and his brother's wife came into the kitchen. The brother had a platter covered with a cloth in his arms. He held it out to Fumie, and said, "Here. It's for a celebration today." He pulled the cloth back and revealed a fish. "It's a flounder. I caught it this morning myself, just for the baby."
They all sat down, and the brother told his story of going fishing that morning, to catch a fish for the baby. Then he said, "You know, that morning breeze was cold. Maybe we should take a hot bath while we're here." His wife jumped up and said, "I'll go ahead and get the bath started." Fumie sister looked at Fumie and said, "I told you." Shigeru's brother asked, "Do you have a name for the baby yet?" Shigeru grinned, and nodded yes.
Everyone gathered around the kitchen table, while Shigeru took a sheet of paper and a brush to draw the name. First the family name, Murai. Then he drew the girl's name. Aiko. (ai 藍 is the kanji for indigo, so blue child) Then beside that large column of kanji, he drew Shigeru Murai, father. And Fumie Murai, mother. He paused, and looked at the paper.
His brother said, "That looks good. Should I put it up on the wall now?"
Shigeru shook his head. "No, it needs something else." Fumie's sister said, "Maybe a stork or a turtle?" These are both symbols of long life in Japan and often used for celebrations.
Shigeru said, "Ah, that's it." He took the brush and drew for a moment. Then he leaned back and smiled. Fumie's sister looked at the upside down sheet. "What is that? An eyeball?" Fumie looked at it and said, "It's the eyeball father. Kitaro's father, right?" Shigeru nodded. Fumie laughed. "He keeps an eye on everything, right?" They all laughed.
Shigeru hung the sheet beside the framed picture of the white ribbon.
Later, in the entryway Fumie's sister said, "I need to go home for a little bit, but I'll be back soon to help." Fumie said, "It's New Year's, you should stay at home." Fumie's sister said, "Nonsense. I'll be back soon." She dug in her purse. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you." She held out a thick red book labeled "Your New Baby." "Maybe it will help."
Back in the kitchen, Shigeru was on his stomach with his nose almost touching the baby. Fumie said, "What are you doing?" He smiled and said, "That's a new baby smell." He rolled over and sat up. "After the doctor cut off my arm in the war, in the hospital I was ready to give up. I couldn't imagine life with one arm. And then there was a smell. And it somehow gave me the courage to keep going." He grinned. "I didn't know what it was until now. It was a new baby smell. Just like Aiko."
Fumie looked at him, and at the baby. She nodded. "That's a really good name."
On January 3, outside in the street, neighborhood children in kimono and geta (wooden sandals) played Japanese shuttlecocks, with birdies made of feathers and wood, and long square paddles of wood decorated on the back.
Inui, the strange fan, came into the kitchen to visit. He had a bundle, and quickly unwrapped it. "Here, some toys and clothes. My children have outgrown these, but I think your baby can use them." Fumie nodded. "I would have bought something, but my financial minister told me I couldn't." He chuckled. Shigeru laughed, "Mine is tough, too." He pointed at Fumie with a bow.
Inui said, "Yes, but I just started a new company, and my wife is in charge of the budget." Shigeru said, "A company? So are you getting out of the manga business?" Inui said, "No, no. In fact, the company is so that I can do manga. And also help other manga artists. But I think it's better to have a company. I've got a little office. Although the only employee is me." Shigeru nodded, "I can understand. Right now the manga business worries me. I'm not sure how to succeed." Inui said, "Well, if you have time, maybe you can draw for my company, too." Shigeru said, "Well, maybe, but...you have to tell me what the name of your company is?"
Inui rapped himself on the back of his neck. "How could I forget? Anyway -- Wild Boar Productions." Shigeru looked puzzled. "Nice name, but why wild boar?" Inui chuckled. "Well, I'm dog, so... wild boar." (His name sounds like the word for dog in Japanese, and the next animal in the 12 year animals from China is wild boar)
Fumie said, "Let me get a celebration drink for your new company. We have some sake." Just then, the baby started crying. Fumie picked up Aiko, and said, "I just fed her. But... oh, is she wet?" She patted her.
Fumie's sister called from the entryway, and Fumie went to greet her, with Aiko in her arms. Fumie's sister had a large box in her hands. "Here, I brought New Year's food. I thought you wouldn't have had a chance to prepare anything." Fumie agreed. Fumie's sister bent over to set the box on the floor. She suddenly gasped and her hand went to her back. Fumie said, "What's wrong?" Her sister said, "I think I threw my back out." Inui and Shigeru came running from the other room.
<to be continued>
This week's theme is beating the ghost of poverty.
Shigeru was drawing. He got up, slid the door open, and looked around the empty kitchen. He said to himself, "Yes, everything is ready." Then he picked up his pen, and set it down again. He got one of the Kitaro books out of his bookshelf and started to look through it. He read some of it and chuckled. "Now that's funny." He looked at the drawings of Kitaro's father, an eyeball with a tiny body. In the book, someone stepped on him. Then he dragged himself over, picked up a match, and used that as a crutch to stand up. Next he went and hid under the edge of a building, and looked at whatever was happening in the street.
Outside, a taxi drove up to the front of the house. Fumie's sister got out, and helped Fumie get out with the baby bundled in her arms. Fumie's sister went around to the trunk of the taxi, while Fumie looked at the house, and then told the baby, "This is your house." The baby waved her arm near Fumie's face.
The voiceover explained that this was December 30.
Fumie, the baby, and her sister went into the house. "We're back." Shigeru greeted them, and they walked into the kitchen. Fumie smiled, and said, "It's so warm." Shigeru grinned. "I thought for the baby, we should keep it warm. So I got up early and turned on the heater." Fumie laid the baby down in a futon that Shigeru had put in the kitchen. Fumie's sister said, "I'll take these upstairs." She hefted the bundle and bag that she had brought in from the taxi. Shigeru said, "No, let me do it." He took the bundles and disappeared.
Fumie's sister said, "He's giving you special service, isn't he?" Fumie smiled. Her sister looked at the baby and laughed. "You didn't see him at the hospital. When the baby cried, he yelled it's born. Then he threw the bundle of clothes up in the air and caught it, and did it again, almost dancing in the hallway. He was so happy." Fumie looked at the baby, who stuck her tongue out.
Fumie's sister asked, "Did you decide on a name yet?" Fumie shook her head. "Shigeru is still thinking about it."
Out in the entryway, someone called, "Shigeru? Are you here?" Fumie's sister looked at her. "Isn't that the brother? Surely he doesn't want to take a bath today, does he?" Then Shigeru said, "Oh, that's special! Bring it in to Fumie."
Shigeru, his brother, and his brother's wife came into the kitchen. The brother had a platter covered with a cloth in his arms. He held it out to Fumie, and said, "Here. It's for a celebration today." He pulled the cloth back and revealed a fish. "It's a flounder. I caught it this morning myself, just for the baby."
They all sat down, and the brother told his story of going fishing that morning, to catch a fish for the baby. Then he said, "You know, that morning breeze was cold. Maybe we should take a hot bath while we're here." His wife jumped up and said, "I'll go ahead and get the bath started." Fumie sister looked at Fumie and said, "I told you." Shigeru's brother asked, "Do you have a name for the baby yet?" Shigeru grinned, and nodded yes.
Everyone gathered around the kitchen table, while Shigeru took a sheet of paper and a brush to draw the name. First the family name, Murai. Then he drew the girl's name. Aiko. (ai 藍 is the kanji for indigo, so blue child) Then beside that large column of kanji, he drew Shigeru Murai, father. And Fumie Murai, mother. He paused, and looked at the paper.
His brother said, "That looks good. Should I put it up on the wall now?"
Shigeru shook his head. "No, it needs something else." Fumie's sister said, "Maybe a stork or a turtle?" These are both symbols of long life in Japan and often used for celebrations.
Shigeru said, "Ah, that's it." He took the brush and drew for a moment. Then he leaned back and smiled. Fumie's sister looked at the upside down sheet. "What is that? An eyeball?" Fumie looked at it and said, "It's the eyeball father. Kitaro's father, right?" Shigeru nodded. Fumie laughed. "He keeps an eye on everything, right?" They all laughed.
Shigeru hung the sheet beside the framed picture of the white ribbon.
Later, in the entryway Fumie's sister said, "I need to go home for a little bit, but I'll be back soon to help." Fumie said, "It's New Year's, you should stay at home." Fumie's sister said, "Nonsense. I'll be back soon." She dug in her purse. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you." She held out a thick red book labeled "Your New Baby." "Maybe it will help."
Back in the kitchen, Shigeru was on his stomach with his nose almost touching the baby. Fumie said, "What are you doing?" He smiled and said, "That's a new baby smell." He rolled over and sat up. "After the doctor cut off my arm in the war, in the hospital I was ready to give up. I couldn't imagine life with one arm. And then there was a smell. And it somehow gave me the courage to keep going." He grinned. "I didn't know what it was until now. It was a new baby smell. Just like Aiko."
Fumie looked at him, and at the baby. She nodded. "That's a really good name."
On January 3, outside in the street, neighborhood children in kimono and geta (wooden sandals) played Japanese shuttlecocks, with birdies made of feathers and wood, and long square paddles of wood decorated on the back.
Inui, the strange fan, came into the kitchen to visit. He had a bundle, and quickly unwrapped it. "Here, some toys and clothes. My children have outgrown these, but I think your baby can use them." Fumie nodded. "I would have bought something, but my financial minister told me I couldn't." He chuckled. Shigeru laughed, "Mine is tough, too." He pointed at Fumie with a bow.
Inui said, "Yes, but I just started a new company, and my wife is in charge of the budget." Shigeru said, "A company? So are you getting out of the manga business?" Inui said, "No, no. In fact, the company is so that I can do manga. And also help other manga artists. But I think it's better to have a company. I've got a little office. Although the only employee is me." Shigeru nodded, "I can understand. Right now the manga business worries me. I'm not sure how to succeed." Inui said, "Well, if you have time, maybe you can draw for my company, too." Shigeru said, "Well, maybe, but...you have to tell me what the name of your company is?"
Inui rapped himself on the back of his neck. "How could I forget? Anyway -- Wild Boar Productions." Shigeru looked puzzled. "Nice name, but why wild boar?" Inui chuckled. "Well, I'm dog, so... wild boar." (His name sounds like the word for dog in Japanese, and the next animal in the 12 year animals from China is wild boar)
Fumie said, "Let me get a celebration drink for your new company. We have some sake." Just then, the baby started crying. Fumie picked up Aiko, and said, "I just fed her. But... oh, is she wet?" She patted her.
Fumie's sister called from the entryway, and Fumie went to greet her, with Aiko in her arms. Fumie's sister had a large box in her hands. "Here, I brought New Year's food. I thought you wouldn't have had a chance to prepare anything." Fumie agreed. Fumie's sister bent over to set the box on the floor. She suddenly gasped and her hand went to her back. Fumie said, "What's wrong?" Her sister said, "I think I threw my back out." Inui and Shigeru came running from the other room.
<to be continued>
