Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/17
Jun. 17th, 2010 07:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. wobbly but trying
Shigeru delivered the third volume of Devil Boy to Inui. Standing outside his house, Inui grinned. "Well, I've done it. I talked with the printers last night, and they're going to do it. But..." He pulled both of his pockets out. "There isn't any money left." Shigeru shrugged. "At least we tried." Inui said, "If I get any money, I'll bring it right over."
Shigeru turned and started to leave. He glanced back and saw the ghost of poverty standing beside Inui. "Hah! I should have known you were here." Inui said, "What?" Shigeru shook his head. "Nothing. Take care."
As Shigeru returned home, he passed the pawnshop. The owner of the pawnshop was out in front, sweeping the street. He paused and greeted Shigeru. "I haven't seen you in a while. I guess you're doing well. You know, you should get your things out. That kimono of your wife's is getting close to the point where I'll have to sell it." Shigeru shook his head. "We'll see."
As Shigeru passed the fruits in front of a shop, the apples caught his eye. His stomach growled. He stopped, bit his lip, and looked over the various fruits. He said to himself, "Now, those bananas would be good, but... too expensive." Then his eyes widened. "That's it!"
When Shigeru arrived home, Fumie greeted him as he came in the door. He said, "Look what I've got! Bananas." He held up a newspaper wrapped package. Fumie licked her lips. "You bought bananas? Does that mean that you got an advance?" Shigeru shook his head. "No, Inui doesn't have any money right now. If we get anything, it will be later."
He set the package on the table and unwrapped it. "Look, though. These were just 100 yen!" He had a pile of brown bananas. Fumie said, "They're going bad, aren't they?" Shigeru grinned at her. "That's what the fruitstore man thought, too. But I know more about bananas than you and he do. This is when they taste best." He picked up one, and started to strip the skin off. "Try it!" He bit into his. Fumie hesitantly unwrapped another one, and bit off part. She chewed, then smiled. "It's really good!" Shigeru nodded. "They're still unusual here, so nobody knows it, but brown is when they are best." Fumie said, "Why do you know them so well?"
He took another bite of his banana. "Well, during the war, we had bananas, papaya. We made friends with the villagers, and they taught us about the fruits. In fact, after they cut off my arm, when I had a high fever, well, I wasn't drinking water, and the doctor had pretty much given up on me. But at night, one of the village boys snuck in to the tent. He gave me a banana. I smelled it and woke up enough to take a bite of that banana, and it was so good." Shigeru looked up at Fumie. She took a bite of her banana. "I thanked him, and he brought bananas and papayas for me every night. I think that the smell of bananas saved my life." He shrugged and took another bite of his banana. "At least, it gave me confidence. So bananas make me think I should keep going." He finished his banana, and urged Fumie to eat hers, and take another one.
Later, in the street, Haruko walked ahead of Uraki. Uraki had a large paper bag in his arms. Haruko looked back. "Hurry up!" He smiled and walked faster.
In the kitchen, Shigeru and Fumie looked in amazement as Haruko took cans out of the bag and set them on the table. She had a stack of canned food, canned salmon, canned crab, even canned oranges. Fumie said, "What's all this?" Haruko said, "This is all stuff from pachinko." Shigeru frowned. "You didn't take this from your job, did you?" Uraki said, "What, you think she's dishonest?" Haruko said, "No, on the way here, I had a little extra time, so I went into a pachinko parlor. I won this for 100 yen!" Fumie said, "All this for 100 yen?" Haruko nodded. "Yes, and then Uraki carried it here. I thought I would give it to you, I don't need it." Shigeru bowed. "Well, thank you very much."
Haruko said, "No, thank you. I hope seeing Aiko will help me get in a better mood." Fumie said, "What's wrong?" Haruko said, "I'm just down. I haven't gotten any sales recently. I revise, submit, but nothing." Uraki said, "See, I told you that picture wouldn't be good for you." Fumie said, "What picture?" Haruko said, "Quiet."
Shigeru said, "Right now, the rental manga field is having trouble. I don't think anyone is selling. It happens sometimes, but you have to keep going. That's how you keep your manga art." Uraki smiled. "Actually, Haruko, you're young. You'll have lots of chances. You have to keep trying." Shigeru laughed. "That's unusual for you to say."
Aiko started to cry, and Fumie picked her up. "I'll take her upstairs." Haruko said, "I'll go with you."
After they went upstairs, Uraki turned to Shigeru. "What about you? You're not so young, what are you going to do with the market bad?" Shigeru shrugged. "I... I really don't know." Uraki said, "Well, I've got an idea." Shigeru said, "What is it?" Uraki said, "Hah. Now you want to know, do you?" Shigeru shook his head. "Either say it, or leave it alone." Uraki said, "Well, just this once, for free. But if there's money in it, I'll take a cut." "What is it?" Uraki held his hand up. "The rental manga market is bad, but newspapers! There's lots of local newspapers, newspapers for this group and that group, even the pachinko parlors have a newspaper. And you could sell one manga to several of them! Here, I've got a card from a newspaper publisher." He started to get the card out of his coat pocket. Shigeru shook his head. "No." Uraki pulled the card out and set it on the table. "Here's the card. Do you really think you're making enough off the rental manga?"
Upstairs, Fumie laid Aiko in her bed. Haruko said, "She's getting so big." Fumie said, "She eats a lot, like her father." They chuckled. Haruko said, "That reminds me, I've got a recipe for you." She got her pocket notebook out, and started to look through it. A picture slipped out, and fell on the floor. Fumie picked it up. "Isn't that the picture of us with you?" Haruko took it, and slipped it in her pocket. "Yes, but.. it's nothing special." She found the recipe and gave it to Fumie.
Uraki called, "Haruko? We need to leave soon." Haruko excused herself and left.
As Fumie looked at the canned foods and the recipes, she wondered if that was the picture that Uraki had mentioned. In the workroom, Shigeru looked at the business card that Uraki had left.
Aiko was trying to stand by the table. Fumie looked at her, and said, "Shigeru? Can you make sure she doesn't fall?" He looked up, and scooted over closer. Aiko was holding onto the edge of the table, raising one leg, then lowering it, then shifting her feet and her balance.
Shigeru watched, and laughed. "She's fighting so hard. Wobbly, but she's standing." Fumie smiled at him. "Babies try lots of things when they're learning to walk." Shigeru nodded, slowly. "Yes, you have to try lots of things to walk." He glanced over his shoulder at the business card on his desk.
<to be continued>
Shigeru delivered the third volume of Devil Boy to Inui. Standing outside his house, Inui grinned. "Well, I've done it. I talked with the printers last night, and they're going to do it. But..." He pulled both of his pockets out. "There isn't any money left." Shigeru shrugged. "At least we tried." Inui said, "If I get any money, I'll bring it right over."
Shigeru turned and started to leave. He glanced back and saw the ghost of poverty standing beside Inui. "Hah! I should have known you were here." Inui said, "What?" Shigeru shook his head. "Nothing. Take care."
As Shigeru returned home, he passed the pawnshop. The owner of the pawnshop was out in front, sweeping the street. He paused and greeted Shigeru. "I haven't seen you in a while. I guess you're doing well. You know, you should get your things out. That kimono of your wife's is getting close to the point where I'll have to sell it." Shigeru shook his head. "We'll see."
As Shigeru passed the fruits in front of a shop, the apples caught his eye. His stomach growled. He stopped, bit his lip, and looked over the various fruits. He said to himself, "Now, those bananas would be good, but... too expensive." Then his eyes widened. "That's it!"
When Shigeru arrived home, Fumie greeted him as he came in the door. He said, "Look what I've got! Bananas." He held up a newspaper wrapped package. Fumie licked her lips. "You bought bananas? Does that mean that you got an advance?" Shigeru shook his head. "No, Inui doesn't have any money right now. If we get anything, it will be later."
He set the package on the table and unwrapped it. "Look, though. These were just 100 yen!" He had a pile of brown bananas. Fumie said, "They're going bad, aren't they?" Shigeru grinned at her. "That's what the fruitstore man thought, too. But I know more about bananas than you and he do. This is when they taste best." He picked up one, and started to strip the skin off. "Try it!" He bit into his. Fumie hesitantly unwrapped another one, and bit off part. She chewed, then smiled. "It's really good!" Shigeru nodded. "They're still unusual here, so nobody knows it, but brown is when they are best." Fumie said, "Why do you know them so well?"
He took another bite of his banana. "Well, during the war, we had bananas, papaya. We made friends with the villagers, and they taught us about the fruits. In fact, after they cut off my arm, when I had a high fever, well, I wasn't drinking water, and the doctor had pretty much given up on me. But at night, one of the village boys snuck in to the tent. He gave me a banana. I smelled it and woke up enough to take a bite of that banana, and it was so good." Shigeru looked up at Fumie. She took a bite of her banana. "I thanked him, and he brought bananas and papayas for me every night. I think that the smell of bananas saved my life." He shrugged and took another bite of his banana. "At least, it gave me confidence. So bananas make me think I should keep going." He finished his banana, and urged Fumie to eat hers, and take another one.
Later, in the street, Haruko walked ahead of Uraki. Uraki had a large paper bag in his arms. Haruko looked back. "Hurry up!" He smiled and walked faster.
In the kitchen, Shigeru and Fumie looked in amazement as Haruko took cans out of the bag and set them on the table. She had a stack of canned food, canned salmon, canned crab, even canned oranges. Fumie said, "What's all this?" Haruko said, "This is all stuff from pachinko." Shigeru frowned. "You didn't take this from your job, did you?" Uraki said, "What, you think she's dishonest?" Haruko said, "No, on the way here, I had a little extra time, so I went into a pachinko parlor. I won this for 100 yen!" Fumie said, "All this for 100 yen?" Haruko nodded. "Yes, and then Uraki carried it here. I thought I would give it to you, I don't need it." Shigeru bowed. "Well, thank you very much."
Haruko said, "No, thank you. I hope seeing Aiko will help me get in a better mood." Fumie said, "What's wrong?" Haruko said, "I'm just down. I haven't gotten any sales recently. I revise, submit, but nothing." Uraki said, "See, I told you that picture wouldn't be good for you." Fumie said, "What picture?" Haruko said, "Quiet."
Shigeru said, "Right now, the rental manga field is having trouble. I don't think anyone is selling. It happens sometimes, but you have to keep going. That's how you keep your manga art." Uraki smiled. "Actually, Haruko, you're young. You'll have lots of chances. You have to keep trying." Shigeru laughed. "That's unusual for you to say."
Aiko started to cry, and Fumie picked her up. "I'll take her upstairs." Haruko said, "I'll go with you."
After they went upstairs, Uraki turned to Shigeru. "What about you? You're not so young, what are you going to do with the market bad?" Shigeru shrugged. "I... I really don't know." Uraki said, "Well, I've got an idea." Shigeru said, "What is it?" Uraki said, "Hah. Now you want to know, do you?" Shigeru shook his head. "Either say it, or leave it alone." Uraki said, "Well, just this once, for free. But if there's money in it, I'll take a cut." "What is it?" Uraki held his hand up. "The rental manga market is bad, but newspapers! There's lots of local newspapers, newspapers for this group and that group, even the pachinko parlors have a newspaper. And you could sell one manga to several of them! Here, I've got a card from a newspaper publisher." He started to get the card out of his coat pocket. Shigeru shook his head. "No." Uraki pulled the card out and set it on the table. "Here's the card. Do you really think you're making enough off the rental manga?"
Upstairs, Fumie laid Aiko in her bed. Haruko said, "She's getting so big." Fumie said, "She eats a lot, like her father." They chuckled. Haruko said, "That reminds me, I've got a recipe for you." She got her pocket notebook out, and started to look through it. A picture slipped out, and fell on the floor. Fumie picked it up. "Isn't that the picture of us with you?" Haruko took it, and slipped it in her pocket. "Yes, but.. it's nothing special." She found the recipe and gave it to Fumie.
Uraki called, "Haruko? We need to leave soon." Haruko excused herself and left.
As Fumie looked at the canned foods and the recipes, she wondered if that was the picture that Uraki had mentioned. In the workroom, Shigeru looked at the business card that Uraki had left.
Aiko was trying to stand by the table. Fumie looked at her, and said, "Shigeru? Can you make sure she doesn't fall?" He looked up, and scooted over closer. Aiko was holding onto the edge of the table, raising one leg, then lowering it, then shifting her feet and her balance.
Shigeru watched, and laughed. "She's fighting so hard. Wobbly, but she's standing." Fumie smiled at him. "Babies try lots of things when they're learning to walk." Shigeru nodded, slowly. "Yes, you have to try lots of things to walk." He glanced over his shoulder at the business card on his desk.
<to be continued>
