Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/19
Jun. 19th, 2010 07:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. cold wind and baby steps
The daikon (long white radish) were hanging in the dark outside the house. Inside, Shigeru had gotten the futon out and Fumie was laying down in the kitchen. He asked, "How are you feeling?" She huddled under the blanket. "I think if I rest, I'll be better soon."
Fumie looked up at the kitchen counter. "There's rice in the keeper for your dinner." Then she sneezed, and looked around. "Where's the nose paper? Oh, no, I think I left it at Inui's. Look in the drawers?" Shigeru opened and closed the drawers, but didn't find any. He said, "The shops are still open. I could buy some." Fumie shook her head. "We don't have enough money." Shigeru frowned, "Not even enough for nose paper?" She shook her head again. "I walked home from Inui's. We're out of money."
[Note: I used the literal translation "nose paper" because the term they used isn't one I'm familiar with. Apparently this was the predecessor to tissues. Perhaps a bit rougher paper?]
Fumie rubbed at her nose. "But my nose is running. What should I do?" Shigeru stood up. "There's always plenty of paper in a manga artist's studio." He went into the work room, and came back in a moment with a wadded up piece of paper that he was rubbing against his leg. "I used to do this. Here." He handed her the sheet. She unfolded it a bit, and rubbed it. Then she started to hold it up to her nose. Shigeru said, "Be careful. You might get a manga picture on your nose." She lowered the paper and rubbed her nose with her finger. "What?" Shigeru laughed. "Just joking." He glanced around, then opened a cupboard. "I think there are still some oranges left."
Fumie sat in her blankets and ate some of the canned oranges. Shigeru ate, too. He asked, "How are they?" Fumie said, "They're good." Then she said, "This is the first time I've had a cold in a long time. Actually, I think it's the first time since our wedding." Shigeru looked at the oranges. "Maybe I should do something else." Fumie looked at him. He glanced up at her. "Maybe I should quit manga, and do something else. I mean, when I can't even buy nose paper for my wife. Maybe Uraki is right. At my age, it might be hard to find something else, but I'll bet there are other jobs I could do." Fumie said, "But..." Shigeru shook his head. "No, don't worry about it now. Right now you need to get well."
Later, in his work room, Shigeru was sketching. He picked up the cover with the pretty figures and looked at it. Then he set it down and shook his head. "Not really my style."
In the kitchen, Fumie lay under the covers. She looked up at the overhead light. She muttered, "He's going to quit? But..." She fell asleep.
Later that night, Fumie woke up and heard noises in the work room. She got up and peeked in the door, then slid it open. Shigeru was working on a model. He looked up and asked, "How's the cold?" Fumie said, "I'm feeling much better." Shigeru said, "Really? But your nose is dripping." Fumie rubbed her nose. "No it's not." Shigeru laughed. "Just joking again."
Fumie stepped into the room and waved at the model. "You're working on the model again?" He nodded. "Yes." She said, "Can I get the magnifying glass?" He picked up the tweezers. "That would be good."
As Shigeru maneuvered a tiny part into place under the magnifying glass, Fumie suddenly sneezed. Shigeru said, "Don't move. Let me see..." He counted the parts in front of him. "There's one missing." He started to look around. Fumie set the magnifying glass down, and looked. Then she scooted around him, and started looking on his other side. Suddenly, Shigeru said, "Hold still! It's on your bottom." He reached back, and plucked the small part. Fumie said, "How did it get there?" Shigeru said, "I gues when you sneeze, things go everywhere."
Later, Fumie was cutting parts free from the plastic trees that held them. She smiled and said, "I think you're right." Shigeru said, "What?" Fumie snipped another part free. "It's something you said, about working a bit and feeling better. And I think when we do it together, it's even more interesting." She put the tree down and looked at him. "Let's do it together. You're strong, even with just one hand you do lots of things, and you never complain." She lifted the sidecutters. "But together, with three hands, we can do anything."
After a moment, Shigeru said, "It's late, maybe we should sleep." Fumie picked up the plastic tree. "No, let's do one more little bit." Shigeru smiled at her. "Okay, one more bit, together."
The next day, Inui stood in the entryway. He told Fumie and Shigeru, "I'm sorry. I got back so late yesterday, I couldn't let my wife come over. But..." He dug into his bag and got out a small envelope. "Here's some money. It's not so much. I owe you more." Shigeru smiled. "You work hard, too. It's okay." Inui said, "I'll bring more when I can."
As he was leaving, Fumie came out with a newspaper. "What about taking some daikon with you?" He looked around as she laid the newspaper out and picked up some daikon. She said, "It should be just ready. The cold wind is good for it." Inui said, "Ah, that's what Mizuki said the other day. A cold wind makes manga strong."
After he left, Fumie looked at the daikon. "Today, I'll make pickles, I think. Good, strong pickles."
Later, as Fumie was cleaning the ceiling in the upstairs room, with newspapers covering everything, a mask on her face, and a broom wielded briskly, dust fell down. Fumie stopped and looked at the picture of her grandmother. "Well, I'm healthy, and my husband and Aiko are healthy. That's good."
Shigeru called from downstairs. "Come downstairs!" She called back. "Can't it wait?" He said, "Hurry!" She pulled the mask down, glanced around the room at the newspapers, and went downstairs. She muttered. "Why does everything happen when I'm already busy?"
In the kitchen, Shigeru grinned at her. "Are you ready? Today we see the new ocean." He turned a large sheet of glued together sheets around, and laid it on the table. It was covered with a painted ocean. Shigeru placed a model on the ocean. "See, there's the Kongo." Fumie looked at it. "It looks real." Shigeru started to put other models out. Across the room, AIko smiled at them. Shigeru pushed the models. "There are so many interesting things to do."
Fumie looked up, and said, "Shigeru! Look at Aiko." Shigeru looked. Aiko slowly wobbled one step forward. Then she took another step. Shigeru held his arm out, and when she walked to him, swept her into a hug on his lap. Fumie looked at Aiko and Shigeru, and thought that while there might be more cold winds blowing on them, at least they were together.
Today's episode ended with a medley of upcoming bits. Very fast today. Both sets of parents, Haruko, the publisher who was in the hospital, Fumie yelling, "Aiko," and a family dinner with Fumie's family.
<to be continued>
The daikon (long white radish) were hanging in the dark outside the house. Inside, Shigeru had gotten the futon out and Fumie was laying down in the kitchen. He asked, "How are you feeling?" She huddled under the blanket. "I think if I rest, I'll be better soon."
Fumie looked up at the kitchen counter. "There's rice in the keeper for your dinner." Then she sneezed, and looked around. "Where's the nose paper? Oh, no, I think I left it at Inui's. Look in the drawers?" Shigeru opened and closed the drawers, but didn't find any. He said, "The shops are still open. I could buy some." Fumie shook her head. "We don't have enough money." Shigeru frowned, "Not even enough for nose paper?" She shook her head again. "I walked home from Inui's. We're out of money."
[Note: I used the literal translation "nose paper" because the term they used isn't one I'm familiar with. Apparently this was the predecessor to tissues. Perhaps a bit rougher paper?]
Fumie rubbed at her nose. "But my nose is running. What should I do?" Shigeru stood up. "There's always plenty of paper in a manga artist's studio." He went into the work room, and came back in a moment with a wadded up piece of paper that he was rubbing against his leg. "I used to do this. Here." He handed her the sheet. She unfolded it a bit, and rubbed it. Then she started to hold it up to her nose. Shigeru said, "Be careful. You might get a manga picture on your nose." She lowered the paper and rubbed her nose with her finger. "What?" Shigeru laughed. "Just joking." He glanced around, then opened a cupboard. "I think there are still some oranges left."
Fumie sat in her blankets and ate some of the canned oranges. Shigeru ate, too. He asked, "How are they?" Fumie said, "They're good." Then she said, "This is the first time I've had a cold in a long time. Actually, I think it's the first time since our wedding." Shigeru looked at the oranges. "Maybe I should do something else." Fumie looked at him. He glanced up at her. "Maybe I should quit manga, and do something else. I mean, when I can't even buy nose paper for my wife. Maybe Uraki is right. At my age, it might be hard to find something else, but I'll bet there are other jobs I could do." Fumie said, "But..." Shigeru shook his head. "No, don't worry about it now. Right now you need to get well."
Later, in his work room, Shigeru was sketching. He picked up the cover with the pretty figures and looked at it. Then he set it down and shook his head. "Not really my style."
In the kitchen, Fumie lay under the covers. She looked up at the overhead light. She muttered, "He's going to quit? But..." She fell asleep.
Later that night, Fumie woke up and heard noises in the work room. She got up and peeked in the door, then slid it open. Shigeru was working on a model. He looked up and asked, "How's the cold?" Fumie said, "I'm feeling much better." Shigeru said, "Really? But your nose is dripping." Fumie rubbed her nose. "No it's not." Shigeru laughed. "Just joking again."
Fumie stepped into the room and waved at the model. "You're working on the model again?" He nodded. "Yes." She said, "Can I get the magnifying glass?" He picked up the tweezers. "That would be good."
As Shigeru maneuvered a tiny part into place under the magnifying glass, Fumie suddenly sneezed. Shigeru said, "Don't move. Let me see..." He counted the parts in front of him. "There's one missing." He started to look around. Fumie set the magnifying glass down, and looked. Then she scooted around him, and started looking on his other side. Suddenly, Shigeru said, "Hold still! It's on your bottom." He reached back, and plucked the small part. Fumie said, "How did it get there?" Shigeru said, "I gues when you sneeze, things go everywhere."
Later, Fumie was cutting parts free from the plastic trees that held them. She smiled and said, "I think you're right." Shigeru said, "What?" Fumie snipped another part free. "It's something you said, about working a bit and feeling better. And I think when we do it together, it's even more interesting." She put the tree down and looked at him. "Let's do it together. You're strong, even with just one hand you do lots of things, and you never complain." She lifted the sidecutters. "But together, with three hands, we can do anything."
After a moment, Shigeru said, "It's late, maybe we should sleep." Fumie picked up the plastic tree. "No, let's do one more little bit." Shigeru smiled at her. "Okay, one more bit, together."
The next day, Inui stood in the entryway. He told Fumie and Shigeru, "I'm sorry. I got back so late yesterday, I couldn't let my wife come over. But..." He dug into his bag and got out a small envelope. "Here's some money. It's not so much. I owe you more." Shigeru smiled. "You work hard, too. It's okay." Inui said, "I'll bring more when I can."
As he was leaving, Fumie came out with a newspaper. "What about taking some daikon with you?" He looked around as she laid the newspaper out and picked up some daikon. She said, "It should be just ready. The cold wind is good for it." Inui said, "Ah, that's what Mizuki said the other day. A cold wind makes manga strong."
After he left, Fumie looked at the daikon. "Today, I'll make pickles, I think. Good, strong pickles."
Later, as Fumie was cleaning the ceiling in the upstairs room, with newspapers covering everything, a mask on her face, and a broom wielded briskly, dust fell down. Fumie stopped and looked at the picture of her grandmother. "Well, I'm healthy, and my husband and Aiko are healthy. That's good."
Shigeru called from downstairs. "Come downstairs!" She called back. "Can't it wait?" He said, "Hurry!" She pulled the mask down, glanced around the room at the newspapers, and went downstairs. She muttered. "Why does everything happen when I'm already busy?"
In the kitchen, Shigeru grinned at her. "Are you ready? Today we see the new ocean." He turned a large sheet of glued together sheets around, and laid it on the table. It was covered with a painted ocean. Shigeru placed a model on the ocean. "See, there's the Kongo." Fumie looked at it. "It looks real." Shigeru started to put other models out. Across the room, AIko smiled at them. Shigeru pushed the models. "There are so many interesting things to do."
Fumie looked up, and said, "Shigeru! Look at Aiko." Shigeru looked. Aiko slowly wobbled one step forward. Then she took another step. Shigeru held his arm out, and when she walked to him, swept her into a hug on his lap. Fumie looked at Aiko and Shigeru, and thought that while there might be more cold winds blowing on them, at least they were together.
Today's episode ended with a medley of upcoming bits. Very fast today. Both sets of parents, Haruko, the publisher who was in the hospital, Fumie yelling, "Aiko," and a family dinner with Fumie's family.
<to be continued>
