Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/22
Jun. 22nd, 2010 06:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. old friends?
Fumie rode into the shopping area on her bicycle. She greeted the three wives who were eating oranges. One of them said, "Where's Aiko?" Fumie said, "Shigeru's taking care of her. I've got a lot of shopping to do." One of them said, "Here, have an orange." Fumie said, "Thanks. That reminds me, what would you suggest for Tokyo souvenirs?" "Souvenirs? Where are you going?" Fumie smiled. "I'm taking Aiko home. Our first trip to visit the parents in over three years!"
[Note: the word I've translated as souvenirs is omiyage -- which are often small local specialties, which most Japanese buy on vacation and distribute to family, friends, and colleagues when they get back. It's not so much a souvenir for Fumie, but something for her to give to the family and friends as part of the visit.]
When Fumie stopped at the bookstore, she walked in and looked at a man standing reading one of the Devil Boy books. She tilted her head and said, "Tomita? Aren't you Tomita?" The man looked at the floor, startled. "I'm Murai... Mizuki's wife." He looked up at her, threw the book into the air, and said, "Mizuki's wife!"
Fumie picked up the book from the floor. Tomita, Shigeru's old publisher who went bankrupt, seemed embarrassed, and immediately waved his hands at Kiyo and Michiko. "It's okay, nothing, just surprised." He edged closer to the door, then backed out.
As he backed out, he ran into the woman who hated manga. She and her companions were outside with banners. Inside, Kiyo told Michiko, "They're back again." They walked out. Kiyo asked the woman, "What are you doing here today?" The woman straightened her banner, and held up a sheaf of papers. "We're going to stand out here in the street, and hand these to everyone." She handed one to Kiyo. Another person handed one to Tomita, who lurked in the crowd. Then the woman grabbed the copy of Devil Boy from Fumie. She held it up in one hand, turned to the street, and started loudly announcing, "This is the kind of trash they have in this store. Do you want your children reading this?"
Tomita took a step forward. His face twisted, and he crumpled the paper in his hand. "Who are you to call this trash? Do you have any idea how much work these books are?" The woman glared at him. "Who are you?" He said, "I'm a manga publisher!" and tossed the crumpled wad of paper in her face.
Later, in Shigeru's kitchen, Tomita chuckled. "I threw the paper at her. I'm glad your wife was there to help out, or I probably would have gotten into a big fight." Shigeru nodded. "But what were you doing there, anyway?" Tomita said, "Actually, I came to see you. But then I saw the rental manga store, and it reminded me of... well, I stopped to read." He looked up with a smile. "I read Devil Boy. It's really good."
Shigeru said, "So what are you doing now?" Tomita looked at his hands. "Oh, this and that. I've got a job with a book publisher. I'm binding books by hand, which is hard on my hands. But I'm talking to another publisher, who might have an editing job for me." He looked down, then pulled a wrinkled envelope from his coat. "Here, this is for you." Shigeru said, "What? But..." Tomita pushed it across the table. "I think I regretted what I owed you the most. This isn't all that I owe you, but I thought when I made some money, I would pay you part, at least." He sat there, his shirt and coat collar worn, and looked at the table.
Fumie said, "Give me your coat." Tomita looked up. "What?" She smiled at him. "I noticed that your button is about to fall off. Give me your coat, and I'll sew it on."
Fumie was sewing the button on Tomita's coat. He sat at the table in his shirt. He said, "You know, that was really the best time. Everything sold. But then it all started to fall apart. And I had lost track, I was just trying to make money." Shigeru said, "Publishing is hard work, too." Tomita said, "But that's not why I started doing manga."
Tomita got up and walked into Shigeru's work room. He smiled at the shelf of manga. Then he turned back, and sat down. "Before the war, I was an insurance salesman. But then during the war, there was this mountain of manga. We didn't have enough to eat, but I could read manga and forget about it. Even after the war, when I realized that I was going to live tomorrow, well, I decided to make manga." He smiled. "I really love manga."
After a moment, Fumie said, "I've fixed the button." She got up and put his coat on him. He said, "Thank you."
From the entryway, Uraki called, "Gege? Are you here?" He walked in. Tomita looked at him and said, "You!" Uraki looked at him and said, "Your face is a little bit familiar." Then he looked at Shigeru, who said, "You are the most self-centered person." Uraki glanced around and shrugged. "Okay, who is he?" Shigeru said, "Tomita." Uraki said, "Tomita?" He looked thoughtful for a moment, then started to scramble to his feet. "Well, I can tell you're busy, so I'll come back later." He turned and ran into the entryway. Tomita jumped up and followed.
In the entryway, Uraki was sliding his shoes on. Tomita caught his collar and yanked him backwards.
Shigeru pushed Uraki to the floor on the far side of the table from the entryway. Tomita sat across from him, with Shigeru between them. Shigeru said, "What were you trying to do, escape? You ruined his business." Uraki said, "Wait, wait. I helped make the military history club, which made your books popular." Shigeru said, "And what about the models?" Uraki looked at the floor. "Models? I... uh, I don't remember."
Tomita said, "It's okay." Uraki said, "What?" Tomita smiled, gently. "No, I forgive you. I mean, I was just like you, just trying to make money. And now look at me."
Later, as Tomita walked into the street, Fumie said, "Tomita? Try cream at night." He stopped and turned. "What?" She held up her hands. "When I was doing work in the store, I put cream on my hands every night. It helped." He smiled, and said, "Thank you. It has been a joy knowing you." He bowed, deeply. She returned the bow.
In the kitchen, Uraki counted the bills from the envelope. "Only 8,050 yen?" Shigeru shook his head. "For a poor man, that's a lot of money." Uraki laid the bills down. "You should forget him. He owes you 20,000 yen, doesn't he? Where's the rest of it?" Uraki stood up. "You know, what's a poor man doing bringing money, anyway? I'll bet he was looking around to see what you have. You better lock your doors!"
Fumie came back in carrying Aiko and sat down. Uraki said, "You watch, he'll turn out to be a thief. That's why he was visiting." Fumie said, "That's terrible." Shigeru said, "So what about you? Why are you visiting?" Uraki grinned, and picked up Aiko. "I'm just here to see Aiko. It's so nice to play with her." He lifted her up, and she started crying. He quickly handed her back to Fumie.
Fumie said, "She's not used to new people. I hope she doesn't cry too much when she meets her grandparents." Uraki said, "What? Meet the grandparents?" Fumie said, "Yes, I'm going back home for a little while." Uraki said, "And how are you going to pay for it? Did you get money from home?" Shigeru shook his head. "No, actually, Fukuzawa is starting a new publishing company, and paid off his debts. And he's got new work, too."
Uraki looked very thoughtful. Shigeru said, "What mischief are you thinking about now?" Uraki said, "Oh, nothing."
Out in the street, Uraki glanced back at the house, then smiled. "So Fukuzawa is starting a new company, and needs manga artists? I think Haruko will be pleased to hear that. Maybe she'll say thank you? Maybe she'll even kiss me?"
Then he looked back at the house again. "Although, if Fumie and Aiko are going on a trip, Shigeru will be alone here. I need to make sure that Haruko stays away from here."
In the morning, Fumie stood in the entryway with Aiko strapped on her back. She said, "There's food in the kitchen, and your shirts are in the drawers. And..." Shigeru, standing there, said, "Okay, okay. I'll be fine." She looked at him. "Will you really be okay alone?" He said, "Yes. And you better hurry, or you'll miss your train." Fumie said, "Oh, yes. That would be bad. Ah, if you need anything, ask Michiko." She picked up her small suitcase, and opened the door. Then she looked back once more. Shigeru smiled. "I'll be fine."
<to be continued>
Fumie rode into the shopping area on her bicycle. She greeted the three wives who were eating oranges. One of them said, "Where's Aiko?" Fumie said, "Shigeru's taking care of her. I've got a lot of shopping to do." One of them said, "Here, have an orange." Fumie said, "Thanks. That reminds me, what would you suggest for Tokyo souvenirs?" "Souvenirs? Where are you going?" Fumie smiled. "I'm taking Aiko home. Our first trip to visit the parents in over three years!"
[Note: the word I've translated as souvenirs is omiyage -- which are often small local specialties, which most Japanese buy on vacation and distribute to family, friends, and colleagues when they get back. It's not so much a souvenir for Fumie, but something for her to give to the family and friends as part of the visit.]
When Fumie stopped at the bookstore, she walked in and looked at a man standing reading one of the Devil Boy books. She tilted her head and said, "Tomita? Aren't you Tomita?" The man looked at the floor, startled. "I'm Murai... Mizuki's wife." He looked up at her, threw the book into the air, and said, "Mizuki's wife!"
Fumie picked up the book from the floor. Tomita, Shigeru's old publisher who went bankrupt, seemed embarrassed, and immediately waved his hands at Kiyo and Michiko. "It's okay, nothing, just surprised." He edged closer to the door, then backed out.
As he backed out, he ran into the woman who hated manga. She and her companions were outside with banners. Inside, Kiyo told Michiko, "They're back again." They walked out. Kiyo asked the woman, "What are you doing here today?" The woman straightened her banner, and held up a sheaf of papers. "We're going to stand out here in the street, and hand these to everyone." She handed one to Kiyo. Another person handed one to Tomita, who lurked in the crowd. Then the woman grabbed the copy of Devil Boy from Fumie. She held it up in one hand, turned to the street, and started loudly announcing, "This is the kind of trash they have in this store. Do you want your children reading this?"
Tomita took a step forward. His face twisted, and he crumpled the paper in his hand. "Who are you to call this trash? Do you have any idea how much work these books are?" The woman glared at him. "Who are you?" He said, "I'm a manga publisher!" and tossed the crumpled wad of paper in her face.
Later, in Shigeru's kitchen, Tomita chuckled. "I threw the paper at her. I'm glad your wife was there to help out, or I probably would have gotten into a big fight." Shigeru nodded. "But what were you doing there, anyway?" Tomita said, "Actually, I came to see you. But then I saw the rental manga store, and it reminded me of... well, I stopped to read." He looked up with a smile. "I read Devil Boy. It's really good."
Shigeru said, "So what are you doing now?" Tomita looked at his hands. "Oh, this and that. I've got a job with a book publisher. I'm binding books by hand, which is hard on my hands. But I'm talking to another publisher, who might have an editing job for me." He looked down, then pulled a wrinkled envelope from his coat. "Here, this is for you." Shigeru said, "What? But..." Tomita pushed it across the table. "I think I regretted what I owed you the most. This isn't all that I owe you, but I thought when I made some money, I would pay you part, at least." He sat there, his shirt and coat collar worn, and looked at the table.
Fumie said, "Give me your coat." Tomita looked up. "What?" She smiled at him. "I noticed that your button is about to fall off. Give me your coat, and I'll sew it on."
Fumie was sewing the button on Tomita's coat. He sat at the table in his shirt. He said, "You know, that was really the best time. Everything sold. But then it all started to fall apart. And I had lost track, I was just trying to make money." Shigeru said, "Publishing is hard work, too." Tomita said, "But that's not why I started doing manga."
Tomita got up and walked into Shigeru's work room. He smiled at the shelf of manga. Then he turned back, and sat down. "Before the war, I was an insurance salesman. But then during the war, there was this mountain of manga. We didn't have enough to eat, but I could read manga and forget about it. Even after the war, when I realized that I was going to live tomorrow, well, I decided to make manga." He smiled. "I really love manga."
After a moment, Fumie said, "I've fixed the button." She got up and put his coat on him. He said, "Thank you."
From the entryway, Uraki called, "Gege? Are you here?" He walked in. Tomita looked at him and said, "You!" Uraki looked at him and said, "Your face is a little bit familiar." Then he looked at Shigeru, who said, "You are the most self-centered person." Uraki glanced around and shrugged. "Okay, who is he?" Shigeru said, "Tomita." Uraki said, "Tomita?" He looked thoughtful for a moment, then started to scramble to his feet. "Well, I can tell you're busy, so I'll come back later." He turned and ran into the entryway. Tomita jumped up and followed.
In the entryway, Uraki was sliding his shoes on. Tomita caught his collar and yanked him backwards.
Shigeru pushed Uraki to the floor on the far side of the table from the entryway. Tomita sat across from him, with Shigeru between them. Shigeru said, "What were you trying to do, escape? You ruined his business." Uraki said, "Wait, wait. I helped make the military history club, which made your books popular." Shigeru said, "And what about the models?" Uraki looked at the floor. "Models? I... uh, I don't remember."
Tomita said, "It's okay." Uraki said, "What?" Tomita smiled, gently. "No, I forgive you. I mean, I was just like you, just trying to make money. And now look at me."
Later, as Tomita walked into the street, Fumie said, "Tomita? Try cream at night." He stopped and turned. "What?" She held up her hands. "When I was doing work in the store, I put cream on my hands every night. It helped." He smiled, and said, "Thank you. It has been a joy knowing you." He bowed, deeply. She returned the bow.
In the kitchen, Uraki counted the bills from the envelope. "Only 8,050 yen?" Shigeru shook his head. "For a poor man, that's a lot of money." Uraki laid the bills down. "You should forget him. He owes you 20,000 yen, doesn't he? Where's the rest of it?" Uraki stood up. "You know, what's a poor man doing bringing money, anyway? I'll bet he was looking around to see what you have. You better lock your doors!"
Fumie came back in carrying Aiko and sat down. Uraki said, "You watch, he'll turn out to be a thief. That's why he was visiting." Fumie said, "That's terrible." Shigeru said, "So what about you? Why are you visiting?" Uraki grinned, and picked up Aiko. "I'm just here to see Aiko. It's so nice to play with her." He lifted her up, and she started crying. He quickly handed her back to Fumie.
Fumie said, "She's not used to new people. I hope she doesn't cry too much when she meets her grandparents." Uraki said, "What? Meet the grandparents?" Fumie said, "Yes, I'm going back home for a little while." Uraki said, "And how are you going to pay for it? Did you get money from home?" Shigeru shook his head. "No, actually, Fukuzawa is starting a new publishing company, and paid off his debts. And he's got new work, too."
Uraki looked very thoughtful. Shigeru said, "What mischief are you thinking about now?" Uraki said, "Oh, nothing."
Out in the street, Uraki glanced back at the house, then smiled. "So Fukuzawa is starting a new company, and needs manga artists? I think Haruko will be pleased to hear that. Maybe she'll say thank you? Maybe she'll even kiss me?"
Then he looked back at the house again. "Although, if Fumie and Aiko are going on a trip, Shigeru will be alone here. I need to make sure that Haruko stays away from here."
In the morning, Fumie stood in the entryway with Aiko strapped on her back. She said, "There's food in the kitchen, and your shirts are in the drawers. And..." Shigeru, standing there, said, "Okay, okay. I'll be fine." She looked at him. "Will you really be okay alone?" He said, "Yes. And you better hurry, or you'll miss your train." Fumie said, "Oh, yes. That would be bad. Ah, if you need anything, ask Michiko." She picked up her small suitcase, and opened the door. Then she looked back once more. Shigeru smiled. "I'll be fine."
<to be continued>
