Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/23
Jun. 24th, 2010 11:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. there's no place like home
Genbee, Fumie's father, was sitting in his house kimono, reading the newspaper. Miyako, her mother, was sitting beside him, cleaning string beans. He looked up and said, "Shouldn't the train be here?" Miyako nodded, "Yes, she's probably arrived." Genbee said, "What if it's delayed?" Miyako said, "I'm sure if she's late, she'll call."
He put his paper down and jumped up. "Did you hear something?" Miyako looked up with a small smile and said, "No, they're not here yet." Genbee sat down and picked up his newspaper again.
From the other room, Fumie's voice called, "Tadaima." Genbee dropped his paper and stood up. Then he shook his head, sat down again, and picked up the newspaper. Miyako smiled at him.
[Tadaima literally means now, but it is used as part of a pair of phrases -- okairi (Welcome back) and tadaima (I've returned). They are used every day, as people come home -- the people who are returning call out tadaima and the people who are at home say okairi. In this case, of course, Fumie has been away a while, but people still use the same phrases.]
Takashi, Fumie's brother, came into the room, carrying Fumie's suitcase. He said, "Here she is." Miyako got up and greeted her, exclaiming "Aiko!" Genbee continued to look at his newspaper. Fumie looked at him, and said, "Father? Tadiama modorimashita." (I've returned, I've just come back). Then Fumie said, "Aiko, here is your grandfather." Genbee grinned.
Genbee picked up AIko from Fumie's lap. Aiko smiled. Genbee settled her in his lap, and said, "Now, Aiko, this is Miyako." He pointed to her. "And I'm Genbee."
In the store, the neighbors from across the street came in and asked Takashi if Fumie was there. He called her, and she came out of the living area. They held up a fresh red snapper. "Special for your dinner!" Then Yukie, the sister who wanted to go to Morocco, came in, with a large bundle on her shoulders. She looked at Fumie and said, "Okairi!" Fumie looked at her and said, "Tadaima!" and bowed. Takashi hurried to take the bundle off Yukie's shoulders. "What is all this?" "I brought extra food for dinner."
The family all sat at dinner, eating the fish as sashimi and other dishes. A little boy (cousin?) picked up a piece of sashimi and offered it to Aiko across the table. Fumie laughed and said, "I don't think she eats that yet." He shrugged and ate it himself. Then he pressed one hand to his face and made an ugly face. One finger pushed his nose up, and two fingers pulled his eyes down. Aiko laughed at him.
Yukie said, "So isn't life in Tokyo exciting? Do you go to Tokyo Tower often?" Fumie smiled. "Tokyo is exciting, but where I live, it's mostly countryside." "I'm still surprised that you got to go live in Tokyo. So far away from everything here."
Fumie said, "Where is Izumi?" (the younger sister). Takashi said, "Oh, she's studying late. She'll be here soon." Yukie said, "It's not like when we were growing up. You couldn't be late to dinner then." Genbee, sitting at the head of the table, said, "Times are changing."
Izumi came in, with a bundle of books in her hand. "Oh! Aiko!" Then Teruko, the aunt, stepped in. Fumie said, "Aunt Teruko! You came, too." Teruko said, "Yes, on the same train with Izumi." She sat down beside Fumie. "I've been worried about you, so far away in Tokyo. But you look great!" Then she dug into the sleeve of her kimono. "Aiko? I made these for you." She pulled out three soft juggling balls, made of brightly colored kimono cloth.
Later, in the store, Fumie said goodbye to Yukie. Yukie said, "We were all worried, that you wouldn't be able to come because there was no money. But you came." Fumie nodded slowly, "We don't have much money. Sometimes it's hard, but the life is warm."
Fumie went back in and sat down. Teruko looked at Genbee and said, "I've heard again from that family. They seem very interested." Genbee looked at Takashi and said, "What about you?" Takashi looked at his food and mumbled, "Ummm." Teruko said, "That's not very clear. Are you interested or not?" Genbee said, "Of course he's interested. A good hard working wife. Why wouldn't he be interested? Izumi will be a school teacher, and ... well, I think we can open another store. Build up the business." He looked at Takashi and said, "What do you think?" Takashi gave a lukewarm smile, "Well, OK, I guess..." Izumi said, "What? But... if you don't say something..." Genbee frowned at her. "Children don't need to say anything."
Later, Fumie laid Aiko down to sleep. Fumie looked around her old room and sighed. "It's just like it was before." She got up and moved a stool over to the sewing machine, and started to turn the wheel on the end. She frowned. "It needs oil." She started looking through the drawers.
She looked up as voices came from the hall outside. Izumi said, "You really need to say..." Fumie got up and opened the door. Izumi and Takashi were standing there. "Oh!" Fumie said, "I just... do you know if there's oil for the sewing machine?" Izumi shrugged. "No, I don't touch that." Takashi said, "I better go straighten up the store for tomorrow." He went downstairs.
Genbee looked at the calendar on the wall. "Opening a new store is difficult. We need to pick a good time for it. We have to decide." Miyako said, "Don't you think it's a little early? They haven't even had a wedding interview yet."
The next day, in the coffee shop, Fumie's friend from long ago stirred her coffee and said, "You should have brought Aiko." Fumie said, "I would have, but Genbee wanted to take care of her so much." Fumie's friend said, "Grandfathers are like that." They laughed.
Her friend asked, "How is your husband? I was disappointed that I couldn't meet him that time in Tokyo when I visited." Fumie looked very embarrassed, and said, "I'm sorry. That day, I told you he was so busy. Well, he was busy, but the truth is... our house is very poor. He works hard all the time, but we don't have much money. The rental manga business isn't very good. But we do have warm hearts." Her friend said, "Oh, I worried that something was wrong. But being poor, that's good. You can get better."
Her friend said, "Let me call the other friends from the sewing class. Maybe they can come here for a visit." She got up and went out of the coffee shop.
As Fumie waited, the door to the coffee shop opened and Takashi stepped in. He held the door for a young woman. Then the two of them sat down at a table near the door. Their eyes were on each other. Takashi looked down. The woman said, "So, does this mean it's over between us?" Takashi glanced up and then looked down again. She pulled a handkerchief out, and started to cry. "It's really over." She stood up and ran out. Takashi started to get up, ran into the ornamental stand beside the table, and sat down again.
Fumie's friend came in the door. She called across the coffee shop, "Fumie! I need to go meet them."
Takashi's head raised and swung from the friend, around to stare at Fumie sitting at her table. He said, "Oh..."
<to be continued>
Genbee, Fumie's father, was sitting in his house kimono, reading the newspaper. Miyako, her mother, was sitting beside him, cleaning string beans. He looked up and said, "Shouldn't the train be here?" Miyako nodded, "Yes, she's probably arrived." Genbee said, "What if it's delayed?" Miyako said, "I'm sure if she's late, she'll call."
He put his paper down and jumped up. "Did you hear something?" Miyako looked up with a small smile and said, "No, they're not here yet." Genbee sat down and picked up his newspaper again.
From the other room, Fumie's voice called, "Tadaima." Genbee dropped his paper and stood up. Then he shook his head, sat down again, and picked up the newspaper. Miyako smiled at him.
[Tadaima literally means now, but it is used as part of a pair of phrases -- okairi (Welcome back) and tadaima (I've returned). They are used every day, as people come home -- the people who are returning call out tadaima and the people who are at home say okairi. In this case, of course, Fumie has been away a while, but people still use the same phrases.]
Takashi, Fumie's brother, came into the room, carrying Fumie's suitcase. He said, "Here she is." Miyako got up and greeted her, exclaiming "Aiko!" Genbee continued to look at his newspaper. Fumie looked at him, and said, "Father? Tadiama modorimashita." (I've returned, I've just come back). Then Fumie said, "Aiko, here is your grandfather." Genbee grinned.
Genbee picked up AIko from Fumie's lap. Aiko smiled. Genbee settled her in his lap, and said, "Now, Aiko, this is Miyako." He pointed to her. "And I'm Genbee."
In the store, the neighbors from across the street came in and asked Takashi if Fumie was there. He called her, and she came out of the living area. They held up a fresh red snapper. "Special for your dinner!" Then Yukie, the sister who wanted to go to Morocco, came in, with a large bundle on her shoulders. She looked at Fumie and said, "Okairi!" Fumie looked at her and said, "Tadaima!" and bowed. Takashi hurried to take the bundle off Yukie's shoulders. "What is all this?" "I brought extra food for dinner."
The family all sat at dinner, eating the fish as sashimi and other dishes. A little boy (cousin?) picked up a piece of sashimi and offered it to Aiko across the table. Fumie laughed and said, "I don't think she eats that yet." He shrugged and ate it himself. Then he pressed one hand to his face and made an ugly face. One finger pushed his nose up, and two fingers pulled his eyes down. Aiko laughed at him.
Yukie said, "So isn't life in Tokyo exciting? Do you go to Tokyo Tower often?" Fumie smiled. "Tokyo is exciting, but where I live, it's mostly countryside." "I'm still surprised that you got to go live in Tokyo. So far away from everything here."
Fumie said, "Where is Izumi?" (the younger sister). Takashi said, "Oh, she's studying late. She'll be here soon." Yukie said, "It's not like when we were growing up. You couldn't be late to dinner then." Genbee, sitting at the head of the table, said, "Times are changing."
Izumi came in, with a bundle of books in her hand. "Oh! Aiko!" Then Teruko, the aunt, stepped in. Fumie said, "Aunt Teruko! You came, too." Teruko said, "Yes, on the same train with Izumi." She sat down beside Fumie. "I've been worried about you, so far away in Tokyo. But you look great!" Then she dug into the sleeve of her kimono. "Aiko? I made these for you." She pulled out three soft juggling balls, made of brightly colored kimono cloth.
Later, in the store, Fumie said goodbye to Yukie. Yukie said, "We were all worried, that you wouldn't be able to come because there was no money. But you came." Fumie nodded slowly, "We don't have much money. Sometimes it's hard, but the life is warm."
Fumie went back in and sat down. Teruko looked at Genbee and said, "I've heard again from that family. They seem very interested." Genbee looked at Takashi and said, "What about you?" Takashi looked at his food and mumbled, "Ummm." Teruko said, "That's not very clear. Are you interested or not?" Genbee said, "Of course he's interested. A good hard working wife. Why wouldn't he be interested? Izumi will be a school teacher, and ... well, I think we can open another store. Build up the business." He looked at Takashi and said, "What do you think?" Takashi gave a lukewarm smile, "Well, OK, I guess..." Izumi said, "What? But... if you don't say something..." Genbee frowned at her. "Children don't need to say anything."
Later, Fumie laid Aiko down to sleep. Fumie looked around her old room and sighed. "It's just like it was before." She got up and moved a stool over to the sewing machine, and started to turn the wheel on the end. She frowned. "It needs oil." She started looking through the drawers.
She looked up as voices came from the hall outside. Izumi said, "You really need to say..." Fumie got up and opened the door. Izumi and Takashi were standing there. "Oh!" Fumie said, "I just... do you know if there's oil for the sewing machine?" Izumi shrugged. "No, I don't touch that." Takashi said, "I better go straighten up the store for tomorrow." He went downstairs.
Genbee looked at the calendar on the wall. "Opening a new store is difficult. We need to pick a good time for it. We have to decide." Miyako said, "Don't you think it's a little early? They haven't even had a wedding interview yet."
The next day, in the coffee shop, Fumie's friend from long ago stirred her coffee and said, "You should have brought Aiko." Fumie said, "I would have, but Genbee wanted to take care of her so much." Fumie's friend said, "Grandfathers are like that." They laughed.
Her friend asked, "How is your husband? I was disappointed that I couldn't meet him that time in Tokyo when I visited." Fumie looked very embarrassed, and said, "I'm sorry. That day, I told you he was so busy. Well, he was busy, but the truth is... our house is very poor. He works hard all the time, but we don't have much money. The rental manga business isn't very good. But we do have warm hearts." Her friend said, "Oh, I worried that something was wrong. But being poor, that's good. You can get better."
Her friend said, "Let me call the other friends from the sewing class. Maybe they can come here for a visit." She got up and went out of the coffee shop.
As Fumie waited, the door to the coffee shop opened and Takashi stepped in. He held the door for a young woman. Then the two of them sat down at a table near the door. Their eyes were on each other. Takashi looked down. The woman said, "So, does this mean it's over between us?" Takashi glanced up and then looked down again. She pulled a handkerchief out, and started to cry. "It's really over." She stood up and ran out. Takashi started to get up, ran into the ornamental stand beside the table, and sat down again.
Fumie's friend came in the door. She called across the coffee shop, "Fumie! I need to go meet them."
Takashi's head raised and swung from the friend, around to stare at Fumie sitting at her table. He said, "Oh..."
<to be continued>
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