Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/25
Jun. 25th, 2010 12:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. what did I say?
Izumi, Fumie's little sister, glared at Fumie and said, "You've been gone for three and a half years, you don't know how it feels anymore." She slid the doors open and ran out of the room.
Meanwhile, Genbee, Fumie's father, sat at a small table and looked at Miyako, his wife. "Did you want to tell me something?" She shrugged. "I suppose you think I've been too hard. Izumi wants to go to Tokyo, Takashi wants to marry some poor knitter." He settled himself. "No. She's going to teach. He'll inherit the store. I've decided."
In the store, Takashi was going over inventory papers. Fumie came in, and looked at the bottles, running along the side, standing proudly on stands, row after row. She stepped into the store and said, "I remember so many times in this store..." Takashi jumped, then said, "Oh. Fumie. You surprised me." She said, "It used to be so much work, even for two of us." He said, "It's a lot easier now. We don't bottle our own." She laughed and said, "Do you remember the time we forgot to tighten the lids?" He laughed. "Of course. But what about the time you had too many bottles on the bicycle, and you fell over and bottles went everywhere." She laughed. "I thought we would never find all of them." He said, "And you were crying." She said, "No I didn't." Then they both laughed.
Takashi said, "This store has done a lot of good for us." Fumie nodded, then said, "Takashi, I know it's not my business, but talk to Genbee. He... he really is trying to do what's best." Takashi shook his head. "He's really not interested in listening. Besides, if I was poor, Miyako would worry so much."
Fumie took a deep breath, and leaned against the counter. "Actually, our house... well, we're poor. Sometimes food is whatever I can find, and we've had the electricity turned off." Takashi said, "Really? But..." Fumie said, "But Shigeru loves to draw. He draws all day. And he's so happy doing that."
Takashi picked up a bottle and polished it. Fumie said, "Takashi, is this really enough for you?" He shrugged. She said, "If you weren't doing this, what would be most important for you? Doing what's most important is what makes everyone happy."
Takashi said, "I am not Murai." Then he shook his head, gave a little smile, and put the bottle down. "I've worked here for so long. I don't know anything else."
The next morning, the family ate breakfast in silence. Genbee bit and chewed, staring straight ahead. Yukie asked, "Fumie? Are you going to visit Murai today?" Fumie said, "Yes. I might stay over, too." One of the brothers said, "Just don't let them steal Aiko." He laughed, but it fell flat.
Izumi laid her chopsticks down. She announced. "I'm done. I'm going to school." She stood up, glared at Genbee, turned and went into the kitchen. Takashi ate with his head down.
Later, in the kitchen, Miyako washed dishes with Fumie. Miyako said, "I'm sorry this all happened while you're visiting."
At the Murai house, Kinuyo, Shigeru's mother, held Aiko. "She's so cute!" Shuhei reached for Aiko, but Kinuyo ignored him. She asked Fumie, "So does she eat well?" Fumie nodded. "Yes, plenty." Kinuyo laughed. "Just like Shigeru when he was this age. Right, Shuhei?" He said, "Yes. Let me hold her?" He reached out again, and she ignored his hands. Aiko said, "Chuhei?"
Kinuyo laughed. "She's talking already. She's smarter than Shigeru. He didn't talk for the longest time." She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "In fact, his first words..." Fumie said, "Yes? What did he say?" Kinuyo looked at Shuhei. "He said cat baba." Fumie said, "Cat baba? What?" Shuhei shook his head. "Cat shit. He had found a piece of cat shit." Kinuyo said, "Yes, and he's been strange ever since."
Several voices called from outside. "Murai? Can we see your granddaughter?" Kinuyo said, "That's Shuhei's friends from the neighborhood. They all want to see Aiko." She started to get up, and Shuhei said, "Let me hold her." Kinuyo lifted Aiko in her arms and walked past him. He lifted his arms and held an air baby, patting its back. He shrugged.
The group of neighbors admired Aiko in Kinuyo's arms. "I don't think we've met Fumie before?" Kinuyo said, "It's her first time to visit in three and a half years." "So how does Aiko like her grandfather?" Shuhei said, quietly, "She hasn't met him yet." One of the neighbors asked, "So is Shigeru doing well, drawing manga?" Another said, "He must be doing well, he's too busy to come visit with his wife and baby."
A woman called from outside. Kinuyo said, "Oh, that's my friend." She took Aiko with her to answer the door.
In the quiet, Shuhei turned to Fumie and said, "Thank you very much for coming such a long way."
Then one of his friends said, "So, what do you think about this government business? I mean, they can't really expect us to agree with that, do you think?" Shuhei nodded. "Yes, it's completely unreasonable. I plan to object, strongly."
Kinuyo came back in, carrying Aiko, with her friend. She said, "What? I just walk out of the door, and you start talking about craziness. Of course, we all agree with the government. Anything else is just ridiculous."
Later, Aiko was sleeping. Kinuyo watched her, with Shuhei sitting beside her. Fumie came in, folding her apron. She said, "I've cleaned the kitchen. I think we better go, the trains will stop soon." Kinuyo said, "Why don't you stay overnight?" Fumie said, "There are things going on at home that I'm kind of worried about." Kinuyo said, "Why don't you go home, and leave Aiko with us? We can bring her tomorrow." Fumie said, "I don't think..." Shuhei said, "Surely you can stay one night." Fumie nodded.
Kinuyo leaned over and said, "Shigeru isn't making much money yet, is he?" Fumie said, "Well..." Kinuyo gave a firm nod. "You need to push him. He needs someone to push him. His father is the cause." Shuhei said, "Well, I'll just go sit over there." Kinuyo said, "Fumie, you need to give him direction. Take charge." Fumie nodded.
Meanwhile, Shigeru was drawing. He picked up the panel and laughed. "Yes, that's good." Then he grinned as a squeal of gas came out. "Aha, the sound of success." He turned and grinned at the empty kitchen. "Oh, that's right. They're not here."
In the bedroom, Fumie looked at Aiko. She said, "I wonder what our future will be like."
And in the store, Takashi was polishing a bottle. It was dark outside, but the door was open. He thought about Fumie asking him what was most important, and telling him that he needed to do what was important to him. Then he shrugged and started to put the bottle down. A sound at the door made him turn. His girlfriend stood there.
The next morning, Fumie came in the door of the shop in the sunshine. Aiko was strapped to her back, and she wore a quilted kimono coat. She called out, cheerfully, "I'm back." There was no answer. She looked around the store. "That's odd. No one here, and the store wide open?" Just then, one of her sisters stepped out and waved to her. Fumie said, "What's going on?" The sister quietly said, "It's Genbee and Takashi..."
<to be continued>
Izumi, Fumie's little sister, glared at Fumie and said, "You've been gone for three and a half years, you don't know how it feels anymore." She slid the doors open and ran out of the room.
Meanwhile, Genbee, Fumie's father, sat at a small table and looked at Miyako, his wife. "Did you want to tell me something?" She shrugged. "I suppose you think I've been too hard. Izumi wants to go to Tokyo, Takashi wants to marry some poor knitter." He settled himself. "No. She's going to teach. He'll inherit the store. I've decided."
In the store, Takashi was going over inventory papers. Fumie came in, and looked at the bottles, running along the side, standing proudly on stands, row after row. She stepped into the store and said, "I remember so many times in this store..." Takashi jumped, then said, "Oh. Fumie. You surprised me." She said, "It used to be so much work, even for two of us." He said, "It's a lot easier now. We don't bottle our own." She laughed and said, "Do you remember the time we forgot to tighten the lids?" He laughed. "Of course. But what about the time you had too many bottles on the bicycle, and you fell over and bottles went everywhere." She laughed. "I thought we would never find all of them." He said, "And you were crying." She said, "No I didn't." Then they both laughed.
Takashi said, "This store has done a lot of good for us." Fumie nodded, then said, "Takashi, I know it's not my business, but talk to Genbee. He... he really is trying to do what's best." Takashi shook his head. "He's really not interested in listening. Besides, if I was poor, Miyako would worry so much."
Fumie took a deep breath, and leaned against the counter. "Actually, our house... well, we're poor. Sometimes food is whatever I can find, and we've had the electricity turned off." Takashi said, "Really? But..." Fumie said, "But Shigeru loves to draw. He draws all day. And he's so happy doing that."
Takashi picked up a bottle and polished it. Fumie said, "Takashi, is this really enough for you?" He shrugged. She said, "If you weren't doing this, what would be most important for you? Doing what's most important is what makes everyone happy."
Takashi said, "I am not Murai." Then he shook his head, gave a little smile, and put the bottle down. "I've worked here for so long. I don't know anything else."
The next morning, the family ate breakfast in silence. Genbee bit and chewed, staring straight ahead. Yukie asked, "Fumie? Are you going to visit Murai today?" Fumie said, "Yes. I might stay over, too." One of the brothers said, "Just don't let them steal Aiko." He laughed, but it fell flat.
Izumi laid her chopsticks down. She announced. "I'm done. I'm going to school." She stood up, glared at Genbee, turned and went into the kitchen. Takashi ate with his head down.
Later, in the kitchen, Miyako washed dishes with Fumie. Miyako said, "I'm sorry this all happened while you're visiting."
At the Murai house, Kinuyo, Shigeru's mother, held Aiko. "She's so cute!" Shuhei reached for Aiko, but Kinuyo ignored him. She asked Fumie, "So does she eat well?" Fumie nodded. "Yes, plenty." Kinuyo laughed. "Just like Shigeru when he was this age. Right, Shuhei?" He said, "Yes. Let me hold her?" He reached out again, and she ignored his hands. Aiko said, "Chuhei?"
Kinuyo laughed. "She's talking already. She's smarter than Shigeru. He didn't talk for the longest time." She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "In fact, his first words..." Fumie said, "Yes? What did he say?" Kinuyo looked at Shuhei. "He said cat baba." Fumie said, "Cat baba? What?" Shuhei shook his head. "Cat shit. He had found a piece of cat shit." Kinuyo said, "Yes, and he's been strange ever since."
Several voices called from outside. "Murai? Can we see your granddaughter?" Kinuyo said, "That's Shuhei's friends from the neighborhood. They all want to see Aiko." She started to get up, and Shuhei said, "Let me hold her." Kinuyo lifted Aiko in her arms and walked past him. He lifted his arms and held an air baby, patting its back. He shrugged.
The group of neighbors admired Aiko in Kinuyo's arms. "I don't think we've met Fumie before?" Kinuyo said, "It's her first time to visit in three and a half years." "So how does Aiko like her grandfather?" Shuhei said, quietly, "She hasn't met him yet." One of the neighbors asked, "So is Shigeru doing well, drawing manga?" Another said, "He must be doing well, he's too busy to come visit with his wife and baby."
A woman called from outside. Kinuyo said, "Oh, that's my friend." She took Aiko with her to answer the door.
In the quiet, Shuhei turned to Fumie and said, "Thank you very much for coming such a long way."
Then one of his friends said, "So, what do you think about this government business? I mean, they can't really expect us to agree with that, do you think?" Shuhei nodded. "Yes, it's completely unreasonable. I plan to object, strongly."
Kinuyo came back in, carrying Aiko, with her friend. She said, "What? I just walk out of the door, and you start talking about craziness. Of course, we all agree with the government. Anything else is just ridiculous."
Later, Aiko was sleeping. Kinuyo watched her, with Shuhei sitting beside her. Fumie came in, folding her apron. She said, "I've cleaned the kitchen. I think we better go, the trains will stop soon." Kinuyo said, "Why don't you stay overnight?" Fumie said, "There are things going on at home that I'm kind of worried about." Kinuyo said, "Why don't you go home, and leave Aiko with us? We can bring her tomorrow." Fumie said, "I don't think..." Shuhei said, "Surely you can stay one night." Fumie nodded.
Kinuyo leaned over and said, "Shigeru isn't making much money yet, is he?" Fumie said, "Well..." Kinuyo gave a firm nod. "You need to push him. He needs someone to push him. His father is the cause." Shuhei said, "Well, I'll just go sit over there." Kinuyo said, "Fumie, you need to give him direction. Take charge." Fumie nodded.
Meanwhile, Shigeru was drawing. He picked up the panel and laughed. "Yes, that's good." Then he grinned as a squeal of gas came out. "Aha, the sound of success." He turned and grinned at the empty kitchen. "Oh, that's right. They're not here."
In the bedroom, Fumie looked at Aiko. She said, "I wonder what our future will be like."
And in the store, Takashi was polishing a bottle. It was dark outside, but the door was open. He thought about Fumie asking him what was most important, and telling him that he needed to do what was important to him. Then he shrugged and started to put the bottle down. A sound at the door made him turn. His girlfriend stood there.
The next morning, Fumie came in the door of the shop in the sunshine. Aiko was strapped to her back, and she wore a quilted kimono coat. She called out, cheerfully, "I'm back." There was no answer. She looked around the store. "That's odd. No one here, and the store wide open?" Just then, one of her sisters stepped out and waved to her. Fumie said, "What's going on?" The sister quietly said, "It's Genbee and Takashi..."
<to be continued>
