Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 7/5
Jul. 5th, 2010 08:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. mother knows best?
Fumie and the rest watched Michiko driving away. She remembered Michiko meeting her by stopping the purse snatcher who had stolen her purse. She remembered Michiko giving her advice about telling Shigeru that she was pregnant. And she remembered Michiko urging her to keep going. She looked at the departing truck and said, "Thank you. I hope you'll be healthy."
Later, Shigeru was drawing. He looked at his own drawing and chuckled at it. Then he looked behind himself at a corner of the bookcase, and sneered at the ghost of poverty standing there. "You again? Just go away." He settled himself and continued drawing.
In the kitchen, Fumie was working on the budget. She added up the numbers, and wrote down -25. She got out her purse and looked at the few coins inside. The ghost of poverty stood by her elbow. She rubbed her shoulders at the sudden chill she felt.
It was March, 1965. Yuichi, Shigeru's brother, sat in the kitchen talking with Shigeru and Fumie. Shigeru said, "You bought a television?" Yuichi nodded. "Yes, too late for the Olympics, but the kids really wanted one." Shigeru said, "Aren't they expensive?" Yuichi lifted his hand. "Well, yes. 73,000 yen, but I talked them into giving it to me for 70,000 yen even." Fumie said, "70,000 yen?" Yuichi nodded. "I really wanted to get a color one, but the difference was too much. 200,000 yen!"
Sachiko, Yuichi's wife, looked in from the hallway. "I'm going to go ahead and take my bath." Yuichi waved her on, and looked at Shigeru. "You should buy a television. It's the era."
Shigeru asked, "How's your work going?" Yuichi said, "Actually, not very well. After the Olympics, business fell off." Shigeru said, "And you still bought a television?" Yuichi said, "Well, I can watch the news, so we save money on newspapers. But when the TV is turned on, the kids sit right in front of it." He pointed at Shigeru. "You should put your manga on TV. I'll bet that would sell a few of them."
From the entryway, a voice called, "Shigeru? Are you here?" Fumie said, "Was that your mother?" Shigeru shook his head. Yuichi laughed. "The Anger? Here? No matter how angry she is, she wouldn't..." Fumie said, "Yuichi!" and pointed with her chin behind him. He turned.
Kinuyo stood in the doorway, with Shuhei beside her, carrying a bag. She stared at Yuichi, and snapped, "Yuichi? What are you doing here?" Shuhei set the bag down, and said, "I'll just use your bathroom." He stepped past Kinuyo and walked down the hallway. Kinuyo said, "If you had listened to me..."
She picked up the bag, and carried it into the kitchen. She said, "This house is a very long way from the station." Shigeru stood in the corner and fingered his army bag. "Did something happen?" Kinuyo sat down and looked at him. "I sent you a letter... oh, we must've gotten here before the letter did."
There was a scream down the hall. Sachiko came running into the kitchen, holding her robe. "A stranger came into my bath."
Later, Aiko was stacking her wooden blocks. Shuhei asked her what she was making. She said, "A castle." He said, "A castle? Is it a Japanese castle or a European one?" She looked puzzled. Kinuyo said, "Don't be silly. She's too young to know the difference."
Kinuyo looked at Sachiko and said, "You forgot your father-in-law's face? Of course, Yuichi never brings you to visit." She looked at Yuichi and said, "Why are you taking a bath at your brother's house, anyway? Isn't there a public bath where you live?" Yuichi said, "Well, yes, but the money..." Kinuyo shook her head. "This all seems very poor to me. Yuichi! You should save money for the bath. It's the one where you live is too expensive, I'm sure there's one in the next town."
Shigeru said, "So, why are you visiting?" Shuhei said, "To tell you the truth, I brought my novel for the publisher. It's going to be a bestseller." Shigeru said, "Your novel?" Shuhei said, "Yes. I've been working on it, and the publisher said it would be a bestseller." Kinuyo said, "But it's very strange. He wants you to pay half the printing cost. Don't you think that's strange, Shigeru?" Shuhei motioned Shigeru to be quiet. Shigeru tilted his head. "Um, well, that's really hard to say..."
Shuhei said, "There was a bestseller in the newspaper. He made 10 million yen!" Fumie said, "10 million?" Shuhei said, "Yes. And then there are movies, too." Kinuyo frowned. "This is all dreams. When are you going to write these 30 books, anyway?" Shigeru said, "30 books?" Shuhei said, "Yes. I think I've got at least 30 books to write. And they'll sell... 12 million copies each!" He laughed.
Kinuyo said, "Can you look at his book?" Shuhei shook his head. "Shigeru writes manga. That's very different." Kinuyo said, "But..."
Uraki called from the entryway. "Gege? Are you home?" Fumie started to get up. Shigeru grabbed her shoulder. "No, let me."
Shigeru went out to the entryway. Uraki was looking at the shoes. "What's the occasion?" Shigeru said, "You came at just the right time. Please, come in." Uraki smiled. "That's a very different greeting than I usually get." He put his arm around Shigeru's shoulders. "So, did you decide that you need my help to sell your next book?" Shigeru got behind Uraki and ushered him into the next room. "Just come in..."
Uraki stopped in the doorway, with Shigeru behind him. Kinuyo glanced up, then stood up. "I know you!" Uraki started to step back, and found Shigeru's arm holding him in place. "I... I don't think I know you." Shuhei said, "Oh, Shigeru's mother." Uraki said, "Pleased to meet you, I'm sure." Kinuyo stood quite close to him and looked him up and down. "Yes, you're that nasty little boy that ran around like a skunk, getting into things. But you know something about publishing, don't you?" She turned around and sat down. Shigeru pushed Uraki down beside her. "Yes, I guess I do. How can I help you?"
She looked at him. "Do you think someone can make money writing books?" Uraki smiled. "Well, the publishing business is all about having dreams."
Kinuyo slapped the table. "What! You all need to straighten up! Dreams!" She looked at Shigeru. "You need to find a better publisher." She looked at Fumie. "And you need to keep him working on it."
Meanwhile, in the office of Shonen Land, one of the big publishers of magazine manga, a young man read all of Shigeru's works. He had a copy of Zeta, but also the older Devil Boy and Kitaro books. His manager said, "Come on, it's time for another planning meeting. Are you reading Mizuki again?" The young man nodded. "It's really good." His manager said, "A rental manga artist? Look at the printing, it's just black and white. And the cover art..."
The young man said, "But the story is really good." His manager shook his head. "You've tried to sell us three times." The young man said, "And I'll keep trying to sell you. Mizuki Shigeru should be working for us."
<To be continued >
Fumie and the rest watched Michiko driving away. She remembered Michiko meeting her by stopping the purse snatcher who had stolen her purse. She remembered Michiko giving her advice about telling Shigeru that she was pregnant. And she remembered Michiko urging her to keep going. She looked at the departing truck and said, "Thank you. I hope you'll be healthy."
Later, Shigeru was drawing. He looked at his own drawing and chuckled at it. Then he looked behind himself at a corner of the bookcase, and sneered at the ghost of poverty standing there. "You again? Just go away." He settled himself and continued drawing.
In the kitchen, Fumie was working on the budget. She added up the numbers, and wrote down -25. She got out her purse and looked at the few coins inside. The ghost of poverty stood by her elbow. She rubbed her shoulders at the sudden chill she felt.
It was March, 1965. Yuichi, Shigeru's brother, sat in the kitchen talking with Shigeru and Fumie. Shigeru said, "You bought a television?" Yuichi nodded. "Yes, too late for the Olympics, but the kids really wanted one." Shigeru said, "Aren't they expensive?" Yuichi lifted his hand. "Well, yes. 73,000 yen, but I talked them into giving it to me for 70,000 yen even." Fumie said, "70,000 yen?" Yuichi nodded. "I really wanted to get a color one, but the difference was too much. 200,000 yen!"
Sachiko, Yuichi's wife, looked in from the hallway. "I'm going to go ahead and take my bath." Yuichi waved her on, and looked at Shigeru. "You should buy a television. It's the era."
Shigeru asked, "How's your work going?" Yuichi said, "Actually, not very well. After the Olympics, business fell off." Shigeru said, "And you still bought a television?" Yuichi said, "Well, I can watch the news, so we save money on newspapers. But when the TV is turned on, the kids sit right in front of it." He pointed at Shigeru. "You should put your manga on TV. I'll bet that would sell a few of them."
From the entryway, a voice called, "Shigeru? Are you here?" Fumie said, "Was that your mother?" Shigeru shook his head. Yuichi laughed. "The Anger? Here? No matter how angry she is, she wouldn't..." Fumie said, "Yuichi!" and pointed with her chin behind him. He turned.
Kinuyo stood in the doorway, with Shuhei beside her, carrying a bag. She stared at Yuichi, and snapped, "Yuichi? What are you doing here?" Shuhei set the bag down, and said, "I'll just use your bathroom." He stepped past Kinuyo and walked down the hallway. Kinuyo said, "If you had listened to me..."
She picked up the bag, and carried it into the kitchen. She said, "This house is a very long way from the station." Shigeru stood in the corner and fingered his army bag. "Did something happen?" Kinuyo sat down and looked at him. "I sent you a letter... oh, we must've gotten here before the letter did."
There was a scream down the hall. Sachiko came running into the kitchen, holding her robe. "A stranger came into my bath."
Later, Aiko was stacking her wooden blocks. Shuhei asked her what she was making. She said, "A castle." He said, "A castle? Is it a Japanese castle or a European one?" She looked puzzled. Kinuyo said, "Don't be silly. She's too young to know the difference."
Kinuyo looked at Sachiko and said, "You forgot your father-in-law's face? Of course, Yuichi never brings you to visit." She looked at Yuichi and said, "Why are you taking a bath at your brother's house, anyway? Isn't there a public bath where you live?" Yuichi said, "Well, yes, but the money..." Kinuyo shook her head. "This all seems very poor to me. Yuichi! You should save money for the bath. It's the one where you live is too expensive, I'm sure there's one in the next town."
Shigeru said, "So, why are you visiting?" Shuhei said, "To tell you the truth, I brought my novel for the publisher. It's going to be a bestseller." Shigeru said, "Your novel?" Shuhei said, "Yes. I've been working on it, and the publisher said it would be a bestseller." Kinuyo said, "But it's very strange. He wants you to pay half the printing cost. Don't you think that's strange, Shigeru?" Shuhei motioned Shigeru to be quiet. Shigeru tilted his head. "Um, well, that's really hard to say..."
Shuhei said, "There was a bestseller in the newspaper. He made 10 million yen!" Fumie said, "10 million?" Shuhei said, "Yes. And then there are movies, too." Kinuyo frowned. "This is all dreams. When are you going to write these 30 books, anyway?" Shigeru said, "30 books?" Shuhei said, "Yes. I think I've got at least 30 books to write. And they'll sell... 12 million copies each!" He laughed.
Kinuyo said, "Can you look at his book?" Shuhei shook his head. "Shigeru writes manga. That's very different." Kinuyo said, "But..."
Uraki called from the entryway. "Gege? Are you home?" Fumie started to get up. Shigeru grabbed her shoulder. "No, let me."
Shigeru went out to the entryway. Uraki was looking at the shoes. "What's the occasion?" Shigeru said, "You came at just the right time. Please, come in." Uraki smiled. "That's a very different greeting than I usually get." He put his arm around Shigeru's shoulders. "So, did you decide that you need my help to sell your next book?" Shigeru got behind Uraki and ushered him into the next room. "Just come in..."
Uraki stopped in the doorway, with Shigeru behind him. Kinuyo glanced up, then stood up. "I know you!" Uraki started to step back, and found Shigeru's arm holding him in place. "I... I don't think I know you." Shuhei said, "Oh, Shigeru's mother." Uraki said, "Pleased to meet you, I'm sure." Kinuyo stood quite close to him and looked him up and down. "Yes, you're that nasty little boy that ran around like a skunk, getting into things. But you know something about publishing, don't you?" She turned around and sat down. Shigeru pushed Uraki down beside her. "Yes, I guess I do. How can I help you?"
She looked at him. "Do you think someone can make money writing books?" Uraki smiled. "Well, the publishing business is all about having dreams."
Kinuyo slapped the table. "What! You all need to straighten up! Dreams!" She looked at Shigeru. "You need to find a better publisher." She looked at Fumie. "And you need to keep him working on it."
Meanwhile, in the office of Shonen Land, one of the big publishers of magazine manga, a young man read all of Shigeru's works. He had a copy of Zeta, but also the older Devil Boy and Kitaro books. His manager said, "Come on, it's time for another planning meeting. Are you reading Mizuki again?" The young man nodded. "It's really good." His manager said, "A rental manga artist? Look at the printing, it's just black and white. And the cover art..."
The young man said, "But the story is really good." His manager shook his head. "You've tried to sell us three times." The young man said, "And I'll keep trying to sell you. Mizuki Shigeru should be working for us."
<To be continued >
