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Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 7/8
a.k.a. something will turn up
Shuhei, Shigeru's father, was imitating part of a kabuki play. He was sitting behind Shigeru, who was drawing. Shuhei laughed about the man from the country in the play. Kinuyo grumbled, "And we're from the country..."
Then Kinuyo walked up behind Fumie. "Actually, I think you're right. No matter what Shuhei says, Shigeru would just be tired out by a young girl." Fumie rubbed at a dish, trying to figure out what Kinuyo was saying. "I don't think he was interested at all. We had a hard time getting him to pay enough attention to get married, after all." Kinuyo shook her head.
Later, as they sat around the table after dinner, Shigeru glanced at the clock and said, "It's getting dark. Should I take you to the station?" Shuhei smiled. "No, that's all right. We're going to stay here tonight." Shigeru and Fumie gasped. Shigeru said, "You didn't tell us. We don't have any extra futon." Fumie said, "I could... I could try to borrow some?" Kinuyo said, "That's all right. It's warm. I can sleep with Aiko and Fumie, and Shuhei can sleep with Shigeru. We'll be fine." Shigeru winced.
Later that evening, Aiko was already asleep under the futon. Fumie was covering a pillow with a cloth, while Kinuyo sat nearby. "I only have one pillow for you." Kunio said, "That will be fine. I sleep well with one pillow." Fumie said, "By the way, what happened to the novel?" Kinuyo frowned. "As I expected, it wasn't real. We asked one of our friends, and he said it was just a cheat." Then she looked at Aiko. "But it was good to visit you and see Aiko." Then she sat back and sighed. "I don't know. Shuhei always dreams of a novel. But living in the country, we don't need so much money." She looked at Fumie. "Shigeru has the same kind of dreams. But you're his wife, and together, you can do things."
She knelt and bowed to Fumie. "Please take care of him." Fumie returned the bow, and said, "I'll try." Then Kinuyo glanced sideways, and said, "What? Oh..." Aiko had crawled out of the covers and was bowing, too. Aiko said, "Please..." Kinuyo and Fumie laughed, and Kinuyo picked up Aiko and gave her a hug.
Downstairs, in the workroom, Shigeru was drawing. Shuhei sat on the futon behind him, with a book of manga in his hand. Shuhei asked, "Are you going to sleep soon?" Shigeru shook his head. "No, not soon. Go ahead and sleep though." Then Shigeru looked up and said, "Say, what happened to your novel?" Shuhei laughed. "Oh, it wasn't a good deal. It really could've been a bestseller, though." He looked thoughtful. "It's like those old movies I used to take you to as a child." Shigeru glanced around. "That's right, you did take me to a lot of movies."
After a while, Shuhei laughed at the manga he was reading. "Your stories are really funny." Then Shuhei looked around, and moved closer to Shigeru. "You know, son, this afternoon? That pretty girl? You can tell me about it. About what really happened." Shigeru shook his head. "Nothing happened." Shuhei said, "Really? Nothing happened? That's a shame." Then they both chuckled. Shuhei patted Shigeru's shoulder. "I guess you've got work to do." As Shigeru started drawing again, Shuhei laid down in the futon.
After Shuhei and Kinuyo went back to their house, life settled back to normal.
When the cherry blossoms were flowering, Fumie was outside with Aiko looking at the trees and catching falling petals. Haruko called from the gate, "Fumie?" Fumie turned and looked at her, and smiled.
Minutes later, inside the house, Haruko apologized to Shigeru. "I'm so sorry I ran off like that." He waved his hand. "What about your family?" Shigeru said, "They've gone home. I explained it, and I think everything's fine. But what about your work?"
Haruko said, "You know that publisher I told you about? I did a manga in three days for them. I really think it was the best manga I've ever done." Fumie said, "In three days?" Haruko nodded. "But they didn't buy it. So, I'm going to go back to the country. I didn't succeed." She looked at the desk where Shigeru worked, with its pots of colored inks and pens. "I'm going to quit drawing manga, but I don't... I don't really know what I'll do. Ever since childhood, I've wanted to do manga." She looked at the floor. "I fought so hard for the last three years, and now I'm just empty."
Shigeru rubbed his chin. "Every manga artist fights. We all fight to do better. And sometimes at night, we think about quitting." Then he smiled. "But you're not empty. In the last three years, you've learned a lot about manga." Haruko frowned. "But I'm quitting. So it's all wasted." Shigeru shook his head. "No. My father used to go to lots of movies, because he wanted to do novels. He took me with him. And that's really back of my drawing. Your background with manga... somewhere it will connect." Haruko said, "But your father..." Fumie said, "Actually, he's still writing novels." Haruko said, "He's still writing?" Shigeru nodded. "He came to talk to a publisher. That's what they were doing here. He didn't get a book published this time, but... he's still got his dreams. And something will turn up."
Haruko looked at her hands for a long moment. Then she looked up, and smiled. "I guess I really did learn a lot. And maybe something will turn up."
Shigeru, Fumie, and Haruko went into the street to say goodbye. Haruko thanked them, and then said, "Sensei? Could I borrow Fumie?" Shigeru said, "I guess so. But what..." Haruko grinned. "I've never seen the sights of Tokyo. Before I leave for the country, I want to see some sights. And I want Fumie to go with me." Fumie said, "Right now? What about Aiko?" Shigeru said, "I'll take care of her." Haruko grabbed Fumie's hand and started down the street. Shigeru called, "Wait, take the bicycles, it will be faster."
<to be continued>
Shuhei, Shigeru's father, was imitating part of a kabuki play. He was sitting behind Shigeru, who was drawing. Shuhei laughed about the man from the country in the play. Kinuyo grumbled, "And we're from the country..."
Then Kinuyo walked up behind Fumie. "Actually, I think you're right. No matter what Shuhei says, Shigeru would just be tired out by a young girl." Fumie rubbed at a dish, trying to figure out what Kinuyo was saying. "I don't think he was interested at all. We had a hard time getting him to pay enough attention to get married, after all." Kinuyo shook her head.
Later, as they sat around the table after dinner, Shigeru glanced at the clock and said, "It's getting dark. Should I take you to the station?" Shuhei smiled. "No, that's all right. We're going to stay here tonight." Shigeru and Fumie gasped. Shigeru said, "You didn't tell us. We don't have any extra futon." Fumie said, "I could... I could try to borrow some?" Kinuyo said, "That's all right. It's warm. I can sleep with Aiko and Fumie, and Shuhei can sleep with Shigeru. We'll be fine." Shigeru winced.
Later that evening, Aiko was already asleep under the futon. Fumie was covering a pillow with a cloth, while Kinuyo sat nearby. "I only have one pillow for you." Kunio said, "That will be fine. I sleep well with one pillow." Fumie said, "By the way, what happened to the novel?" Kinuyo frowned. "As I expected, it wasn't real. We asked one of our friends, and he said it was just a cheat." Then she looked at Aiko. "But it was good to visit you and see Aiko." Then she sat back and sighed. "I don't know. Shuhei always dreams of a novel. But living in the country, we don't need so much money." She looked at Fumie. "Shigeru has the same kind of dreams. But you're his wife, and together, you can do things."
She knelt and bowed to Fumie. "Please take care of him." Fumie returned the bow, and said, "I'll try." Then Kinuyo glanced sideways, and said, "What? Oh..." Aiko had crawled out of the covers and was bowing, too. Aiko said, "Please..." Kinuyo and Fumie laughed, and Kinuyo picked up Aiko and gave her a hug.
Downstairs, in the workroom, Shigeru was drawing. Shuhei sat on the futon behind him, with a book of manga in his hand. Shuhei asked, "Are you going to sleep soon?" Shigeru shook his head. "No, not soon. Go ahead and sleep though." Then Shigeru looked up and said, "Say, what happened to your novel?" Shuhei laughed. "Oh, it wasn't a good deal. It really could've been a bestseller, though." He looked thoughtful. "It's like those old movies I used to take you to as a child." Shigeru glanced around. "That's right, you did take me to a lot of movies."
After a while, Shuhei laughed at the manga he was reading. "Your stories are really funny." Then Shuhei looked around, and moved closer to Shigeru. "You know, son, this afternoon? That pretty girl? You can tell me about it. About what really happened." Shigeru shook his head. "Nothing happened." Shuhei said, "Really? Nothing happened? That's a shame." Then they both chuckled. Shuhei patted Shigeru's shoulder. "I guess you've got work to do." As Shigeru started drawing again, Shuhei laid down in the futon.
After Shuhei and Kinuyo went back to their house, life settled back to normal.
When the cherry blossoms were flowering, Fumie was outside with Aiko looking at the trees and catching falling petals. Haruko called from the gate, "Fumie?" Fumie turned and looked at her, and smiled.
Minutes later, inside the house, Haruko apologized to Shigeru. "I'm so sorry I ran off like that." He waved his hand. "What about your family?" Shigeru said, "They've gone home. I explained it, and I think everything's fine. But what about your work?"
Haruko said, "You know that publisher I told you about? I did a manga in three days for them. I really think it was the best manga I've ever done." Fumie said, "In three days?" Haruko nodded. "But they didn't buy it. So, I'm going to go back to the country. I didn't succeed." She looked at the desk where Shigeru worked, with its pots of colored inks and pens. "I'm going to quit drawing manga, but I don't... I don't really know what I'll do. Ever since childhood, I've wanted to do manga." She looked at the floor. "I fought so hard for the last three years, and now I'm just empty."
Shigeru rubbed his chin. "Every manga artist fights. We all fight to do better. And sometimes at night, we think about quitting." Then he smiled. "But you're not empty. In the last three years, you've learned a lot about manga." Haruko frowned. "But I'm quitting. So it's all wasted." Shigeru shook his head. "No. My father used to go to lots of movies, because he wanted to do novels. He took me with him. And that's really back of my drawing. Your background with manga... somewhere it will connect." Haruko said, "But your father..." Fumie said, "Actually, he's still writing novels." Haruko said, "He's still writing?" Shigeru nodded. "He came to talk to a publisher. That's what they were doing here. He didn't get a book published this time, but... he's still got his dreams. And something will turn up."
Haruko looked at her hands for a long moment. Then she looked up, and smiled. "I guess I really did learn a lot. And maybe something will turn up."
Shigeru, Fumie, and Haruko went into the street to say goodbye. Haruko thanked them, and then said, "Sensei? Could I borrow Fumie?" Shigeru said, "I guess so. But what..." Haruko grinned. "I've never seen the sights of Tokyo. Before I leave for the country, I want to see some sights. And I want Fumie to go with me." Fumie said, "Right now? What about Aiko?" Shigeru said, "I'll take care of her." Haruko grabbed Fumie's hand and started down the street. Shigeru called, "Wait, take the bicycles, it will be faster."
<to be continued>