Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/11
Aug. 11th, 2010 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. who can you talk to?
Fumie peeked out the window at Shuhei, Shigeru's father, and Kinuyo, Shigeru's mother. They were outside at the clothesline. Kinuyo said, "Hang up the socks. My heart is weak." She watched as he hung socks on clothespins. He looked up at the sky and said, "It's terrible to make a man do this kind of work during the May holiday season." Kinuyo frowned, and said, "You're always on holiday! And my heart is so weak."
Shuhei started humming. He hung some clothes, and Kinuyo said, "No, no, you have to stretch them, like this." She pulled them down, then slapped them between her hands. "Like that!" She turned around, and found him doing something else. "Come over here and let me see you do it." He came over, and hit the clothes with a bent stick used for beating futon. She yelled, "No, no, not like that."
In the living room, the telephone rang . Aiko came down the stairs and grabbed it. She frowned as she answered it, looking at the clock.
Moments later, she hung up the phone. Fumie came from the other room and said, "Oh, you're up." Aiko turned and glared at her. "Why didn't you wake me up? I was supposed to meet Tomomi at 10 this morning." Fumie glanced at the clock. It was 11 o'clock. "Well, could you go over now?" Aiko shook her head. "It's too late. They're going shopping without me. Why didn't you wake me up?"
Fumie said, "Come over here and sit down." They sat down at the kitchen table. Fumie sighed. "I tried to wake you up at 9 this morning. I came into your room, called your name, and... Shigeru came up behind me and reminded me that his rule is that we don't wake sleeping children. We let them sleep until they wake up by themselves. Then he went in the other room and collapsed, because he was up all night." Aiko shook her head. "Nobody else has that rule. Only here." Fumie nodded. "Yes, but it is the rule here. Shigeru hated being woken up when he was a child, so he decided that you wouldn't grow up that way."
Fumie smiled at Aiko. "Look, I'm sorry you missed Tomomi, but tomorrow, let's go to a department store together." Aiko shook her head. "I don't want to go." Fumie said, "I thought you would enjoy going to the department store." Aiko shrugged. "Why? We look at all the dresses, purses, and all that stuff you like." Fumie said, "Well, we can look at the toys and games, too." Aiko said, "But all we do is look. We never buy anything."
Shigeru stumbled into the kitchen. Fumie said, "Are you up? I thought you just went to sleep?" He shook his head. "I heard voices, so..." He looked at Aiko. "You could sleep later if you want." Aiko got up and walked out of the kitchen.
Upstairs, AIko pushed at Yoshiko's cheek. Aiko said, "Wake up, Yoshiko." Yoshiki didn't respond. Aiko sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her schoolbag. She frowned and said, "Father's rule is stupid. What if someone want's to get up?"
In the kitchen, Fumie had stood up and was fixing coffee for Shigeru. As she worked, she said, "Aiko really wanted to go with her friend today. And when I told her we could go to a department store tomorrow, she wasn't interested at all. I thought she'd be happy." A snore from behind her interrupted her. She glanced around. Shigeru was holding up a newspaper, but he was nodding over it, his head wobbling in the chair.
Later, Fumie was in the shopping center. She walked into Yamada's shop, the young housewife, but no one was in the store. She heard voices inside, and stepped inside.
Shuhei sat at the table with the three wives. Matsui looked up and said, "Oh, hi, Fumie. Your father-in-law has been telling us about long-ago." Shuhei looked around and raised his hand in greeting. "Yes, so when I was young, we thought we would open a movie theater in our town." Miura said, "A movie theater?" Shuhei nodded. "Yes. We raised money, and started to get everything we needed. And then it happened." Yamada said, "What?" Shuhei said, "Robbery. One night, someone stole the movie projector! And you can't have a movie theater without a movie projector." Matsui said, "Well, what happened?"
Shuhei smiled. "I'll tell you what happened next... tomorrow."
The wives laughed. Yamada said, "Well, I suppose I had better give you that special deal on 100 grams of mushrooms, then, so you'll come back." He chuckled.
As he stood up, Matsui said, "Fumie, don't tell your mother-in-law, but he needs somewhere to relax and get away from her yelling." The other wives nodded. Fumie said, "Oh, he told you about that?"
Out in the shopping area, Shuhei said, "I really enjoy shopping. It gets noisy at home." He glanced at Fumie. "What about you? Shigeru works so much." Fumie said, "Yes, Shigeru works all the time. Sometimes it's hard to get time to talk with him."
Shuhei glanced around and said, "Let me invite you in here." He opened the door of the coffeeshop, and walked inside with Fumie. As he came in, Kameda, the pawnshop owner, jumped up from the counter and said, "Oh, good to see you again. Say, how did that kabuki part go?" Kameda nd Shuhei did an impromptu selection from a kabuki play, with Shuhei reciting the part and doing the actions. Then they laughed, and sat down.
Shuhei looked across the table at Fumie and said, "What would you like?" Fumie said, "Coffee, I guess." Shuhei looked over his shoulder and told the coffeeshop man, "One coffee and my usual."
Fumie said, "I guess you've been coming in here often?" Shuhei said, "Just to avoid wrinkles." Fumie said, "Wrinkles?" Shuhei put his finger on his forehead. "Yes. I have to have a quiet place to get the wrinkles out of here."
Then he leaned back. "So, I've got time. Maybe you could talk to me? Is it problems with Shigeru?"
Fumie shook her head. "No, no. The children..." Shuhei leaned forward. "Yes?" Fumie said, "Well, Yoshiko... I keep having to meet with her kindergarten teacher. She keeps getting in trouble at school." Then she tilted her head. "Aiko... she seems quiet."
The coffeeshop man came to the table. He set a white cup and saucer in front of Fumie. "Here's your coffee." Then he turned to Shuhei and set a saucer with a glass cup on it in front ot him. The cup was filled with a dak liquid. The coffeeshop man said, "And here's your hot cola." Fumie said, "Hot cola? Coca cola?" Shuhei shrugged. "When it's cold, it bothers my stomach. But hot, with a little lemon... it's very good." He picked up a lemon from the saucer and squeezed it into the cup, then stirred it and took a sip. The coffeeshop man said, "He introduced it here." Then the coffeeshop man went back to the counter.
Shuhei took another sip of his hot cola. Then he said, "Yoshiko sounds like another Shigeru. When he was growing up, I used to go looking for him, and found him standing outside a nearby temple." Fumie said, "A temple?" Shuhei nodded. "He was standing, staring at the kitsune statues guarding the entrance. He was watching those stone foxes. And when I asked him what he was doing, he said he wanted to see whether or not they moved." Fumie laughed.
Shuhei said, "At school, well, the new principal thought that Shigeru was listening very carefully to his long speech. Then there was a squeal when Shigeru made gas." Fumie bit her lip. "He made gas?" Shuhei said, "Well, he was asleep. He could take a nap with his eyes open." Shuhei shook his head. "He was a strange kid, and got in lots of trouble. But I think sometimes that's what has led to his drawing now."
After they finished talking, Shuhei and Fumie walked up to the house together. As they got close, Aiko came out. She was smiling. "Mom? I'm going to Tomomi's house now. They bought a portion for me, too." Fumie smiled back at her. "Good, I'm glad it worked out." Aiko looked at Fumie and said, "Maybe tomorrow we can go to a department store together, too?" Fumie nodded. Aiko walked away.
Shuhei looked at Fumie. "Well, it sounds as if one of your children doesn't have any problems."
After the holidays, Fumie picked up manga stacked in the living room, and the doorbell rang. She glanced up, then shoved the manga under the couch. Then she sat down at the table with a young woman, Aiko's principal. The young woman glanced around, and said, "That other part is the work room?" Fumie said, "Yes, but they're working on a deadline today. So I can't show you around." The principal said, "I hoped to see your husband, too." Fumie said, "They're very busy. Maybe another time?" The principal said, "That's okay. I heard from Aiko's teacher that this is a little different."
Then she looked at Fumie and said, "Perhaps you have some things you want to ask me about?" Fumie said, "Well, no, not really." The principal said, "Oh. Well, I guess Aiko doesn't really like school, does she?"
<to be continued>
Fumie peeked out the window at Shuhei, Shigeru's father, and Kinuyo, Shigeru's mother. They were outside at the clothesline. Kinuyo said, "Hang up the socks. My heart is weak." She watched as he hung socks on clothespins. He looked up at the sky and said, "It's terrible to make a man do this kind of work during the May holiday season." Kinuyo frowned, and said, "You're always on holiday! And my heart is so weak."
Shuhei started humming. He hung some clothes, and Kinuyo said, "No, no, you have to stretch them, like this." She pulled them down, then slapped them between her hands. "Like that!" She turned around, and found him doing something else. "Come over here and let me see you do it." He came over, and hit the clothes with a bent stick used for beating futon. She yelled, "No, no, not like that."
In the living room, the telephone rang . Aiko came down the stairs and grabbed it. She frowned as she answered it, looking at the clock.
Moments later, she hung up the phone. Fumie came from the other room and said, "Oh, you're up." Aiko turned and glared at her. "Why didn't you wake me up? I was supposed to meet Tomomi at 10 this morning." Fumie glanced at the clock. It was 11 o'clock. "Well, could you go over now?" Aiko shook her head. "It's too late. They're going shopping without me. Why didn't you wake me up?"
Fumie said, "Come over here and sit down." They sat down at the kitchen table. Fumie sighed. "I tried to wake you up at 9 this morning. I came into your room, called your name, and... Shigeru came up behind me and reminded me that his rule is that we don't wake sleeping children. We let them sleep until they wake up by themselves. Then he went in the other room and collapsed, because he was up all night." Aiko shook her head. "Nobody else has that rule. Only here." Fumie nodded. "Yes, but it is the rule here. Shigeru hated being woken up when he was a child, so he decided that you wouldn't grow up that way."
Fumie smiled at Aiko. "Look, I'm sorry you missed Tomomi, but tomorrow, let's go to a department store together." Aiko shook her head. "I don't want to go." Fumie said, "I thought you would enjoy going to the department store." Aiko shrugged. "Why? We look at all the dresses, purses, and all that stuff you like." Fumie said, "Well, we can look at the toys and games, too." Aiko said, "But all we do is look. We never buy anything."
Shigeru stumbled into the kitchen. Fumie said, "Are you up? I thought you just went to sleep?" He shook his head. "I heard voices, so..." He looked at Aiko. "You could sleep later if you want." Aiko got up and walked out of the kitchen.
Upstairs, AIko pushed at Yoshiko's cheek. Aiko said, "Wake up, Yoshiko." Yoshiki didn't respond. Aiko sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her schoolbag. She frowned and said, "Father's rule is stupid. What if someone want's to get up?"
In the kitchen, Fumie had stood up and was fixing coffee for Shigeru. As she worked, she said, "Aiko really wanted to go with her friend today. And when I told her we could go to a department store tomorrow, she wasn't interested at all. I thought she'd be happy." A snore from behind her interrupted her. She glanced around. Shigeru was holding up a newspaper, but he was nodding over it, his head wobbling in the chair.
Later, Fumie was in the shopping center. She walked into Yamada's shop, the young housewife, but no one was in the store. She heard voices inside, and stepped inside.
Shuhei sat at the table with the three wives. Matsui looked up and said, "Oh, hi, Fumie. Your father-in-law has been telling us about long-ago." Shuhei looked around and raised his hand in greeting. "Yes, so when I was young, we thought we would open a movie theater in our town." Miura said, "A movie theater?" Shuhei nodded. "Yes. We raised money, and started to get everything we needed. And then it happened." Yamada said, "What?" Shuhei said, "Robbery. One night, someone stole the movie projector! And you can't have a movie theater without a movie projector." Matsui said, "Well, what happened?"
Shuhei smiled. "I'll tell you what happened next... tomorrow."
The wives laughed. Yamada said, "Well, I suppose I had better give you that special deal on 100 grams of mushrooms, then, so you'll come back." He chuckled.
As he stood up, Matsui said, "Fumie, don't tell your mother-in-law, but he needs somewhere to relax and get away from her yelling." The other wives nodded. Fumie said, "Oh, he told you about that?"
Out in the shopping area, Shuhei said, "I really enjoy shopping. It gets noisy at home." He glanced at Fumie. "What about you? Shigeru works so much." Fumie said, "Yes, Shigeru works all the time. Sometimes it's hard to get time to talk with him."
Shuhei glanced around and said, "Let me invite you in here." He opened the door of the coffeeshop, and walked inside with Fumie. As he came in, Kameda, the pawnshop owner, jumped up from the counter and said, "Oh, good to see you again. Say, how did that kabuki part go?" Kameda nd Shuhei did an impromptu selection from a kabuki play, with Shuhei reciting the part and doing the actions. Then they laughed, and sat down.
Shuhei looked across the table at Fumie and said, "What would you like?" Fumie said, "Coffee, I guess." Shuhei looked over his shoulder and told the coffeeshop man, "One coffee and my usual."
Fumie said, "I guess you've been coming in here often?" Shuhei said, "Just to avoid wrinkles." Fumie said, "Wrinkles?" Shuhei put his finger on his forehead. "Yes. I have to have a quiet place to get the wrinkles out of here."
Then he leaned back. "So, I've got time. Maybe you could talk to me? Is it problems with Shigeru?"
Fumie shook her head. "No, no. The children..." Shuhei leaned forward. "Yes?" Fumie said, "Well, Yoshiko... I keep having to meet with her kindergarten teacher. She keeps getting in trouble at school." Then she tilted her head. "Aiko... she seems quiet."
The coffeeshop man came to the table. He set a white cup and saucer in front of Fumie. "Here's your coffee." Then he turned to Shuhei and set a saucer with a glass cup on it in front ot him. The cup was filled with a dak liquid. The coffeeshop man said, "And here's your hot cola." Fumie said, "Hot cola? Coca cola?" Shuhei shrugged. "When it's cold, it bothers my stomach. But hot, with a little lemon... it's very good." He picked up a lemon from the saucer and squeezed it into the cup, then stirred it and took a sip. The coffeeshop man said, "He introduced it here." Then the coffeeshop man went back to the counter.
Shuhei took another sip of his hot cola. Then he said, "Yoshiko sounds like another Shigeru. When he was growing up, I used to go looking for him, and found him standing outside a nearby temple." Fumie said, "A temple?" Shuhei nodded. "He was standing, staring at the kitsune statues guarding the entrance. He was watching those stone foxes. And when I asked him what he was doing, he said he wanted to see whether or not they moved." Fumie laughed.
Shuhei said, "At school, well, the new principal thought that Shigeru was listening very carefully to his long speech. Then there was a squeal when Shigeru made gas." Fumie bit her lip. "He made gas?" Shuhei said, "Well, he was asleep. He could take a nap with his eyes open." Shuhei shook his head. "He was a strange kid, and got in lots of trouble. But I think sometimes that's what has led to his drawing now."
After they finished talking, Shuhei and Fumie walked up to the house together. As they got close, Aiko came out. She was smiling. "Mom? I'm going to Tomomi's house now. They bought a portion for me, too." Fumie smiled back at her. "Good, I'm glad it worked out." Aiko looked at Fumie and said, "Maybe tomorrow we can go to a department store together, too?" Fumie nodded. Aiko walked away.
Shuhei looked at Fumie. "Well, it sounds as if one of your children doesn't have any problems."
After the holidays, Fumie picked up manga stacked in the living room, and the doorbell rang. She glanced up, then shoved the manga under the couch. Then she sat down at the table with a young woman, Aiko's principal. The young woman glanced around, and said, "That other part is the work room?" Fumie said, "Yes, but they're working on a deadline today. So I can't show you around." The principal said, "I hoped to see your husband, too." Fumie said, "They're very busy. Maybe another time?" The principal said, "That's okay. I heard from Aiko's teacher that this is a little different."
Then she looked at Fumie and said, "Perhaps you have some things you want to ask me about?" Fumie said, "Well, no, not really." The principal said, "Oh. Well, I guess Aiko doesn't really like school, does she?"
<to be continued>
