Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/19
Aug. 19th, 2010 01:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. who gets the last one?
Aiko looked at Fumie and said, "It might be good to go to the South Islands. No school, no tests..." Fumie frowned at her. "Don't tell your father that. He might take you seriously." Fumie glanced at the clock and said, "You'd better hurry for school." Aiko drained her milk and stood up, putting her dishes in the sink.
Fumie said, "Isn't the birthday party today?" Aiko said, "Yes, but maybe I shouldn't go." Fumie said, "Why not?" Aiko didn't answer. Fumie said, "I know what's wrong. You forgot to get a present, didn't you?" Aiko turned and smiled at her. "Yes, that's it." Fumie smiled. "Well, I thought about it." She turned to a cupboard and pulled out a red cloth bag with drawstrings. "I made this out of some left over cloth. All we have to do is wrap it." Fumie started wrapping the bag in blue paper. Aiko watched. She imagined the new girl glaring at her, and saying, "You lied!"
Moments later, Aiko sat in the entryway holding a package wrapped in blue paper with a red ribbon around it. She looked at it. "What am I going to do?" Kinuyo came down the stairs, and looked at her. "Aiko, what are you doing?" Aiko glanced up, then jumped to her feet. She pulled at the straps on her schoolbag on her back, and held the package in her hand. "Nothing. Just going to school. Bye!" Aiko went out the door. Kinuyo stared at the door, and shook her head. "Strange."
Kinuyo walked into the kitchen and said, "Fumie, is Aiko having stomach trouble?" Fumie said, "No, she just ate breakfast. Why?" Kinuyo said, "Well, there's something wrong. She was sitting in the entryway." Fumie said, "The birthday party is today. Maybe her friend would like something from the store, instead of a handmade present?" Kinuyo said, "Maybe that's it. Kids today like things from the store."
Kinuyo started to walk into the living room and sit down. Fumie said, "Today, Mitsui is coming to visit." Kinuyo said, "Oh, that's right. From Takarazuka. That's a long trip." Kinuyo frowned. "I'm not sure Shigeru has good memories of those times. He was so far away." Fumie wiped her hands on her apron. "Yes, but you called him back." Kinuyo said, "What?" Fumie laughed. "Oh, nothing."
At school, the girls were all clustered around Akagi's desk near the front of the room. "We're going to have special cake for the party! And ice cream." Tomomi looked at Aiko's desk in the back. Aiko was sitting there, staring at the blue-wrapped package.
At the house, Fumie and Shigeru answered the door. Mitsui, Shigeru's captain from the war, stepped inside and smiled at them. Then he said, "I've brought someone else." He waved another man in. "Shigeru, do you know who this is?" Shigeru peered at the man, and said, "Guni? Is it really you?" Shigeru turned to Fumie and said, "He's the military doctor, Guni, who took care of me." Then he looked at Mitsui and said, "Where did you find him?" Mitsui smiled. "He was working at the hospital in Takarazuka. And when I told him I was coming up here to meet you, he said he would, too." Shigeru shook his head. "You should've told us he was coming." Mitsui grinned. "And ruin the surprise? I was sure you'd enjoy seeing him again."
As they sat down around the low round table in the living room, Fumie brought another platter of food in. She said, "It's not much." (Normal polite Japanese phrase) The men smiled, looking at the table covered in food, and said, "It's enough." As they started to pour beer, Shigeru said, "Fumie, Guni here took care of me all the time when I had malaria. Every day he checked on me." Fumie said, "Thank you for taking care of him."
Then Guni said, "I saw the manga a year or so ago? A War Story by Shigeru Mizuki?" Shigeru nodded. Guni said, "That was the first time that I realized Shigeru Mizuki was Shigeru Murai." He shook his head. "I remember your sketchbooks. I should have known it was you."
Yoshiko came into the room from kindergarten, wearing a straw hat. She smiled at the large group intent on each other, and snuck behind the couch.
Shigeru said, "I'm surprised you remember. You always forgot your sword when you were on duty." Guni laughed and hit his head with the palm of his hand. "I was never a very good officer."
Yoshiko jumped out, between Mitsui and Guni. She grabbed Mitsui's left arm and tugged on it. The two men looked down at her. Guni said, "Good afternoon." Yoshiko nodded to him. Fumie said, "Yoshiko, stop that. I think grandfather has some cakes if you go up there now." Yoshiko grinned, said, "Good afternoon," and left.
One of the assistants stepped in and said, "Sensei? Sorry to bother you, but could you help with this?" Shigeru excused himself and went to look at the sheet.
In the living room, Fumie looked at the two army men. She said, "I'm sorry about Yoshiko. She's been wondering about Shigeru's arm. I think that's why she was pulling on yours." Then she looked at Shigeru talking to the assistant. "Actually, I think he's forgotten that he doesn't have it." Guni nodded. "He's always been cheerful. Even back then."
Upstairs, Shuhei and Yoshiko sat across from each other at the table. They both had powdered sugar on their nose and cheeks. In the middle of the table, there was a plate with one cake sitting in the middle. It was a white mochi cake, covered with powdered sugar. Yoshiko and Shuhei looked at each other, then pretended to look aside. And then Yoshiko reached out and grabbed the last cake. Shuhei tried, but when his hand got to the plate, there was nothing there. Yoshiko bit into it with gusto, while Shuhei muttered, "You beat me to it." She giggled.
Downstairs, in the living room, Shigeru said, "We should eat." They picked up chopsticks and started to pick up food from the table. Mitsui said, "This looks good. But no papaya?" Shigeru laughed. "I haven't been to the village recently." Fumie said, "The village?" Shigeru nodded, as he picked up a piece of fried chicken. "Yes. You remember I told you about the boy who brought the bananas when I was so sick?" Fumie nodded. Shigeru took a bite, chewed it, and swallowed. "When I started to get well, I went to thank him. I walked up the road and into the village. The boy and a man were sitting there. They looked scared when I walked in with my uniform. But I smiled at them. And the boy smiled back at me. Then when I thanked him... he gave me a papaya."
Guni said, "And you got in a lot of trouble over that." Fumie said, "What? Why?" Shigeru shrugged. "I brought it back. And the officers said I gave away our position, that it was against the rules to talk to the villagers. They were going to put me in the stockade." Guni said, "That's when I told them that you were still sick, and that they had to give you to me."
Shigeru smiled. "Actually, the villagers were very friendly. Sometimes I think about going back."
In the shopping center after school, Aiko was looking at the package, the red ribbon shiny against the blue paper. "What should I do?" She looked around, and then walked up to a trashcan. She looked at the package, and reached for the lid of the trashcan. From behind her, Kinuyo said, "What are you doing?" Aiko dropped the lid back on to the trashcan. She turned and looked at her grandmother. Tears started to roll down her cheeks, and she stepped into Kinuyo's arms. She muttered, "Grandmother, what should I do?" Kinuyo stroked her hair.
Back in the living room, Mitsui filled Guni's glass with beer, then lifted his own glass. "Destiny is odd. If you hadn't lost your arm, you probably wouldn't have come home from the war." Fumie said, "What do you mean?" Shigeru said, "Our company... everyone died. We were one of the groups that fought to the last man." Mitsui looked into his glass. "Yes. I still remember, everyone put on their best uniform, all shiny. They were all so young. And I gave a speech, all about having to fight to the last man. That was the orders. And they went out and every one of them died." He shook his head. "Just four months later, the war was over."
<to be continued>
Aiko looked at Fumie and said, "It might be good to go to the South Islands. No school, no tests..." Fumie frowned at her. "Don't tell your father that. He might take you seriously." Fumie glanced at the clock and said, "You'd better hurry for school." Aiko drained her milk and stood up, putting her dishes in the sink.
Fumie said, "Isn't the birthday party today?" Aiko said, "Yes, but maybe I shouldn't go." Fumie said, "Why not?" Aiko didn't answer. Fumie said, "I know what's wrong. You forgot to get a present, didn't you?" Aiko turned and smiled at her. "Yes, that's it." Fumie smiled. "Well, I thought about it." She turned to a cupboard and pulled out a red cloth bag with drawstrings. "I made this out of some left over cloth. All we have to do is wrap it." Fumie started wrapping the bag in blue paper. Aiko watched. She imagined the new girl glaring at her, and saying, "You lied!"
Moments later, Aiko sat in the entryway holding a package wrapped in blue paper with a red ribbon around it. She looked at it. "What am I going to do?" Kinuyo came down the stairs, and looked at her. "Aiko, what are you doing?" Aiko glanced up, then jumped to her feet. She pulled at the straps on her schoolbag on her back, and held the package in her hand. "Nothing. Just going to school. Bye!" Aiko went out the door. Kinuyo stared at the door, and shook her head. "Strange."
Kinuyo walked into the kitchen and said, "Fumie, is Aiko having stomach trouble?" Fumie said, "No, she just ate breakfast. Why?" Kinuyo said, "Well, there's something wrong. She was sitting in the entryway." Fumie said, "The birthday party is today. Maybe her friend would like something from the store, instead of a handmade present?" Kinuyo said, "Maybe that's it. Kids today like things from the store."
Kinuyo started to walk into the living room and sit down. Fumie said, "Today, Mitsui is coming to visit." Kinuyo said, "Oh, that's right. From Takarazuka. That's a long trip." Kinuyo frowned. "I'm not sure Shigeru has good memories of those times. He was so far away." Fumie wiped her hands on her apron. "Yes, but you called him back." Kinuyo said, "What?" Fumie laughed. "Oh, nothing."
At school, the girls were all clustered around Akagi's desk near the front of the room. "We're going to have special cake for the party! And ice cream." Tomomi looked at Aiko's desk in the back. Aiko was sitting there, staring at the blue-wrapped package.
At the house, Fumie and Shigeru answered the door. Mitsui, Shigeru's captain from the war, stepped inside and smiled at them. Then he said, "I've brought someone else." He waved another man in. "Shigeru, do you know who this is?" Shigeru peered at the man, and said, "Guni? Is it really you?" Shigeru turned to Fumie and said, "He's the military doctor, Guni, who took care of me." Then he looked at Mitsui and said, "Where did you find him?" Mitsui smiled. "He was working at the hospital in Takarazuka. And when I told him I was coming up here to meet you, he said he would, too." Shigeru shook his head. "You should've told us he was coming." Mitsui grinned. "And ruin the surprise? I was sure you'd enjoy seeing him again."
As they sat down around the low round table in the living room, Fumie brought another platter of food in. She said, "It's not much." (Normal polite Japanese phrase) The men smiled, looking at the table covered in food, and said, "It's enough." As they started to pour beer, Shigeru said, "Fumie, Guni here took care of me all the time when I had malaria. Every day he checked on me." Fumie said, "Thank you for taking care of him."
Then Guni said, "I saw the manga a year or so ago? A War Story by Shigeru Mizuki?" Shigeru nodded. Guni said, "That was the first time that I realized Shigeru Mizuki was Shigeru Murai." He shook his head. "I remember your sketchbooks. I should have known it was you."
Yoshiko came into the room from kindergarten, wearing a straw hat. She smiled at the large group intent on each other, and snuck behind the couch.
Shigeru said, "I'm surprised you remember. You always forgot your sword when you were on duty." Guni laughed and hit his head with the palm of his hand. "I was never a very good officer."
Yoshiko jumped out, between Mitsui and Guni. She grabbed Mitsui's left arm and tugged on it. The two men looked down at her. Guni said, "Good afternoon." Yoshiko nodded to him. Fumie said, "Yoshiko, stop that. I think grandfather has some cakes if you go up there now." Yoshiko grinned, said, "Good afternoon," and left.
One of the assistants stepped in and said, "Sensei? Sorry to bother you, but could you help with this?" Shigeru excused himself and went to look at the sheet.
In the living room, Fumie looked at the two army men. She said, "I'm sorry about Yoshiko. She's been wondering about Shigeru's arm. I think that's why she was pulling on yours." Then she looked at Shigeru talking to the assistant. "Actually, I think he's forgotten that he doesn't have it." Guni nodded. "He's always been cheerful. Even back then."
Upstairs, Shuhei and Yoshiko sat across from each other at the table. They both had powdered sugar on their nose and cheeks. In the middle of the table, there was a plate with one cake sitting in the middle. It was a white mochi cake, covered with powdered sugar. Yoshiko and Shuhei looked at each other, then pretended to look aside. And then Yoshiko reached out and grabbed the last cake. Shuhei tried, but when his hand got to the plate, there was nothing there. Yoshiko bit into it with gusto, while Shuhei muttered, "You beat me to it." She giggled.
Downstairs, in the living room, Shigeru said, "We should eat." They picked up chopsticks and started to pick up food from the table. Mitsui said, "This looks good. But no papaya?" Shigeru laughed. "I haven't been to the village recently." Fumie said, "The village?" Shigeru nodded, as he picked up a piece of fried chicken. "Yes. You remember I told you about the boy who brought the bananas when I was so sick?" Fumie nodded. Shigeru took a bite, chewed it, and swallowed. "When I started to get well, I went to thank him. I walked up the road and into the village. The boy and a man were sitting there. They looked scared when I walked in with my uniform. But I smiled at them. And the boy smiled back at me. Then when I thanked him... he gave me a papaya."
Guni said, "And you got in a lot of trouble over that." Fumie said, "What? Why?" Shigeru shrugged. "I brought it back. And the officers said I gave away our position, that it was against the rules to talk to the villagers. They were going to put me in the stockade." Guni said, "That's when I told them that you were still sick, and that they had to give you to me."
Shigeru smiled. "Actually, the villagers were very friendly. Sometimes I think about going back."
In the shopping center after school, Aiko was looking at the package, the red ribbon shiny against the blue paper. "What should I do?" She looked around, and then walked up to a trashcan. She looked at the package, and reached for the lid of the trashcan. From behind her, Kinuyo said, "What are you doing?" Aiko dropped the lid back on to the trashcan. She turned and looked at her grandmother. Tears started to roll down her cheeks, and she stepped into Kinuyo's arms. She muttered, "Grandmother, what should I do?" Kinuyo stroked her hair.
Back in the living room, Mitsui filled Guni's glass with beer, then lifted his own glass. "Destiny is odd. If you hadn't lost your arm, you probably wouldn't have come home from the war." Fumie said, "What do you mean?" Shigeru said, "Our company... everyone died. We were one of the groups that fought to the last man." Mitsui looked into his glass. "Yes. I still remember, everyone put on their best uniform, all shiny. They were all so young. And I gave a speech, all about having to fight to the last man. That was the orders. And they went out and every one of them died." He shook his head. "Just four months later, the war was over."
<to be continued>
