Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/25
Aug. 25th, 2010 01:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. what am I thinking?
In the entryway, after Shigeru walked through and said, "Oh, you're back," Shuhei shook his head and said, "He was worried." Kinuyo said, "He thought you took the children and left."
In the kitchen, Fumie thought, "He really was worried." She put on her apron. Then she fingered the pocket where she had tucked the letter. It wasn't there. She frowned and wondered where the letter had gone.
Fumie didn't know that the other night when she ran out, Aiko put her apron on and washed the dishes. Aiko found the letter in the pocket, looked at it, and took it to Shigeru, working in his private office. She handed it to him, and went back to the kitchen.
Shigeru took the letter. He read it again. He shook his head over it, over Fumie worrying about his health, and suggesting that he was working too hard. But he opened his desk drawer and put it away.
Another day, out in the street, a figure walked towards Shigeru's house. Shiny black shoes, a blue checked jacket, and a shirt with collar wings that reached across his shoulders. Uraki adjusted his shiny sunglasses, and grinned slyly. A narrow mustache accented the grin.
As he walked through the house following Fumie, he said, "You've really fixed this place up. I guess Gege likes to fix it."
Stepping through the hall near the family living room, he looked at the masks and drums collected there. "A bunch of weird stuff. I see he's still collecting."
Then in the family room, he reached down and fingered the rug. "Nice carpet. I guess he's doing very well." He stepped over to the shelves and picked up a family photo. "Is that a mountain house? But you shouldn't buy an old house. It's a waste of money. Talk to me, I can help you save money."
Shigeru walked in, took the picture out of his hand and set it back on the shelf. "I didn't invite you, so don't tell me how to save money." Uraki said, "That's just it, you're working too hard. You need me to give you advice." Shigeru shook his head. "So you want to make money off of me?"
Uraki said, "No, no. Look, I've got a good business." Shigeru said, "What?" Uraki reached into his jacket and pulled out a calculator. "This is my new business." Fumie gasped. "You're selling calculators. I just saw them on television. They're very popular." Uraki fingered his. "Yes, but mine are inexpensive." Shigeru took it out of Uraki's hands, and frowned at it. "What? This is a toy. It's not a real calculator." Uraki grinned. "Yes. Just perfect for kids. Real ones cost 20,000 yen, mine is just 988 yen." Shigeru shook his head. "But it doesn't do anything." Shigeru tossed it back, and Uraki caught it. "Hey, be careful, that's my product." He pressed the buttons. "Sure it does. Kids love them." He slipped it into his pocket again.
Shigeru sat down. "Look, just get out of here. I've got too much work." Uraki sat down. "See, that's why I'm here. I've got ideas. What you need is Kitaro brand goods. Kitaro socks, Kitaro underwear, Kitaro towels, the whole spread." Shigeru shook his head. Uraki slid over close to him. "Just say the word, and I'll do it all. I'll do it cheap, too." Shigeru frowned at him. "No. Ten years ago, you cheated people with those crummy models, and now you want to do it again?" Uraki said, "That was a long time ago."
Shigeru slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "You're still the same." Uraki stood, facing him. "No, really, I've changed." Shigeru shook his head. "I'm going back to work. You're going out of here." Shigeru raised his arm and pushed Uraki's shoulder. Except that Shigeru's arm went past Uraki. Shigeru caught himself on the wall, and turned. He looked back and saw two Uraki's. Then they wavered, and split. "Why are there so many of you?" Shigeru looked past the wavering Uraki's. A swarm of Fumie's looked back at him.
Then Shigeru collapsed on the floor.
Fumie met with Mitsui and the assistants in the work room. "Where's Sensei?" Fumie looked at them, and said, "He's upstairs, in bed. The doctor says it's overwork, and he just needs to rest for two or three days." The assistants and Mitsui looked at each other. Mitsui said, "We'll do what we can."
Mitsui started calling publishers. "Sensei needs to rest. Can I push your deadline back a day? Maybe two or three?" Two of the new assistants huddled in a corner. One said, "What will happen? Does this mean the company is broken?" Sugai shoved a page in front of them and said, "While you're talking, keep your fingers moving." They gaped up at him. He shook the page. "We're going to do whatever we can to help Sensei! Let's meet those deadlines!" The other older assistant nodded. "Yes. We can't do it all, but we can do a lot. Let's do it."
Later, upstairs, Shigeru opened his eyes and looked around. "What time is it?" Fumie said, "Almost 5 o'clock." Shigeru tried to sit up, and Fumie pushed him back into the bed. He said, "I've got to get up. We've got two deadlines..." Fumie said, "Mitsui is postponing whatever he can. And your assistants are doing the rest. The doctor said you have to rest. And he gave you medicine that should make you sleepy."
Shigeru said, "Well, maybe just until dinner." Fumie nodded. He fell asleep before she even pulled the blanket back up.
In the kitchen, Fumie prepared a tray of food. Aiko and Yoshiko came up, and stood side by side. Aiko said, "What happened to Dad? Is he going to be OK?" Fumie said, "Yes, he's just too tired. He needs to rest." Yoshiko said, "I could let him hold Kitaro." Fumie smiled. "Maybe later."
She turned back to the tray, and looked at it. "Let's see. What about an apple?" Then she smiled again. "No, for Shigeru, it should be bananas." She laid a couple of bananas on the tray.
Upstairs, she sent the tray beside the bed. Shigeru looked at it and said, "Room service?" She said, "Yes, special for today." He scratched his chin and said, "That spinning look, with lots of copies... I think I can use that in a story." Fumie shook her head. "Thinking about work again. Quit working so hard. You've got to rest." Shigeru looked at her. "But there's so much to do." Fumie said, "Look, I know you like to work. And you don't like to talk about it. But when it's too hard, say something."
Shigeru looked at the blankets, and pulled at them. "It's just that the manga business can be so hard. I don't want to worry you. I don't know when we might be poor again. I like ghosts and monsters, but if the readers get bored..."
Fumie said, "Thank you." Shigeru looked at her. "What?" Fumie said, "You're fighting for us, and for your assistants. For all of us." She leaned forward and put her hand on his. "I don't like being poor either, but... when we were poor, your heart was still interesting. You showed me wonders in a graveyard. You laughed, and it wasn't so hard, together." She shook her head. "Recently, you haven't laughed very much. I want you to laugh, sometimes."
Shigeru sighed. "Well, that didn't work very well." Fumie said, "What?" Shigeru said, "I was trying to separate business and family. That's why I walked outside to go to the office, even though it's still connected inside." Fumie said, "Well, it was kind of lonely on the family side."
Shigeru nodded. "I read your letter. I guess I thought somehow you'd understand about the separation." Fumie said, "I'm not a mind reader."
Shigeru looked at her. "Really? Do you know what I'm thinking right now?" Fumie looked at him for a long moment, then shook her head. He chuckled. "I'm thinking that if we keep talking, dinner is going to get very cold."
Fumie looked at the tray. She lifted the lid on the rice porridge, and said, "Oh, it's gotten stiff. I'll heat it back up." Shigeru said, "No, wait, I'm hungry. I'll eat it like that." Fumie started to spoon it into a bowl. Shigeru said, "That's fine. Just hold it up here." She held it up, and he spooned it into his mouth.
<to be continued>
In the entryway, after Shigeru walked through and said, "Oh, you're back," Shuhei shook his head and said, "He was worried." Kinuyo said, "He thought you took the children and left."
In the kitchen, Fumie thought, "He really was worried." She put on her apron. Then she fingered the pocket where she had tucked the letter. It wasn't there. She frowned and wondered where the letter had gone.
Fumie didn't know that the other night when she ran out, Aiko put her apron on and washed the dishes. Aiko found the letter in the pocket, looked at it, and took it to Shigeru, working in his private office. She handed it to him, and went back to the kitchen.
Shigeru took the letter. He read it again. He shook his head over it, over Fumie worrying about his health, and suggesting that he was working too hard. But he opened his desk drawer and put it away.
Another day, out in the street, a figure walked towards Shigeru's house. Shiny black shoes, a blue checked jacket, and a shirt with collar wings that reached across his shoulders. Uraki adjusted his shiny sunglasses, and grinned slyly. A narrow mustache accented the grin.
As he walked through the house following Fumie, he said, "You've really fixed this place up. I guess Gege likes to fix it."
Stepping through the hall near the family living room, he looked at the masks and drums collected there. "A bunch of weird stuff. I see he's still collecting."
Then in the family room, he reached down and fingered the rug. "Nice carpet. I guess he's doing very well." He stepped over to the shelves and picked up a family photo. "Is that a mountain house? But you shouldn't buy an old house. It's a waste of money. Talk to me, I can help you save money."
Shigeru walked in, took the picture out of his hand and set it back on the shelf. "I didn't invite you, so don't tell me how to save money." Uraki said, "That's just it, you're working too hard. You need me to give you advice." Shigeru shook his head. "So you want to make money off of me?"
Uraki said, "No, no. Look, I've got a good business." Shigeru said, "What?" Uraki reached into his jacket and pulled out a calculator. "This is my new business." Fumie gasped. "You're selling calculators. I just saw them on television. They're very popular." Uraki fingered his. "Yes, but mine are inexpensive." Shigeru took it out of Uraki's hands, and frowned at it. "What? This is a toy. It's not a real calculator." Uraki grinned. "Yes. Just perfect for kids. Real ones cost 20,000 yen, mine is just 988 yen." Shigeru shook his head. "But it doesn't do anything." Shigeru tossed it back, and Uraki caught it. "Hey, be careful, that's my product." He pressed the buttons. "Sure it does. Kids love them." He slipped it into his pocket again.
Shigeru sat down. "Look, just get out of here. I've got too much work." Uraki sat down. "See, that's why I'm here. I've got ideas. What you need is Kitaro brand goods. Kitaro socks, Kitaro underwear, Kitaro towels, the whole spread." Shigeru shook his head. Uraki slid over close to him. "Just say the word, and I'll do it all. I'll do it cheap, too." Shigeru frowned at him. "No. Ten years ago, you cheated people with those crummy models, and now you want to do it again?" Uraki said, "That was a long time ago."
Shigeru slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "You're still the same." Uraki stood, facing him. "No, really, I've changed." Shigeru shook his head. "I'm going back to work. You're going out of here." Shigeru raised his arm and pushed Uraki's shoulder. Except that Shigeru's arm went past Uraki. Shigeru caught himself on the wall, and turned. He looked back and saw two Uraki's. Then they wavered, and split. "Why are there so many of you?" Shigeru looked past the wavering Uraki's. A swarm of Fumie's looked back at him.
Then Shigeru collapsed on the floor.
Fumie met with Mitsui and the assistants in the work room. "Where's Sensei?" Fumie looked at them, and said, "He's upstairs, in bed. The doctor says it's overwork, and he just needs to rest for two or three days." The assistants and Mitsui looked at each other. Mitsui said, "We'll do what we can."
Mitsui started calling publishers. "Sensei needs to rest. Can I push your deadline back a day? Maybe two or three?" Two of the new assistants huddled in a corner. One said, "What will happen? Does this mean the company is broken?" Sugai shoved a page in front of them and said, "While you're talking, keep your fingers moving." They gaped up at him. He shook the page. "We're going to do whatever we can to help Sensei! Let's meet those deadlines!" The other older assistant nodded. "Yes. We can't do it all, but we can do a lot. Let's do it."
Later, upstairs, Shigeru opened his eyes and looked around. "What time is it?" Fumie said, "Almost 5 o'clock." Shigeru tried to sit up, and Fumie pushed him back into the bed. He said, "I've got to get up. We've got two deadlines..." Fumie said, "Mitsui is postponing whatever he can. And your assistants are doing the rest. The doctor said you have to rest. And he gave you medicine that should make you sleepy."
Shigeru said, "Well, maybe just until dinner." Fumie nodded. He fell asleep before she even pulled the blanket back up.
In the kitchen, Fumie prepared a tray of food. Aiko and Yoshiko came up, and stood side by side. Aiko said, "What happened to Dad? Is he going to be OK?" Fumie said, "Yes, he's just too tired. He needs to rest." Yoshiko said, "I could let him hold Kitaro." Fumie smiled. "Maybe later."
She turned back to the tray, and looked at it. "Let's see. What about an apple?" Then she smiled again. "No, for Shigeru, it should be bananas." She laid a couple of bananas on the tray.
Upstairs, she sent the tray beside the bed. Shigeru looked at it and said, "Room service?" She said, "Yes, special for today." He scratched his chin and said, "That spinning look, with lots of copies... I think I can use that in a story." Fumie shook her head. "Thinking about work again. Quit working so hard. You've got to rest." Shigeru looked at her. "But there's so much to do." Fumie said, "Look, I know you like to work. And you don't like to talk about it. But when it's too hard, say something."
Shigeru looked at the blankets, and pulled at them. "It's just that the manga business can be so hard. I don't want to worry you. I don't know when we might be poor again. I like ghosts and monsters, but if the readers get bored..."
Fumie said, "Thank you." Shigeru looked at her. "What?" Fumie said, "You're fighting for us, and for your assistants. For all of us." She leaned forward and put her hand on his. "I don't like being poor either, but... when we were poor, your heart was still interesting. You showed me wonders in a graveyard. You laughed, and it wasn't so hard, together." She shook her head. "Recently, you haven't laughed very much. I want you to laugh, sometimes."
Shigeru sighed. "Well, that didn't work very well." Fumie said, "What?" Shigeru said, "I was trying to separate business and family. That's why I walked outside to go to the office, even though it's still connected inside." Fumie said, "Well, it was kind of lonely on the family side."
Shigeru nodded. "I read your letter. I guess I thought somehow you'd understand about the separation." Fumie said, "I'm not a mind reader."
Shigeru looked at her. "Really? Do you know what I'm thinking right now?" Fumie looked at him for a long moment, then shook her head. He chuckled. "I'm thinking that if we keep talking, dinner is going to get very cold."
Fumie looked at the tray. She lifted the lid on the rice porridge, and said, "Oh, it's gotten stiff. I'll heat it back up." Shigeru said, "No, wait, I'm hungry. I'll eat it like that." Fumie started to spoon it into a bowl. Shigeru said, "That's fine. Just hold it up here." She held it up, and he spooned it into his mouth.
<to be continued>
