Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/26

[mbarker]

a.k.a. and sometimes you wear black

Fumie and Shigeru sat in the kitchen. Uraki set a large basket of fruit on the table. "Here, this is my sympathy present for you." Fumie said, "Thank you." Uraki walked around and squeezed Shigeru's shoulder. "You're looking much better." Shigeru shrugged Uraki's hand off, and said, "Three days sleeping. I feel much better." Uraki said, "Oh. In that case, maybe you don't need this." He picked up the basket of fruit. "I could always give it to someone else." He set it on the floor.

Then he reached into his coat and said, "Besides, I've got another sympathy present for you." He pulled out an envelope and shook it. Uraki looked at Shigeru. "I went and found who was making those Kitaro toys that broke. And I got them to promise to replace them all." He pulled a sheet of paper out of the envelope, and pressed it down on the table. It was a signed letter from the company. Shigeru looked at it.

Fumie and Shigeru stared at Uraki. He backed up against the wall, holding his hands up. "What?" Shigeru said, "Are you OK? Did you hit your head?" Uraki laughed. "Don't talk like that. Besides, I think there is a new chance here to make money." He sat down and leaned over towards Shigeru, tapping his forehead with a finger. "I've got all these great ideas to make money in here, just waiting to get out." Shigeru shook his head.

Fumie chuckled, watching them, and thought that Uraki really hadn't changed.

Shigeru returned to work.

Another day, Fumie was cleaning the kitchen when the telephone rang. Aiko answered it. "Yes. She's here. Just a minute." Aiko said, "Mom? It's your sister." Fumie came over and took the phone. "Akiko? That's unusual." Aiko and Yoshiko started to watch television.

Fumie said, "Hello, Akiko. Is everyone healthy?" Then she said, "What? I can't believe it." Aiko turned from the television and said, "Mom?"

Shigeru came in, and said, "Well, I'm ready for a snack." Aiko pointed to Fumie. Fumie was holding the phone, loose, in her hand. Shigeru said, "Fumie? What's wrong?" Fumie slowly set the telephone down in its cradle. Then she turned around. "Takashi, my little brother? He's dead."

Later, upstairs, Fumie unpacked a black kimono. She fingered it. Shigeru came in, and said, "I can postpone work and go with you?" Fumie shook her head. "No, that's okay. I'll go with Akiko." She stroked the kimono. "It won't be long. Maybe three days." Shigeru said, "We'll wait here, then." After a moment, he walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. Then he turned and walked out.

Fumie looked around the room. She glanced at the picture of her grandmother, and said, "Grandmother? Why?"

When Fumie and Akiko, her oldest sister who lived with her family in Tokyo, arrived at the sake store where their family worked and lived, Fumie stepped inside, and called. There was nobody there. Then the neighbors came in the door and said, "Fumie! And Akiko. They're not here. They've all gone to the yakiba for the cremation."

Fumie and Akiko sat in the store and waited. When Genbee stepped into the store, they stood. He wore a black suit, and had Buddhist prayer beads in his hands. He glared at them. "You're back." Fumie nodded. He said, "You're too late. Takashi is gone." Then he stomped past them and into the house. Miyako, his wife, and her sister Teruko came in. They wore black kimonos. They said hello, and walked into the house.

Behind them were Yukie, the second daughter, Tetsu, Genbee's other son and Kumiko his wife, and Izumi, the youngest daughter. They all crowded through the door. "Oh, you got here. But it's too late, we couldn't wait."

In the house, Genbee and Miyako sat at the household shrine. Genbee clutched the prayer beads.

The daughters and son sat at tables in the living room. Fumie said, "So what happened?" Tetsu shook his head. "No one is really sure. Takashi was supposed to be going to Norio." Fumie said, "Norio?" Tetsu nodded. "It was something to do with his sewing machine business. But he didn't come back. He left just before a vacation." Yukie said, "Everyone went and looked for him. But nobody could find him. Then Genbee said he was going to look one more time. He said it wasn't like Takashi to not come back." Izumi said, "He found him in the garden. Everybody looked, but no one saw him. And he was in the garden the whole time."

At the shrine, Genbee looked at the picture of his mother. He said, "Mother? Takashi is with you now. Please take care of him."

That night, Fumie, Akiko, Yukie, and Izumi laid futon out in a room. Yukie said, "I expected to see all of you at Izumi's wedding. That was a surprise, too. I thought Genbee would arrange her wedding, but she didn't let him." Izumi chuckled. "I think Genbee thought he was going to arrange it, too. But after Kurata, I wasn't going to let that happen." Yukie said, "Wait, who's Kurata?" Izumi said, "Oh, that's a secret." Fumie smiled, remembering the manga artist who worked with Shigeru when Izumi stayed with them.

Akiko looked around and said, "I think this is the first time we've all been together." Fumie said, "Oh, that's right. Izumi was still a baby when you and Yukie left." Yukie smiled. "Do you remember Grandmother's bedtime stories?" Izumi chuckled. "I do!" Yukie said, "About the long, long snake?" Akiko said, "And then the long, long, looong fundoshi... that went ker-plop!" They all laughed. (Fundoshi is a breechclout -- usually a long piece of cloth. Like Sumo wrestlers still wear.)

Akiko said, "Oh, and Grandma's sweet bean cakes? They were so good." Yukie said, "And Genbee and Takashi would fight over who got to eat the last one." Fumie laughed. "Whenever Takashi got the last one, Genbee would be so angry." Yukie looked at Fumie and said, "I think you were the closest to Takashi. You and he worked with Genbee in the store for so long."

Later that night, in the dark room, Fumie listened to the quiet breathing of the others. She remembered working with Takashi in the store, laughing with him, polishing bottles. She turned over.

Then she got up and quietly went downstairs. She stepped into the store. It was dark, but there was enough light from the street to see Genbee sitting in the store. She said, "Father?" After a moment, he said, "Are you still awake?" She said, "Yes, I couldn't sleep."

Genbee sat there. Then he said, "He was my son. I should have died, not him. Not my son!" He stared out at the street as a tear rolled down his cheek.

<to be continued>

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Yakiba

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焼き場
やきば

yakiba -- literally burning place -- crematory.