Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/27
Aug. 27th, 2010 11:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. what does death mean?
The next morning, Kumiko, the daughter-in-law, and Fumie were in the kitchen washing dishes. Kumiko said, "You don't need to do that. You should get ready to go home." Fumie said, "After I help you clean up." Then she looked at Kumiko and said, "What about the store? Wasn't Takashi still helping?" Kumiko nodded. "Yes, but I think Genbee can take care of it. I'm really more worried about Miyako. Mother doesn't like to admit how much her hands hurt." Then Kumiko shook her head. "Don't worry though, we'll be here, and they'll be okay."
Miyako came in and said, "Fumie, this is where you are." She smiled at Fumie. "I'm sure that Takashi would be happy that you came." Then she went and sat down in the living room.
Fumie sat down with her and said, "I can stay a little longer if it would help. Shigeru said to stay as long as I needed." Miyako shook her head. "No, Aiko and Yoshiko are still at home. You need to think about them, and take care of your home. Go ahead. We'll be all right."
Up in the bedroom, Fumie looked at the picture of Toshi, her grandmother. She sighed, thinking that both Genbee and Miyako seemed older and smaller somehow. Maybe it was just the shock.
Miyako came in, carrying a blue bundle. She set it on the floor and said, "I thought I'd send this later, but maybe you can carry it." She opened the outer cloth, and unfolded two small brown house coats. "I sewed these, and stuffed them with cotton. But maybe children in Tokyo don't wear things like this?" Fumie shook her head. "I think Aiko and Yoshiko will be very happy!" Miyako said, "I'm sorry we didn't help more during your hard times." Fumie said, "What do you mean?"
Miyako folded the house coats. "After he visited, Takashi told us about the house being rebuilt, and the workroom growing. He said the manga were very popular. I asked him whether you were okay, with so many people in the house, Shigeru's parents moving in, all of that." Miyako tied the blue cloth around the house coats, and looked at Fumie. "And he said it was really noisy, busy. But then he said that you were coping, and that I shouldn't worry." She shook her head. "Then he sat back and said he was coping, too, but that you reminded him that he was just starting.
Miyako looked at the floor. "I keep remembering all the times, all of his life. And you know, he was always laughing. Even as a baby, he smiled." She wiped at her eyes. "I shouldn't cry. He'd be upset. He liked to laugh so much."
Miyako reached over and took Fumie's hand. "Fumie, you need to smile, too."
Later, in the store, Akiko and Fumie stepped in and looked at Genbee. He was picking up sake bottles and polishing them, then setting them down again. Akiko said, "We'll be going soon." Genbee picked up a bottle. "Oh. Thank you for coming such a long way." He looked at the bottle. "You don't need to worry about Miyako. I'm here to take care of her." He set the bottle down and turned to them. He looked at them. "Take care of yourselves."
When Fumie arrived at the house, she stepped into the entryway. She called out, "I'm back." Aiko and Yoshiko ran into the entryway. Aiko looked at her, and said, "You must be tired. Let me carry that." Aiko picked up the blue bundle. Yoshiko said, "It must be hard." Fumie looked at the two girls and said, "Seeing you makes me feel better." She gave them a hug.
As they walked into the living room, Fumie said, "What did you do for dinner today?" Aiko said, "Oh, we ate with the grandparents." Yoshiko said, "Grandpa fixed it!"
Shigeru walked in and said, "Oh, you're back. Are you OK?" Fumie nodded. Shigeru said, "I think it must've been very hard. Did you get there for the funeral?" Fumie said, "No, we were too late." Shigeru said, "I'm sorry, but there's an editor in the office." Fumie said, "That's OK, I understand. Go ahead."
After Shigeru left, Aiko said, "He was worried about you. He said he should've gone with you." Fumie said, "Really?" Aiko nodded. "Yes, and he said that without you here, the house was darker." Fumie said, "He said that?" Yoshiko said, "Yes!"
In the grandparents' rooms, Fumie set a box of cookies on the table. Kinuyo and Shuhei sat on the other side of the table. Fumie said, "I brought back this for you." Shuhei said, "Are you okay?" Kinuyo said, "I was going to write a letter to Miyako. But I'm not sure what to say." She frowned. "I keep thinking that if one of my children died, I would want to die."
As Kinuyo got out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes, Shuhei said, "Well. Fumie, have you had dinner yet?" Fumie said, "No, not yet." He stood up and said, "You don't want to cook tonight. Why don't I fix some tempura for you? I saved a portion for you." He went into the little kitchen and started to put on his apron. Kinuyo smiled. "It was his turn to make dinner, and he made it. The kids liked it." Fumie said, "Let me do it." Shuhei said, "No, you're tired. I'll do it." Kinuyo said, "Tonight, let us."
Later, in the living room, near the straw hut for Kitaro, Fumie unwrapped the blue bundle. She looked at the house coats and said, "Miyako's hands are hurting, but she made these?"
Upstairs, Aiko was listening to the music box that Takashi had bought for her. Yoshiko turned to her and said, "Aiko? What does death mean?" Aiko said, "Well, let's see." She thought for a moment, then said, "It means never meeting them again."
Fumie picked up the house coats and climbed the stairs. She took a deep breath, and tried to smile. Then she walked into the girls' room, and said, "Grandmother sent these for you."
Yoshiko picked up her red toy telephone. She said, "Hello? Takashi? Oh, good. I wanted to thank you for the Kitaro hut. I'd like to see you again, but I guess you can't come anymore. Goodbye." She hung up.
Fumie remembered the letter from Takashi that was in with the straw hut. He had explained that he was sending the straw hut for Yoshiko because he promised it to her, that he was taking his family to an onsen, and that he hoped to be able to visit again sometime. Fumie knelt down, and let the tears run down her face.
On a morning soon after, Fumie was sweeping in the street. She looked down the street, and frowned. She told herself, "You know he isn't going to come. Now stop that."
Fumie turned to the mailbox and got out the mail. She shuffled through it, and stopped. Her eyes grew wide, and she smiled. "Coming here?"
<to be continued>
The next morning, Kumiko, the daughter-in-law, and Fumie were in the kitchen washing dishes. Kumiko said, "You don't need to do that. You should get ready to go home." Fumie said, "After I help you clean up." Then she looked at Kumiko and said, "What about the store? Wasn't Takashi still helping?" Kumiko nodded. "Yes, but I think Genbee can take care of it. I'm really more worried about Miyako. Mother doesn't like to admit how much her hands hurt." Then Kumiko shook her head. "Don't worry though, we'll be here, and they'll be okay."
Miyako came in and said, "Fumie, this is where you are." She smiled at Fumie. "I'm sure that Takashi would be happy that you came." Then she went and sat down in the living room.
Fumie sat down with her and said, "I can stay a little longer if it would help. Shigeru said to stay as long as I needed." Miyako shook her head. "No, Aiko and Yoshiko are still at home. You need to think about them, and take care of your home. Go ahead. We'll be all right."
Up in the bedroom, Fumie looked at the picture of Toshi, her grandmother. She sighed, thinking that both Genbee and Miyako seemed older and smaller somehow. Maybe it was just the shock.
Miyako came in, carrying a blue bundle. She set it on the floor and said, "I thought I'd send this later, but maybe you can carry it." She opened the outer cloth, and unfolded two small brown house coats. "I sewed these, and stuffed them with cotton. But maybe children in Tokyo don't wear things like this?" Fumie shook her head. "I think Aiko and Yoshiko will be very happy!" Miyako said, "I'm sorry we didn't help more during your hard times." Fumie said, "What do you mean?"
Miyako folded the house coats. "After he visited, Takashi told us about the house being rebuilt, and the workroom growing. He said the manga were very popular. I asked him whether you were okay, with so many people in the house, Shigeru's parents moving in, all of that." Miyako tied the blue cloth around the house coats, and looked at Fumie. "And he said it was really noisy, busy. But then he said that you were coping, and that I shouldn't worry." She shook her head. "Then he sat back and said he was coping, too, but that you reminded him that he was just starting.
Miyako looked at the floor. "I keep remembering all the times, all of his life. And you know, he was always laughing. Even as a baby, he smiled." She wiped at her eyes. "I shouldn't cry. He'd be upset. He liked to laugh so much."
Miyako reached over and took Fumie's hand. "Fumie, you need to smile, too."
Later, in the store, Akiko and Fumie stepped in and looked at Genbee. He was picking up sake bottles and polishing them, then setting them down again. Akiko said, "We'll be going soon." Genbee picked up a bottle. "Oh. Thank you for coming such a long way." He looked at the bottle. "You don't need to worry about Miyako. I'm here to take care of her." He set the bottle down and turned to them. He looked at them. "Take care of yourselves."
When Fumie arrived at the house, she stepped into the entryway. She called out, "I'm back." Aiko and Yoshiko ran into the entryway. Aiko looked at her, and said, "You must be tired. Let me carry that." Aiko picked up the blue bundle. Yoshiko said, "It must be hard." Fumie looked at the two girls and said, "Seeing you makes me feel better." She gave them a hug.
As they walked into the living room, Fumie said, "What did you do for dinner today?" Aiko said, "Oh, we ate with the grandparents." Yoshiko said, "Grandpa fixed it!"
Shigeru walked in and said, "Oh, you're back. Are you OK?" Fumie nodded. Shigeru said, "I think it must've been very hard. Did you get there for the funeral?" Fumie said, "No, we were too late." Shigeru said, "I'm sorry, but there's an editor in the office." Fumie said, "That's OK, I understand. Go ahead."
After Shigeru left, Aiko said, "He was worried about you. He said he should've gone with you." Fumie said, "Really?" Aiko nodded. "Yes, and he said that without you here, the house was darker." Fumie said, "He said that?" Yoshiko said, "Yes!"
In the grandparents' rooms, Fumie set a box of cookies on the table. Kinuyo and Shuhei sat on the other side of the table. Fumie said, "I brought back this for you." Shuhei said, "Are you okay?" Kinuyo said, "I was going to write a letter to Miyako. But I'm not sure what to say." She frowned. "I keep thinking that if one of my children died, I would want to die."
As Kinuyo got out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes, Shuhei said, "Well. Fumie, have you had dinner yet?" Fumie said, "No, not yet." He stood up and said, "You don't want to cook tonight. Why don't I fix some tempura for you? I saved a portion for you." He went into the little kitchen and started to put on his apron. Kinuyo smiled. "It was his turn to make dinner, and he made it. The kids liked it." Fumie said, "Let me do it." Shuhei said, "No, you're tired. I'll do it." Kinuyo said, "Tonight, let us."
Later, in the living room, near the straw hut for Kitaro, Fumie unwrapped the blue bundle. She looked at the house coats and said, "Miyako's hands are hurting, but she made these?"
Upstairs, Aiko was listening to the music box that Takashi had bought for her. Yoshiko turned to her and said, "Aiko? What does death mean?" Aiko said, "Well, let's see." She thought for a moment, then said, "It means never meeting them again."
Fumie picked up the house coats and climbed the stairs. She took a deep breath, and tried to smile. Then she walked into the girls' room, and said, "Grandmother sent these for you."
Yoshiko picked up her red toy telephone. She said, "Hello? Takashi? Oh, good. I wanted to thank you for the Kitaro hut. I'd like to see you again, but I guess you can't come anymore. Goodbye." She hung up.
Fumie remembered the letter from Takashi that was in with the straw hut. He had explained that he was sending the straw hut for Yoshiko because he promised it to her, that he was taking his family to an onsen, and that he hoped to be able to visit again sometime. Fumie knelt down, and let the tears run down her face.
On a morning soon after, Fumie was sweeping in the street. She looked down the street, and frowned. She told herself, "You know he isn't going to come. Now stop that."
Fumie turned to the mailbox and got out the mail. She shuffled through it, and stopped. Her eyes grew wide, and she smiled. "Coming here?"
<to be continued>
