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Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 8/28
a.k.a. catching up
Fumie was in the kitchen, making various platters of food. She had several already on the table behind her. Shigeru ducked under the beads in the doorway and lifted the plastic wrap off one. He picked up a breaded shrimp and bit half of it off. He smiled. "That's very good!" Fumie turned around and said, "That's not for you." He said, "You haven't fixed this much food in a while." She nodded. "It has been a while since I had a visitor like this, too."
Outside the house, a woman stood in the street and looked at the house. Aiko, wearing her red school bag on her back, walked up behind her. AIko said, "can I help you?" The woman turned and looked at her. "Aiko? Are you Aiko?" The woman smiled. "I'm Michiko. Do you remember me?" Then she chuckled. "No, of course not. You were too small." Michiko turned around and looked at the house again. "This is the right place."
Fumie opened the door and stepped outside. She said, "Michiko!" Fumie ran to her, and took her arms. Michiko said, "Fumie! I'm so glad to see you." Fumie said, "Come inside."
Inside the house, in the family living room, Michiko said, "You've done so much with this house. I thought I was in the wrong place." Fumie nodded. "It has changed a lot." She thought back to the old house, with warped wood walls and fence.
Shigeru came in, holding Yoshiko's hand. Michiko said, "Sensei! It's been a long time." Then she got down on her knees. "You must be Yoshiko. Good afternoon." Yoshiko grinned, and said, "Good afternoon."
Michiko sat down with Shigeru and Fumie. She said, "Thank you so much for your advice and help before." Fumie remembered talking with Michiko's husband, and Shigeru giving him advice. Michiko said, "Starting up the new store was hard, but now... he's teaching young people." Shigeru said, "What about your bookstore?" Michiko laughed. "Well, the rental manga business is gone, but I still have comics and manga. So we have lots of young people visiting."
Fumie said, "Your card said you had something to do here? What's that?" Michiko said, "I'm moving a grave. My child's grave. It took some time to arrange, but it's all set now. So it will be near us." Then she looked at Shigeru. "I almost forgot. Your hobby is graveyards, isn't it?" He nodded. "Yes, but there aren't as many good ones, now." Michiko said, "Good ones?" Shigeru smiled. "The older ones are better. It takes time to make a good graveyard."
Outside, a voice called. "Michiko? Are you here?" Michiko looked up. "That's Matsui, isn't it?"
Minutes later, Fumie sat at the kitchen table with the three shopkeepers' wives and Michiko.
In the office, Mitsui sat with Shigeru. Mitsui looked up at the sound of laughter from the kitchen. He glanced at Shigeru and said, "it's good to hear Fumie laughing. She hasn't laughed enough recently." Shigeru nodded. Sugai brought over a draft page. "Is this what you wanted?" Shigeru looked at it. Then he smiled. "Perfect. I don't know anybody else who could do this like you do." The page had a large panel, with a room and lights displayed all in dots. Sugai said, "Really?" Shigeru said, "Yes." Mitsui nodded. "And you help us meet our deadlines." Sugai went back to his seat, grinning. One of the other assistants leaned over and punched his shoulder, gently.
In the kitchen, Miura, the beauty shop wife, said, "This potato salad is just like Michiko used to make." Matsui, the public bath wife who sold cosmetics, said, "Yes, it's excellent. Maybe I should learn to make food and open a restaurant." Michiko said, "Isn't your public bath doing well?" Matsui shook her head. "Too many houses with their own baths. Our business has gone down." Miura shook her head. "Actually, people buy their own and don't come into the beauty shop like they used to." Yamada said, "Since the supermarket opened, people don't buy dry foods like they used to, either." Michiko said, "Listen to you! You make it sound as if everything is going bad. Matsui, what about your cosmetics?" Matsui picked up her glass and posed with it by her face. "Modern lady?" Then she laughed. "No, not really."
Matsui looked at Fumie. "Say, are the grandparents here today?" Fumie said, "No, they've gone to a show." Michiko said, "That's too bad. I really wanted to meet Shigeru's parents." Matsui said, "Yes, Shuhei, Shigeru's father, has some very funny stories. And sometimes he imitates stage plays." Yamada said, "But not when the Anger catches him." Michiko said, "The Anger?" Fumie said, "That's Shigeru's mother. She's very strong."
Michiko said, "That sounds a little like my mother." Matsui nodded. "Yes, your mother could be strong sometimes. Say, I wish I could see her." Michiko said, "Oh, if you can, come visit. She'd be very happy."
Later that evening, Michiko and Fumie sat in the yard. Michiko said, "Is Sensei still at work?" Fumie said, "Yes, he usually works most evenings. He says the manga business is very hard, and it would be easy to be poor again." Fumie sipped at her tea. Then she said, "But sometimes I'm nostalgic about being poor. We didn't have enough rice for tomorrow, they turned off the electricity, but..." She shook her head. "I guess I'm strange. Getting nostalgic about being poor."
Michiko slowly shook her head. "No. But I don't think you're nostalgic about being poor. You worked hard. You're not nostalgic about being poor, you're nostalgic about working hard. It's interesting, working hard." Fumie nodded. Michiko said, "But I think later, we'll be nostalgic about these times, too. I mean, you're raising two girls. That's hard work too."
In his office, Shigeru finished a sheet and set it aside. Then he opened his drawer and pulled out Fumie's letter. He looked at it, reading through it again. He frowned.
In the yard, Michiko said, "So your brother died?" Fumie nodded. "He was here just six months ago, and he planned to come back." Michiko nodded. Then she said, "It's hard, but sometimes I think that the dead are not really dead." Fumie said, "What?" Michiko smiled. "Well, we can't see them, but they're still with us." She leaned back. "My mother isn't really healthy. But if I worry about her dying, I'll sit there, with a long face. She can't go anywhere. But she said, go ahead. She said she can't go with me, but she's always with me." Fumie nodded. "We can't see, but always here." Michiko said, "What was that?" Fumie said, "Something my grandmother always used to say. We can't see, but the dead are always here."
Michiko smiled. Then she looked up into the sky, and said, "Beautiful stars tonight." Fumie looked up, and smiled.
At breakfast, Shigeru put his newspaper down. He looked at Fumie and said, "I think we should go somewhere." Fumie said, "Mt. Fuji?" He shook his head. "No, further. Maybe move down to the South Islands." Fumie said, "What about work?" Shigeru said, "Well, I've been thinking I should cut down." Fumie said, "Okay?" Shigeru said, "Maybe just do three hours a day, then relax the rest of the day." He looked at Fumie. "You understand, there wouldn't be as much money." Fumie said, "Yes." Shigeru said, "So then I could take a walk, and ... we'd have to figure out dinner on about 100 yen. And arrange for the assistants."
Fumie started chuckling. Shigeru frowned. "Why are you laughing? This is serious." Fumie said, "You are trying to organize everything. And you wouldn't be happy without work. Why not start just by eating slowly and relaxing at meals?" Shigeru nodded. "Well, I guess." He started to pick up the newspaper. Fumie reached across the table and took it away. "You can start now." Shigeru picked up his toast. Fumie said, "Eat slowly." Shigeru raised his eyes, then moved the toast and took a small bite, instead of the large bite that he had been set to take. He chewed with a smile.
Today's episode ended with bits from next week. Shigeru staring at a blank page, Shigeru pushing through a jungle. Inui, Japan's smallest publisher. Kinuyo winking. Shigeru talking to a purple manga figure standing in a stream, who asks, "Who are you?"
Fumie was in the kitchen, making various platters of food. She had several already on the table behind her. Shigeru ducked under the beads in the doorway and lifted the plastic wrap off one. He picked up a breaded shrimp and bit half of it off. He smiled. "That's very good!" Fumie turned around and said, "That's not for you." He said, "You haven't fixed this much food in a while." She nodded. "It has been a while since I had a visitor like this, too."
Outside the house, a woman stood in the street and looked at the house. Aiko, wearing her red school bag on her back, walked up behind her. AIko said, "can I help you?" The woman turned and looked at her. "Aiko? Are you Aiko?" The woman smiled. "I'm Michiko. Do you remember me?" Then she chuckled. "No, of course not. You were too small." Michiko turned around and looked at the house again. "This is the right place."
Fumie opened the door and stepped outside. She said, "Michiko!" Fumie ran to her, and took her arms. Michiko said, "Fumie! I'm so glad to see you." Fumie said, "Come inside."
Inside the house, in the family living room, Michiko said, "You've done so much with this house. I thought I was in the wrong place." Fumie nodded. "It has changed a lot." She thought back to the old house, with warped wood walls and fence.
Shigeru came in, holding Yoshiko's hand. Michiko said, "Sensei! It's been a long time." Then she got down on her knees. "You must be Yoshiko. Good afternoon." Yoshiko grinned, and said, "Good afternoon."
Michiko sat down with Shigeru and Fumie. She said, "Thank you so much for your advice and help before." Fumie remembered talking with Michiko's husband, and Shigeru giving him advice. Michiko said, "Starting up the new store was hard, but now... he's teaching young people." Shigeru said, "What about your bookstore?" Michiko laughed. "Well, the rental manga business is gone, but I still have comics and manga. So we have lots of young people visiting."
Fumie said, "Your card said you had something to do here? What's that?" Michiko said, "I'm moving a grave. My child's grave. It took some time to arrange, but it's all set now. So it will be near us." Then she looked at Shigeru. "I almost forgot. Your hobby is graveyards, isn't it?" He nodded. "Yes, but there aren't as many good ones, now." Michiko said, "Good ones?" Shigeru smiled. "The older ones are better. It takes time to make a good graveyard."
Outside, a voice called. "Michiko? Are you here?" Michiko looked up. "That's Matsui, isn't it?"
Minutes later, Fumie sat at the kitchen table with the three shopkeepers' wives and Michiko.
In the office, Mitsui sat with Shigeru. Mitsui looked up at the sound of laughter from the kitchen. He glanced at Shigeru and said, "it's good to hear Fumie laughing. She hasn't laughed enough recently." Shigeru nodded. Sugai brought over a draft page. "Is this what you wanted?" Shigeru looked at it. Then he smiled. "Perfect. I don't know anybody else who could do this like you do." The page had a large panel, with a room and lights displayed all in dots. Sugai said, "Really?" Shigeru said, "Yes." Mitsui nodded. "And you help us meet our deadlines." Sugai went back to his seat, grinning. One of the other assistants leaned over and punched his shoulder, gently.
In the kitchen, Miura, the beauty shop wife, said, "This potato salad is just like Michiko used to make." Matsui, the public bath wife who sold cosmetics, said, "Yes, it's excellent. Maybe I should learn to make food and open a restaurant." Michiko said, "Isn't your public bath doing well?" Matsui shook her head. "Too many houses with their own baths. Our business has gone down." Miura shook her head. "Actually, people buy their own and don't come into the beauty shop like they used to." Yamada said, "Since the supermarket opened, people don't buy dry foods like they used to, either." Michiko said, "Listen to you! You make it sound as if everything is going bad. Matsui, what about your cosmetics?" Matsui picked up her glass and posed with it by her face. "Modern lady?" Then she laughed. "No, not really."
Matsui looked at Fumie. "Say, are the grandparents here today?" Fumie said, "No, they've gone to a show." Michiko said, "That's too bad. I really wanted to meet Shigeru's parents." Matsui said, "Yes, Shuhei, Shigeru's father, has some very funny stories. And sometimes he imitates stage plays." Yamada said, "But not when the Anger catches him." Michiko said, "The Anger?" Fumie said, "That's Shigeru's mother. She's very strong."
Michiko said, "That sounds a little like my mother." Matsui nodded. "Yes, your mother could be strong sometimes. Say, I wish I could see her." Michiko said, "Oh, if you can, come visit. She'd be very happy."
Later that evening, Michiko and Fumie sat in the yard. Michiko said, "Is Sensei still at work?" Fumie said, "Yes, he usually works most evenings. He says the manga business is very hard, and it would be easy to be poor again." Fumie sipped at her tea. Then she said, "But sometimes I'm nostalgic about being poor. We didn't have enough rice for tomorrow, they turned off the electricity, but..." She shook her head. "I guess I'm strange. Getting nostalgic about being poor."
Michiko slowly shook her head. "No. But I don't think you're nostalgic about being poor. You worked hard. You're not nostalgic about being poor, you're nostalgic about working hard. It's interesting, working hard." Fumie nodded. Michiko said, "But I think later, we'll be nostalgic about these times, too. I mean, you're raising two girls. That's hard work too."
In his office, Shigeru finished a sheet and set it aside. Then he opened his drawer and pulled out Fumie's letter. He looked at it, reading through it again. He frowned.
In the yard, Michiko said, "So your brother died?" Fumie nodded. "He was here just six months ago, and he planned to come back." Michiko nodded. Then she said, "It's hard, but sometimes I think that the dead are not really dead." Fumie said, "What?" Michiko smiled. "Well, we can't see them, but they're still with us." She leaned back. "My mother isn't really healthy. But if I worry about her dying, I'll sit there, with a long face. She can't go anywhere. But she said, go ahead. She said she can't go with me, but she's always with me." Fumie nodded. "We can't see, but always here." Michiko said, "What was that?" Fumie said, "Something my grandmother always used to say. We can't see, but the dead are always here."
Michiko smiled. Then she looked up into the sky, and said, "Beautiful stars tonight." Fumie looked up, and smiled.
At breakfast, Shigeru put his newspaper down. He looked at Fumie and said, "I think we should go somewhere." Fumie said, "Mt. Fuji?" He shook his head. "No, further. Maybe move down to the South Islands." Fumie said, "What about work?" Shigeru said, "Well, I've been thinking I should cut down." Fumie said, "Okay?" Shigeru said, "Maybe just do three hours a day, then relax the rest of the day." He looked at Fumie. "You understand, there wouldn't be as much money." Fumie said, "Yes." Shigeru said, "So then I could take a walk, and ... we'd have to figure out dinner on about 100 yen. And arrange for the assistants."
Fumie started chuckling. Shigeru frowned. "Why are you laughing? This is serious." Fumie said, "You are trying to organize everything. And you wouldn't be happy without work. Why not start just by eating slowly and relaxing at meals?" Shigeru nodded. "Well, I guess." He started to pick up the newspaper. Fumie reached across the table and took it away. "You can start now." Shigeru picked up his toast. Fumie said, "Eat slowly." Shigeru raised his eyes, then moved the toast and took a small bite, instead of the large bite that he had been set to take. He chewed with a smile.
Today's episode ended with bits from next week. Shigeru staring at a blank page, Shigeru pushing through a jungle. Inui, Japan's smallest publisher. Kinuyo winking. Shigeru talking to a purple manga figure standing in a stream, who asks, "Who are you?"