Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 9/10
Sep. 22nd, 2010 04:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. life is like...
Shuhei sat in bed, talking. "Another life, another time...." He looked at Kinuyo sitting at the table beside his bed, and said, "Turn on a little mood music. It makes it easier for me to get the feelings right."
Fumie came in, wearing a formal kimono with her hair done up. She told Kinuyo, "We're going to the wedding now. If you need anything, Yoshiko is here." In the other room in his bed, Shuhei said, "It hurts! Oh, I think this is the last time..." Fumie jumped, but Kinuyo said, "It's just his screenplay." Shuhei said, "Before I die, I want to see your face once more!" Then he said, "That's good. I can use that."
Kinuyo said, "Now let me remind you. You need to be serious about your part in the wedding, and take control." Then she frowned. "And take care of Shigeru. Keep him serious, too." In the other room, Shuhei said, "Wait, wait, don't go yet." Kinuyo laughed. "Good timing. But you should go on."
As they stepped out the front door, Shigeru was dressed in his suit, Fumie in her kimono. Shigeru said, "So how is Strong Stomach today?" Fumie said, "He's working on his play." Shigeru nodded. "Sounds good. Maybe when the weather gets better, we can take him for a walk to a shrine or temple."
Later, Yoshiko sat by the bed, fanning Shuhei who was apparently sleeping. Then he said, "Nice breeze..." Yoshiko sat up and said, "You're awake?" He opened his eyes and said, "Yes. Actually, I've been awake for a while, but a tanuki doesn't let people know everything." He glanced around and said, "Where's Kinuyo?" Yoshiko smiled at him and said, "She went shopping."
Shuhei sat up and said, "Without her here, it's very quiet, isn't it?" Yoshiko said, "Actually, everyone's gone. Shigeru and Fumie went to the wedding, Aiko went to the library, and Kinuyo is shopping." She glanced at the large stiff cardboard, with sheets of paper fastened to it with clips, near the bed. "Are you writing?" Shuhei said, "Just a little bit, now and then."
Yoshiko frowned. "Dad does manga, but you influenced him, didn't you?" Shuhei smiled. "Maybe, at least a little." Yoshiko said, "So what should I do? The only way I'm like Dad is sleeping late in the morning, and I don't think I can get a job doing that." Shuhei said, "Why are you worrying about that?" Yoshiko shrugged. "They're asking us at school to think about our careers." Shuhei said, "I think you should do what you like. Don't fret about work. Do what you do best." Yoshiko nodded.
Shuhei said, "Life is like clouds." Yoshiko said, "What?" Shuhei pointed out the window. "Life is like passing clouds." Then he scratched his cheek and said, "Wait, that's pretty good. I want to write that down." He reached over and pulled the cardboard sheet into his lap. He uncapped his fountain pen. He glanced at Yoshiko and said, "Could you make some tea?" She laid down the fan and walked into the kitchen. As she got out the tea kettle and cups, she said to herself, "Do what I like? But what do I like?"
Later, Shigeru lay in the family living room, his head on the couch. His shirt was open, and he was groaning. Yoshiko knelt nearby and said, "Dad? Are you all right?" He rolled over and said, "Water, please?"
Upstairs, Fumie talked with Kinuyo and Shuhei. Kinuyo said, "Shigeru is drunk? I thought I told you to watch him." Fumie shook her head. "I tried to. But everyone offered him a drink, and he was too polite to refuse. So..." Kinuyo said, "So what happened?" Fumie said, "He tried very hard to be polite during the speeches. But then he stood up, and fell over." Shuhei chuckled. "Just like at his own wedding." Fumie nodded.
There was a loud squeal. Kinuyo waved her hand back and forth. "Shuhei! How could you do that!" He grinned and said, "That was a really nice sound. Like when a ship leaves the harbor, and they blow the horn. If I can make a sound like that, I must be getting more healthy." Kinuyo shook her head.
Shuhei said, "While you were gone, Yoshiko asked me about work and life. I told her that life was like passing clouds, but that's not right." Fumie said, "Not right?" Shuhei nodded. "Actually, life is more like farting." Kinuyo said, "What are you talking about? That's just crazy." Shuhei said, "No, it's not. Just think, if you make a big sound, maybe there's a little stink, but it's gone soon. And everyone notices you. And it's fun." He smiled.
Later, Fumie sat in the living room with Shigeru. She explained Shuhei's metaphor of life as farting. Shigeru laughed. Then he said, "When we were kids, we used to tease Shuhei by farting." Fumie said, "What?" Shigeru nodded. "We would get under the kotatsu blanket and fart. Then when Shuhei came home, he would look underneath to see if the kotatsu heater was on, and he'd smell it." Shigeru laughed. "We'd come running in, and laugh at him holding his nose and fanning the air. And he would laugh with us."
[A kotatsu is a low table with a heater under it. There is usually a blanket that goes under the top, and hangs down at the sides, so that the inside is kept warm by the heater. The old style shown in the show had a separate heater on the floor underneath, although modern ones have heaters built into the table top.]
Shigeru shook his head. "When he started working in Osaka, we were so lonely. We waited for him to come back. That day, Kinuyo would start putting on makeup in the morning, even though he didn't come home until evening. She always wore perfume that day, too." Fumie said, "I think maybe she was the most lonely." Shigeru blinked. Then he slowly nodded. "Maybe she was."
Upstairs, Kinuyo sat by the bed, sewing. Shuhei sat in his bed, writing. She squinted up at him. "Don't work too hard." He shook his head, and kept writing. She glanced at the paper and said, "It looks interesting. I'm looking forward to reading it when you're done." He wrote another line, then glanced at her and said, "Did you say something?" She chuckled. "No, not really."
In October, Fumie was outside sweeping near the gate. The neighbor came out, carrying a basket. The neighbor said, "The weather certainly is cold." Fumie agreed. Then the neighbor held up the basket and said, "I thought you might enjoy these." The basket was full of chestnuts, spiky balls of green. Fumie smiled and thanked her.
In the kitchen, Fumie looked at the chestnuts and said, "I'll make chestnuts and rice. Shuhei likes that." Shigeru came in and sat down. He started reading his newspaper. Fumie said, "I'm going to make chestnuts and rice for dinner." Shigeru nodded. Then he said, "Has Shuhei talked to you about going back to their house?" Fumie shook her head. Shigeru said, "I guess he wants to see it once more. They've been here for 20 years."
Later, Fumie walked into the parents' rooms and said, "Kinuyo? It's time for you to go to the hospital." She glanced at Shuhei. "How is he?" Kinuyo said, "He's sleeping again. He seems to do that a lot now."
<to be continued>
Shuhei sat in bed, talking. "Another life, another time...." He looked at Kinuyo sitting at the table beside his bed, and said, "Turn on a little mood music. It makes it easier for me to get the feelings right."
Fumie came in, wearing a formal kimono with her hair done up. She told Kinuyo, "We're going to the wedding now. If you need anything, Yoshiko is here." In the other room in his bed, Shuhei said, "It hurts! Oh, I think this is the last time..." Fumie jumped, but Kinuyo said, "It's just his screenplay." Shuhei said, "Before I die, I want to see your face once more!" Then he said, "That's good. I can use that."
Kinuyo said, "Now let me remind you. You need to be serious about your part in the wedding, and take control." Then she frowned. "And take care of Shigeru. Keep him serious, too." In the other room, Shuhei said, "Wait, wait, don't go yet." Kinuyo laughed. "Good timing. But you should go on."
As they stepped out the front door, Shigeru was dressed in his suit, Fumie in her kimono. Shigeru said, "So how is Strong Stomach today?" Fumie said, "He's working on his play." Shigeru nodded. "Sounds good. Maybe when the weather gets better, we can take him for a walk to a shrine or temple."
Later, Yoshiko sat by the bed, fanning Shuhei who was apparently sleeping. Then he said, "Nice breeze..." Yoshiko sat up and said, "You're awake?" He opened his eyes and said, "Yes. Actually, I've been awake for a while, but a tanuki doesn't let people know everything." He glanced around and said, "Where's Kinuyo?" Yoshiko smiled at him and said, "She went shopping."
Shuhei sat up and said, "Without her here, it's very quiet, isn't it?" Yoshiko said, "Actually, everyone's gone. Shigeru and Fumie went to the wedding, Aiko went to the library, and Kinuyo is shopping." She glanced at the large stiff cardboard, with sheets of paper fastened to it with clips, near the bed. "Are you writing?" Shuhei said, "Just a little bit, now and then."
Yoshiko frowned. "Dad does manga, but you influenced him, didn't you?" Shuhei smiled. "Maybe, at least a little." Yoshiko said, "So what should I do? The only way I'm like Dad is sleeping late in the morning, and I don't think I can get a job doing that." Shuhei said, "Why are you worrying about that?" Yoshiko shrugged. "They're asking us at school to think about our careers." Shuhei said, "I think you should do what you like. Don't fret about work. Do what you do best." Yoshiko nodded.
Shuhei said, "Life is like clouds." Yoshiko said, "What?" Shuhei pointed out the window. "Life is like passing clouds." Then he scratched his cheek and said, "Wait, that's pretty good. I want to write that down." He reached over and pulled the cardboard sheet into his lap. He uncapped his fountain pen. He glanced at Yoshiko and said, "Could you make some tea?" She laid down the fan and walked into the kitchen. As she got out the tea kettle and cups, she said to herself, "Do what I like? But what do I like?"
Later, Shigeru lay in the family living room, his head on the couch. His shirt was open, and he was groaning. Yoshiko knelt nearby and said, "Dad? Are you all right?" He rolled over and said, "Water, please?"
Upstairs, Fumie talked with Kinuyo and Shuhei. Kinuyo said, "Shigeru is drunk? I thought I told you to watch him." Fumie shook her head. "I tried to. But everyone offered him a drink, and he was too polite to refuse. So..." Kinuyo said, "So what happened?" Fumie said, "He tried very hard to be polite during the speeches. But then he stood up, and fell over." Shuhei chuckled. "Just like at his own wedding." Fumie nodded.
There was a loud squeal. Kinuyo waved her hand back and forth. "Shuhei! How could you do that!" He grinned and said, "That was a really nice sound. Like when a ship leaves the harbor, and they blow the horn. If I can make a sound like that, I must be getting more healthy." Kinuyo shook her head.
Shuhei said, "While you were gone, Yoshiko asked me about work and life. I told her that life was like passing clouds, but that's not right." Fumie said, "Not right?" Shuhei nodded. "Actually, life is more like farting." Kinuyo said, "What are you talking about? That's just crazy." Shuhei said, "No, it's not. Just think, if you make a big sound, maybe there's a little stink, but it's gone soon. And everyone notices you. And it's fun." He smiled.
Later, Fumie sat in the living room with Shigeru. She explained Shuhei's metaphor of life as farting. Shigeru laughed. Then he said, "When we were kids, we used to tease Shuhei by farting." Fumie said, "What?" Shigeru nodded. "We would get under the kotatsu blanket and fart. Then when Shuhei came home, he would look underneath to see if the kotatsu heater was on, and he'd smell it." Shigeru laughed. "We'd come running in, and laugh at him holding his nose and fanning the air. And he would laugh with us."
[A kotatsu is a low table with a heater under it. There is usually a blanket that goes under the top, and hangs down at the sides, so that the inside is kept warm by the heater. The old style shown in the show had a separate heater on the floor underneath, although modern ones have heaters built into the table top.]
Shigeru shook his head. "When he started working in Osaka, we were so lonely. We waited for him to come back. That day, Kinuyo would start putting on makeup in the morning, even though he didn't come home until evening. She always wore perfume that day, too." Fumie said, "I think maybe she was the most lonely." Shigeru blinked. Then he slowly nodded. "Maybe she was."
Upstairs, Kinuyo sat by the bed, sewing. Shuhei sat in his bed, writing. She squinted up at him. "Don't work too hard." He shook his head, and kept writing. She glanced at the paper and said, "It looks interesting. I'm looking forward to reading it when you're done." He wrote another line, then glanced at her and said, "Did you say something?" She chuckled. "No, not really."
In October, Fumie was outside sweeping near the gate. The neighbor came out, carrying a basket. The neighbor said, "The weather certainly is cold." Fumie agreed. Then the neighbor held up the basket and said, "I thought you might enjoy these." The basket was full of chestnuts, spiky balls of green. Fumie smiled and thanked her.
In the kitchen, Fumie looked at the chestnuts and said, "I'll make chestnuts and rice. Shuhei likes that." Shigeru came in and sat down. He started reading his newspaper. Fumie said, "I'm going to make chestnuts and rice for dinner." Shigeru nodded. Then he said, "Has Shuhei talked to you about going back to their house?" Fumie shook her head. Shigeru said, "I guess he wants to see it once more. They've been here for 20 years."
Later, Fumie walked into the parents' rooms and said, "Kinuyo? It's time for you to go to the hospital." She glanced at Shuhei. "How is he?" Kinuyo said, "He's sleeping again. He seems to do that a lot now."
<to be continued>
