Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 9/11
Sep. 22nd, 2010 06:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. applause!
Fumie was knitting by the side of the bed. Shuhei rolled over and said, "Where's my parfait?" Fumie said, "Shuhei?" He blinked and said, "Oh. It was just a dream." Fumie said, "What kind of a dream was it?" Shuhei smiled. "Matsui Sumoko and I were going to have ice cream. But just as I was about to eat the parfait, I woke up." Fumie laughed. "Matsui Sumoko?" Shuhei grinned. "Well, she was quite an actress, you know."
Shuhei sat up in bed. He looked at Fumie and said, "I guess the Kitaro manga are selling really well, aren't they?" Fumie nodded. "Yes." Shuhei said, "I don't know if we ever told you about Shigeru's uncle?" Fumie shook her head. "I don't think so." Shuhei said, "He was an artist. He went to Paris. And Shigeru was born the same day that he died." Fumie said, "Oh?" Shuhei nodded. "My mother used to say that Shigeru was him, reborn. And I guess... well, Shigeru did draw from childhood. But he always did manga. I think that's his destiny."
Then Shuhei looked at her. "What about tonight?" Fumie said, "What?" Shuhei chuckled. "What are we eating tonight?" Fumie said, "I'm going to make chestnuts and rice." Shuhei smiled. "That sounds good." Fumie said, "I'll make some tea." Shuhei said, "I'll just write a little." He pulled the cardboard over onto his lap and opened his fountain pen. Fumie said, "I really want to read it." Shuhei smiled. "The next part is really good." As Fumie walked away, he posed his fountain pen over the paper, then closed his eyes for a moment.
There was a ringing sound, like an alarm. Shuhei sat in a seat in an empty theater, dressed in his best suit, under a spotlight. He opened his eyes and looked around.
A voice from the dark stage announced, "Tonight's show is the conclusion of the Dai San Maru explosion." Shuhei looked at the master of ceremonies, stepping up to the lectern. He said, "I wonder who that is?" Then the figure stepped into the light. It was Shuhei, dressed in a fancy tie and dark outfit. The Shuhei in the seat said, "Oh, it's me." The master of ceremonies Shuhei said, "Here are some highlights from the past." There was a brief clip of an old movie, with a young Shuhei in the middle of the other actors. And another young Shuhei, dressed in a school uniform, sitting in an audience. And another Shuhei, dancing with two geisha on a stage. And Shuhei with Kinuyo and three boys.
Then the master of ceremonies said, "And now, after 89 years, writing to the very last, we present the conclusion to the Dai San Maru explosion!" The point-of-view scrolled from the master of ceremonies over to Shuhei's bag, sitting on a table. Then the words "The End" were displayed across the bag. And the curtains of the stage closed, as the lights dimmed.
As the lights in the theater came up, there was applause all around Shuhei. He glanced around and saw that the theater was full. And as he looked at the clapping crowd, he realized that his mother and father sat over there. And the uncle who died in Paris sat a row back and a couple of seats over. And his favorite teacher from school. He grinned, as he realized that everyone was there.
Then he sat back in his seat, and nodded. It was finished. And it was really funny! Then he closed his eyes again.
In the parents' rooms, Fumie carried a cup of tea on a platter. She said, "Shuhei?" There was no response. His hand held the fountain pen over the pad, but it didn't move. He leaned over, eyes closed, unmoving. He wasn't breathing.
At the door, the doctor turned to Fumie. "I'm sorry, but there was nothing we could do. He just quietly passed away in his sleep." The nurse nodded, and he bowed. Then they left.
Later, Shuhei's body lay in the bed. Fumie, Shigeru, and Kinuyo sat beside the bed, with Aiko, Yoshiko, and Mitsuo behind them. Yuichi and Sachiko, his wife, came running in. Yuichi said, "I'm sorry we're late." Shigeru stared at the bed and said, "It was just a little while ago."
Kinuyo stood up, turned around, and went looking through a cupboard. In a moment, she came back, carrying the bottle of cologne. She shook it into her hand, and carefully patted it into Shuhei's neck and under his jaw. Shigeru said, "Kinuyo, what are you doing?" She said, "He always liked this smell." Then she caressed Shuhei's cheek, and sat down again. She looked at him and said, "We've been married 60 years. That's longer than our parents."
Later, Kinuyo sat in the room. There was a box, wrapped in a white cloth, and a simple wooden tablet. The box held the funeral ashes. A picture of Shuhei, adorned with black and white ribbons, sat nearby.
Downstairs, in the family living room, Yuichi and Sachiko sat on the sofa. Mitsuo sat by the table, with Shigeru and Fumie across from him. Aiko and Yoshiko sat nearby. Mitsuo said, "I just can't believe it." Yuichi said, "What do you think the Anger is going to do now?" Sachiko said, "I'm sorry, but I really want to know. Why did she put perfume on him?" Yuichi shook his head. "I don't know. Fumie, do you know?" Fumie said, "I'm not really sure, but... I think... she really wanted him to be happy."
Later, Fumie and Shigeru were in the kitchen. Shigeru was reading the screenplay. "This is really pretty good." Kinuyo came in, carrying Shuhei's bag. She sat down, and looked at Shigeru. "I brought this for you." She set the bag in front of him. Shigeru said, "Shuhei's treasure?" She nodded. He unsnapped the clips and opened it. Inside were a few letters, and a fountain pen. Shigeru picked up the fountain pen. Kinuyo said, "That's the one he was writing with. His uncle, who died in Paris, gave it to him. He always said he would write a bestseller with it. He used to tell me about it all the time." She shook her head. "I used to watch him write, and I was so excited. But he never sold even one piece. Even though he was writing up to the end." Shigeru said, "Don't you want to keep it? To remember him?" She said, "No. He thought you were his uncle, reborn. You should use it." Shigeru slipped it into his shirt pocket, and tapped on it.
The episode ended with a bunch of bits. Shigeru laughing. Shigeru playing go with Genbee [go is a game with black and white disks, placed on a square matrix of lines at the crossings], Fumie with a postcard, several groups of people saying "You passed?", Aiko announcing "I'll decide my own way!", the two mothers (Kinuyo and Miyako) talking, Aiko looking at cherryblossoms, Yoshiko brushing something off a visitor, and Miyako telling Fumie "You've worked hard."
<to be continued>
[NOTE: They are starting to surround the show with announcements of the upcoming new show, 9/27. So apparently the last episode of Ge-ge-ge no nyobou will be 9/25!]
Fumie was knitting by the side of the bed. Shuhei rolled over and said, "Where's my parfait?" Fumie said, "Shuhei?" He blinked and said, "Oh. It was just a dream." Fumie said, "What kind of a dream was it?" Shuhei smiled. "Matsui Sumoko and I were going to have ice cream. But just as I was about to eat the parfait, I woke up." Fumie laughed. "Matsui Sumoko?" Shuhei grinned. "Well, she was quite an actress, you know."
Shuhei sat up in bed. He looked at Fumie and said, "I guess the Kitaro manga are selling really well, aren't they?" Fumie nodded. "Yes." Shuhei said, "I don't know if we ever told you about Shigeru's uncle?" Fumie shook her head. "I don't think so." Shuhei said, "He was an artist. He went to Paris. And Shigeru was born the same day that he died." Fumie said, "Oh?" Shuhei nodded. "My mother used to say that Shigeru was him, reborn. And I guess... well, Shigeru did draw from childhood. But he always did manga. I think that's his destiny."
Then Shuhei looked at her. "What about tonight?" Fumie said, "What?" Shuhei chuckled. "What are we eating tonight?" Fumie said, "I'm going to make chestnuts and rice." Shuhei smiled. "That sounds good." Fumie said, "I'll make some tea." Shuhei said, "I'll just write a little." He pulled the cardboard over onto his lap and opened his fountain pen. Fumie said, "I really want to read it." Shuhei smiled. "The next part is really good." As Fumie walked away, he posed his fountain pen over the paper, then closed his eyes for a moment.
There was a ringing sound, like an alarm. Shuhei sat in a seat in an empty theater, dressed in his best suit, under a spotlight. He opened his eyes and looked around.
A voice from the dark stage announced, "Tonight's show is the conclusion of the Dai San Maru explosion." Shuhei looked at the master of ceremonies, stepping up to the lectern. He said, "I wonder who that is?" Then the figure stepped into the light. It was Shuhei, dressed in a fancy tie and dark outfit. The Shuhei in the seat said, "Oh, it's me." The master of ceremonies Shuhei said, "Here are some highlights from the past." There was a brief clip of an old movie, with a young Shuhei in the middle of the other actors. And another young Shuhei, dressed in a school uniform, sitting in an audience. And another Shuhei, dancing with two geisha on a stage. And Shuhei with Kinuyo and three boys.
Then the master of ceremonies said, "And now, after 89 years, writing to the very last, we present the conclusion to the Dai San Maru explosion!" The point-of-view scrolled from the master of ceremonies over to Shuhei's bag, sitting on a table. Then the words "The End" were displayed across the bag. And the curtains of the stage closed, as the lights dimmed.
As the lights in the theater came up, there was applause all around Shuhei. He glanced around and saw that the theater was full. And as he looked at the clapping crowd, he realized that his mother and father sat over there. And the uncle who died in Paris sat a row back and a couple of seats over. And his favorite teacher from school. He grinned, as he realized that everyone was there.
Then he sat back in his seat, and nodded. It was finished. And it was really funny! Then he closed his eyes again.
In the parents' rooms, Fumie carried a cup of tea on a platter. She said, "Shuhei?" There was no response. His hand held the fountain pen over the pad, but it didn't move. He leaned over, eyes closed, unmoving. He wasn't breathing.
At the door, the doctor turned to Fumie. "I'm sorry, but there was nothing we could do. He just quietly passed away in his sleep." The nurse nodded, and he bowed. Then they left.
Later, Shuhei's body lay in the bed. Fumie, Shigeru, and Kinuyo sat beside the bed, with Aiko, Yoshiko, and Mitsuo behind them. Yuichi and Sachiko, his wife, came running in. Yuichi said, "I'm sorry we're late." Shigeru stared at the bed and said, "It was just a little while ago."
Kinuyo stood up, turned around, and went looking through a cupboard. In a moment, she came back, carrying the bottle of cologne. She shook it into her hand, and carefully patted it into Shuhei's neck and under his jaw. Shigeru said, "Kinuyo, what are you doing?" She said, "He always liked this smell." Then she caressed Shuhei's cheek, and sat down again. She looked at him and said, "We've been married 60 years. That's longer than our parents."
Later, Kinuyo sat in the room. There was a box, wrapped in a white cloth, and a simple wooden tablet. The box held the funeral ashes. A picture of Shuhei, adorned with black and white ribbons, sat nearby.
Downstairs, in the family living room, Yuichi and Sachiko sat on the sofa. Mitsuo sat by the table, with Shigeru and Fumie across from him. Aiko and Yoshiko sat nearby. Mitsuo said, "I just can't believe it." Yuichi said, "What do you think the Anger is going to do now?" Sachiko said, "I'm sorry, but I really want to know. Why did she put perfume on him?" Yuichi shook his head. "I don't know. Fumie, do you know?" Fumie said, "I'm not really sure, but... I think... she really wanted him to be happy."
Later, Fumie and Shigeru were in the kitchen. Shigeru was reading the screenplay. "This is really pretty good." Kinuyo came in, carrying Shuhei's bag. She sat down, and looked at Shigeru. "I brought this for you." She set the bag in front of him. Shigeru said, "Shuhei's treasure?" She nodded. He unsnapped the clips and opened it. Inside were a few letters, and a fountain pen. Shigeru picked up the fountain pen. Kinuyo said, "That's the one he was writing with. His uncle, who died in Paris, gave it to him. He always said he would write a bestseller with it. He used to tell me about it all the time." She shook her head. "I used to watch him write, and I was so excited. But he never sold even one piece. Even though he was writing up to the end." Shigeru said, "Don't you want to keep it? To remember him?" She said, "No. He thought you were his uncle, reborn. You should use it." Shigeru slipped it into his shirt pocket, and tapped on it.
The episode ended with a bunch of bits. Shigeru laughing. Shigeru playing go with Genbee [go is a game with black and white disks, placed on a square matrix of lines at the crossings], Fumie with a postcard, several groups of people saying "You passed?", Aiko announcing "I'll decide my own way!", the two mothers (Kinuyo and Miyako) talking, Aiko looking at cherryblossoms, Yoshiko brushing something off a visitor, and Miyako telling Fumie "You've worked hard."
<to be continued>
[NOTE: They are starting to surround the show with announcements of the upcoming new show, 9/27. So apparently the last episode of Ge-ge-ge no nyobou will be 9/25!]
