Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 9/14
Sep. 25th, 2010 10:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkera.k.a. on your back
Shigeru was looking at large drawings of a kappa and the old woman, sunakake babaa, the sand-throwing hag. He handed the kappa back to Sugai and said, "Maybe a little more detail on that one?" Then he handed the old woman to Aikawa, the other assistant, and said, "Make the background a bit more bold."
Mitsuo walked in, carrying several small books in his hand. "We've got the new books." He started setting them side by side on the table. They were small, pocket sized volumes, with colorful covers. Aikawa said, "How many are in that series?" Shigeru said, "They've got 40 volumes in this set." Mitsuo said, "And they asked for another series." Shigeru smiled. "Okay, how about Devil Boy next?" Mitsuo nodded.
Later, in the living room, Kinuyo came in, carrying her overnight bag. Shigeru said, "You're back?" Kinuyo frowned. "Yes. They made me so upset, I just couldn't stay any more." She dropped her bag. "Maybe I'll take a trip to Europe." Shigeru gaped at her. "Europe?"
Up in her rooms, Kinuyo set the bag down again, and muttered. "Why not? Maybe I'll go to Paris. Or Naples? Everyone says Naples is nice." Then she frowned and said, "Where is Naples?"
After a moment, she looked over at the picture of Shuhei and said, "I guess you can't answer me anymore."
Later, Yuichi and Sachiko sat on the sofa in the living room. Mitsuo sat on one side of the table. Fumie and Shigeru sat across from him. Sachiko said, "I think I did something wrong." Yuichi said, "No, it wasn't your fault." Shigeru said, "I know it must've been hard. But what happened?" Yuichi pursed his lips and shook his head. "Well, the kids were playing some music. She pulled the plug." Sachiko said, "To be honest, it was pretty noisy." Yuichi said, "But pulling the plug?" Sachiko nodded. "And I tried to fix food the way she liked it, but she always seemed to find something wrong." Yuichi grimaced. "That's it. She just found something wrong all the time."
Shigeru said, "Well, she was talking about maybe going to Europe." Yuichi said, "Do you think we could send her to the Amazon? She could fight with the animals there." Shigeru shook his head. "Well, really, if she wants to stay here, that's okay."
Sachiko picked up the box of cakes from the table and said, "Let's put these on a plate." She and Fumie went into the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Sachiko looked at Fumie and said, "You're amazing. To have lived such a long time with her..." Fumie said, "It's not that hard." Sachiko shook her head. "No, really. Yuichi and I talked about it, and he agreed. You've worked hard."
Back in the living room, they set the platter down and sat down. Then Kinuyo walked in the door, carrying her overnight bag. Shigeru looked at her and said, "Are you going somewhere?" She smiled at them and said, "Of course. Mitsuo! Stand up! I'm going to visit you next!"
In the coffee shop, Aiko sat with her friend. The friend said, "So your father is really against you teaching?" Aiko nodded. The friend said, "It's funny, I remember in elementary school how they teased you, and how hard it was for you to study. I guess that's why you decided to become a teacher?" Aiko said, "Yes, that's it. I know how important it is. And how hard it can be. And I studied hard, and I passed! And now he's gotten all worried."
Kameda, sitting at the counter, said, "Remarkable!" Aiko and her friend looked at him. "What?" He said, "Remarkable! Some of us worked hard to get D's. Right, master?" He high-fived the coffee shop man.
Then her friend looked at Aiko and said, "What does your father want anyway?" Aiko said, "Oh, he wants me to work at the company. But there's nothing there that I want to do."
A figure nearby shifted, and pulled a magazine off its face. Uraki said, "I understand." He turned and smiled at the girls. Aiko's friend said, "Who's he?" Aiko shrugged. "He's one of father's friends." Uraki stood up and stepped closer to their table. "Oh, not just a friend. You might say I made Shigeru Mizuki. Why, I've known him since he was a boy. Let me tell you about him..."
Later, walking in the shopping center, her friend leaned over and whispered to Aiko. "He's really cheap, isn't he? I thought he would at least buy our coffee. But then he told the coffee shop man to split the bill." Aiko chuckled. "Yeah, that was funny."
Uraki was walking ahead of them, and stopped, looking at two people in the street. One was kneeling, rubbing her knees. The man with her was squatting, too. Aiko looked, and said, "Grandfather? And grandmother? What are you doing here?" She hurried over to the pair. Genbee stood up, and waved at Miyako. "We were walking to your house, but your grandmother's knees..." Uraki walked up, and Genbee glanced at him. "Who are you?" Miyako grimaced, and moaned. Genbee squatted again, then looked at Uraki. Then Genbee stood up and said, "Let me borrow your back." Uraki said, "Huh?" Genbee grabbed his arm and pulled him in front of Miyako.
At the house, Fumie hurried to the door as Aiko called. Fumie said, "Genbee? You're here?" He nodded as he held the door open. Uraki came in, carrying Miyako on his back. He turned and set her on the entryway step. Fumie said, "Mother?" She grimaced. "My knees..."
Later, Genbee and Miyako knelt in front of the picture of Shuhei. Genbee rang the bell on the shrine, a clear high note. Then he closed his eyes and put his hands together.
Downstairs, Uraki sat on the sofa while Fumie stood nearby. She said, "Thank you for helping. But where did you meet them?" Uraki started to say something, and Genbee stepped in the door. "You!" Uraki turned. Genbee said, "You're Uraki, aren't you?" Then Genbee stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and pulled him off the sofa onto the floor. "I'm sorry we bothered you. Here..." Genbee started digging through his bag. "Honey. Soba. Some jelly." Uraki looked at the jar and packages being pushed into his hands and said, "Wow! Real country food."
At the door, Fumie said, "If you want to stay for dinner..." Uraki hefted the sack of presents that Genbee had given him. "No, I better not. Gege gets so upset. This isn't money, but..." He smiled and left.
Back in the living room, Yoshiko and Aiko looked at more bottles of honey and packages. Fumie said, "I was really surprised to see you. I knew you were going to Hakone, and might come here, but..." Genbee shrugged. "I'm sorry. We just decided to come here and pray for Shuhei. But you don't need to worry about us." Fumie shook her head. "If you called from the station, we could have picked you up in the car." Genbee said, "We just wanted to see the shopping center. Then your mother's knees started to hurt..." He glanced around. "Say, is Kinuyo here?" Fumie said, "No, we didn't know you were coming. She's staying with Shigeru's brother." Yoshiko said, "I could run over to Mitsuo and get her." Genbee said, "No, no. Don't bother. We aren't going to stay long."
Yoshiko leaned over and said, "Does not staying long mean dinner?" Fumie winked at her. "Yes, we'll stretch dinner for two more."
<to be continued>
Shigeru was looking at large drawings of a kappa and the old woman, sunakake babaa, the sand-throwing hag. He handed the kappa back to Sugai and said, "Maybe a little more detail on that one?" Then he handed the old woman to Aikawa, the other assistant, and said, "Make the background a bit more bold."
Mitsuo walked in, carrying several small books in his hand. "We've got the new books." He started setting them side by side on the table. They were small, pocket sized volumes, with colorful covers. Aikawa said, "How many are in that series?" Shigeru said, "They've got 40 volumes in this set." Mitsuo said, "And they asked for another series." Shigeru smiled. "Okay, how about Devil Boy next?" Mitsuo nodded.
Later, in the living room, Kinuyo came in, carrying her overnight bag. Shigeru said, "You're back?" Kinuyo frowned. "Yes. They made me so upset, I just couldn't stay any more." She dropped her bag. "Maybe I'll take a trip to Europe." Shigeru gaped at her. "Europe?"
Up in her rooms, Kinuyo set the bag down again, and muttered. "Why not? Maybe I'll go to Paris. Or Naples? Everyone says Naples is nice." Then she frowned and said, "Where is Naples?"
After a moment, she looked over at the picture of Shuhei and said, "I guess you can't answer me anymore."
Later, Yuichi and Sachiko sat on the sofa in the living room. Mitsuo sat on one side of the table. Fumie and Shigeru sat across from him. Sachiko said, "I think I did something wrong." Yuichi said, "No, it wasn't your fault." Shigeru said, "I know it must've been hard. But what happened?" Yuichi pursed his lips and shook his head. "Well, the kids were playing some music. She pulled the plug." Sachiko said, "To be honest, it was pretty noisy." Yuichi said, "But pulling the plug?" Sachiko nodded. "And I tried to fix food the way she liked it, but she always seemed to find something wrong." Yuichi grimaced. "That's it. She just found something wrong all the time."
Shigeru said, "Well, she was talking about maybe going to Europe." Yuichi said, "Do you think we could send her to the Amazon? She could fight with the animals there." Shigeru shook his head. "Well, really, if she wants to stay here, that's okay."
Sachiko picked up the box of cakes from the table and said, "Let's put these on a plate." She and Fumie went into the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Sachiko looked at Fumie and said, "You're amazing. To have lived such a long time with her..." Fumie said, "It's not that hard." Sachiko shook her head. "No, really. Yuichi and I talked about it, and he agreed. You've worked hard."
Back in the living room, they set the platter down and sat down. Then Kinuyo walked in the door, carrying her overnight bag. Shigeru looked at her and said, "Are you going somewhere?" She smiled at them and said, "Of course. Mitsuo! Stand up! I'm going to visit you next!"
In the coffee shop, Aiko sat with her friend. The friend said, "So your father is really against you teaching?" Aiko nodded. The friend said, "It's funny, I remember in elementary school how they teased you, and how hard it was for you to study. I guess that's why you decided to become a teacher?" Aiko said, "Yes, that's it. I know how important it is. And how hard it can be. And I studied hard, and I passed! And now he's gotten all worried."
Kameda, sitting at the counter, said, "Remarkable!" Aiko and her friend looked at him. "What?" He said, "Remarkable! Some of us worked hard to get D's. Right, master?" He high-fived the coffee shop man.
Then her friend looked at Aiko and said, "What does your father want anyway?" Aiko said, "Oh, he wants me to work at the company. But there's nothing there that I want to do."
A figure nearby shifted, and pulled a magazine off its face. Uraki said, "I understand." He turned and smiled at the girls. Aiko's friend said, "Who's he?" Aiko shrugged. "He's one of father's friends." Uraki stood up and stepped closer to their table. "Oh, not just a friend. You might say I made Shigeru Mizuki. Why, I've known him since he was a boy. Let me tell you about him..."
Later, walking in the shopping center, her friend leaned over and whispered to Aiko. "He's really cheap, isn't he? I thought he would at least buy our coffee. But then he told the coffee shop man to split the bill." Aiko chuckled. "Yeah, that was funny."
Uraki was walking ahead of them, and stopped, looking at two people in the street. One was kneeling, rubbing her knees. The man with her was squatting, too. Aiko looked, and said, "Grandfather? And grandmother? What are you doing here?" She hurried over to the pair. Genbee stood up, and waved at Miyako. "We were walking to your house, but your grandmother's knees..." Uraki walked up, and Genbee glanced at him. "Who are you?" Miyako grimaced, and moaned. Genbee squatted again, then looked at Uraki. Then Genbee stood up and said, "Let me borrow your back." Uraki said, "Huh?" Genbee grabbed his arm and pulled him in front of Miyako.
At the house, Fumie hurried to the door as Aiko called. Fumie said, "Genbee? You're here?" He nodded as he held the door open. Uraki came in, carrying Miyako on his back. He turned and set her on the entryway step. Fumie said, "Mother?" She grimaced. "My knees..."
Later, Genbee and Miyako knelt in front of the picture of Shuhei. Genbee rang the bell on the shrine, a clear high note. Then he closed his eyes and put his hands together.
Downstairs, Uraki sat on the sofa while Fumie stood nearby. She said, "Thank you for helping. But where did you meet them?" Uraki started to say something, and Genbee stepped in the door. "You!" Uraki turned. Genbee said, "You're Uraki, aren't you?" Then Genbee stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and pulled him off the sofa onto the floor. "I'm sorry we bothered you. Here..." Genbee started digging through his bag. "Honey. Soba. Some jelly." Uraki looked at the jar and packages being pushed into his hands and said, "Wow! Real country food."
At the door, Fumie said, "If you want to stay for dinner..." Uraki hefted the sack of presents that Genbee had given him. "No, I better not. Gege gets so upset. This isn't money, but..." He smiled and left.
Back in the living room, Yoshiko and Aiko looked at more bottles of honey and packages. Fumie said, "I was really surprised to see you. I knew you were going to Hakone, and might come here, but..." Genbee shrugged. "I'm sorry. We just decided to come here and pray for Shuhei. But you don't need to worry about us." Fumie shook her head. "If you called from the station, we could have picked you up in the car." Genbee said, "We just wanted to see the shopping center. Then your mother's knees started to hurt..." He glanced around. "Say, is Kinuyo here?" Fumie said, "No, we didn't know you were coming. She's staying with Shigeru's brother." Yoshiko said, "I could run over to Mitsuo and get her." Genbee said, "No, no. Don't bother. We aren't going to stay long."
Yoshiko leaned over and said, "Does not staying long mean dinner?" Fumie winked at her. "Yes, we'll stretch dinner for two more."
<to be continued>
