Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 9/15

[mbarker]

a.k.a. what a mess!

Laying on her bed, Yoshiko was reading a manga. She said, "Dad's old manga really are funny. What do you think he was like then?" Aiko paused in her studying, remembering Uraki in the coffee shop talking about Shigeru being very poor, and working hard to build the company to make family and employees happy.

Yoshiko got up and looked over Aiko's shoulder. Yoshiko said, "Are you studying again? You passed already, didn't you?" Aiko shook her head. "Yes, but I don't study just to pass a test." Then she looked at Yoshiko and said, "Wait, you're still in school. Shouldn't you be studying?" Yoshiko flopped on her bed, holding the manga up. "I'm resting right now."

In the kitchen, Genbee said to Fumie, "Aiko is really remarkable, passing the teaching tests. Until she's married, teaching is really good work for her." Then he frowned. "But Shigeru doesn't seem happy. When I said congratulations, it must make you very proud at dinner, he just grunted." Fumie said, "Well, he wanted Aiko to help with his work." Genbee said, "Does the company need her?" Fumie said, "Actually, no, but he's worried that if she goes to teach very far away, maybe she won't come back." Genbee nodded. "Oh, she might leave before she gets married. But she would be teaching in Tokyo, right?" Fumie said, "Yes, but Tokyo is very big."

Later, Fumie and Miyako sat in a room with a pile of futon and a small table. Miyako had a package of blister-packed incense sticks, the short ones that are used in Japan to burn on your skin for a kind of do-it-yourself acupuncture remedy. Fumie shook her head. "These are so tiny." Miyako said, "Yes, they're very useful. I remember when you used to do it for me."

Miyako looked around the room. "This house has grown so big." Fumie chuckled. "But rebuilding it so much, it has some strange places."

Miyako smiled at Fumie, and said, "You have worked so hard. I really came to Tokyo just to tell you that." Fumie looked at Miyako and said, "Oh, Mother. Dan dan."

Then Miyako chuckled. "Travel with Genbee is really hard. Let's go here, let's go there." Fumie smiled. "I can imagine." Then Miyako glanced around the room and said, "Where is he, anyway?"

In Shigeru's office, Shigeru was working on a color manga page. Genbee came in the door and looked around. Genbee said, "I'm sorry to interrupt." Shigeru looked around and got up. Genbee bowed to him. Shigeru returned the bow, then gestured at the visitors' chairs. Shigeru said, "Please, sit down." They both sat down. Shigeru said, "Would you like some tea?" Genbee shook his head.

Then Shigeru started to say, "What..." just as Genbee said, "Murai..." They both stopped. Shigeru said, "Please, go ahead." Genbee leaned forward and said, "The head of a household, like the manager of a company, has to be a stone foundation. I thought I would say that." Shigeru squinted and said, "What are we talking about?" Genbee said, "Aiko becoming a visiting teacher." Shigeru twisted in the chair. "Oh, that." Genbee said, "Yes, if she goes to live far away, it could be really hard to arrange a marriage." Shigeru nodded. "Yes, I worried about that. But I thought she wouldn't pass the tests."

Genbee said, "I've got one idea." Shigeru looked at him. Genbee said, "Wedding interviews." Shigeru shook his head. "It's really too early for her to marry." Genbee smiled. "No, not a wedding yet. Just talk about it." Shigeru said, "Eh?" Genbee said, "Have her meet some nice men from here, and pick one. If she's coming back for her marriage... even if she goes far away, she'll come back." Shigeru rubbed his chin. Genbee said, "What do you think?" Shigeru nodded. "I see what you mean."

Fumie walked in the door and said, "Oh, this is where you have been." Genbee jumped up, holding the ashtray from the table. "Yes, yes, Shigeru was just showing me his office." Fumie said, "Well, your room is ready, whenever you are." Genbee said, "Tomorrow early, we should go to Hakone." He handed Shigeru the ashtray. Genbee said, "I'm sorry to interrupt..." He winked at Shigeru. Then he left.

Fumie watched as Shigeru set the ashtray down, and then went back to work.

The next morning, Sachiko ran down the street into the house. In the kitchen, she asked Fumie, "Fumie? Do you know what Shigeru wants? He called early." Fumie shook her head. "I don't know. Shigeru didn't say."

Shigeru stepped into the kitchen. Sachiko said, "Is there trouble with Kinuyo again?" Shigeru shook his head. "No, she's at Mitsuo's. But you know lots of people." Sachiko nodded. Shigeru grinned. "It's about Aiko's wedding interviews." Sachiko said, "Oh. You're looking for a wedding consultant." Shigeru said, "Do you know where I can find one?" Sachiko said, "Oh, yes." Shigeru said, "Good."

Fumie said, "Does Aiko know about this?" Shigeru said, "She doesn't need to." Fumie said, "What? She'll be really upset." Shigeru shook his head. "It's better to arrange this in secret."

Then he looked at Sachiko and said, "What do we need?" Sachiko said, "Well, a picture and... the conditions?" Shigeru nodded. Then he said, "A second or third son. Lives in Tokyo. Someone who won't be relocated for work." Sachiko said, "What about personality? Someone who's gentle?"

Fumie said, "You, too?" Sachiko grinned. "It's just like old times." Then she looked at Shigeru and said, "You're not expecting to have an interview soon, right? Just register for interviews?"

Shigeru nodded. Then he looked at Fumie and said, "Get a picture." Fumie said, "But..." Shigeru said, "Hurry!"

Fumie found the photo album, and got out a picture of Aiko. She wrinkled her nose and said, "Why is he suddenly doing this?"

Two days later, Aiko was walking home in the street. Yuichi walked up behind her. He asked, "Are your grandparents back from Hakone?" Aiko smiled at him and said, "Yes." He said, "I should pay my respects, then." Then he said, "Oh, your picture that Sachiko got?" Aiko said, "My picture?" Yuichi nodded. "Yes. It's an old one. We should get a newer one." Aiko said, "Why?"

In the kitchen, Aiko faced Fumie and Yuichi. Aiko slapped the picture on the table. She said, "What's this?" And she shook her head and said, "When were you going to tell me about the wedding interviews?" Yuichi glanced at Fumie and said, "I thought she knew?" Yoshiko said from the corner of the table, "You didn't tell her?" Fumie said, "Wait, it wasn't supposed to be soon, we are just registering..." Aiko said, "Ah, I see. If I get married, I'll quit teaching? Is that what you thought?" Fumie said, "No..."

Shigeru walked in. He said, "Yuichi! Good to see you." He looked at the angry faces glaring at him. "What?"

Aiko said, "It was you! It was your idea! Wedding interviews -- terrible!" Shigeru grimaced. "Oh, you heard?" Fumie said, "Don't get angry." Aiko said, "You're my mother. Why didn't you stop this?" Fumie said, "It's..." Shigeru said to Aiko, "Don't bully your mother." Aiko said, "That's not bullying."

Yuichi waved his hands and said, "Calm down. Shigeru, calm down." Shigeru said, "Shut up." Yuichi said, "What? All I was supposed to do was get a new picture."

Shigeru turned his back on everybody. Aiko glared around at everyone. Yuichi turned on his heel, and walked out.

Outside the house, Yuichi shook his head and said, "Well, that's a mess." Genbee and Miyako came up the street. Yuichi looked at them and said, "You're the grandparents, right?" Genbee said, "And you're..." Miyako said, "Shigeru's older brother, right?" Yuichi smiled and said, "Yes, Yuichi." Genbee smiled and said, "It's been a long time." Then Genbee frowned. "You're not here for a bath, are you?" Yuichi said, "No, no. There is a bath at our house." Then Yuichi leaned close to them and said, "But there's a real mess inside." He stepped between them and left. They looked at each other, then at the house.

Later, at dinner, Aiko sat on the corner, with Yoshiko beside her and Fumie. Shigeru sat at the head of the table. Genbee sat beside him, with Miyako facing Aiko and Yoshiko. Shigeru and Aiko concentrated on their food. Genbee said, "Hakone was beautiful." Miyako said, "The maples were just fine." Genbee nodded. "And Mount Fuji was very pretty." Fumie said, "You had really good weather, too."

Genbee said, "The hotel where we stayed is the same one I stayed at a long time ago. And they remembered me!" Yoshiko said, "They remembered you? That's great." Genbee said, "That's top class." Miyako said, "You like everything top class." Genbee smiled. "Of course. The last time I was in Tokyo, I had a bust made." Yoshiko said, "A bust?" Genbee said, "Yes. I heard that President Kennedy had a bust made there, so I did too." Yoshiko said, "President Kennedy? Wow. That's our grandfather. Right, Aiko?" Aiko ignored her.

Genbee said, "At the hotel, when I mentioned that I got a bust made, they thought I must be famous. They started calling me Lord, and they gave me sashimi for free." He laughed.

Shigeru and Aiko continued to eat.

Genbee laid his chopsticks down on his plate. He said, "All right, Fumie. What's wrong?" Fumie said, "It's hard to say..." Aiko stared at her food and said, "Without telling me, they were arranging my wedding interviews. They almost had them set up. They were doing far too much." Shigeru told his plate, "We're not going to talk about this now. Later."

Genbee looked across the table. "Aiko." She looked at him. He said, "Don't be angry with your father." Aiko said, "But..." Genbee said, "It was my idea. I advised him." Miyako said, "I can imagine." Fumie said, "You? Oh, that time in his office..."

Aiko said, "What? Why did you interfere? I can't believe it!" Yoshiko said, "Now what?"

Aiko glared across the table and said, "I do not care who complains about it or what they say, I am going to be a teacher."

Just then, Kinuyo came in and set her bag down. "I'm back." Genbee and Miyako turned to her, and said, "Oh, we're sorry to be in the way." She responded, "No, I'm sorry I interrupted."

As they were exchanging greetings, Yoshiko leaned over to Fumie and said, "Grandmother timed that really well." Fumie nodded, "Yeah..."

<to be continued>