Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/1

a.k.a. comparisons

Fumie and Shigeru said goodbye to the upstairs guy out in the street. The upstairs guy told them to take care. Fumie handed him a small package, and said, "It's onigiri (rice balls). You can eat them on the train." The upstairs guy pulled a lumpy envelope out of his pocket and said, "Here's the rent. It's really late." Shigeru said, "You don't have to do that. You'll need the money." The upstairs guy shook his head and pushed the envelope into Shigeru's hands. "No, take it. I owe you so much." Then he looked at them and said, "I think good fortune is going to come to you. I'm done with manga, but Shigeru is really an artist." He turned and set off. He had an old-fashioned army surplus backpack, with a little teapot tied underneath it. The teapot wiggled as he walked off.
( tempest in a teapot? )

She couldn't help comparing this house, with bright curtains, new furniture, and a family laughing together with her house, dark, drafty, and lonely.

<to be continued>

Ge-ge-ge no nyobou 6/2

a.k.a. bananas and playgrounds

Fumie was looking at pictures on the stereo in her sister's living room. Her sister came in and said, "I'm sorry. Even with a washing machine, washing clothes takes so much time." Fumie asked, "Did you make the pictures?" Her sister laughed. "They're from our vacation. I just glued sand and shells and stones on the frame."
( swinging on a breeze? )

Miyako, Fumie's mother, sent a long roll of white cloth. Her letter explained that this was a maternity obi (kind of like a wide sash or cummerband), and she should wrap it snugly around her stomach and wear it for the six months of her pregnancy.

<to be continued>