Tsutomu:
“Mother wanted me to visit.” I say to Yoshi as soon as we were left alone by Namuzawa-sama’s wife. “She said you hardly visit her anymore.”
“It’s been rather busy brother.” He answers back, “School and all the after hours and weekend activities… I hardly spend anytime here at the house, nor to myself.”
I frown at him. “Well you should -still- visit mother at least twice a week. She’s always needing for company you know and I’m too far away.”
“I’ll try to brother.” Then he turns and looks at me quizzically. “But what are -you- doing here? School isn’t out until later in summer.”
Letting out a frustrated breath I answer him, “-He- had us -dumped- here, saying there’s some threat.” I roll my eyes, “It’s the same excuse as when -we- got dumped here with mother when he wanted to live with Yagi-san…”
He looks away and mutters something that I can’t hear. So I continue. “As you can see there really isn’t a threat. He’s just making it seem like there -is-.”
“How can you be so sure brother?” He looks at me doubtful.
“We’ve been here a couple of days and nothing’s happened. He’s just wasting Sagawa-san’s time and making a fool of Yagi-san.”
“Father isn’t like that.” He mumbles again but then suddenly straightens up and looks at me directly. “I -wish- you would stop accusing our father of sordid things. There’s probably a threat somewhere that he’s dealing with and asked Sagawa-san.”
“Oh you’re so naive Yoshi.” I shake my head. “Don’t be stupid.”
“I’m -not- stupid.” Yoshi’s voice suddenly becomes high pitched. “Why don’t you ask Yagi-san then? I’m sure she’d know what father is doing.”
“Hey be quiet or Namuzawa-sama is going to hear you.” That seems to pull him back a bit as I see him settle back down in his seat.
“How do I know? I saw it with my own eyes. A new woman. He called her “Aioi”.” I shake my head, “She stood right in front of our door Yoshi and father didn’t do a single thing about it. This Aioi acted like she -owned- the place and dressed down Yagi-san like you wouldn’t believe. I felt so sorry for her, crying and slumped down to the ground and father didn’t even bother to pull her up. He was too busy with this Aioi and some other men who came to the house.”
Yoshi looks away. He -knows- I’m right. I saw it with my own two eyes.
“And what did Yagi-san say about it?” He asks me quietly.
“What would she say about it? Of course after all that she picked herself back up and acted like there was nothing wrong. She had to take care of all of us when he dumped us here.”
“Father must have had his reasons.”
“Why are you so hung up with him Yoshi?!” I finally start to get short with him. After everything I told him, he’s still going on and on about this father who not only dumped us here but also abandoned him in the end.
“Did Yagi-san say anything else? Does she know where father is? Is he in danger?”
“What the -hell- Yoshi! Who cares about him!” I stand up. “First you don’t visit mother with any regularity and now you and your -father- complex!” I point my finger at him, “You were always such a baby! Father this! Father that!” I can’t help but roll my eyes. “See -that- man for -what- he is Yoshi! A good for -nothing- womanizer!”
“Brother!” He stands up and I’m surprised. He’s a little taller now.
Suddenly there’s a knock. “Boys is everything alright in there?”
His eyes dart towards the door. “It’s alright ma’am. Nii-san and I were just catching up and getting excited.”
“Alright boys. If you need anything just call one of the servants.”
“Thank you ma’am.”
I look at him. Why does he call this woman, who is supposed to be his new mother “ma’am”? He moves away from me and sits back down.
“I’m sorry brother.” He shakes his head, “I just thought that this time. Maybe it could be different and all of you could be happier. I thought Yagi-san might’ve been good for father… He seemed to really like her you know, when they came to visit me in Aizu once.” He shrugs, “But that was a long time ago.”
“Exactly. He was just -pretending- with Yagi-san.” And he throws me that look again and so I forge on trying to convince him. “I’m glad Yagi-san finally saw through it. She even shielded me from him when he came home dead drunk.”
He averts his eyes, “Is that so brother? You must’ve been pretty upset then.”
“Hell no. Remember it’s not the first time he tried that on me.” I look at him, “You remember don’t you? You even tried to defend me back then when he obviously had his hands on me.”
He shakes his head. “Brother. Did he hit you?”
“No. But as I said, Yagi-san got in the middle and back then you did too.”
“But I didn’t protect you brother back then.” He shakes his head. “Don’t you remember?”
“What are you talking about Yoshi!”
“He put you down and I charged at you.” He sighs, “Although I shouldn’t have done that, I’m tired of you always turning father away. He wasn’t just your father but mine too. So next time…”
“Next time what?” I growl a bit at this stubborn younger brother of mine who won’t listen to reason and facts!
“Just remember who got to stay with father. Between the two of us, -you- were chosen.” He sighs, “Of all the people, you should’ve been the one closest to him.”
I let out an exasperated breath, “You’re a dolt Yoshi. If Yagi-san who should’ve been the one closest to him doesn’t want to have anything to do with him anymore, why would I with how crappily he’s treated all of us? You didn’t get to see any of it so don’t act like you know -anything- about it!”
“All I’m saying brother is he’s still our father.”
“The good for nothing!”
“Enough brother! Please leave.”
“Fine!”
It’s not my house and I’m not waiting to be escorted out by one of his now many servants. That man isn’t even his father anymore, hasn’t been for over a year now. He’s so stupid! And he better visit mother soon!