It’s still a bit early but I should get going. I walk over to Hide and shake her shoulder lightly.
“Wake up Hide. Go watch Makoto. I’m going out.” I pause wondering if she heard me, “Give me a list of things to buy in the market for breakfast and whatever you think is necessary.”
Makoto would need to eat eventually and it’s not like we have food in the house. I wait for a moment but my impatience is getting the best of me. Perhaps there’s no need to ask and just go get whatever I deem is appropriate?
tokyo – morning – house
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She doesn’t answer and yet I know she’s awake. Go ahead and pretend then. As long as she watches over Makoto then that’s enough… I leave and close the door behind me.
Now let’s see, lamps, gas, breakfast, toiletries, something else… Bah whatever I’ll remember when I see it.
I roll over. Ooh. My tummy feels sore but I feel better. Okaasan is right there.
“Good morning,” she smiles, and walks me to the washroom. “Chichi went out to get breakfast. How are you feeling?”
“Much better!” She helps me clean up and change, and she does too, and then we go to the kitchen.
“You should drink some tea, we don’t have any milk yet and you’re a bit young for Chichi’s coffee.”
I make a face. “But it smells good!”
She shakes her head. “It does, but milk is best for growing girls. Don’t you want to be tall like Chichi?”
This is funny. “Then I can I kiss you on top of your head?” I giggle and she laughs too.
“Well maybe not -that- tall, but because you were sick last night tea is better than milk right now. But how about we do something special? While we wait for Chichi would you like to see the garden? We can drink our tea out there?” She kisses the top of my head, “I’m glad you’re feeling better. Chichi will be too.” I nod. I liked the Chinese food but the orange chicken – stay away!
We go outside and it looks a lot nicer in light. There’s even a bench, and when I sit down she hands me a cup. I drink the tea, even though I don’t like how it tastes, it does feel nice. After that Okaasan goes around and shows me the plants she used to grow. I look at the tree, I’ll have to try that -later-.
I was thinking of stopping by the Precinct today, after instructing the driver to drop of breakfast to the house. It?EUR(TM)s been a long time since I?EUR(TM)ve seen my office, the papers must be piled mountain high such that it would probably take me well into the night to catch-up. I needed something to occupy my time and not think, but a letter in response to mine changed my plans somewhat so here I am in front of the house. I didn?EUR(TM)t get much time to go around the market, I wanted to be back here as soon as possible so I only managed to get my original list of things to buy. The gas is the heaviest but I?EUR(TM)m feeling much better now and maybe after breakfast I can work around the house, there seems to be a draft upstairs.
As I close the gates, I notice Makoto and Hide are in the garden, they are inspecting the flowers. Makoto seems to be doing better but my eyes lay on her mother. It seems like a lot of time has passed and indeed it has. Quietly I go to the genkan and leave everything there with the exception of the paper bag that had breakfast. Fried tofu and some rice gruel. I didn?EUR(TM)t want anything heavy for Makoto. It was easy enough to get back to the garden unnoticed. Going behind Hide, I take her by the waist and lightly kiss her cheek.
?EURoeI got your letter,?EUR? I whisper, ?EURoeHime-sama.?EUR?
I got your letter, Hime-sama
At hearing that, something warm fills me and my cheeks flush, and I tilt my head back to rest on his shoulder. “Good,” I say, simply, smiling. His answer was in my name, and my eyes glow as I look back up at him. For a moment just relishing being held… that it is again in this garden only makes it sweeter. “And good morning.”
Makoto looks up from the hibiscus plants she was inspecting and comes over, and gets her arms half-around the both of us. “Chichi! See I’m better!” She notices the bag. “Is that breakfast? All I’ve had so far is tea.”
“What did you get for us? It smells good.” I ask, stepping over to the engawa and opening the shoji screens so the indoors is flooded in the lovlieness of the outdoors. “Next on the shopping list is a good blanket for eating outside,” I say.
“Chichi! See I’m better!”
“Very good Makoto.” I say and and let go of Hide. I take my beloved daughter into my arms. I carry her following Hide to the engawa.
“What did you get for us? It smells good.”
“Not much. I didn’t quite know what to get. I figured raw eggs cannot be on the menu today.” I hand Hide the paper bag and place Makoto down.
“Next on the shopping list is a good blanket for eating outside,”
I nod, “but maybe we can eat here on the engawa for now or the tatami room.” The tatami room does have an unobstructed view of half of the garden. “Fix me some coffee?” I look over to her. I’m not really hungry but I would like to join them for breakfast.
“The engawa,” I answer, loving it out here.
I prepare coffee and bring it out to the engawa, along with tea for me, and a weaker tea for Makoto. I kneel on the engawa and portion out the rice pudding and tofu.
“This is perfect,” I smile, knowing how he likes this meal and what it means to him. Instead of sitting next to him I settle in his lap.
Makoto takes her bowl eagerly. “Don’t eat too fast,” I remind her. She nods and nibbles on her tofu. “We need to get Chichi some pickles. He likes those at breakfast,” she reminds me.
I look over Hajime’s shoulder to the stack of items he brought back with him. “What all did you get this morning?” I ask. “And what are your plans for the rest of the day?”
Raising an eyebrow at Hide as she settles into my lap, I give her a knowing look and pull her in so she rests fully into my stomach. Lighting a cigarette I watch as Makoto eats.
“We need to get Chichi some pickles. He likes those at breakfast,”
I make a face, “I did forget to get some, but you’re probably happy about that. Aren’t you Makoto?”
“What all did you get this morning?”
“Not much, some rice, potatoes, beef, they were out of fish. There are some leeks in case you need to make something for Makoto. I got more gas and some soap for the washroom. Lamps… I don’t like it when the house is dark.”
“And what are your plans for the rest of the day?”
Taking a quick drag on my cig and then tasting the coffee I answer, “I really don’t know. You’ve changed my plans, I was going to work.”
I laugh at his funny face as he asks me about pickles. “But Chichi, a little pickle is -okay-, if it’s in a lot of rice.” They smell strange but… they’re not -that- bad.
I like the fried tofu and the rice like this is good. “This is tasty,” I tell them. “Okaasan, can you make this for breakfast sometime?”
I get up to go back in the garden where there were a bunch of ladybugs, but stop when they talk about what they’re doing today, so I sit back down next to them.
I answer his knowing look with a kiss on the forehead as I settle in to eating my breakfast. I’m glad he saw to it but I want most of all to cook for my family…
Ah… those two and pickles. It’s good that Makoto not be fussy about food.
He lists what he got, and I have lists of my own… including one very important item. “That’ll be a good
I really don’t know. You’ve changed my plans, I was going to work
“Well there’s this river I recall being a remarkable place…” I say with a smile. “Or… tell me, what day is this?” I know this is July… but could -that- day be near?
I smirk, my daughter just lectured me. She -must- be feeling better.
“Well there’s this river I recall being a remarkable place…” “Or… tell me, what day is this?”
“I’m not sure whether Makoto can go for long trips.” I say knowing she is beside us listening. “Especially if she likes to eavesdrop.”
Leaning in towards Hide’s ear, I whisper so that Makoto can’t hear. “It’s July so that day is still a month away.”
Especially if she likes to eavesdrop.
My face turns red and I giggle. “Chichi…” He’s right I am but I like to know what’s going on! I kiss his cheek, and then Okaasan’s.
I turn on my heel, and I can see the ladybugs still scurrying over the rock. “I’m going to see what else is out here,” I tell them.
I’m going to see what else is out here
“Bring back some of those hibiscus,” I ask her. Turning my head to look at Hajime, “I remember hearing once there was something about those and bubbles?”
I pout slightly at hearing how long away Tanabata is, I’m looking forward to it like an impatient child. “Then how about a certain sakura in Ueno park?” I whisper back in his ear, even with Makoto over examining the blossoms I don’t doubt that her ears are still perked up to what the adults are doing. “I already dragged you away from work… I could get you on fixing up the house or you could show us some of Tokyo.” It’s been a long time since I’ve been back and he always knew it better, all of the secret parks and such… it seemed as if he spun a special world just for us out of this city.
“Then how about a certain sakura in Ueno park?”
“Not a bad idea but maybe this afternoon. There’s things still to do in the house.” The truth is I’m not the type for cleaning but last night while resting my gloved hand on the counter it left dust stains and I cannot have that. “Let’s do everything while it’s early, so we won’t have to worry about it later.” I pause thinking of that place, it’s been a while.
Makoto comes back with the red hibiscus, I grin and stand up.
“Leave it there.” I nod at Hide’s side, “Get a can half filled with water and some soap. I’ll make you something.” I tell Makoto and she promptly leaves for the kitchen.
To Hide I say “I remember I gave you back your tanto, can you get it?” I ask before going to a small bamboo tree towards the other end. Drawing my katana I break a younger and thinner branch. Breaking it off into two five inch parts and discarding the rest. This should do
There’s things still to do in the house
Oh, he means housework… but I’m glad to hear that we -might- go out later. But this house is dusty!
I wait on the engawa after bringing Chichi the soapy water like he asked for, and Okaa-san comes back with her tanto, and waits with me.
“What do you do with flower, Chichi?” I look up at him and the little sticks he’s carrying.
“What do you do with flower, Chichi?”
“I’m going to crush it. See the bubbles from your water?” I place it down and sit on the engawa, “the trick is to make it thick with sap so the bubble doesn’t burst before you can blow on them.”
Removing my glove I place it in my pocket, afterwards I take the banana leaf that had the tofu earlier and place the hisbiscus on it. “Start crushing but do it slowly.”
Looking up at Hide, I take the tanto. “It’s been a while since I carved.” I grin at her and start to thinly strip the skin off the branch and round the edges. It can’t be used near the lips if the edges are too rough.
“Blowing bubbles?” Her eyes light up, and I move over next to Makoto and help her get started.
I grin back at Hajime, who is carving the bamboo. “I remember you did quite well back then even if I don’t recall ever seeing a finished project.” I laugh and lean over to kiss Makoto on top of her head, seeing her little face with a determined look as she -carefully- is crushing the flower.
Hajime’s right, though, we need to get this little house in order. I always loved setting it right, in the mornings before Hajime would come over for those golden afternoons we shared…
Suddenly her head bobs up and she holds the banana leaf out to Hajime. “Chichi, I’m done!”
“I remember you did quite well back then even if I don’t recall ever seeing a finished project.”
I glance back at her and raise an eyebrow… “Tch…” I frown feigning annoyance, “If you ever bothered to look…” I wonder what would’ve happened if she did. Maybe we’d be staying in Mibu with a couple more children… But maybe I wouldn’t be working as a cop either. I go back to my work, making one last round smoothening the edge. Running a finger around it, I decide it’s smooth enough not to cut.
“Chichi, I’m done!”
“Oh? Good work.” I say as I finish inspecting her work. She follows direction well. I grin and dump the crushed flowers into the soapy liquid, making sure that the sap mixed well. Soon it turned into a reddish brown color. “Look here Makoto…” I take the hollow stick and mix the liquid, lifting it up I show her that at the wet end there’s a transparent layer. “Now you don’t inhale, you blow like this.” I demonstrate, blowing slowly until a ball started forming on one end, but it popped. I tried again… And again… I frown… Am I blowing too rough?
“Tch…”
If you ever bothered to look…
Standing up from behind our daughter I go over to Hajime and embrace his shoulders from behind. “I’m looking now,” I whisper, peering around him to look at his work and I turn my head to kiss his cheek. My eyes are always looking for you… in every world.
Looking over at Makoto, I take Hajime’s hand to dip the tube back into the liquid, and bring his hand back up and I lean over so my cheek is touching his. “Perhaps with a little slowness? Softness?” I grin, and with the pipe at my lips and his hand still holding the pipe, I gradually blow a bubble, and when my breath gives out and the bubble releases, I watch as Makoto plays with it. I can’t help but smile, seeing her.
I watch as Chichi blows on the little pipe, and a bubble starts but then goes pop!
I giggle as Okaasan goes over to Chichi, she’s so kissy now! Then slowly, slowly, she blows a bubble, and I stand up and clap, follow it as it slowly drifts up, then down, then to the side.
“Ahaha!” It pops right in my face and I laugh. “Another one, make another!”