Treehouse Time

One thought on “Treehouse Time”

1. (Hide)
   Makoto isn’t looking at me, but she comes with me.
   “Yesterday was a lot, wasn’t it? It was -exciting- when Tsutomu-kun won, wasn’t it?” I grin at her. “I’d hoped that I’d be able to teach you something – about how to watch a fight. I was, oh, ten or more years older than you when a great teacher started to teach me, and then I was able to watch many of the greatest swordsmen in Japan.”
   “Was this when all of those men lived at your otou-san’s house?” She looks up at me, finally. “The Shin – Shinsen-,” she stumbles a little.
   “Shinsengumi. Yes, then. But it was very different! I was told that women were distracting, so I had to sit as silent as a stone, and as still as one, while Kondou Isami quietly pointed out everything.” I don’t tell her that after some point, Kondou-san’s instruction ended and I “He could see how the bend of a knee while waiting to strike would affect the way someone would move, or the angle of their foot – because being good at swords isn’t just about being the strongest or the fastest – it’s also in reading you opponent.” I smile at her, and touch her hair, “your father is -very- good at that.”
   “Oh,” she says, and she has a little proud grin at the mention of her father. But then she looks away. “I’ll stay out of the treehouse. So can I go now?”
   (Makoto)
   “Not yet,” she says.
   I siiiiiiiigh.
   “So back to yesterday – I’m sorry that we couldn’t come and see you help at Kyudo. Yamaji-sensei has written me to tell me what good work you’ve been doing.”
   I don’t say anything! But she still holds my hand.
   “Maa-chan…” she says. She’s not called me that in a long time! It’s my baby name and I’m a big girl now…
   …but it’s not so bad?
   “When adults make promises, they try to go through with them. And yesterday, there was something – a grown-up problem – that kept all of us from going to see you.”
   I look down. “So?” I try to kick the ground but I can’t quite reach it.
   Her face is very serious. “Maa-chan, I made you a promise. And I’m sorry. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we can’t always come through with it. But you have my word that only the most important thing would make me break it.”
   “Then what was so serious?” It was just a field day! “You were just talking with the other grown-ups.”
   She shakes her head. “Life… the past… is complicated.” She smiles at me a little. “One day I’ll tell you why it’s sort of funny, you and Kenji-kun being friends… but for now, I’m only going to tell you that it’s… complicated.”
   “That’s not telling me anything!” I let go of her hand and off of the bench, and stomp my foot! She still thinks I’m a baby!
   Then she stands up. “You’re too old for tantrums, Makoto.” I just look at her, and that -baby-. Then she says something. “The man in the cape.”
   I look over at her. “Yeah he was cool! Kenji-kun today said that he’s the strongest, and the smartest!”
   “I know he’s someone special to your friend Kenji-kun, but he’s -not- a safe man, Makoto. I want you to understand that. I’m not going to tell you to run,” she then looks away, and then back at me, “but try not to catch his attention, should you see him.”
   I go back and take her hand, -tight-, “does he want to hurt you and Chichiue?” My eyes are wide. No! Then I think how -weird- the grown-ups were! All quiet! “Hahahue, I’ll protect you! And the baby too! Even if it’s a girl!” And I go to her and hug her! Tight! Maybe I’ll see if Kenji-kun’s mom can teach me kendo!
   “I know you’ll be a good girl, and remember what I said about him,” she says, and then, asks me in a quiet voice, “Dearest, what’s so bad about a girl?”
   “I want to be the -only- girl. I want to be Chichiue’s only little girl.” What if she’s cuter? Or faster? What if Tsutomu-niisan likes her better too? My friends at school told me that -everyone- likes the baby more!
   (Hide)
   Ah…. I pull her close to me. “You know, when my mother had babies, I wanted her to have a girl – because my parents wanted a son more than anything else.” I stroke her hair, “it made me, as a girl, feel unimportant.”
   I sit back on the bench, to get closer to her eye level – ” but your father and I want a healthy baby, boy or girl, and we’ll love either one.” Well, we’re hoping for a boy, but for very different reasons than my parents did. “And being a big sister is very fun. You can fuss, but you can also take care of, teach her how to climb into the treehouse…” I reach over and touch the ends of her short hair. “But please don’t cut her hair, alright?” I wasn’t mad, but Mochizuki-san set a big store by her daughter’s hair…
   She hugs me again, and her sibling makes itself known with a thumping movement as Makoto leans on me and Makoto’s eyes go -wide-. “Is that… my brother or sister? Moving?”
   “Yes. They do that -a lot-. They’re probably excited to play with you.” I kiss her forehead. “And you’re not going to be forgotten, or lost, or loved any less. Look what’s happened since our family came together – you have Chichi, your -three- brothers, Yukiko-san…” I grin a little, “a family can be a lot, but it’s also nice to have them all here, isn’t it?”
   She nods, and lets go of me and just -looks- at my belly. She’s going to need reassurance from Hajime as well, as well as seeing it for herself, once the baby comes.
   “So now that I’m so -big-” I make a dramatic showing of getting up, and I get a little giggle, “I’m going to need your help more than ever. I thought we’d have time before dinner to make some little snacks for you and Tsutomu-kun to take to the treehouse – I have a jar you can keep them in once we’re done.”
   I hold out my hand for her but she runs past. “Okay!”
   This isn’t as simple as it was when she was younger – and she’s her father’s daughter, in many ways. But now I know some of what’s been on her mind… and while I don’t want her to worry, she needs to be aware… that man may target her, just because of us.
   (OOC: Close)

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