I was in the market looking for things that would make my little girl’s day special when I spot my son by himself in an animal store. I see him giving the store owner some money and making promises of advertising? But knowing him, he wouldn’t be taking in an animal just by himself. He doesn’t have the patience nor would he think he have the time. In so many ways we are alike. I know him like the back of my hand. So this must be for his little sister’s birthday tomorrow. I can’t help but feel proud even if I’m not sure if the gift is one that would -last-. He gets out of the store and casually I go up behind him.
“You understand that if that turtle dies your sister will be -very- upset.” I say as I blow out a smoke to the side.
“Ugh.” He turns around, “How long have you been following me?”
“Not long and I wasn’t following you until you got out of the store.”
He puts up the cage so I can see, “I chose the biggest and -healthiest- one. It won’t die.”
I cock an eyebrow at him, “Biggest and healthiest?” I grin slightly, “So he must’ve costed you quite a bit of money.”
“It’s my allowance to do what I wish!”
“Indeed it is.” I take the cage to look more closely and realize what kind of turtle this one was. An imported one. I look at Tomu, that means he hardly has money left much less any to send to Aizu. In a way I’m glad he’s put his mother behind for -once- so I don’t say anything. He’ll probably take another job at that beef place where he doesn’t get along with that spiky haired young man.
Giving the cage back to him, I stop and look around. It’s almost the afternoon and I’m quickly running out of ideas. Not that I had one in the first place. By the time I awoke from the events in that other place it was well into the afternoon.
“What are you doing here?”
“Same as you.” I sigh and keep glancing around. Fruit? She likes peaches… But I better do better than that. I -know- Hide will have enough food and likely all of the children’s favorites.
“You’re not doing a very good job at it if you’re just looking now.”
I glance down at him. If he only knew how difficult things has been. I nod. “If you want to help, you can give me some ideas.”
He let’s out an exasperated sigh. “Cakes are no good, Yagi-san will have those. And Makoto doesn’t act like a girl so buying her little girl kimonos won’t be a fun gift unless you want to put an animal on it and I already have the best animal gift. She seems to likes arts and crafts, she showed me the origami she’s made fish out of. And she’s too young for Kyuudo, I’d leave that for next year.”
I blink for a moment remembering.. For the longest time I kept that blue origami fish in my wallet until I had to put it back to the box as this place was winding down.
“Arts huh?” We keep walking and I keep looking. One stall caught my eye with it’s pretty beads and necklaces but Makoto wouldn’t be able to appreciate that. Then one seller had a lot of combs and really nice shawls but that’s more for her mother than anything.
“Okaa-san, can’t we buy those?” I child tugs at her mother’s sleeve and points across the way where a man who doesn’t look like Japanese nor looks like a foreigner is standing with what seems to be floating things.
“Wow. That’s certainly something.” My son tries to hide his interest at the floating things. I take him by the arm and we go over to the vendor.
“What are those?” I point to the round pointy things and ask the man who was wearing a funky hat and striped pants.
“Well what else but balloons sir!” He smiles and it’s then I realize he had rouge on his lips. “Here let me show you what I can do with it.”
Quickly he takes one and deflates it by inhaling the air. “See?” He says in a high pitched tone, “Or I can even do this.” And then suddenly he pops one in front of Tomu who half jumped out of his skin. But the man just starts to laugh like a girl.
“Are you trying to scare us?” I ask.
“No sir.” He replies still in that weird high pitch tone, “I’m providing entertainment! To which I hope you’ll spare some change!”
“Ah so you’re just some beggar then!” Tomu shakes his head.
“I’d rather call myself Mr. Entertainer you man.” He grins and then pulls out from his pocket a long rubber tube and then starts puffing into it until it was inflated and then he formed it to a sword!
“Here you go young man! A katana for you!”
His eyes go wide and he swats the rubber tube away. “Don’t you dare call that a katana!”
“Aww. You don’t like a katana? Here I’ll just make you…” He quickly retrieves another tube and makes a flower instead and arrows it to the boy.
“I’m not a girl!”
“This one is hard to please isn’t he sir?” The “Entertainer” winks at me. Quickly he makes another figure, this time to what I think is likely a dog.
“Here’s a wolf!”
“That’s a dog!”
“It’s a wolf young man!”
This can go on all afternoon I think. “How much do you want for those round baloons and a few of those rubber tubes?”
“These? But I’m not selling these. I’m selling entertainment!”
“I’m not going to invite you to my home.” I narrow my eyes at him, “You look suspicious.” Not to mention, if he’s arguing with my son he must be an -idiot-.
“I’m not suspicious!”
“Then sell me all of your balloons and go home. You stand out too much and if some other police patrol sees you, they may not understand and take you to the precinct.”
“But I’m innocent! I’m just trying to make some money.”
“So sell me your balloons. Show me how to make the -dog- as for the rest, I’ll just learn it later.”
“You’re putting me out of business?”
“That or I can just confiscate all this since it’s doubtful you have a business permit.”
“Mou…” He frowns and hands me the balloons but as he leaves he shouts back at us “I’ll be back one day! You can count on it!”
“Don’t come back!” Tomu shouts.
“That’s some weird man.” He tells me.
“He’s probably not dangerous but clowns like him can be a nuisance and court trouble and mischief.”
“So you knew what he was Chichi-ue?” He looks up at me and for a moment, I see my little boy. He must’ve realized it too as he averts his eyes and corrects him. “So you knew him.”
“A clown. In places far away from here, they entertain people but sometimes terrorizes them too. That’s why I got rid of him.” Well not before getting the perfect party item for Makoto’s birthday.
“Let’s go home son.”