Categories > Anime/Manga > Gravitation > This Stretch of Road
This Stretch of Road
Chapter 3
Two of our koi seem to be sick. They probably scratched themselves on the sharp rocks on one side of the pond. Some of them eroded during the last storm. My father doesn't know about this. Good thing I know how to take care of these fish but it's a task I don't enjoy. Hauling them out of the water, smoothening the rocks, draining and replacing the water, and then there's the replacing of the fish in the water. I have to put them in plastic bags one by one and then let the bags float for half an hour in the pond for the water inside the bags to adjust to the water in the pond. It's a task alright. I wish I have someone to help me out. I haven't even finished sweeping.
And look at him. There he is, off to one side of the yard, his back on the exterior wall of Eiri's room. He's not watching me but his gaze is in my general direction. Probably thinking of something else. Again, I can't tell what about. It makes sense somehow that he's thinking because he has already implied that he's not at peace yet. There should be a lot of things he should ponder about. I never really got to know him when he was still alive and he never got to know me either. It's been two days since our first encounter. Since then, everyday banalities would remind me of him. My classmates are planning about the upcoming festival of the dead and I wonder if it will have any bearing on Kitazawa's presence. That which I have ignored and denied for so long has suddenly bit me in the ass. Spirits are real and they might be partying for three days during the Obon Festival.
Of course there's always the possibility that I am just imagining him. Why have I accepted his presence that easily? I wish I had discovered and enjoyed drugs to explain away this kind of hallucination but tragically enough, I'm clean. Perhaps my boredom has driven me to insanity.
But that would only be too easy. If one has decided to give up life, shouldn't madness be an alternative worth considering? After all, it's also a way out.
"Tatsuha."
Oh it's father. When did he get here? I turn to him. "Yes, pop?"
"Some of the koi seem unwell. Could you take care of it today? It would be a waste of resources to call a service when you're perfectly capable of doing the job." He's smiling at me as I hide my gritted teeth. It should sound distasteful if it were a master talking down to his servant but my father seems proud that I could handle the task.
"Don't antagonize him." Enter Kitazawa, stage left. It doesn't occur to me to disobey him. He probably flies from place to place. I didn't feel him come near me a while ago.
"I'll get to it as soon as I finish sweeping."
"Good boy," my father says as he pats my head even if I'm already a couple of inches taller than he is. He exits in a swish of robes. To where, I don't know. He seems to be very busy with appointments lately.
I continue sweeping, gripping the broom harder than I should. How I hate cleaning the pond. My life is a boring tragedy. The only thing I'm looking forward to is finding out if I could see other ghosts besides Kitazawa.
"You're gonna thank me for it. Just you wait." Kitazawa says.
"I don't know why I listen to you. It's not like you can help me clean the pond."
"Nothing I can do about that although I can entertain you while you're cleaning."
"Thanks but I have an MP3 player."
"Kids these days. Last time I was here, we only had cassette tapes and now they're relics of a bygone era. I would've read you some beautiful sonnets." He pauses, waiting for my response. When nothing seems forthcoming, he continues, "So tell me are you still listening to the pasticcio your brother-in-law churns?"
Ah, this guy knows where to hit. Disgust drips from his voice from the way he describes Tohma. "Yes but I wouldn't call it pasticcio, at least not those that Sakuma Ryuichi helped make."
"Sakuma...now where have I heard that name before?"
"Seguchi Tohma's best friend and the vocalist of their band."
He looks pensive for a moment, chin in hand before nodding. "Yeah...I think I met him before I died. Seguchi was always pestering me because of Eiri and there was a time or two when we had to meet and this guy with weird hair was with him. Perhaps it's him, perhaps it's not. But what the hell, right? Music's not my thing."
I try to stop myself from rolling my eyes. "Yeah, well, literature's not my thing either so thanks for the offer but, really, no thanks."
"Ooh. I think I pushed the wrong button."
"Just quit it, alright? You help me; I tolerate you; you reach nirvana."
He chuckles. He doesn't seem offended at all. "You know, you're far more entertaining than your brother."
"Once was."
"Huh?"
"Eiri once was. The Eiri you know and the Eiri today is not the same person at all."
"Oh." He looks sorry at this and as if he's struggling with words. I almost regret saying it but he has to know what happened in New York killed some parts of my brother, mostly parts that we used to be able to reach. When he came back, he was different and he made life difficult for everybody and I know I should resent him for it regardless of how unpleasant it is to resent your family but still, the three of us remaining, Dad, Mika and I were unable to do anything but attempt to understand him.
We're quiet for a few minutes until he says something so softly that I'm not even sure I heard it. "I'm sorry."
"What?" I ask.
"I'm sorry. It's not enough but it's all I can offer right now. Just to let you know that I am sorry."
"Well, it's over now. At least we're doing something to correct it."
"Yeah." I see his smile and I realize what drew people to him. If only he didn't have that side to him.
TBC
Note: I am disappointed with the snail's pace of this story and I'm trying to work something out to remedy it. I hope I get my groove back. It's been a while since I've undertaken a multi-chaptered - and I hope - a plot-driven story. Comments and criticisms are welcome.
Chapter 3
Two of our koi seem to be sick. They probably scratched themselves on the sharp rocks on one side of the pond. Some of them eroded during the last storm. My father doesn't know about this. Good thing I know how to take care of these fish but it's a task I don't enjoy. Hauling them out of the water, smoothening the rocks, draining and replacing the water, and then there's the replacing of the fish in the water. I have to put them in plastic bags one by one and then let the bags float for half an hour in the pond for the water inside the bags to adjust to the water in the pond. It's a task alright. I wish I have someone to help me out. I haven't even finished sweeping.
And look at him. There he is, off to one side of the yard, his back on the exterior wall of Eiri's room. He's not watching me but his gaze is in my general direction. Probably thinking of something else. Again, I can't tell what about. It makes sense somehow that he's thinking because he has already implied that he's not at peace yet. There should be a lot of things he should ponder about. I never really got to know him when he was still alive and he never got to know me either. It's been two days since our first encounter. Since then, everyday banalities would remind me of him. My classmates are planning about the upcoming festival of the dead and I wonder if it will have any bearing on Kitazawa's presence. That which I have ignored and denied for so long has suddenly bit me in the ass. Spirits are real and they might be partying for three days during the Obon Festival.
Of course there's always the possibility that I am just imagining him. Why have I accepted his presence that easily? I wish I had discovered and enjoyed drugs to explain away this kind of hallucination but tragically enough, I'm clean. Perhaps my boredom has driven me to insanity.
But that would only be too easy. If one has decided to give up life, shouldn't madness be an alternative worth considering? After all, it's also a way out.
"Tatsuha."
Oh it's father. When did he get here? I turn to him. "Yes, pop?"
"Some of the koi seem unwell. Could you take care of it today? It would be a waste of resources to call a service when you're perfectly capable of doing the job." He's smiling at me as I hide my gritted teeth. It should sound distasteful if it were a master talking down to his servant but my father seems proud that I could handle the task.
"Don't antagonize him." Enter Kitazawa, stage left. It doesn't occur to me to disobey him. He probably flies from place to place. I didn't feel him come near me a while ago.
"I'll get to it as soon as I finish sweeping."
"Good boy," my father says as he pats my head even if I'm already a couple of inches taller than he is. He exits in a swish of robes. To where, I don't know. He seems to be very busy with appointments lately.
I continue sweeping, gripping the broom harder than I should. How I hate cleaning the pond. My life is a boring tragedy. The only thing I'm looking forward to is finding out if I could see other ghosts besides Kitazawa.
"You're gonna thank me for it. Just you wait." Kitazawa says.
"I don't know why I listen to you. It's not like you can help me clean the pond."
"Nothing I can do about that although I can entertain you while you're cleaning."
"Thanks but I have an MP3 player."
"Kids these days. Last time I was here, we only had cassette tapes and now they're relics of a bygone era. I would've read you some beautiful sonnets." He pauses, waiting for my response. When nothing seems forthcoming, he continues, "So tell me are you still listening to the pasticcio your brother-in-law churns?"
Ah, this guy knows where to hit. Disgust drips from his voice from the way he describes Tohma. "Yes but I wouldn't call it pasticcio, at least not those that Sakuma Ryuichi helped make."
"Sakuma...now where have I heard that name before?"
"Seguchi Tohma's best friend and the vocalist of their band."
He looks pensive for a moment, chin in hand before nodding. "Yeah...I think I met him before I died. Seguchi was always pestering me because of Eiri and there was a time or two when we had to meet and this guy with weird hair was with him. Perhaps it's him, perhaps it's not. But what the hell, right? Music's not my thing."
I try to stop myself from rolling my eyes. "Yeah, well, literature's not my thing either so thanks for the offer but, really, no thanks."
"Ooh. I think I pushed the wrong button."
"Just quit it, alright? You help me; I tolerate you; you reach nirvana."
He chuckles. He doesn't seem offended at all. "You know, you're far more entertaining than your brother."
"Once was."
"Huh?"
"Eiri once was. The Eiri you know and the Eiri today is not the same person at all."
"Oh." He looks sorry at this and as if he's struggling with words. I almost regret saying it but he has to know what happened in New York killed some parts of my brother, mostly parts that we used to be able to reach. When he came back, he was different and he made life difficult for everybody and I know I should resent him for it regardless of how unpleasant it is to resent your family but still, the three of us remaining, Dad, Mika and I were unable to do anything but attempt to understand him.
We're quiet for a few minutes until he says something so softly that I'm not even sure I heard it. "I'm sorry."
"What?" I ask.
"I'm sorry. It's not enough but it's all I can offer right now. Just to let you know that I am sorry."
"Well, it's over now. At least we're doing something to correct it."
"Yeah." I see his smile and I realize what drew people to him. If only he didn't have that side to him.
TBC
Note: I am disappointed with the snail's pace of this story and I'm trying to work something out to remedy it. I hope I get my groove back. It's been a while since I've undertaken a multi-chaptered - and I hope - a plot-driven story. Comments and criticisms are welcome.
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