Friday, February 23, 2007

   Have you hugged your cephalopod today?

Well, it's just past midnight and that means it's now Friday. Cool, eh?

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Let's see... Thursday was a day off. It was still nice out, but the wind was kinda cold. My mom got me out of bed "early" so I could go to visit my sister with her. "Early" was 8:30. I usuall sleep until 10:00.

Anyhoo... when we got to the hospital and my sister saw me, she grinned and gave me a big hug! I was so happy that she did that. We took my computer along so she could type a little email to her friend in England. That made her happy. We also watched some videos of cats that I have on the computer. She liked those. Then we went over to the patient dining room and worked at a picture puzzle for a bit. If Mom or I got two pieces together, she'd pat us on the hand. If she got two together, Mom would give her a hug and a kiss. We also got an "Ieuu" out of her when we started talking about beer and pie together. (You had to be there and had to have read the food section of Wednesday's SUX paper) Then the nurse/therapist came in and took her down to play computer games and then to eat lunch. Mom & I went and had lunch then, too. We got back to the room before my sister did! She was tired after her lunch and therapy, so she laid on her bed and that's about when my brother-in-law came in. Mom & I left after that because I had to do laundry (as usual for Thursday). My sister walked with us to the elevator and I got a couple more hugs and kisses from her. It was really kind of a fun morning/early afternoon.

I must admit that it's hard seeing my sister like that, but she's in there. I know she's in there. She's very frustrated that she can't communicate what she wants, but it's not even a month since she had the aneurysm and surgery. These things take time.

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Well, there's another part of my story below for those that read it. For my fellow OLS members, there's proof that I do write! It's been a while, but I have been undergoing this burst of creativity with writing the past few days. I must be getting out of my down stage or something.

So, now it's almost 12:30. I should go to bed... I've been awake for 16 hours!!!! I'll probably be awake at least another hour, though... *sigh*

Laters!

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Day 2 – Arrival in Tokyo & Evening

It was as if time had started moving again. Nakamura Michiko watched from the doorway as the carriage from Kamakura pulled into the courtyard. At last, her grandson had arrived. The waiting had been like an eternity.

A groom went to the head of the team of horses and held them as the coachman got down to go to the door of the carriage. He opened it and a young woman emerged. Michiko frowned. Who is this woman? she thought. And why is she holding crutches? Is Hikaru lame? Michiko recalled that the boy had been ill recently. She would send for her husband's physician right away. She started to turn to find a servant, but movement from the carriage caught her eye. The coachman had lifted someone out, and it was another young woman, a foreigner. The first woman helped her stand with the crutches. Why had these two women come to her house? Perhaps they were servants. Yes, they are servants, Michiko decided. She turned to one of her own servants and ordered him to prepare a room in the servants' quarters for the women. She turned back to see Hikaru emerge from the carriage.

Michiko was both delighted and disappointed in the young man she watched in the courtyard. He was so small. She had expected him to be tall like his father. She had also expected him to be more sophisticated, not this long-haired child dressed like a peasant. He seemed to fuss about the foreign girl, making sure she was all right. That was noble of him, but Michiko didn't think it proper that he pay such attention to a foreign servant girl. He would have to be taught proper manners. The group approached the front door where Michiko waited. She bowed and said, “Welcome home, Hikaru. I've been looking forward to meeting you. I'm your grandmother, Michiko. Please come in. I will show you to your room. You must be tired after your journey. Would you like a bath? That can be arranged.” She ordered another servant to prepare a bath and ushered Hikaru into the house.

“Thank you, Grandmother,” Hikaru replied. He stopped briefly at the door to remove his sandals. “It's an honor to be here.” He looked around at the entryway and found himself overwhelmed by it. “I would like a bath, please,” he continued.

“This way,” Michiko said and led him away from the girls. “I hope you find your room acceptible. I chose one that overlooks the gardens.”

Hikaru mumbled a reply and looked back at the girls before allowing his grandmother to lead him away. He followed in silence as Michiko led him to a room on the second floor. He didn't like being separated from Samantha and Midori, but he couldn't do a thing about it.

They arrived at a door, which Michiko opened to reveal a large room with strange furnishings. A pair of servants followed them in with Hikaru's luggage. “Here you are,” Michiko said. “This is your room. What do you think?”

Hikaru looked around. “It's nice.” He went to the balcony to look out at the gardens.

Michiko watched Hikaru as he explored the room. He did look like his father quite a bit, but his eyes were his mother's. There was no mistaking that emerald color as having come from her side of the family. As for his hair, Michiko decided something needed to be done about that. The length of it was easy to take care of – it would simply be cut. But the silver around his face was a problem. She had no idea how to take care of that.

Hikaru seemed to have finished exploring the room. “Where are Sam-chan and Midori-san?”

“What was that, dear?” Michiko replied.

“Sam-chan and Midori-san. Where are they?”

“Oh, the servants you brought along. They've been shown to a room in the servants' quarters. They'll be fed there and shown their duties.”

“What?” Hikaru exclaimed, eyes flashing. “They're not servants. They're my friends. I don't have any servants.”

Michiko was surprised by Hikaru's reaciton. “Oh, dear, I do apologize. I'll see that they get better quarters right away,” she said. His anger was truly something she had not expected. “Make yourself comfortable, Hikaru. I'll go see if the bath is ready for you and find better quarters for your ... friends.” She hurried out of the room.

Hikaru looked at the servant unpacking his things. “You don't need to do that,” he said. “I can take care of it.”

“Yes, sir,” the servant said with a bow and hurried out of the room.

Hikaru started unpacking his bags. He didn't like this large stone house at all. It made him feel trapped. All he could hope for was that Samantha and Midori would be allowed to be with him. He also hoped the bath would be ready soon, for he could feel the fire welling up inside of him.

* * *
Nakamura Takeshi realized something wasn't quite right the day one of his secretaries came into his office with a puzzled expression. “Yonaha-san, si there a problem?” he asked.

Yonaha held out a slightly crumpled piece of paper. “I found this in a dustbin, Nakamura-sama,” he replied. He dropped the paper onto the desk. “I saw your name on it.”

Nakamura smoothed out the paper and read. His look changed from one of mild interest to one of concern. “Where did you find this?”

“A dustbin, sir.”

“Which one?”

Yonaha shifted uneasily. “The one near the door to the outer office,” he said. “Is something wrong? Is that important?” Yonaha had been working for Nakamura long enough to know the man was very angry, even though there were no outward signs.

Nakamura looked up at Yonaha. “This is the letter I wrote to my grandson to invite him to visit me here in Tokyo. I gave this to Ashida to post to Kamakura five days ago. I want to know why it wasn't sent.”

Yonaha was puzzled. “I don't know, sir. Ashida-san left early today, so I cannot ask him about it.”

“Why did he leave early?”

“He said he wasn't feeling very well.”

Nakamura closed his eyes. “I will speak with him tomorrow,” he said. “But right now, I am going to go home. It's been a long day and this has not helped. Good day, Yonaha-san. I will see you in the morning.”

Yonaha bowed and said, “Yes, Nakamura-sama, until tomorrow.” He went back to his desk and finished the work he had started earlier. He did not look up as Nakamura left the office.

A short carriage ride later, Nakamura was home. He noticed a strange carriage leaving the grounds ouf the estate and wondered if someone had been calling on his wife. He put it from his mind as he entered the house and went up to his rooms to put on comfortable clothing. Michiko was nowhere to be found. He went down to his office and read until a servant informed him dinner was ready.

He was puzzled to see that there was a third place setting at the table. He couldn't recall inviting anyone to dinner that evening. Michiko greeted him with a smile and a question about how his work day had gone. He answered that it was busy, but left out the letter. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the staff waiting to serve the soup. He looked at Michiko, who was looking at the door. She seemed impatient. “Is something the matter?” Nakmamura asked. “Is there any particular reason I'm waiting for the soup?”

Michiko frowned, excused herself from the table and left the room. A few minutes later, she returned with someone in tow. Nakamura was surprised to see it was Hikaru.

“Now apologize to your grandfather for being late for dinner,” Michiko said. “Hopefully the soup is not cold.”

Hikaru bowed and said, “Good evening, Grandfather. Forgive me for being late.” He sat at the place reserved for him, never looking either grandparent in the eye. Any attempt at conversation with him was met by silence or very short answers.

Nakamura did not press Hikaru, nor did he make much conversation during the meal. Michiko was chattering enough for the three of them. He did, however, keep an eye on Hikaru while they ate. The boy hardly ate a thing.

Finally, dinner was finished and Hikaru left without excusing himself. Michiko sighed, “That boy,” she said. “That boy needs to be taught some manners. I'll have Naguchi-san teach him proper etiquette. It will take some time, I suppose, but I'm sure Hikaru will become a proper gentleman. What do you think, dear? Who shall I have in to helphim with his grooming? Tsubasa-san or Yoshikawa-san?”

“When did he get here?” Nakamura asked, now that Michiko had stopped talking long enough for him to speak.

“Just this afternoon. Wasn't that a wonderful surprise? I was so surprised to see him. I wasn't expecting him. I was also surprised to see he brought two servants with him. I surmise the one is his cook, but I can't guess what the gaijin girl would be.” She thought for a moment. “And what about that Takeda that left with our son? I suppose he's still around and will be showing up sooner or later. We could probably find something for him to do on staff here.”

Nakamura could not believe his ears. He hadn't heard Michiko chatter like this in years. It usually meant she was nervous about something, and he was starting to get a suspicion about what it was. He stood up from the table and asked, “Which room did you give him?”

“The one overlooking the gardens. The sun will greet him every morning. Shall we go see him?”

“No, I wish to speak to him alone,” Nakamura said as he left the room. He went to Hikaru's room and knocked. “May I come in?”

The door opened and Nakamura entered. The first thing he noticed was the mattress had been taken off the bedframe and was on the floor. He heard the door close behind him and turned to see Hikaru standing there. The boy did not look happy. “Well, Hikaru,” he said. “This is quite a surprise. Why did you come?”

“I was following your instructions, Grandfather,” Hikaru said quietly.

“My instructions? What do you mean?”

“In the letter you sent. I came like you told me in the letter.”

Nakamura was beginning to realize what had happened, but he needed to see for himself. “Do you have the letter? May I see it, please?”

Hikaru went to the desk where he had put the book he brought along. The letter was inside. “Here,” he said as he handed it over.

Nakamura read the letter carefully. “I didn't write this,” he said. “The letter I wrote was never sent. Yonaha-san found it in a dustbin today. I would never have written this. I had an agreement with Takeda-sensei that you would be the one to decide when you came. I said that in the letter I wrote. I invited you to visit, not to live with us.”

Hikaru stared at the floor. “Oh,” he said even more quietly than before.

Nakamura took a good look at Hikaru. It was obvious something was wrong, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. “Are you feeling all right? You hardly ate any dinner.”

“I wasn't hungry.”

“Is that all? I suppose you're tired from the trip, aren't you? Well, I'll leave you to rest now. Tomorrow we'll talk some more, all right? You get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning.” He turned to leave the room.

“Where are Sam-chan and Midori-san?” Hikaru asked.

Nakamura turned back. “What was that?”

“Where are Sam-chan and Midori-san? I told Grandmother that they're my friends and not servants. She said she'd find them better quarters. Where are they?”

“I'm not sure where they are, but I'll see that they get better quarters right away. I'll let you know as soon as they're moved. Is there anything else you need?”

Hikaru glanced at the fireplace. “May I have a fire in there, please?”

“Of course, I'll send someone up to start it for you. Good night, Hikaru, it is nice to see you, even though it was completely unexpected.” Nakamura left the room. He sent the first servant he found up to Hikaru's room to make a fire. He found it quite odd that the boy wanted a fire while it was so hot outside. The next thing on his mind was to find Samantha and Midori and get them a room near Hikaru. The final thing on his mind once the girls had been moved was the letter Hikaru had given him. He had a good idea who had written the letter and a good idea why it was written. He just wasn't sure how to approach his wife on the matter. That was the difficult part.

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Wednesday, February 21, 2007

   I'm an airplane!!!!

Don't ask....

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I'm at work and am mildly bored. I'm driver tonight, but haven't had to drive yet. *sigh* It's been so quiet. The past couple nights have been a lot busier with driving. Why don't I get to do anything? At least I don't have to work with the babbling little psycho tonight. My brother gets to do that. Feel sorry for my brother.

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I don't know what to do now. I'm either going to read some manga on my computer or play with my Copic markers. I should really do some work at that t-shirt logo. Or write. I have had this urge to write lately....

Laters!

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Tuesday, February 20, 2007

   Blah.

Still feeling a little down, but had something truly odd happen last night that has brought me up a bit. I have a sort of commission to do some artwork. Yep... someone approached me to do a t-shirt logo for him. Here's what happened: there was a guy doing a weight-loss seminar in a conference room last night. I've known the guy for at least 10 years from when I worked at a small screenprint shop. He's also a square dance caller and is organizing a big festival at the end of April. I did a logo for the last one back in 1999 for him. My problem is... I don't know what to charge him for the logo!!!

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Arrgh! I wish someone would just shut up right now! The little psycho is babbling again. It's no wonder that I'm always in such a bad mood at work when I have to put up with a babbling lunatic. *sigh*

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Other things going on... not a whole lot. I'm tired and cranky most of the time, it seems. But it's also not like I don't get any sleep. I get lots of sleep!! I may actually sleep too much! Arrgh!

All right... I'm not going to dwell on it any longer tonight. I must find something creative to do. It may or may not be that t-shirt logo....

Laters!

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Sunday, February 18, 2007

   What's the point?

I think I'm wasting my time looking for a better job than this stupid motel. I never can get anywhere on my job search. I have no hope of advancement here at the motel. I don't care anymore....

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Saturday, February 17, 2007

   I wanna go home!!!!!!

It's 1:32 am... I'm still at work... I'm not working, but I'm still here!!! The reason I'm still here: the weather sucks!!! Again!!!! Twice in one week I get stuck here. Argh. There's not even any anime on Cartoon Network tonight. Argh....again.

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Well, I still feel a little down, but not as bad as Thursday. I was in a really pissy mood when I got to work. Between the weather and having to work with the psycho, it's no wonder I was in a mood. I get so sick of working with the guy.

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I've got Xiaolin Showdown on Cartoon Network right now.... I must admit I'd rather have anime to watch.

Well... must go now. My brain is telling me I should go to sleep soon.

Laters!

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Friday, February 16, 2007

   Freezing and bummed out.

I'm really really cold again. It's been very cold outside the past couple of days. I'm sick of the very cold weather. I am also getting sick of everything being grey. However, I am very glad that I don't live in New York state. That one place with 10 feet of snow... sorry, I don't want that. With my luck, if that much snow fell here, I'd be at work and end up trapped there with the little psycho and that could be very very ugly in the long run.

As for the bummed out part... I don't know exactly what has caused that. I guess I'm going through one of my 'down' mood swings. I don't think I'm truly bipolar, but I still have these times when I feel that my entire life has been nothing but a series of wrong decisions. Thursday has been one of those days.

Well, that wraps it up for me. I have to work Friday with the little psycho. There's also potential for more snow. Great. I just really look forward to being stuck at the motel on a Friday night when the drunks seem to come out of the woodwork. *sigh*

Gads... my life sucks.

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I discovered something the other day: Copic Markers! I bought a few and have done some experimenting with them and some of my old Prismacolor markers today. I posted them over in my deviantArt scraps. Click here to see them.

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Well, I think I may wander off to bed now. I'm kind of tired. That may be due to the fact that it's about 20 minutes past midnight. But it may also be due to the fact that I'm cold and feeling down.

Laters!

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Wednesday, February 14, 2007

   Hugs and kisses to everyone!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!!! Did you get anything from anyone special? I got a bag of candy from one of the girls at work and that's it. Otherwise, it would've been nothing at all.

That's so sad... not really.

I think I said a few days ago that I was gonna tell you about the kitten. For a while now my brother has been feeding stray cats in the neighborhood. One of them showed signs of having been a housecat. Well, when the weather turned cold, my dad decided she needed to be warm and brought her into the house. That was about three weeks ago. She's pretty much our cat now. Her name is Hindi and she's a little terror on legs. My cat is a bit of a cranky old lady about it. But, then again, my cat is 15 years old and the kitten isn't quite a year old yet. It's been entertaining to say the least having a young cat in the house again. Click here to see a picture of her. Ain't she a cutie?

I think I may wander off to find something to eat now. I'm not terribly hungry, but have to eat. Otherwise I may just fall off this stool and lie on the floor snoring.

Laters!

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Tuesday, February 13, 2007

   Meh.

Don't feel like posting anything interesting tonight.

So I won't.

Laters!

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Monday, February 12, 2007

   SNOW!!!!

Yep. It finally snowed again. It was supposed to happen last night, but didn't. It started around 4:30 this afternoon. It's not quite 8:00 now. I think the snow has stopped for now, but the wind is starting to pick up. That really sucks. I'm not going home tonight! Hmm... I should check what's on Cartoon Network tonight.

*checks Yahoo!TV listings*

Hmmm... FMA is on... I just watched that episode on my DVD last night!!!! *sigh*

Well... I just had to go on a van run. The roads suck!! The van has no traction on the front tires because they need to be replaced. I hope I don't have to go out again tonight.

I think I will go now. I have lost my train of thought thanks to having to work. Hahahaha!

Laters!

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