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Author's Chapter Notes:

Okay, so here look! A quick update. I know, so sorry. Thank the rain. Its been doing it so long the roads are washed out and impassable. So I finally had more time to sit and write. 

Thank you for your reviews too!

Things to mention:

Daisho - a set of samurai swords consisting of a long bladed sword and a shorter bladed sword.

Katana - the long bladed samurai sword

Wakizashi - the short bladed samurai sword

Aregato gozaimasu - thank you very much

Okashi - funny, rediculous

The root questions of children - a Japanese proverb that means children always ask questions that get to the root of the matter (Kodomo no nedoi)

Think that's it.

Please excuse errors.




Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


 

Shouda was very happy if not a bit confused, but the confusion was not so great as to dampen his happiness. When he propelled himself out of the Academy at great speed he expected to find his mother's slim figure waiting at the bottom of the stairs on the left with a big smile. He was the only one who had a parent come for him. All the other kids had a car waiting for them or had to take the bus or walk home. 

It hadn't occurred to him yet that he might be uncool for having his mom or dad come for him. On the contrary, he was sure that he was the luckiest of them all for having parents that cared enough to come personally to get him. He felt sorry for his schoolmates even if they were a tad officious sometimes. It couldn't be helped probably because, well, could you expect more from them if their parents never came to pick them up? Mom always said that children learned their behavior from their parents. That if someone treated him unkindly to try not to look at it as that person's fault but years of bad training. Maybe even all the way back to the grandparents. 

Shouda felt this to be a very long time and completely out of the control of the person being unkind. For his par, he was determined to be nice and as good as possible. He would never want anyone to think his mother wasn't good, his grandpa and grandma Richards either. If he added the Shinoharas the insult would double as their was no badness at all in them. He figured his dad, even though he made the grave mistake of leaving his mother, but good people make their share of mistakes his mom said, was not unkind. 

The Umezawas, his father's people were more complex. He was still getting to know them. He wasn't used to the way they lived and did things. The big quiet house even though there were so many people moving around in it, the servants asking after his needs and even bowing when he passed by at times, all the stuff here and there that just sat lonely cause it couldn't be touched. Everyone said they were important, but important things were meant to be shown affection. 

For example, mom. There were always hugs and kisses and caresses given to mom. She was very important and he knew he was important because she always gave them to him even when he was trying to play video games or concentrate on his homework. In those times he had to be patient, it was the obligation of being important. He didn't mind though because when he gave her hugs and things while she was working she always accepted these. That's what being important meant.

Well, but people were different from things and mom was different from people. So there is the example of Shinohara's daisho. They were family heirlooms. His ancestor was a great samurai warrior who had followed in his father's footsteps. When the samurai days of glory were done, the katana and wakizashi was retired and the family went into administrative politics. That's what Shinohara said. Still, he remembers his grandfather taking them out, polishing them, holding them in his hands with great respect. He said his father did the same and Shouda himself on several occasions witnessed Shinohara take both swords from their perch, unsheathe and clean them. He would hold them and move them through the air carefully. He even let Shouda hold the wakizashi as it was shorter and guided him in some movements. He said this made the swords happy. 

Even grandma Richards had some china in a cabinet that she took out and used or handled on occasion. She said it came from the house of a great lady. Our family had worked for her as slaves a long time ago. Grandma said the lady loved her slave much more than her own children, they were not kind, but it wasn't the lady's fault. She had tried, they were just sick inside. Even after the government said you couldn't have slaves anymore her servant stayed with her and years later, when the great lady was about to die, she arranged to have her servant take the china.

Grandma said it had to be a secret, but the china was very important to her and she trusted her servant would respect her wishes, so she did it. That servant was his great-great grandmother and she had accepted the china and always taken care of it. Grandma even let him touch and hold it. She said that the china he was holding was from England. It had been held by rich Irish and Scotts, governors in America and during the war entertained mice where the lady had hidden it so the Union solders couldn't find it and now it was in his hands.

It carried love and sorrow, happiness and pain. It had touched the lives of many people and to make it feel at ease, you had to take it out and caress it every now and then. Even though he wasn't sure what the story meant, and he was sure it had some meaning, important things were meant to be touched.

In the Umezawa house they were only looked at and dusted. They were definitely different.

All of that aside, Shouda came racing out the door and didn't see his mother standing to the left like he expected. Instead stood grandma Richards and grandma Umezawa in the middle of the of the walk at the bottom of the stairs and that great big Mercedes Benz pulled to the curb. Grandma R had a big smile. Grandma U was attempting the same but only succeeded in looking like she was trying not to pass gas. He laughed and ran down the steps.

"Here is my baby boy! You look so handsome in your uniform." He hugged the soft flesh or her middle and received kisses. Nothing felt like the soft middle of his grandma R.

"Hi grandma." Then he turned to grandma U. He regarded her uncertainly and she returned the look. Her face went through a few changes and then she patted him gently on the head and ruffled his hair.

"Hello Shouda. I trust school went well?" She said in Japanese.

"Yes, I got full marks on my arithmetic exam. I will show you." Shouda began to open his bag.

"That is not necessary. I believe you." She patted him on the head again. This was what he was talking about. Of course she should believe him, but he wanted to show her.

"What do you have there baby?" He turned excitedly to grandma R. "I want to see."

"Want?" Grandma U said in English, "I not mean I don't want." 

Shouda looked back and forth between the two woman curiously. Something was not right.

 

An hour previous

 

"I see, yes, it will be no problem at all. The driver will take us? Okay, thank you kindly Kenji." Darren gave the phone back to the waiting servant with a smile. "Aregatō gozaimasu." Then he turned to the two expectant ladies.

One, his wife, he knew could not imagine why he would be getting a call in Japan on the phone line of the Umezawas. The second, his hostess, he figured could not imagine why her husband would call and ask to speak to him instead of herself. So his wife wore an old school ‘what the hell?' look, while his hostess an imperial ‘why aren't you saying anything yet? look. 

"It seems Yuki is helping Sara with some urgent business and Kenji asked if you and I," he pointed to Percy and himself, "would go to meet Shouda when he comes out of school."

"Well, of course we will. I don't have any problem picking up my grandbaby."

"That's what I told him now Percy. No need to get excited." He put out his hand to calm her. He wasn't sure it worked but he always did it nonetheless.

"Why must you go? Why not I?" Both Darren and Percy turned to Mrs. Umezawa. This he had not counted on. He felt his wife get huffy and even though he could not see them, was sure her eyes were rolling all different kinds of ways in her head.

"I don't think he meant any harm Umezawa-san. Only that we might enjoy picking him up." His hand shifted directions.

"I tell you. You call him Kenji and me Umezawa-san. You think I don't know. Other thing is this, I will enjoy to pick up my grandson too."

"No one is saying that you wouldn't enjoy picking Shouda up...Izumi."

She looked displeased with his pronunciation but let it go. "If she will go, I will go. Men traditions are not those of women. The women will go."

"Our traditions are not like yours. Our men don't follow strict gender guidelines. Men like to pick up their grandsons from school." Percy pointed out. Darren's brow lifted.

"You mean American man better than Japanese. This is not so. Kenji like very much pick up Yukimoto but must work." Izumi stood defiantly against Percy. It was quite an amusing thing to see for Percy was a traditionally built African American woman. She was tall and thick where as Izumi was, well probably a traditionally built Japanese woman, short to average height and slim petite. At any rate, he was sure it didn't help that Percy had to look down at Izumi who had to look up.

"We agree with you there. One is not better than the other." Darren asserted.

"Sarua know this too, for she have no problem with my son. They go all over Japan together before. Always together. They have child. This is not child of American man and woman," she wagged her finger, "no, this is American from Africa and Japanese." She lifted her head and walked past an incensed Percy. "I will go too." With that she walked out of the room.

"Darren did you hear that woman? Why she have to emphasis that my baby is from Africa?" Percy turned on him arms flailing.

"Calm down Percy."

"I am calm. She walked out of here without my elbow in her mouth didn't see?"

"Percy, why do you let her get to you?" He had to hide the chuckle at the back of his throat.

"Because I don't like evil things." She slammed her hands on her generous hips.

"Sweetheart," Darren put both his hands on her shoulders. "You and I both know she is not evil. She's bitter to the palate yes, but she isn't evil." He switched gears as her eyes slip off to the left. "You know what I love about you?"

This caught her attention. "What?"

"I love that you have a good head on those shoulders. One of the best I have ever seen. You have wrestled with the best of them. I've seen it with my own eyes and every time you emerged victorious was proud."

"Darren, don't try to play me." She warned with a slight smile.

Darren looked aghast. "Who is trying to play you? I have always been able to hold my head up with pride and say, ‘that Percy Richards is my wife.' Anyone around would seal their lips out of respect." Percy wrestled to hold on to the remnant of aggrandized anger slowly slipping out of her chest. It was a loosing battle. "You have never shamed me Percy and you've never shamed the family."

"Say no more Darren Richards. I am a woman of boundless patience." She put a hand on either of his cheeks lovingly. "I would have to be to put up with this manipulative mumbo jumbo for over forty years." She patted one cheek and walked away. "However, the Lord knows you speak truth Darren. I am the best thing that ever happened to you." With that she switched out of the room. Darren guffawed and looked around himself.

"You are ready now?" Izumi asked from somewhere out in the hall. Darren waited.

"Yes, I'm ready Izumi. Let's go grandma." His wife responded sweetly.

 

Present

 

Shouda sat between his two grandmothers in the back seat of the large Mercedes. One held his left hand and the other his right. He tried his best not to look at either one of them as he wasn't quite sure what was happening. He didn't mind holding their hands. He and grandma R always did so. It was with grandma U that things felt awkward. Her hands were small like his mother's but more delicate. He glanced at the white skin cradling his darker hand. He never noticed this type of thing with his father.

His eyes trailed up her arm and he allowed himself a quick glance. She was looking out the window. He wondered many things about her, but didn't feel comfortable asking. He looked up at the rearview mirror and noticed the driver watching him. The driver smiled and Shouda warmly returned it. Then the driver was back watching the traffic. 

The silence made him restless.

"So mom and dad are working together?"

"That's right baby. Something came up." Percy squeezed his hand.

"Your father is helping Sarua with an important matter. That is what good men do." Izumi said in Japanese and then nodded to affirm this.

"Hmm?" Percy inquired.

"She said good men help others." Shouda turned to his grandma R.

"That's right and your father is a good man." She smiled.

"I think so too." Shouda agreed. "I'm happy he's with us now and that he likes me and that he helps mom."

"We are happy too Shouda." Izumi agreed in English.

Shouda began to feel better.

"I think they should be together. Have you noticed that they get along?" He waited for Izumi to respond.

"Yes, when it come to you most of all."

"That's natural, I am their son."

The grandmothers exchanged looks.

"I like Kamir, but I like when mom and dad and I are together more."

"Do you?" Percy said with some apprehension. 

"I like the way they look at each other and smile. Mom is happy and dad is always doing things to make her happy. It would be nice if we were a family." He frowned slightly.

"We are family. The Richards and the Umezawas are joined forever." Izumi turned to him reassuringly.

"I know, but how can I have a brother or sister if we are not a family?" Shouda turned his head between the two startled woman.

"What?"

"Deshou ka?"

"I suppose dad and Kaoru could have a child and that would be my brother or sister. It wouldn't be the same though." He didn't notice the startled grandmothers and plowed on. "I would be different and maybe they would like it better than me. Or maybe dad would begin to forget about mom."

"That would not happen." Percy recovered first.

"No, don't think this." Izumi said supportively.

Shouda thought a moment. "Maybe, but like at school. No one really says anything, but I know they feel I'm different. I don't mind it, but I don't think I would want to feel that way at home. Home is for love and comfort that's what mom says."

"Your mother is wise." Izumi said softly.

"If you aren't comfortable and don't feel loved in your own home. Where can you go?" He look up at his grandma U innocently.

"You are correct Shouda. One will try find comfort other place. This is not good." She patted his hand with her other. "It not matter if there come brother or sister young Shouda. We will love you always. You are a good boy." She looked up at Percy. "Your mother is a good woman."

"I know grandma." She looked down when Shouda called her grandma and they smiled at each other. Shouda felt this smile was much more natural. The Umezawas were different but then they weren't. It probably didn't matter how rich or poor you were and he knew it didn't matter if you lived in America or Japan, aside from how they saw and treated important things, people were the same. 

They thought the same thoughts, worried over the same worries, laughed at the same kind of jokes, smiled at the same moments in movies and made the same kind of mistakes the world over. That was what he thought anyway. Still, there was a little dark spot on his horizon.

"I guess there's no chance of mom and dad getting back together. That wouldn't be fare to Kaoru. I like her too, she's nice."

"Oh baby, don't lets look at the blue side of things. Its much better to look at the bright side. You know why?" Percy gave him a squeeze and peck on the head.

"Because the bright side is full of wonderful colorful things. Endless color and beauty and life." He smiled broadly.

"I guess you heard that one before." Percy frowned.

"Mom says it all the time. She usually does a goofy dance, but we can't in the car."

"Goofy? Goofy dance?" Izumi blinked.

"Yes, okashī, like with an imaginary hat and she moves her arms like this." He let go of there hands and started flapping his arms about.

"Oh!" Izumi started laughing and Percy joined in.

 

***

 

Yuki entered his parents house in the wee hours as quietly as he could. Still after closing the door he turned around to find the servant there waiting on any instructions. 

"Please, go back to sleep. I am sorry I woke you." He whispered. The servant bowed and shuffled off. Yuki removed his shoes and silently padded across the floor and through the halls. He had told Sara he would see to Shouda getting to school in the morning, but with it being so quiet, wondered if it would not be better to leave him sleep.

Finally turning into the room intended for his son he was surprised to find his mother sitting up by the window looking at her grandson. Her hair was loose and she wore a yukata over her night dress. Her gaze shifted and he lifted his hand. She beckoned and he came in and saddled up beside her, giving her cheek an unaccustomed peck. He was touched that she was with his son like this. Had she stayed up beside him this way unbeknownst to him?

"You have come to take Shouda away? Please let him stay." She whispered this then looked up at him. Maybe it was the magic of light and shadows or maybe because he had happened upon her when her guard was down, but she had never looked so feminine to him. He figured this to be what his father saw in her years ago, she was rather beautiful looking up at him with no makeup or jewelry on. He touched her shoulder.

"He has school tomorrow." He whispered back.

"I know, we will see to him, his grandparents and I." Her words and voice were warm. He was again impressed with her softness, perhaps enchanted was a better word. It struck him that she spoke of Sara's parents as equals and not as ‘those people' like before. He was inclined to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. This behavior was so unlike the mother he knew.

"As you say mother."

"Thank you." She turned her head back to look at Shouda. Upon closer inspection he could see that her hair was thick and waved slightly as it fell down around her shoulders. His eyes also picked up in the moonlight strands of grey.  "You know, he is not so unlike you. Although you were never as vocal." She chuckled. "He says all the things I used to see in your eyes. You were such an inquisitive and observant young boy. You were always thinking about things." There was a long period of silence. "Yukimoto?"

"Yes, mother."

"You do know that were loved? I loved you from the moment I saw your little scrunched up, gloriously beautiful face. I held you in my arms and said, ‘this boy will be great. He will do wonderful things.' In my mind I was thinking of school, work, the family and business. Your father was the same. He cried when you were born, like a baby. Your blanket was wet with his tears."

Yuki remained silent.

"You made us proud in school and in work, in the family and in business, but I think we were wrong in only thinking of these things. I was not wrong in what I thought, you have done wonderful things and you have become a great man. I think though that you have accomplished this in spite of us...me. It is unfair to speak for your father in this. Do you know how I can tell that you are great?"

"No."

"By this wonderful boy you have brought into this world Yukimoto. You and Sarua, for there is a great deal of her there as well, but I see you there so clearly. I only wish I had payed more attention to what I saw when you were a boy. That I had nourished you more. Ah, but I was blind."

"One can only do one's best with the knowledge one possesses mother. Our lives could have been different, but this is the life we have. I had the good fortune to be born into a good family, I was educated well, I was never in want of anything..."

"Except love. Your son said something very interesting today. He asked me, if one does not feel loved and comfortable in one's own home, where can one go? The root questions of children. You perhaps did not find these at home and so searched for them somewhere else. I think you found them in Sarua and we took that away from you." She took his hand then and caressed it within her own. "You will forgive your foolish mother?"

Yuki was at a huge loss. These confessions were too much for his mind to ingest and make sense of. What had happened today? Why was his mother in such a mood? She said thank you and please and asked for forgiveness. Again he wanted to pinch himself, but making a dramatic event out of it would do no good. Neither would holding some type of grudge. Even though it would take more than just words for him to completely accept it all, this was at least a start, an opportunity.

"Of course mother. We all have reason for forgiveness, I would not hold mine back from you." He bent down on his knees and sat with his mother holding his hand.

"You know, he called me grandmother today. It was a beautiful sound."

"You must have said something complementary of his mother. He always gives a reward to those who do." He smiled up at his mother's face.

Again there was silence.

They both watched Shouda sleep.

 






Chapter End Notes:

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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.