InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Trapped ❯ Unlike You, I can Stand the Rain on my Window ( Chapter 1 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: fangremtom2 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Psychological / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.15.2013 | Updated On: 01.16.2013 | Pages: 1 | Words: 3.6K | Visits: 467 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Psychological / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.15.2013 | Updated On: 01.16.2013 | Pages: 1 | Words: 3.6K | Visits: 467 | Status: Work In Progress
Dear diary,
Mood: apathetic.
By the time classes were almost over, it began to rain cats and dogs today…
No, scratch that…
….Erased.
‘By the time my ears had adjusted to the high pitch wailing of Hakkashu-sensei in English; it had begun to rainelephants. I guess the gods had gotten tired of hearing her voice; struck her name of the list of women ever to bug, argue with, or date for that matter; then sent the rain to drown her screeching out. Splendid! Now I can be misses’ kisses ass crack because my teacher is responsible for my favourite element’s onset. I can see it now: “Oh Hakkashu-sensei, (all googly eyed), I adore your voice, and that English accent is to die for (no literally to die for)! Could you spear some of your good fortune, scare them men within a one mile radius to China, and maybe break the heavens eardrums and bring them to tears just for me? I’ll do extra credit just for you!” Bates eyelashes.
Yeah, like that would happen…ever. No matter how much I love the rain, I have a heart, and I don’t think I’d love it if all prospecting men ran away…because of my needs. Despite this, class went on for a short while, not that I was paying attention or anything-just staring blankly to ‘keep up appearances’- with a wince from the boys and girls once in a moment, I guess that her voice got to them as well. It’s a good thing they make language software and that I’m a fast learner…or I’d also be flunking this class, and then I’d have to put Hakkashu-sensei on the top of my hit list, or right next to Kikyou’s name.
Nah… I’d hate her for messing up my English, but even she didn’t deserve what I had in store for that slut. No weapons, just words…that’d be all I needed to send her scampering over the hills like a squealing banshee. I might not care about who or what, but she’s been dancing on my grave for far too long and there’s only so much I can take before I decide to rock her tomb stone. Bite me…I’m only human, can’t hold back my emotions. As said by my abysmal therapist “…it’s not healthy”- no bitch, taking money and telling me stuff that I already find on the internet and know… is not healthy! Too bad I can’t tellherthat. “I know kagome you are upset, and it’s okay to feel that way… it’s okay, let it out.”Damn her to the fourth hell…self-righteous bitch!The seventh is for Kikyou only. But Kikyou continuously pissing me off will prove detrimental to her unusually small brain propensity, which offsets the size of her own ego. Talk about DRAMA QUEEN. “Oh Nazuri-sensei, I broke a nail!” Oh boo-hoo!
Anyways… enough on talking about how to catch an STD…
Class ended early for English after Hakkashu-sensei, decided that she could not voice herself over the rain loud enough…wonderful. A chance to escape and go hang before going home, I thought. But imagine my excitement, when I glanced at my schedule and realized that I would have to spend another hour at school learning about dead men, who were still making money in their graves mind you. Yep- Just superb! What I would give to see the finest wings or hell-hole you buy with your money, Kanichi Asakawa, I’d do shit. Really, I’d dothatmuch. But I’d, in all probability like to see him try to improve relations between the Devil and God. Now that would be nice, it’d be like Japan and China in reality, coming to terms...’
A small smile flitters across my face at that entry into my dog-eared diary, and then a few snorts escape, as I try to cover up my laughter. At least my family wouldn’t think I was crazy because I just laughed out of the blue. It had been so long since I acted like myself, that they’d just given up and accepted the new me. Kagome 5.0 fully equipped with Emotional Teenage Syndrome. My friends and I call it ETS for short. Sounds just like how it’s pronounced. We’ve even made up our own warnings, signs and symptoms- like Miroku likes to joke that it’s not to be confused with the usual PMS in girls, and if it’s mixed, it might prove lethal…so all boys should report to the nearest physician without more ado if he has come in contact with a girlorboy-don’t ask- like this…or he should just simply warn everyone else. He usually does this when Sango or I are in our slump. It usually earns him a giant red handprint shaped tattoo on his face or an extra lump to his already broken brain…from Sango of course. I just glare…I’m notthatviolent. Sometimes I wish he’d save him self the pain and just shut up or not do something that’s his “cursed nature”…but then again he might not be Roku anymore and then I’d not be happy. It’s just not him when he’s not acting like an idiot or a lecher… and then the days are no fun.
Yep, Roku is a retard, but I love him all the same. I don’t know what I’d do without my friends. They keep me in touch with reality. They’re the strings that hold me down from completely floating off into outer-space. Because God knows I’m so skinny, that according to the great scientist Sango Taijiya “…she can defy gravity and give levity a run for its money.”
Yeah…they were like an extension of my family. The weirdos.
Speaking of family…oh yeah…what was I saying again about them being frightened of my laughter? Was it, they’d think I was on drugs yet again or was it they’d think it’s the day of reckoning? No, that’s not it… Hmm…oh, oh! Me! Me! I got it yeah, here we go… if they heard me laughing, they might think I was really off my rockers, since, joviality is an emotion I hardly express much, given that I’m always too busy being a teenager.
If they had heard me, then I’d have to pull a story out of my ass to make a good excuse as to why I was acting sostrange. Jii-chan would go get his ofudas screaming that I was possessed, and then they’d probably go and get the gurney with the straps…again. So he can perform an exorcism like the head priest always does. Tell you the truth, we all know jii-chan can’t purify a fly demon …but we don’t tell him that, his insanity is already imposing as it is. We don’t want him to go all catatonic or have a break down. But I might just have to do that one day…those ofudas really hurt when you try to take them off.
Mental note, leave it to Souta to tell them I am having a nervous breakdown, when all I was doing was math homework. I mean jeesh, math will do that to you, it’s like a ninja, all sneaky and unexpected with a lot of barkandbite. Just like Shimano-sensei. Lousy math teacher, always nagging and chewing our heads off. I swear to God if men had menopause, he’d be the ‘it’ factor.
Now, that I had to grin over, Kagome made a funny, again.Niceee! Well I’m not a total party pooper you know; I am one of the light-spirited ones in our group. As hard as it is to believe, I’m a comic person.
“Souta, Kagome, dinner is ready!” Mom calls from the kitchen.
Yes! It’s Oden time! I hurriedly put away my diary in a place far out of the reach of my little brother. I’ve learnt that nothing stops Souta from reading my diary, therefore I put it somewhere he would not dare go searching: my underwear draw. Smart huh?
I dash down the narrow passage way leading from my room towards the stairs almost knocking said criminal down. A quick “Gomen”, and then I am on my way towards the dinning room, taking the stairs two at a time. I can hear Souta behind me grumbling loudly about “…greedy sisters and their insatiable oden appetites.” I’ll let the greedy comment slide, since I have no time to react…I mean there is oden on the table, I’m not going to let it wait forever. It might get lonely, and God knows I don’t want that. He could shove me down the last two flight of stairs (he’d never do it though…he’s a sweetie pie) and I’d still get up screaming “Save some for me!!!”Can you blame me? I love oden! Probably a little too much though.
I make my way towards the modern style dinning room; the one we use on normal nights. Sitting on your knees for God knows how long for tradition, was really a dirty bum in clean clothing. I rush towards the chair on the right, and plop down on it just as mom puts the pressure pot on the table; and I quickly grab my chopsticks ready to begin my feasting. But before I can reach for one of the boiled eggs, my hand is slapped and I receive a scolding look from my mother.
“Mind your manners Kagome. Wait for everyone to get here.”
I groan and slump, and Souta has the nerve to snicker. The brat. And he’s taking his time to sit too, slowly sauntering towards his chair directly in front of me. I swear this kid is pushing his luck. If he makes my oden feel lonely…I’m going to slap that grin of his face. Cue my pout.
“What’s wrong nee-chan? Can’t wait to stuff your face? No wonder you don’t have a boyfriend. There’s no guy out there rich enough that can buy as much as necessary oden for you.”
“Souta, be nice” mom admonishes with the soup spoon.
In all truth and in fact I just glare, ready to get this over with. Because at the end of the day…it’s just me and my oden cruising at a low altitude. Gosh, jii-chan get a move on them old bones already, I’m starving!
At the fifth hour….just kidding, at the fifth minute or so I hear shuffling from down the hall, and the close of a shoji screen, then light and weary footsteps. I look up and just then, guess who decides to show up? Jii-chan of course! With Buyo sluggishly moseying on his heels. I swear that cat needs to go on a diet- one more pound, and I can dress him as my pet turkey for Halloween.
The old man calmly sits at the table. Then apologizes for making everyone wait, says he was writing ofudas, and had to clean up. Great! I better steer clear of the weird behaviour for awhile.
So finally, now that everyone is at the table, we begin…well I dig in. And Souta snickers, mom shakes her head and chuckles, then jii-chan just looks as though we just told him he wasn’t a priest.
Well… close to what I think it would look like if we did tell him. I pay no attention to them. All I know is, if they don’t get a move on it, there isn’t going to be anything left for anyone else.
I reach for my third egg swimming in the translucent broth, and as I bite into it, my family decides it’s time to start the table talk.
“So, Souta how is school?” Jii-chan asks while tending to the konnyaku he dips into mom’s special sweet miso.
“School is great jii-chan; I have a soccer tournament coming up next month and I’m thinking to join another extra-curricular activity.” Souta says with excitement in his voice.
I swear the only thing that even gets him that cheery is mentioning soccer. Is that even healthy? But hey, who am I to judge? I mean I have my oden and he has his soccer. All’s fair in food and football.
“That’s wonderful Souta,” mom comments. “And Kagome how was your day today?”
“Yes Kagome, have you met a boy yet? You should bring him home so I may grill him of his intentions for my grand-baby.” Gramps adds.
I look up with a mouth full of tofu and egg, and attempt to answer. Forgetting that my mouth was full. I would forget that sometimes, seeing how oden was just another extension of me, therefore it felt natural.
“Kagome dear, don’t you even dare. Finish chewingandswallowing, then you can answer,” Mom scolds.
Doing as mom says, I greedily chug down some of my water to aid in swallowing the food.And after doing so, “Sorry mom,” I reply.
“It’s okay dear,” she smiles. “So, are you going to answer? Do you have a special someone, hmmm?” She questions with an even brighter smile beaming on her older features.
I blush at this. “No mom, jii-chan, there isn’t anyone in my life.” Sometimes I wish they would give that part of my life a rest. I don’t think I’d ever feel the like emotion for a boy…at least not now. I look up at mom’s face and I swear I see her smile falter for a bit, just a bit. I guess she was really hoping.
“Ha! Told you she couldn’t find a boy rich enough to feed her habits.” Souta smartly replies from across the table. I make to kick him in the shin. He gets it alright and yelps in reply. “Mommmm”, he whines, “Kagome kicked me.”
“Kagome, behave,” she tells me warningly, all this without looking up from the cup of tea placed close to her lips.
“Well, then how’s school?” Jii-cahn adds to break up the dispute.
I sigh. Well there is me failing astronomy, geography….whatever it’s called. Why they have an American teaching Japanese students about that subject…is beyond me. I have an arch nemesis I want to take out with a verbal gun. And my friends are still a little too close to the ‘I’m on drugs line’. Yeah school is school for any teenager. But would I tell them that? Of course not, they’d worry…so what they don’t know won’t hurt them.
“School’s fine,” I finally answer. “It’s all wonderful and I’m getting on with my new geography teacher just great.” Well I lied through my teeth on that one. It took a lot, but I’ll survive.
About 20 minutes later, after some more questions exchanged and a few more kicks to the shin for Souta’s smart assed comments and some good-nights. I’m back in my room doing homework. Thank God no math, Shimano-sensei decided we needed a break, and didn’t even show for school today. Must have been Hakkashu-sensei’s fault, I’ll thank her for that one day.
I pull out my Advanced History book and start my reading on the Sengoku-Jidai period. I swear I could die for history. Totosai-sensei makes it the best class I have. The old coot, as insane as he is, is one of my most respectable teachers and unlike some of the others; I can go to him for anything I need help with.
Although what was puzzling about him was that he would sometimes break off in the middle of class and rant about random stuff, then he’d look like he didn’t recognize any of us. Strange, like he was on crack or some strong meth. Even stranger, he is a demon, and up til now, everyone is still trying to figure out what kind of demon he is. Really strange.
But anyway… Back to reading.
I do this for about an hour, and then I finish up some English homework I had started earlier before I got side-tracked with my diary. This I continue until the clock in my room reads 10:00 and my mind screams for sleep. I eventually give in when my eyes keep drooping during my revision of said work and get up and change into my light blue flannel night dress. The one that makes my cerulean eyes look brighter. I glance over to my empty made twin-bed dressed in soft pink, longingly. I sigh before I make it to the bathroom and brush my teeth and then my waist length hair, before I make it back towards my room.
I close the door behind me and slowly make it over to my bed. I turn the covers over and then climb up, pulling the covers up to my torso at the same time. I lay there for awhile and listen for movement, sounds, anything.
During that time I heard the last of mom’s scuffling downstairs, as she shut down kitchen. I swear that place was like mom’s sanctuary, she wouldn’t leave until everyone was out, and then she had to ‘lock-up’ the business.
In truth and in fact, I saw it as a way to occupy her time more after dad died.
‘Dad’I usually didn’t try to think about him much, it made me very sad. But I had to remember him for what he was, a great father and my hero, who was always trying to please his ‘Hime ’; that’s how the family got Buyo. I wanted a calico cat. And he searched everywhere until he found me one. Maybe that is one of the reasons Buyo is so fat too, I spoil him with treats in my father’s honour. Taking care of him was like remembering what my dad did to get him for me- cherishing and respecting his memory even more.
I hear the late night sounds outside and what I can translate through my haziness as a light ‘thump thump’ against my window.
You know all this time, the rain hadn’t stopped falling? It had only slowed to a light drizzle that pitter-pattered against the roof of the shrine. It was kind of, if truth be told, calming.
After all I do love the rain. It reminds me more of my father, and how he used to hold me on stormy nights when I was scared to sleep because of the thunder and lightning. Or how we used to run up and down the yard playing hide and seek when it drizzled. Mama would scold us while she fed Souta in his high-chair, about being sopping wet in her kitchen she just cleaned and how we would get sick and jii-chan would only shake his head at his “…son’s madness”.
‘Papa, you would just grin and feign innocence while you would hurry and whisk me off to get changed before I got sick; because then, mama would be mad if you let that happen. ‘
I sighed at the memories of back then. And with them the melancholy started to settle. But the evocative sounds of the ‘pitter-patter’ outside eased the ache. And in the same second the grief started to settle, it went away. And in its place warmth; and a small smile grew on my face in appreciation of the rain.
I loved the rain, and its lullabies. Its sounds wrapped around me like a cocoon, shielding me from the world, the sad memories, re-assuring me: making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Therefore I knew it was a sign from him when it lightly rained. Not the violent thundering and angry lightening, but the light drizzle; it was him still protecting us, watching over us, telling us…me that everything would be alright. He was here, feeling our emotions, comforting us and affirming that everything would be alright.
Crying for us when we cried.
“It’ll be okay…you’ll see.”
“Hush hime…”
“I’m here for you.”
“Don’t cry, I hate it when you cry; it breaks my heart.”
‘Daddy, I love you and miss you dearly, I hope you are okay in heaven. I know that’s where you are; all good souls go to heaven.’
Those are my last thoughts as I drift off into a blissful sleep. Joining my father in my memory filled dreams; his warmth wrapped around me and fatherly voice carried in the sound of the soothing rain.
Mood: apathetic.
By the time classes were almost over, it began to rain cats and dogs today…
No, scratch that…
….Erased.
‘By the time my ears had adjusted to the high pitch wailing of Hakkashu-sensei in English; it had begun to rainelephants. I guess the gods had gotten tired of hearing her voice; struck her name of the list of women ever to bug, argue with, or date for that matter; then sent the rain to drown her screeching out. Splendid! Now I can be misses’ kisses ass crack because my teacher is responsible for my favourite element’s onset. I can see it now: “Oh Hakkashu-sensei, (all googly eyed), I adore your voice, and that English accent is to die for (no literally to die for)! Could you spear some of your good fortune, scare them men within a one mile radius to China, and maybe break the heavens eardrums and bring them to tears just for me? I’ll do extra credit just for you!” Bates eyelashes.
Yeah, like that would happen…ever. No matter how much I love the rain, I have a heart, and I don’t think I’d love it if all prospecting men ran away…because of my needs. Despite this, class went on for a short while, not that I was paying attention or anything-just staring blankly to ‘keep up appearances’- with a wince from the boys and girls once in a moment, I guess that her voice got to them as well. It’s a good thing they make language software and that I’m a fast learner…or I’d also be flunking this class, and then I’d have to put Hakkashu-sensei on the top of my hit list, or right next to Kikyou’s name.
Nah… I’d hate her for messing up my English, but even she didn’t deserve what I had in store for that slut. No weapons, just words…that’d be all I needed to send her scampering over the hills like a squealing banshee. I might not care about who or what, but she’s been dancing on my grave for far too long and there’s only so much I can take before I decide to rock her tomb stone. Bite me…I’m only human, can’t hold back my emotions. As said by my abysmal therapist “…it’s not healthy”- no bitch, taking money and telling me stuff that I already find on the internet and know… is not healthy! Too bad I can’t tellherthat. “I know kagome you are upset, and it’s okay to feel that way… it’s okay, let it out.”Damn her to the fourth hell…self-righteous bitch!The seventh is for Kikyou only. But Kikyou continuously pissing me off will prove detrimental to her unusually small brain propensity, which offsets the size of her own ego. Talk about DRAMA QUEEN. “Oh Nazuri-sensei, I broke a nail!” Oh boo-hoo!
Anyways… enough on talking about how to catch an STD…
Class ended early for English after Hakkashu-sensei, decided that she could not voice herself over the rain loud enough…wonderful. A chance to escape and go hang before going home, I thought. But imagine my excitement, when I glanced at my schedule and realized that I would have to spend another hour at school learning about dead men, who were still making money in their graves mind you. Yep- Just superb! What I would give to see the finest wings or hell-hole you buy with your money, Kanichi Asakawa, I’d do shit. Really, I’d dothatmuch. But I’d, in all probability like to see him try to improve relations between the Devil and God. Now that would be nice, it’d be like Japan and China in reality, coming to terms...’
A small smile flitters across my face at that entry into my dog-eared diary, and then a few snorts escape, as I try to cover up my laughter. At least my family wouldn’t think I was crazy because I just laughed out of the blue. It had been so long since I acted like myself, that they’d just given up and accepted the new me. Kagome 5.0 fully equipped with Emotional Teenage Syndrome. My friends and I call it ETS for short. Sounds just like how it’s pronounced. We’ve even made up our own warnings, signs and symptoms- like Miroku likes to joke that it’s not to be confused with the usual PMS in girls, and if it’s mixed, it might prove lethal…so all boys should report to the nearest physician without more ado if he has come in contact with a girlorboy-don’t ask- like this…or he should just simply warn everyone else. He usually does this when Sango or I are in our slump. It usually earns him a giant red handprint shaped tattoo on his face or an extra lump to his already broken brain…from Sango of course. I just glare…I’m notthatviolent. Sometimes I wish he’d save him self the pain and just shut up or not do something that’s his “cursed nature”…but then again he might not be Roku anymore and then I’d not be happy. It’s just not him when he’s not acting like an idiot or a lecher… and then the days are no fun.
Yep, Roku is a retard, but I love him all the same. I don’t know what I’d do without my friends. They keep me in touch with reality. They’re the strings that hold me down from completely floating off into outer-space. Because God knows I’m so skinny, that according to the great scientist Sango Taijiya “…she can defy gravity and give levity a run for its money.”
Yeah…they were like an extension of my family. The weirdos.
Speaking of family…oh yeah…what was I saying again about them being frightened of my laughter? Was it, they’d think I was on drugs yet again or was it they’d think it’s the day of reckoning? No, that’s not it… Hmm…oh, oh! Me! Me! I got it yeah, here we go… if they heard me laughing, they might think I was really off my rockers, since, joviality is an emotion I hardly express much, given that I’m always too busy being a teenager.
If they had heard me, then I’d have to pull a story out of my ass to make a good excuse as to why I was acting sostrange. Jii-chan would go get his ofudas screaming that I was possessed, and then they’d probably go and get the gurney with the straps…again. So he can perform an exorcism like the head priest always does. Tell you the truth, we all know jii-chan can’t purify a fly demon …but we don’t tell him that, his insanity is already imposing as it is. We don’t want him to go all catatonic or have a break down. But I might just have to do that one day…those ofudas really hurt when you try to take them off.
Mental note, leave it to Souta to tell them I am having a nervous breakdown, when all I was doing was math homework. I mean jeesh, math will do that to you, it’s like a ninja, all sneaky and unexpected with a lot of barkandbite. Just like Shimano-sensei. Lousy math teacher, always nagging and chewing our heads off. I swear to God if men had menopause, he’d be the ‘it’ factor.
Now, that I had to grin over, Kagome made a funny, again.Niceee! Well I’m not a total party pooper you know; I am one of the light-spirited ones in our group. As hard as it is to believe, I’m a comic person.
“Souta, Kagome, dinner is ready!” Mom calls from the kitchen.
Yes! It’s Oden time! I hurriedly put away my diary in a place far out of the reach of my little brother. I’ve learnt that nothing stops Souta from reading my diary, therefore I put it somewhere he would not dare go searching: my underwear draw. Smart huh?
I dash down the narrow passage way leading from my room towards the stairs almost knocking said criminal down. A quick “Gomen”, and then I am on my way towards the dinning room, taking the stairs two at a time. I can hear Souta behind me grumbling loudly about “…greedy sisters and their insatiable oden appetites.” I’ll let the greedy comment slide, since I have no time to react…I mean there is oden on the table, I’m not going to let it wait forever. It might get lonely, and God knows I don’t want that. He could shove me down the last two flight of stairs (he’d never do it though…he’s a sweetie pie) and I’d still get up screaming “Save some for me!!!”Can you blame me? I love oden! Probably a little too much though.
I make my way towards the modern style dinning room; the one we use on normal nights. Sitting on your knees for God knows how long for tradition, was really a dirty bum in clean clothing. I rush towards the chair on the right, and plop down on it just as mom puts the pressure pot on the table; and I quickly grab my chopsticks ready to begin my feasting. But before I can reach for one of the boiled eggs, my hand is slapped and I receive a scolding look from my mother.
“Mind your manners Kagome. Wait for everyone to get here.”
I groan and slump, and Souta has the nerve to snicker. The brat. And he’s taking his time to sit too, slowly sauntering towards his chair directly in front of me. I swear this kid is pushing his luck. If he makes my oden feel lonely…I’m going to slap that grin of his face. Cue my pout.
“What’s wrong nee-chan? Can’t wait to stuff your face? No wonder you don’t have a boyfriend. There’s no guy out there rich enough that can buy as much as necessary oden for you.”
“Souta, be nice” mom admonishes with the soup spoon.
In all truth and in fact I just glare, ready to get this over with. Because at the end of the day…it’s just me and my oden cruising at a low altitude. Gosh, jii-chan get a move on them old bones already, I’m starving!
At the fifth hour….just kidding, at the fifth minute or so I hear shuffling from down the hall, and the close of a shoji screen, then light and weary footsteps. I look up and just then, guess who decides to show up? Jii-chan of course! With Buyo sluggishly moseying on his heels. I swear that cat needs to go on a diet- one more pound, and I can dress him as my pet turkey for Halloween.
The old man calmly sits at the table. Then apologizes for making everyone wait, says he was writing ofudas, and had to clean up. Great! I better steer clear of the weird behaviour for awhile.
So finally, now that everyone is at the table, we begin…well I dig in. And Souta snickers, mom shakes her head and chuckles, then jii-chan just looks as though we just told him he wasn’t a priest.
Well… close to what I think it would look like if we did tell him. I pay no attention to them. All I know is, if they don’t get a move on it, there isn’t going to be anything left for anyone else.
I reach for my third egg swimming in the translucent broth, and as I bite into it, my family decides it’s time to start the table talk.
“So, Souta how is school?” Jii-chan asks while tending to the konnyaku he dips into mom’s special sweet miso.
“School is great jii-chan; I have a soccer tournament coming up next month and I’m thinking to join another extra-curricular activity.” Souta says with excitement in his voice.
I swear the only thing that even gets him that cheery is mentioning soccer. Is that even healthy? But hey, who am I to judge? I mean I have my oden and he has his soccer. All’s fair in food and football.
“That’s wonderful Souta,” mom comments. “And Kagome how was your day today?”
“Yes Kagome, have you met a boy yet? You should bring him home so I may grill him of his intentions for my grand-baby.” Gramps adds.
I look up with a mouth full of tofu and egg, and attempt to answer. Forgetting that my mouth was full. I would forget that sometimes, seeing how oden was just another extension of me, therefore it felt natural.
“Kagome dear, don’t you even dare. Finish chewingandswallowing, then you can answer,” Mom scolds.
Doing as mom says, I greedily chug down some of my water to aid in swallowing the food.And after doing so, “Sorry mom,” I reply.
“It’s okay dear,” she smiles. “So, are you going to answer? Do you have a special someone, hmmm?” She questions with an even brighter smile beaming on her older features.
I blush at this. “No mom, jii-chan, there isn’t anyone in my life.” Sometimes I wish they would give that part of my life a rest. I don’t think I’d ever feel the like emotion for a boy…at least not now. I look up at mom’s face and I swear I see her smile falter for a bit, just a bit. I guess she was really hoping.
“Ha! Told you she couldn’t find a boy rich enough to feed her habits.” Souta smartly replies from across the table. I make to kick him in the shin. He gets it alright and yelps in reply. “Mommmm”, he whines, “Kagome kicked me.”
“Kagome, behave,” she tells me warningly, all this without looking up from the cup of tea placed close to her lips.
“Well, then how’s school?” Jii-cahn adds to break up the dispute.
I sigh. Well there is me failing astronomy, geography….whatever it’s called. Why they have an American teaching Japanese students about that subject…is beyond me. I have an arch nemesis I want to take out with a verbal gun. And my friends are still a little too close to the ‘I’m on drugs line’. Yeah school is school for any teenager. But would I tell them that? Of course not, they’d worry…so what they don’t know won’t hurt them.
“School’s fine,” I finally answer. “It’s all wonderful and I’m getting on with my new geography teacher just great.” Well I lied through my teeth on that one. It took a lot, but I’ll survive.
About 20 minutes later, after some more questions exchanged and a few more kicks to the shin for Souta’s smart assed comments and some good-nights. I’m back in my room doing homework. Thank God no math, Shimano-sensei decided we needed a break, and didn’t even show for school today. Must have been Hakkashu-sensei’s fault, I’ll thank her for that one day.
I pull out my Advanced History book and start my reading on the Sengoku-Jidai period. I swear I could die for history. Totosai-sensei makes it the best class I have. The old coot, as insane as he is, is one of my most respectable teachers and unlike some of the others; I can go to him for anything I need help with.
Although what was puzzling about him was that he would sometimes break off in the middle of class and rant about random stuff, then he’d look like he didn’t recognize any of us. Strange, like he was on crack or some strong meth. Even stranger, he is a demon, and up til now, everyone is still trying to figure out what kind of demon he is. Really strange.
But anyway… Back to reading.
I do this for about an hour, and then I finish up some English homework I had started earlier before I got side-tracked with my diary. This I continue until the clock in my room reads 10:00 and my mind screams for sleep. I eventually give in when my eyes keep drooping during my revision of said work and get up and change into my light blue flannel night dress. The one that makes my cerulean eyes look brighter. I glance over to my empty made twin-bed dressed in soft pink, longingly. I sigh before I make it to the bathroom and brush my teeth and then my waist length hair, before I make it back towards my room.
I close the door behind me and slowly make it over to my bed. I turn the covers over and then climb up, pulling the covers up to my torso at the same time. I lay there for awhile and listen for movement, sounds, anything.
During that time I heard the last of mom’s scuffling downstairs, as she shut down kitchen. I swear that place was like mom’s sanctuary, she wouldn’t leave until everyone was out, and then she had to ‘lock-up’ the business.
In truth and in fact, I saw it as a way to occupy her time more after dad died.
‘Dad’I usually didn’t try to think about him much, it made me very sad. But I had to remember him for what he was, a great father and my hero, who was always trying to please his ‘Hime ’; that’s how the family got Buyo. I wanted a calico cat. And he searched everywhere until he found me one. Maybe that is one of the reasons Buyo is so fat too, I spoil him with treats in my father’s honour. Taking care of him was like remembering what my dad did to get him for me- cherishing and respecting his memory even more.
I hear the late night sounds outside and what I can translate through my haziness as a light ‘thump thump’ against my window.
You know all this time, the rain hadn’t stopped falling? It had only slowed to a light drizzle that pitter-pattered against the roof of the shrine. It was kind of, if truth be told, calming.
After all I do love the rain. It reminds me more of my father, and how he used to hold me on stormy nights when I was scared to sleep because of the thunder and lightning. Or how we used to run up and down the yard playing hide and seek when it drizzled. Mama would scold us while she fed Souta in his high-chair, about being sopping wet in her kitchen she just cleaned and how we would get sick and jii-chan would only shake his head at his “…son’s madness”.
‘Papa, you would just grin and feign innocence while you would hurry and whisk me off to get changed before I got sick; because then, mama would be mad if you let that happen. ‘
I sighed at the memories of back then. And with them the melancholy started to settle. But the evocative sounds of the ‘pitter-patter’ outside eased the ache. And in the same second the grief started to settle, it went away. And in its place warmth; and a small smile grew on my face in appreciation of the rain.
I loved the rain, and its lullabies. Its sounds wrapped around me like a cocoon, shielding me from the world, the sad memories, re-assuring me: making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Therefore I knew it was a sign from him when it lightly rained. Not the violent thundering and angry lightening, but the light drizzle; it was him still protecting us, watching over us, telling us…me that everything would be alright. He was here, feeling our emotions, comforting us and affirming that everything would be alright.
Crying for us when we cried.
“It’ll be okay…you’ll see.”
“Hush hime…”
“I’m here for you.”
“Don’t cry, I hate it when you cry; it breaks my heart.”
‘Daddy, I love you and miss you dearly, I hope you are okay in heaven. I know that’s where you are; all good souls go to heaven.’
Those are my last thoughts as I drift off into a blissful sleep. Joining my father in my memory filled dreams; his warmth wrapped around me and fatherly voice carried in the sound of the soothing rain.