Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Akasaka Moon ❯ Summer ( Chapter 15 )

Summer

June 1, 1947.

Cicadas

Training to be a priest was hard. I learned that right off the bat on the first day. There was all of that reading, the meditation and silence. I couldn't make myself stay still and quiet for a long time. My teachers rarely even smiled. They were old men and they didn't even seem happy to be there. I lay back on the tatami mats. What was I thinking? But, I managed to survive for a year, so that should say something. Right? Somehow I was able to keep a poker face and take it all with a strong backbone. That really must say something about my sanity or rather lack thereof. At least, I got a little reaction from my Mother.

“Mother,” I said that evening I made my decision. “I will train to become a priest.” She didn't speak, but I noticed that her lips were twitching in the darkened living room.

“Are you… smiling?” I asked. Her lips started twitching harder. I stood back with a little smile.

“Ah! You are!” I said. It wasn't much, but at least I got a reaction from her. Maybe this plan could be what will help my Mother after all. I just needed to keep my plan up and maybe everything will go back to the way things were before I met the twins. Okay, I should take it one plan at a time. I already had the current plan that I could work on with the priest training. Now, I just had to get her to tell me what she wanted to say. That was going to more work. How much more, I had no idea.