Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Remember to drink your milk ❯ Mada mada dane ( Chapter 2 )

Mada mada dane

 

Actually, it came as a surprise.

 

There was a lot of whispering, and now that he came to think of it, shedded tears too. His aunt was frequently home for the past couple of months which Echizen thought was irregular. She was a tour guide and was seldom around. This did not elicit any comments, however, except a gripe about having too many Western style breakfasts.

 

A month ago, he had hardly stepped into his family compound before he was whipped away by a frantic Echizen Nanjirou. His father had always struck him as being overtly dramatic and hyper-excitable. Nonetheless, he was swept away by the older man's brute strength and death grip. They arrived at the hospital in time to hear the bad news from the doctor. His mother and aunt accompanied the comatose Nanako to the ward whilst father and son were dismissed. Echizen Nanjirou made it to the waiting room where he plonked himself onto a chair and bawled his lungs out. Echizen, on the other hand, removed himself to the farthest corner of the room and pretended to fall asleep.

 

“It's not as if someone is burning his porno magazine collection.”

 

Unfortunately, nobody had the heart or guts, Echizen could not tell which, to shut the man up. So they were there for hours before his mother came down from the wards.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

“Ryouma, Nanako has leukaemia. It's a type of cancer. Do you understand?”

 

He nodded.

 

“Will she get well?”

 

“Maybe,” his mother replied whilst averting her eyes, which were threatening to tear again. “She had it when she was five years old but she got well.”

 

“Ahhh…” No problem then.

 

“Do you understand what I'm saying, Ryouma?” she asked worriedly.

 

“Hai. If there's nothing else, I'm going up to my room.”

 

“Ryouma… ”

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Nanako looked at her uncle with incredulity.

 

“Ne, he's going around like nothing is happening, baka(1)-mono(2). He even goes for burgers on Saturdays before coming to the hospital. What is he thinking of? Baka-seishonen(3)!” Echizen Nanjirou looked ready to tear out his hair.

 

“So you want me to convince him that I might really die?” Nanako said slowly and methodically.

 

“Atari(4)! That way the baka-seishonen won't go around with that stupid smirk on his face, while the rest of us are crying ourselves blind!”

 

“Would you do it, Nanako-chan?” The man asked earnestly as he clasped her hands in his with an imploring look.

 

“Eto… I can try.”

 

He positively beamed at her.

 

“Arigatou(5), Nanako-chan. I know you're the nicest girl in the world.”

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

“You have to take care of yourself,” said his mother softly. It was late, however, and he could hear their conversation clearly in the quiet.

 

“I thought it would be alright. I thought everything would be alright,” the other woman said bitterly. “Oh, how I hated myself for being a hepatitis virus carrier! How grateful I was to Nan-chan for donating his bone marrow. How happy I was when the marrow grafted and Nanako-chan was finally out of the hos-”

“There, there,” he heard his mother said after the conversation was muffled by much crying and broken sentences.

 

 

“So Oyaji(6) donated his marrow the last time,” Echizen thought later as he lay wide awake in his bedroom. “He should do it again this time. I'll make him do it even if I have to… ”

 

He spent the entire night determining what he could do if Echizen Nanjirou refused.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Echizen Nanjirou stared at the centre-spread. He was panting lightly from his previous exertion.

 

“What kind of bakayarou(7) would want to hack his otousan(8)'s leg for bone marrow?”

 

He looked at the model clad in sailor-uniform.

 

 

“Nanako-chan looked so kawai(9).”

 

She was bald and had rounded limbs and body due to the chemotherapy and immune suppressants she was taking. But she was always ready with a smile. And even in great pain, spirit danced in those big eyes. Nobody lost heart then.

 

“But she's a bishoujo(10) now ne! Not my chubby kotori(11) anymore ne! All grown up ne!”

 

“Ne, ne…”

 

He swiped his eyes with his sleeves, mumbled half-heartedly about dust and wind, and looked with disinterest at his newest magazine.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

The yellow blossoms swayed gently in the light. They were expensive; those flowers. But Echizen had stopped going for burgers on weekdays with Momoshiro and was able to save some money for them. He loved the look on his cousin's face when she saw them. She had thanked him profusely.

 

 

“Mou, Ryouma-san,” Nanako said in a worried tone, “Did you hurt Ojisama?”

 

“He won't be so lucky next time.”

 

Nanako looked at the sullen face with worry and joy. Contrary to her uncle's views, she found it oddly comforting that Echizen was his usual self.

 

“Although he has learnt to buy flowers for girls now.”

 

She saw her cousin's pout and promptly stopped grinning.

 

“It won't help if Ojisama(12) donated his bone marrow this time, Ryouma-san,” she explained gently. “The cancer has spread. There's nothing the doctors can do now.”

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Echizen swept the shrine grounds unhappily. His father was in his usual position on the bell platform. The latter had squealed on him and he was being punished by his mother.

 

“Unfair!”

 

“Zettai ne! No way this baka gets to live longer than the rest of us.”

 

He swept fervently to demonstrate his conviction.

 

 

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 

1)stupid

2)thing

3)young man

4)Correct

5)Thank you

6)Old Man

7)bastard

8)father

9)cute

10)beautiful girl

11)small bird

12)Uncle