(Volume 6) Rebirth

Everybody were holding their breaths as they sat around the dining table that Shuka had commandeered for the club brunch meet. They all knew what the meeting was really about, Granny too, but she just went about cheerily laying platefuls of jelly on the table and humming. Anju cleared her throat. "Gran, please keep it down, we're having a conference." But the old lady only pulled at her cheek and laughed.

"Come on you girls, haven't you had enough of the blues already? You're bringing back the concert, aren't you?"

Shuka sighed. "Well, we still have the costumes and the equipment here, we only need a day or so to practice since we already got the drill down..." And she trailed off. Grandmother only looked on as they all hesitated to mention to one thing casting a long shadow on the whole show.

At last, Shuka spoke up again." It's my fault. We shouldn't have agreed to include a glider stint in the first place. We could have had the concert without that."

"Well," said Rikako. "Could we have left Yoshiyuki behind at Nanan-chan's if we didn't?"

The girls were all downcast at this. "He really is a part of you guys now, huh?" chuckled Grandma.

"Obaa-san," said Anju, "you think we can wrap up the thing with his Mom in a few days?"

She only shrugged. "We already did what we could. Even got the Director."

"It will still be tricky to pitch Aquasports if one of our people has family issues." The news had by now circulated all over Otou-san, that the Minase son would not let himself be admitted to a hospital because he didn't want to let his mother see him. "Maybe I really should have let him talk to his folks before reviving the club," lamented Shuka. "Arrgh! Kan-chan, you talked to Nanjou, right? Let me see her, let me fix this! I should be the one talking to her!"

Kanako shook her head. "She already saw him at the Kubos, zura. We have to wait for developments."

"We have to do it Friday! Let me go to her."

She stood up. "I'm that case, I will call Ai-chan right now. I told you, zura. We shouldn't be worrying over Yoshiyuki if there's nothing we can do about him, anyways. Please focus on the dress rehearsal. Shuka-shan.

"If you really want to make up for everything, then please take charge of what you do best. If it makes you feel better, I'll press Ai for details.

"By the time you hear from me again, I will have had enough news for us to have a final decision on Yoshiyuki. Just be ready to let him go if it comes down it. People don't see him with us onstage, anyway. Pretend he was never with us, zura."

"Kanako-chan!" protested Rikako.

"You all know that, zura! Deep down, you admit we might have to do it. If we wanna restore Aquasports."

"..."

"Make the show livelier. Then set up another event at Nankaisei. Do it right, do it perfectly. People will forget, you'll see." Her lips set in a flat line to signify she was done. "Excuse me."

They all kept quiet for a while after she left, but in the end Shuka got to her feet. "I will talk to his Mom."

The others followed suit. "Let's talk to her together," said Riri. And they all left the table. Grandma was agape. "Uhhhh, be sure to come back for the snowcones." Sigh.

The girls waited for someone to open the door. Did they perhaps knock too lightly? They knew Yoshiyuki's Mom was not in the best of shape today, but they knew things won't move forward without her. "Maybe we should return after lunch?" said Rikako. "We won't have our chance if we keep putting it off," replied Shuka. "She is the key, we need her right away."

"Guys," said Anju. "The door."

A small gap gingerly formed, and behind it was the unsure eye of Aika Minase. "Um, can you please come back later? Mom is resting."

Shuka did not buy it. "We will have to practice soon. Now is the best time."

"Uhhhh..."

"Please?"

"She... does not want any disturbance... I mean... You know what happened, right?"

"Dear," they heard the father call from behind, "let them in. They are your Grandmother's guests. They are our guests."

Aika looked them over for a moment, and then let herself out of the room. "What can you people do, anyway?" she murmured disdainfully as she left for the porch.

The girls drank in the scene as they went in. The curtains were fresh, thanks to Granny, the room looked quite refurbished, even if it was really just moving furniture around to free up new space. But none of that mattered to Mom, who at that moment was in Dad's arms by the window. She looked sick, or about to be, she was certainly in a despondent mood. As always, thought Shuka. The woman never seemed to cheer up from the first time she laid eyes on her when she first stepped ashore on the Kyunins. Was the falling out with Yoshiyuki that bad? Poor lady, she thought, remembering the breakup of her own family. Well, at least she could see her little brother Takao every other month now, while this woman after years of absence saw her child only to lose him again in an instant.

Was the falling out with Yoshiyuki that bad?

The girls approached the couple. Rikako stepped forward and silently asked permission, to which Dad gave his nod.

"Minase-san," she said softly. "Mama?"

Mama turned a pair of hurt eyes on her. "Have you found my Yoshiyuki?"

Gulp. "Well..."

She turned away. "Please leave us alone."

"..."

"I knew it, no one can make him come back to me. He is gone. I am going back to Tokyo with my husband. We will... pretend we never had a son."

"Honey," chided Dad softly.

Rikako's eyes widened at hearing this, but she kept calm. "Minase-san, please don't give up on your son."

"You don't know what had happened, Hori-san. You weren't there at the runway. You never saw the look on his face.

"Please, stop pretending to help us. There is nothing any of you can do."

Shuka now joined Rikako. "You're right, Minase-san. We really can't do anything. We need you with us, Madam."

"Please go. Just go." To Dad, "Tell them to leave."

"Dear, you haven't been talking to anyone. Please hear them out, at least."

"What can they possibly say to change things?"

"Nothing, Madam," replied Shuka. "But we really need you, Ma'am, so we will stay here with you."

Mom only turned her back on them. "Do what you want."

And so, the Aquasports Club sat around the Minase couple for a while. The gray clouds sailed by over the yard where Granny was hanging up the laundry to dry, but there seemed to be no rain forthcoming.

Shuka kept staring at Mom's back. Will this picket of sorts be enough for the woman to cooperate? Will she finally switch from "Do what you want," to "What do you want?"

At length, she did talk. "Since when have our own family affairs been open to outsiders?"

"The club is Yoshiyuki's family," began Shuka.

"Huh--?"

"Have you never been in a club when you were in high school, Madam?"

Well, she had. "And so? Why should I go back to high school? That's absurd! My own clubmates don't talk to me anymore. It's just the way it is!"

"Hon," reminded Dad, "Ageha and the others visited us every other month, remember? It was only after... Let me see... after we sent away Yoshiyuki away that you cut them off. That's right. You didn't want them to see us the way we were."

"Ah--Huh?"

Shuka held back a smile. "We in Aquasports have been looking after your son in those four or so years he was away from you. He played the drums and guitar for a club that is an essential part of these islands. Your son belongs to these islands, Madam Minase."

"Then keep him for all I care!"

"Grandma has always been a cherished part of the community here. For as long as you consider Granny to be family, the Granny who stood in as Yoshiyuki's mother all these years, then we are your family, also.

"All of us who loved him, all of us who cared for him, all of us are in one family. His family."

Outside, Granny was already stretching the towels on the clothesline.

Shuka reached for Mom's hands. The woman thought to draw back, but something in the club leader's eyes caught her attention. And then, as she finally touched those hands... something escaped her lips.

"I have always wanted a mother."

"..."

"..."

"Why...? What happened to your mother?"

Shuka caught herself and let go, trying to keep her tears down. "Well. I mean... If you won't have Yoshiyuki anymore, maybe I can be his replacement, is what I mean." Embarrassed smile.

"..."

Mom fumbled for her cane and got to her feet. She stood by the window to try and avoid the gazes of everyone even as she saw them faintly reflected in the windowpane. "I... I don't know... Can I have another child... like him? Can anybody replace...? No... He is him... I want him...

"But the pain he did to me. Should I take him back if he keeps hurting me so?"

But someone else was hurting. Shuka was smarting from the sting of Mom's answer to her, and now she can't help but sob. But her mind had the unparalleled clarity of someone who knew what she was talking about.

"Isn't it worth it? To feel the pain again?

"Isn't it worth it? To cry from the pain of having a child?

"Isn't it worth it to give birth to your son again?"

A gasp burst forth from Mom's lips as memories trickled, and then flooded her consciousness. How she had protested the urging of her doctors to abort the birth and to ensure the safety of her crippled, fragile frame. But I want this child! You can't take away my baby! I have waited so long!

So long...

She let her own sobbing bubble out softly like a simmering teapot. Yes, why? How long has it been since she last saw him... both at home in Chiba and on that windy airfield? She was arrested by a sudden hug from Shuka, which she now returned, and they cried together.... bitter tears, happy tears... longing tears.... And everybody else cried with them. Dad stood up and took both women in his arms. The two other girls drew closer, and the family all shed tears together with them... bitter tears, happy tears... longing tears....

Just then, Anju's phone sounded as a message came in. She quickly wiped her face on her sleeve and checked. "Uso!"

Everybody gathered round even while their eyes were still moist. "It's Kan-chan! Ai-chan sent news!"

Mom snatched the phone from her. "Yoshiyuki--!"