Chapter 21: Closer-1
Chapter summary:
akanishikazumi and her visit to the hospice.
kame's letter to pi once again.
***
I chose to come here specially for a visit. But when I stood outside the entrance, I hesitated to take another step foward.
Pi told me that I didn’t have to feel injustice for Mama. He asked me to think about the way Papa treated Mama through the years. Did he make her unhappy, or make her feel lonely?
I thought about it, and it seemed that Mama has always been very happy.
I only remembered seeing Mama in tears once. I was in first grade then. Mama suffered a miscarriage because of a traffic accident. After the surgery, the doctors told her that she wouldn’t be able to conceive anymore. I didn’t understand why Mama was so upset then, but I could distinctly remember how Papa looked as he comforted her.
“Just take it that we’re not fated to have this child. If you like children a lot, we can always adopt one if you want to.”
Papa then turned to ask me “Kazumi, do you prefer a brother or a sister?” I replied “Sister” loudly. Papa then held Mama’s hands and said again “Let’s adopt a girl then. It’s OK that she has no blood ties with us. We can build strong family bonds that will overcome blood bonds easily."
But till now, this 'younger sister' never appeared.
But now, I finally understood how thoughtful and sweet Papa was.
After Mama got discharged from the hospital, Papa brought us back to my grandparents’ place in Chiba to stay for a short period of time. Grandma cooked nutritious dishes for Mama and Grandpa played with me. Papa tried his best to reschedule all his work so that he could spend time at home with the family.
During the stay in Chiba, Mama gradually resumed to her usual self with Papa’s support.
*****
Dearest Pi,
When I looked at Jin’s baby photos in the past, I was always curious to know how his children would turn out to be like. I wished to look at his kids. Will they look like him? Will they have the same temperament as him?
But after I got together with him, I thought I would never have a chance. I mean, I couldn’t possibly bear him a child…
I never imagined that my wish would come true one day…
Thank you very much. Please thank Jin’s wife for me too.
Kazumi is a lovely child.
I never imagined that I would be able to talk to Jin’s child one day.
Pi, know something? Jin and I made a promise to each other in this very sunflower field before. We promised each other that no matter what happens in the future, we must try to create happiness for ourselves.
And now, I am truly holding his bundle of joy and happiness.
Under the same blue skies. In the same sea of sunflowers.
Perhaps we weren’t that serious when we made the promise, because we never expected things to turn out this way. But now, we would have to go about fulfilling this promise faithfully.
Has Kazumi met me before? Jin’s wife told me that she doesn’t like strangers. Even when Jin’s parents carried her for the first time, she cried a great deal…
But when I hugged her, she just looked at me with her big eyes. She didn’t struggle at all, neither was she afraid… She seemed to know what I was saying. When I told her who I was, she stretched out her tiny fat hands towards my face. And she was smiling. At that moment, I cried.
Are you able to understand that kind of feeling? My life is reaching its end soon, but I’m hugging a newborn who is so soft and cuddly.
I am not a stranger to her, I suppose. After all, we share the same name.
She is Jin’s daughter, but she is named after me… the name that Jin loved to tease me with
When Kazumi’s tiny hands touched my face, many different expressions of Jin flashed across my mind… The first time we met each other, the times he gave me encouragements, the times he nursed me to sleep, the times he hugged me tightly and said he loved me…
Something warm is flowing through my heart slowly… I am touched, but I feel a little sad too.
I know that I won’t feel lonely again. That’s because I know where my position is in Jin’s heart now.
He placed me at a place more important than himself.
I’m really stupid…
In my self pity, I actually forgot about how much Jin treasured me in the past. He loved singing and performing, but yet he was willing to give up his years’ of hard work just to be with me.
Many times, I asked him if he missed the showbiz and limelight. He would smile to me, “Without you with me, what is there to miss about the stage?” To him, nothing else was as important as me. He would then bug me to answer the similar question too, “So what about you, Kazumi? ;) Do you prefer our life now?”
Jin was kind of silly to love me so much, right? But I liked that Bakanishi so much that I wanted to cry.
Before we got together, I never knew that Jin could be so caring. My medication procedure was complex, and he was able to remember all the steps correctly. Those physiotherapy sessions were so tedious too. He had to flip me twice through the night. Everyday, he had to massage my legs and joints without fail.
Sometimes, I stood by the door and saw how Jin overcooked the vegetables. I saw him hanging the laundry and how he would realise that certain fabrics could only be hand-washed. Jin had to take note of the days for checkups. We often sat along the corridor to talk, do some muscular training, or just to argue over silly things like how we should write sakura in kanji.
It didn’t matter to me because I think both are fine. Sakura was the name of the city we stayed in, and it is the name of the cherry blossoms bloomed during the season when we stood by each other. Thus, sakura could both commemorate the city and the season that we lived together…
I yearned for Jin, more than how sunflowers yearned for sunshine. That’s why after I left him, the pain in my heart refused to go away…
Although I’m unable to see how Jin will become in the future, I am the only person who clearly knew how Jin was like at 22 years old. I am the only one who knew how much love and sacrifice Jin was capable of giving to the one he loves. Is Fate being good to me by letting me know these private things about Jin?
Kazumi has the exact pair of eyes as Jin… I believe she’ll be as beautiful as him in the future.
Other than your help, I know the other reason why Jin’s wife was willing to visit me with Kazumi; she wanted to meet the person who occupied her husband’s heart through these years.
As for our secret past, which I’m sure she would be very keen to know, let’s keep it as that. This is the only secret that I have between Jin and me so I wish to keep it that way. I don’t want to share it with anyone else other than you.
She must be feeling unsettled about the whole issue.
But Pi, please help me tell her that I have no other ill intention. I purely wanted to take a look at Jin’s daughter.
I… will never ever appear in front of Jin, and I’ll never disturb his life.
I miss Jin but I know how to control my longing for him. I just have to bear with this longing and everything will be fine.
Since I’ve already feigned inexistence for the past few years, I shall continue doing so.
I shall continue to hide my existence, until the day that it is really time for me to leave this world…
****
Chapter 21: Closer-1
Chapter summary:
akanishikazumi and her visit to the hospice.
kame's letter to pi once again.
***
I chose to come here specially for a visit. But when I stood outside the entrance, I hesitated to take another step foward.
Pi told me that I didn’t have to feel injustice for Mama. He asked me to think about the way Papa treated Mama through the years. Did he make her unhappy, or make her feel lonely?
I thought about it, and it seemed that Mama has always been very happy.
I only remembered seeing Mama in tears once. I was in first grade then. Mama suffered a miscarriage because of a traffic accident. After the surgery, the doctors told her that she wouldn’t be able to conceive anymore. I didn’t understand why Mama was so upset then, but I could distinctly remember how Papa looked as he comforted her.
“Just take it that we’re not fated to have this child. If you like children a lot, we can always adopt one if you want to.”
Papa then turned to ask me “Kazumi, do you prefer a brother or a sister?” I replied “Sister” loudly. Papa then held Mama’s hands and said again “Let’s adopt a girl then. It’s OK that she has no blood ties with us. We can build strong family bonds that will overcome blood bonds easily."
But till now, this 'younger sister' never appeared.
But now, I finally understood how thoughtful and sweet Papa was.
After Mama got discharged from the hospital, Papa brought us back to my grandparents’ place in Chiba to stay for a short period of time. Grandma cooked nutritious dishes for Mama and Grandpa played with me. Papa tried his best to reschedule all his work so that he could spend time at home with the family.
During the stay in Chiba, Mama gradually resumed to her usual self with Papa’s support.
*****
Dearest Pi,
When I looked at Jin’s baby photos in the past, I was always curious to know how his children would turn out to be like. I wished to look at his kids. Will they look like him? Will they have the same temperament as him?
But after I got together with him, I thought I would never have a chance. I mean, I couldn’t possibly bear him a child…
I never imagined that my wish would come true one day…
Thank you very much. Please thank Jin’s wife for me too.
Kazumi is a lovely child.
I never imagined that I would be able to talk to Jin’s child one day.
Pi, know something? Jin and I made a promise to each other in this very sunflower field before. We promised each other that no matter what happens in the future, we must try to create happiness for ourselves.
And now, I am truly holding his bundle of joy and happiness.
Under the same blue skies. In the same sea of sunflowers.
Perhaps we weren’t that serious when we made the promise, because we never expected things to turn out this way. But now, we would have to go about fulfilling this promise faithfully.
Has Kazumi met me before? Jin’s wife told me that she doesn’t like strangers. Even when Jin’s parents carried her for the first time, she cried a great deal…
But when I hugged her, she just looked at me with her big eyes. She didn’t struggle at all, neither was she afraid… She seemed to know what I was saying. When I told her who I was, she stretched out her tiny fat hands towards my face. And she was smiling. At that moment, I cried.
Are you able to understand that kind of feeling? My life is reaching its end soon, but I’m hugging a newborn who is so soft and cuddly.
I am not a stranger to her, I suppose. After all, we share the same name.
She is Jin’s daughter, but she is named after me… the name that Jin loved to tease me with
When Kazumi’s tiny hands touched my face, many different expressions of Jin flashed across my mind… The first time we met each other, the times he gave me encouragements, the times he nursed me to sleep, the times he hugged me tightly and said he loved me…
Something warm is flowing through my heart slowly… I am touched, but I feel a little sad too.
I know that I won’t feel lonely again. That’s because I know where my position is in Jin’s heart now.
He placed me at a place more important than himself.
I’m really stupid…
In my self pity, I actually forgot about how much Jin treasured me in the past. He loved singing and performing, but yet he was willing to give up his years’ of hard work just to be with me.
Many times, I asked him if he missed the showbiz and limelight. He would smile to me, “Without you with me, what is there to miss about the stage?” To him, nothing else was as important as me. He would then bug me to answer the similar question too, “So what about you, Kazumi? ;) Do you prefer our life now?”
Jin was kind of silly to love me so much, right? But I liked that Bakanishi so much that I wanted to cry.
Before we got together, I never knew that Jin could be so caring. My medication procedure was complex, and he was able to remember all the steps correctly. Those physiotherapy sessions were so tedious too. He had to flip me twice through the night. Everyday, he had to massage my legs and joints without fail.
Sometimes, I stood by the door and saw how Jin overcooked the vegetables. I saw him hanging the laundry and how he would realise that certain fabrics could only be hand-washed. Jin had to take note of the days for checkups. We often sat along the corridor to talk, do some muscular training, or just to argue over silly things like how we should write sakura in kanji.
It didn’t matter to me because I think both are fine. Sakura was the name of the city we stayed in, and it is the name of the cherry blossoms bloomed during the season when we stood by each other. Thus, sakura could both commemorate the city and the season that we lived together…
I yearned for Jin, more than how sunflowers yearned for sunshine. That’s why after I left him, the pain in my heart refused to go away…
Although I’m unable to see how Jin will become in the future, I am the only person who clearly knew how Jin was like at 22 years old. I am the only one who knew how much love and sacrifice Jin was capable of giving to the one he loves. Is Fate being good to me by letting me know these private things about Jin?
Kazumi has the exact pair of eyes as Jin… I believe she’ll be as beautiful as him in the future.
Other than your help, I know the other reason why Jin’s wife was willing to visit me with Kazumi; she wanted to meet the person who occupied her husband’s heart through these years.
As for our secret past, which I’m sure she would be very keen to know, let’s keep it as that. This is the only secret that I have between Jin and me so I wish to keep it that way. I don’t want to share it with anyone else other than you.
She must be feeling unsettled about the whole issue.
But Pi, please help me tell her that I have no other ill intention. I purely wanted to take a look at Jin’s daughter.
I… will never ever appear in front of Jin, and I’ll never disturb his life.
I miss Jin but I know how to control my longing for him. I just have to bear with this longing and everything will be fine.
Since I’ve already feigned inexistence for the past few years, I shall continue doing so.
I shall continue to hide my existence, until the day that it is really time for me to leave this world…
****
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