Happy Mother's Day
Yusuke couldn't make a decision. Should he get a flat screen? Or a cellphone? Atsuko had this tendency to be impossible to reach, only to magically appear at the most inconvenient time, covered in booze.
She mentioned once or twice that her old tv broke. The problem was, he couldn't afford both.
He glanced at his wife. Kayko browsed through cookware, to find her own mom the perfect set of new knives.
"What do you think of this one? It has an automatic sharpener."
He shrugged. "If anyone'll like it, Mrs. Yukimura will."
She beamed, nodding to herself. Yusuke sighed. "Should I get Ma a cellphone or a tv?"
"She probably would forget to use the phone half the time. Get the TV."
Yusuke grinned. "You're right, honey." In a wave of absolute stupidity, he grabbed his wife from behind, placing his head on her shoulder. "How I love you so." Which earned him a good elbow in the gut.
Kayko was beet red, but didn't speak. She gave her husband a warm smile. He nursed his abdomen grinning sheepishly in return.
A vase. Certainly. She'll love it. How about three?
Kurama carried his items to the cashier. Total: ¥30000 (about $300). He didn't have that much.
"Yo payin' or what?" Kurama unwillingly glanced from his wallet to the cashier, who filed her mile-long claws. She had to be at least fifty, wearing too much makeup and too little clothing; she spilled over. He tried his hardest to avert his eyes from her cleavage.
"S'cuse me!" Kurama knocked over to the side. He barely had time to glance at the fleeing kid before-
"SHOVE OFF, PRETTY BOY!" He fell to the floor, his vases shattering everywhere.
The large woman running after the kid (who if anyone's interested in knowing, was a bodybuilder fresh from rehab of taking steroids. She was babysitting her nephew.) thundered out the door as the bishounen climbed to his feet, glancing at the cashier.
She filed away at her scarlet nails, indifferent to the kid and the thug. "You break it, you bought it."
This was not his day.
What were these holidays? These festivals? Were these just a single day, week perhaps, to make up for not giving a damn the rest of the year?
Hiei visited Ningenkai intending to check on Yukina. He found the city strewn with flowers and banners on this bright May afternoon.
As he crossed a local park, an odd sight caught his eye. Kuwabara walked beside his sister. Both carried flowers. They both seemed oddly serious compared to the bright festives everywhere else.
Hiei followed them to a cemetery. "Happy Mothers' Day." They called.
Hiei gazed at the scene, pulling from his neck a gem. His mother's tear. He glanced back at Kuwabara. The human stood by as Shizuru knelt before the tombstone. "Hey mom. You wouldn't believe how baby brother's doing. He's accepted into Tokyo U. Can you believe it? At least someone in our family did something right," She got up, letting her brother come forward.
Kuwabara hated visiting his mom's grave. She had died when he was three. He knew she was watching over him and all, but that was really all he knew. He never knew what to say.
Shizuru and Dad talked about her all the time. She used to drive Shizuru everywhere, and pack her lunches, and bring them to the park every Sunday. But then she got stomach cancer, and the family didn't have enough money to pay for treatment.
"Um, hey, Mom." Kuwabara awkwardly held up the flowers. "I heard you like lilies," he placed them on the grave.
Hiei glanced from his gem to the scene. Maybe the fool wasn't that much different from himself.