Title: Ryoma and Akaya
Summary: Yukimura and Sanada's little Akaya tells about the happenings in his school involving a bad boy named Ryoma
Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis or Shirley Jackson's CHARLES. But I do own its Prince of Tennis version.
This is the Rikkai household. Genichirou and I are responsible for taking care of our sons and daughter, namely, Renji-nii, Bun bun-nee, Niou-nii, and last but not the least, Jackal-chan, our dark and skinny horse who has no hair left because of…some reasons. However, the mentioned names will not take part in this story for they are just used to make this paragraph longer.*smiles*
The day when my son Akaya started Kindergarten, he renounced corduroy overalls with bibs and began wearing blue jeans with a belt. I watched him go off the first morning with the older girl next door named Fuji, seeing clearly that a period of my life has ended. My sweet-voiced nursery-school tot was replaced by a long-trousered, swaggering character who forgot to stop at the corner and wave good-bye to me.
He came home the same way. The front door slamming open, his cap on the floor, and the voice suddenly became raucous, he shouted, "Isn't anybody here?"
During lunch time, he spoke disrespectfully to Genichirou, his father, earning himself a bitch-slap.
"Did you learn anything in school today?" Genichirou tried to ask and hoped for a proper and respectful answer.
Akaya regarded his father coldly. "I didn't learn nothing," he said.
This made Genichirou boil in anger. Fortunately, I made him stop. If he dares to resist, he will surely face my wrath.
"Did you make friends with anybody?" I asked as gentle as possible.
"Hmm…There's this guy who looks like a monkey. I think his name is Horio…or something like that," Akaya continued on.
"Aside from Fuji-nee, I saw only two girls there. The short-haired one is named Gakuto and the other one who is always sleeping is called Jiro."
"Is your teacher all right with you?" Genichirou asked.
"Yeah. She's okay. Except the fact that she calls us her masterpieces as if she made us." This made Akaya roll his eyes and it also made me laugh inwardly.
"Are your classmate okay to be with?" I asked again.
"Yeah. They're all right. Except for one though." Akaya replied and looked up the ceiling as if remembering what happened earlier today.
"Really? Who was it?" Genichirou suddenly intruded my conversation with Akaya.
"It's a cocky and arrogant boy named Ryoma. And the teacher spanked him for being fresh." Akaya replied with his mouth full.
"What did he do?" I intended to ask again but received no reply for Akaya had walked out of the dining room and went to his bedroom.
The next day, Akaya remarked at lunch as soon as he sat down, "Well, Ryoma was bad again today." He grinned enormously and said, "Today Ryoma hit the teacher."
"Oh really? I suppose he got spanked again!" I said. What a good child. I should do that to Genichirou more often whenever he disobeys me or talk back at me. I thought.
"And why did he hit the teacher?" I inquired.
"Because she tried to make him color the can green and draw stars around it," Akaya replied. "Ryoma wanted to color the can white, write the word 'PONTA' on it and draw grapes around that word. She spanked him and told everybody that nobody play with Ryoma but everyone did, especially the ever burger-hungry Momo, who everybody calls Peachy."
The third day—it was Wednesday. Ryoma bounced a see-saw on the head of Jiro. This made her bleed and the teacher made him stay inside all during recess. Thursday, Ryoma had to stand in a corner during story-time because he kept on pounding his feet on the floor. On Friday, Ryoma was deprived of blackboard privileges because he threw chalk to the teacher, which was shoot exactly in her mouth.
Saturday, I remarked to Genichirou, "Do you think that Kindergarten is too unsettling for Akaya-chan? All these toughness and bad grammar, and this Ryoma boy sounds like such a bad influence. I'm really worried."
"It'll be all right," Genichirou said reassuringly. "I know Akaya won't imitate someone like Ryoma. Because Akaya is a good child."
On Monday, Akaya came home late. "Ryoma," he shouted as he entered our surprisingly spacious front yard. "Ryoma," Akaya yelled as he entered our front door. "Ryoma was bad again."
"Come right in," I said as soon as he approached our translucent dining room door. "Lunch is waiting."
"You know what Ryoma did?" he asked rhetorically. "Ryoma yelled so loud in school that they sent a boy in from first grade to tell the teacher. She had to make Ryoma keep quiet, and so Ryoma had to stay after school. And so all the children stayed to watch him."
"What does this Ryoma look like?" Genichirou asked Akaya."What's his other name?"
"He's a lot smaller than me," Akaya said. "He's skinny, he has cat-like, golden eyes, he always wears a white cap with the letter 'R' on it and that white shirt with red sleeves and matching black shorts. That's what he always wears."
Monday night was the first parent-teachers meeting, and only the fact that I had to visit my ancient mother kept me from going. I wanted passionately to meet Ryoma's mother.
On Tuesday, Akaya remarked suddenly, "Hanamura-sensei had a friend come to see her in school today."
"Ryoma's mother?" Genichirou and I asked simultaneously.
"Naaahh," Akaya said scornfully. "He's Sakaki-sensei. He came and made us do exercises, and claims he's just a music teacher." Genichirou and I sweatdropped.
"Okaa-san," Akaya turned to look at me and asked, "Do music teachers really teach their students exercises and not music?" Genichirou and I sweatdropped again.
"Uhmm…Akaya, I think Sakaki-sensei has a reason for teaching you exercises and not music." I replied sheepishly.
Akaya continued his story. "Ryoma didn't even do exercises."
"And why?" Genichirou asked.
"Ryoma was so fresh to Sakaki-sensei he wasn't allowed to do exercises."
"Fresh again," I said as I roll my eyes.
"He kicked Sakaki-sensei's knees," Akaya said. "Sakaki-sensei's friend told Ryoma to touch his toes and Ryoma kicked him."
"What are they going to do about Ryoma, do you suppose?" Genichirou asked him.
Akaya shrugged elaborately, "Throw him out of school, I guess," he replied.
Wednesday and Thursday were routine. Ryoma yelled during story hour and shaved Atobe-kun's head. I believe they call him Monkey King for Horio follows him everywhere and also that giant-looking student who looks like the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk.
On Friday, Ryoma stayed after school again and so did all the other children. During the third and fourth weeks, it looked like a reformation in Ryoma. Akaya reported grimly at lunch one Thursday noon, "Ryoma was so good today the teacher gave him a can of Ponta."
"What?" I said, and Genichirou added warily, "You mean Ryoma?"
"Ryoma," Akaya said. "He gave the crayons around and picked up the books afterward. Hanamura-sensei said he was her ultimate masterpiece."
For over a week, Ryoma has been the teacher's helper.
That evening, I told Genichirou, "The PTA meeting's next week again. I'm going to find Ryoma's mother there."
"Ask her what happened to Ryoma," Genichirou said. "I'd like to know."
"I'd like to know myself," I replied back.
On Friday of that week things were back to normal. "Do you know what Ryoma did today?" Akaya demanded at the lunch table, his voice slightly awed. "He told the Gakuto to say a word and she said it. Hanamura-sensei washed her mouth with soap and stated that her masterpieces don't initiate foul actions such as saying inappropriate words. And with that, Ryoma threw his hands up in the air and laughed like a lunatic."
"What word?" Genichirou asked unwisely, I glared at him but it fell on blind eyes. Just then, Akaya got down from his chair and whispered the evil word to his stupid father.
At the meeting, I sat restlessly, scanning each comfortable matronly face, trying to determine who is Ryoma's mother. No one mentioned Ryoma.
After the meeting, I identified Hanamura-sensei and went up to her.
"I've been so anxious to meet you," I said. "I'm Akaya's mother."
"We're all so interested in Akaya" she replied.
"Well, he certainly likes Kindergarten."
"We had a little trouble adjusting, the first week or so," she said primly, "but now he's a fine little helper. With occasional lapses from Sakaki-sensei of course."
"Akaya usually adjusts very quickly," I said. "I suppose this time, it's Ryoma's influence."
"Ryoma?"
"Yes," I replied, chuckling, "you must have your hands full in that Kindergarten with Ryoma."
"Ryoma?" she said. "We don't have any Ryoma in the Kindergarten!"
The End..