Antarctica
The phone was ringing in the middle of the nigt.
As is has always been, he showed no respect for the daily, or rather nightly, life of other people.
Emiko yawned and got up. She glanced at the clock. 2.45 a.m. She hurried to the phone, concerned that the ringing would wake the children.
„Yes?"
She knew exactly who was at the end of the line. There was no reason to be polite.
„Emiko..it´s me.."
Just as every other time he called from the other end of the world, the line was really bad.
„Do you know what time it is in Japan right know?"
Why did she get so upset over this everytime he called? She already knew what his answer would be.
„Oh..I´m sorry..I forget the time difference...again.."
Emiko refrained from any further comment. It would be pointless.
Being a succesful scientist or not, everything outside the scope of his work was so trivial to him, he simply ignored it.
„Has your summer vacation been accepted?" she asked instead.
„That´s why I´m calling. All the projects are running so well lately that no one from the lab can take a holiday. Not even the staff members with children."
His words enraged Emiko. Hadn´t they already discussed this matter over and over again?
„Akira..it was you who wanted shared custody!"
„It´s been four month since I told you that I have to go to the health resort for three weeks and that I can´t take Misato along."
„They only accept children under 8 years. My sister can´t take care of Misato either. She has enough problems with her high-maintenance husband and can´t take a child in, who has to spend its summer holidays all alone.
Emiko had raised her voice in anger but tried to speak as quitly a possible. Her heart told her to yell at him, but then the children would wake up for sure.
„I understand.." Akira didn´t take notice of her anger, as he never did during their married years.
„But there is an alternativ solution! Because no one from the lab can take holiday, the department will organize a visting programm for all the underage children between 10 and 14 years. Misato can come along too! There will be also be professional caretakers for the children..."
Emiko couldn´t hold back any more.
„A visting program for a research lab at antarctica? Are you nuts? You scientists nerds really live in an ivory-tower, don´t you?
Akira continued to speak, ignoring her words.
„The organization is perfect. The children will arrive in Sydney and from there they will be brought to antarctica in a cargoplane. They also will get any equipment and clothing they need for their stay.
There will be a special area for them at the base, but they won´t have access to the labs of course."
The base is pretty big, around 150 persons can live and work there. Right now only 100 persons are here so there´s plenty of free spcae. Furthermore the staff members whose children will visited are also guaranted less working hours during this time."
„So it´s 12 hours working instead of 15 hours a day?" Emiko asked acid-tongued.
„Emiko..I´m afraid there is no other way. I have to stay here for the next months. Think of misato.. what an opportunity this will be for her! How many people have the chance to visited Antarctica once in their life? Misato will be excited about all the snow. There will be an excursion to a pinguin colony and aside from that, Misato will meet children from all over the world. Emiko...I beg you... just think this over again..."
„Alright..." Emiko answered, still surprised that her ex-husband had thought this through so thoroughly. He wasn´t that kind of person who would think about the situation of others, even less the situation of his own children.
„I will give this some thought..."
„I call you again next week."
„Bye" Emiko said. Then it was silent in the little appartment.
At the other end of the world Akira Katsuragi hung up the phone. Everything went alright.
He simply told Emiko the same words that his american co-researcher Leonard Hofstadter told his wife in Massachusetts.
Akira wasn´t sure if this wold be so much fun for Misato. He also wasn't sure if he would reduce his working hours during her stay. More likely he would have to work more and more over the next months. All projects were ahead of schedule. Soon they would know the secret behind the giant.
Two months later
„Passengers of Flight Oceanic Air 815 to Sydney please proceed to Gate 38"
Everyone at Narita airport was busy this morning. Business people and travellers bustled through the hallways or rested at the waiting areas. There were people from eyery nation and every age.
Children who travelled by themselfes were rather rare.
Emiko felt queasy. Misato was mature for her age. Also, they had discussed this journey over and over again. The documents for the visiting program had been detailed to such an extend that she did no longer worry about the organization of the journey and the caretaking of the cildren.
Everything was planed perferctly. A stewardess would accompany Misato to the Gate and would look after her during the flight. Right after the arrival in Sydney, a mentor of the visting programm would pick Misato up.
The mentor was a young japanese and had already called Emiko and Misato several times. He seemed to be a very nice person.
But now it was time for Misato to leave with the stewardess and suddenly all of Emikos fears were back. Misato seemed to feel the same way too.
„Do I really have to go there?" her daughter asked
Emiko gulped. Somehow this wasn´t right..
„Misato...we already discussed this, didn´t we? Your dad is looking forward to see you. And you will have much fun there. Just imagine all the penguins and ice bears!"
„Ice bears lives at the north pole, mum." Misato corrected her frustrated.
„Last call for Oceanic Air 815 to Sydney.."
„Alright...say hello to your dad from me."
Emiko embraced her daughter one last time. She tried to smile, but failed as she was watching Misato going through the security checkpoint, she recognized that there was no way back anymore. Emiko burst out in tears. She knew, it was ridiculous. She knew, there was no reason to worry. But deep inside her heart she suddenly knew that she wouldn´t see her daughter again.
Owari
Greetings from Germany! I watched Evangelion again this year and started to wonder...what was Misato doing in Antarctica anyway? I wrote this story a few weeks ago and this morning I tried to translate it. It was much fun, but my boyfriend had to correct most of it:-)