Tuesday, November 28, Chapter 6

            It was after dinner, and Mimi lay on her bed reading the clippings in her scrapbook. She heard her mother's footsteps on the stairs.

            "Mimi? Are you up there?"

            "Yes, mama." Quickly she shoved the incriminating evidence under her bed so it was hidden by the flounced, pink spread. "I'm"-she grabbed up a paperback book from under her pillow- "I'm reading."

            Mrs. Tachikawa approached the bed, then lifted the paperback to look at the title. "Oh, honey, not another diet."

            Mimi had spotted the book in the window of a bookstore the week before. "I thought I'd take a look at it."

            Unlike her daughter, Mrs. Tachikawa was underweight. 'Lightset' was the term she preferred. She sat down on the bed. Mimi could practically recite her mother's next words.

            "Big bones run in the family." And her next words after that. "The doctor says your perfectly healthy." The doctor had also agreed that she might feel happier if she lost some weight. "Twenty pounds over the norm is nothing to be concerned about. Besides, what is this world-famous norm? It's a number between some poor little anorexic and the circus fat lady."

            "It's my body," Mimi protested.

            "I was miserable at your age, too, and for the same reason. For no reason. I made a good marriage, to your father.

            Her father had died two years before, in a car accident. Last year they moved from America to Odaiba  so Mrs. Tachikawa could live near her family. In a short time, Mimi had lost her father, her community, and all her friends. She knew she sometimes ate more than she should. All the popular girls at school had wonderful figures. Like she had once. She figured she'd try life again when she fit into a size 10.

            "If you're trying a fad diet so boys will notice you, don't bother. There are men who like something to hang on to, not just skin and bones." Her mother paused. "The evidence of that is that I have a lovely family."

            Mimi had 'big bones'. Her younger brother could eat anything without gaining weight.

            "Mom, do you think we can drop the subject now?" Anyway, the problem wasn't just boys. It was everybody. Nobody wanted a newcomer who wasn't perfect.

            Mrs. Tachikawa was on a roll. "Honey, you have beautiful skin and a very nice personality."

            Mimi winced.

            "Don't make that face at me," her mother ordered, sharply. "It just might freeze in that position. Then where will you be?" Her voice softened. "You did say boys danced with you at that cast party in the high school play."

            They had. She had been almost too startled by the attention to enjoy it. She'd had a small part, a comic character role in a serious play. On opening night, the audience response was tepid for everyone else, but she received more applause than the star's 'Mom.'

            That was early November. Things were back to normal, meaning that she had returned to being invisible. To attempting to fill the gap with ice cream. Sometimes she felt as though she'd never be full again.

            "All right, all right," her mother said. "Let me tell you why I came up here. While I was at your aunt Riva's, she mentioned that the church youth group is going caroling. They're raising money for repairs on the old church bus. You have such a nice voice-and you did go to that one meeting…."

            A meeting of people who had all known each other forever.

            "You said they seemed nice." She began to speak more quickly. "I know you said you wouldn't join anything until you lose at least ten pounds, but, well, this wouldn't exactly be joining. You'd be helping out. Besides, everybody will be bundled up against the cold. It should be fun."

            Mimi's voice was great for singing. She had played the role in many plays. Besides, with other people marching around in the dark, she wouldn't have to worry about what to say, how to make an impression.

            "Well?" Mrs. Tachikawa said.

            With a start, Mimi realized she was actually considering going. "I don't know…."

            "They'll be having a practice session on Saturday. Riva said that you know the songs, so she was sure you could join anytime." Her mother picked up the Argus pamphlet from the table. When you play this computer game next Thursday, how about giving me a call from the future?"
            Mimi smiled despite herself. "It's only a simulation."

            "Even in a simulation, I will still be your mother." Mrs. Tachikawa began to rise, then frowned. She leaned down and pulled the scrapbook from under the bed. "Uh-huh." She laid the scrapbook on the bedspread. "You didn't tell these computer people that you wanted to be an actress?"

            Mimi's cheeks heated up. "We were supposed to mention anything we thought of."

            "You want something steady. A hairdresser or a secretary." Mrs. Tachikawa was taking a secretarial course at the community college. "The interviewer asked what I might want to be and what I would hate worse than death." Maybe she'd enjoy being a hairdresser. She would love to be an actress.

            "It's fine to do what you want, but you have to think that a time might come-people might depend on you to clothe and feed them." Her mother stood again and headed toward the door. "in case your interested, I'm baking cupcakes. They'll be ready for tasting in an hour."

            Mimi groaned.