Hanami – Chapter 37
So, I suppose it all started with me being mad at Donatello.
"Mad at me? What did I do?"
The sewing machine? You were there when I told Shima I'd fix it. I've been real worried about her for well over a month now. It seemed like the something I could actually DO to make her happy. I came downstairs after a shower and you'd already pulled it apart and spread it across the kitchen table.
"How was I supposed to know you were mad at me? You didn't say anything! You could have just offered to help."
I know, I did offer to help, but it's really a one-turtle project. You were trying to get me to pass you tools that were already right beside you. I thought about saying something, but Shima was there and she was happy… that was the point after all. So rather than act like a 4-year old -- speaking of which, I DO know that a 'Philip's head' is the one with, "THE CROSS ON THE END."—so rather than say something mean or needlessly harsh, I left the house.
"But why did it have to be mean or needlessly harsh?"
Because when I'm mad, everything is mean and needlessly harsh.
+"That's true enough."+
I knew you hadn't said any of those things to be condescending on purpose; You'd been really nice to me the day before. That's why I just left.
"Makes sense to me."
Thanks Raph. Anyways, Raph caught me talking to myself – heh. I got madder— and directed me to the workout trail where I could blow off some steam… you know how it is, you KNOW you're being dumb, but that doesn't make you any less mad? Well, I thought he understood anyways, but he's like, "You have ONE hour." Then Bamf! he's gone.
"Bamf? Just like Nightcrawler? 'Cause if you could smell sulfur... Dude, that'd be tres cool."
SNORT "The only time Raph leaves a trail smelling like sulfur is after you guys make that horrible chili and man-which pizza with extra onions."
"Shut up Donnie."
"So, um bamf?"
yes. bamf. So now I'm livid. Splinter said we were free to make our own decisions. Raphael knew where to find me. It's not like I said, "Hey, Which way to town?"
+"Ok, we get it…"+
So Yeah, the hour rolls by and I'm getting mellow again, been hitting trees with sticks, feeling foolish for kickin' around all the way out there with ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CONSTRUCTIVE TO DO. When 'Skippy-the-wonder-Nazi,' there, shows up and says, "Go home! NOW!"
"Skippy-the-wonder-Nazi?"
"Uh-OH Leo, sounds like Raphie's cuttin' in on your schtick!"
"Shut-up you guys! So is that what he really said?"
Well, not that exactly, but close enough. We fight. He calls me 'Queen of the Harpies.' I step way too far out of bounds and insult Master Splinter's honor. He hits me.
"You did what?"
"HOW?"
"Why?"
Oh, I asked if Master Splinter had already gone back on his word, you know, that whole 'freedom of movement' thing?
"Master Splinter had nothing to do with your argument! Or with Raphael's insistence that you come back to the house!"
Well, I was mad. And Raph did hit me for it. And I promptly apologized. I promised not to be so disrespectful of my family. He promised not to ever hit one of his sisters ever again. And to respect the promises that our father made to us.
"So then what?"
The only logical thing. He was still pouting cause he'd hit me, so I embarrassed him and challenged him to race me home.
"I wasn't pouting. I just never should've – aaaahh!"
+"Embarrassed him?"+
"How? How? How?"
"Put a lid on it Mikey."
"She beat you at arm-wrestling, didn't she?"
"The loser had to wear the pasties, huh?"
"How'd you guys guess? Gaaah! Shit, s'like livin' with fuckin' tweedle-dildo and tweedle-dumbass. You wanna shut up?"
"Raphael!"
"So THAT'S why you two were tearing around the yard!"
That's right. If I hadn't gone for the 'victory lap,' I'd've won. But yeah, he tackled me… flipped me so that he was hydroplaning on my shell… and got back to the house first.
"So I thought you were right behind me. What happened?"
I felt pretty stupid wandering into a kitchen full of people with a puffy face and mud all over my butt, so I figured I'd give it a few minutes before I slipped around the front and snuck into the shower.
"Makes sense to me."
Thanks, Shima. Around about here is where I broke my promise. I went to the barn just to kill a few minutes… It turned into hours. And I ended up worrying everybody anyways.
"So what were you doing in there?"
I got caught up in a series of projects… I fixed the electrical wiring so that the lights work and rewired it so that I can place additional grounded sockets and lighting into the circuit when I get more hardware… I repaired the engine on the air compressor so that I could refill the plain pressurized air tank on the welding rig… I mended the hoses on the welding rig with some rubber – well I'd rather not say, but I found somebody's 'Stash.' I'm sorry if they're expensive, but they were the only latex 'patches' I could find… I had made 5 out of 6 support joists for the roof of the barn before you three found me, because propping up the walls will only do so much good for so long before you have to replace some of the load-bearing beams in the rafters…
+"They have a welding rig?"+
"Stash?"
"Casey?"
"Casey."
"Dude, in the barn, though?"
"Guess he didn't want you wasting 'em. The balloon animal thing is only funny so many times."
+"Balloon animal…?"+
"Yeah Mikey does this 'trouser snake'—"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
"Michelangelo! Raphael! Ten flips now!"
"Doesn't that strike you as being a bit obsessive? To spend six hours in a barn making repairs?"
yeah. I got carried away.
"… snort ok, carried away, huh?…"
"Hush, Raphael."
I'm very sorry for worrying everyone.
"We were merely concerned with your safety, child. You are safe with us again. You will certainly be allowed to go where you wish on the farm. However you will leave a note on the kitchen table before you do. Is this acceptable?"
Yes. Thank you, Master Splinter. I'm sorry for my thoughtless words and actions. Oh, and Shima, Raph was not a PERFECT gentleman, but he was a passable one. He was really worried about my jaw. Cabbage, I was the one who made him leave it alone.
"Why am I not surprised?"
+"Shhh… and move to the left; I wanna watch this."+
"6 .. thud… thud…7.."
"Raphael, Sterling, since you seem to enjoy running so much, you will both be ready to begin at dawn. Raphael you will travel 25 times around the workout trail. Sterling you will travel at least 10 times. We will burn off you excess energies before we return to the city tomorrow night."
"Hai, Sensei."
nod