Chapter Three: The Truth Revealed
"Well, did you have to twist the story so much?"
"Because, if I didn't they would have known it was me."
"But it was you, Ta-kun."
Haruko leaned against the man, pressing into him. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her amber eyes.
"The chitlens sure have gotten big. They are a lot like you, calm and steady."
Naota sighed and rested his head against Haruko's. "But they have your wicked sense of humor. And look more like you than me."
"I wish I could've seen them grow up."
Naota felt his heart constrict. "Why did you leave? Why did you leave me and your children? OUR children?"
Haruko sighed and looked towards the hill, where the Medical Meccanica plant one stood. "Atomsk."
Naota wanted to cry. Not him again. "I thought you were done with him."
Haruko nuzzled her face into the crook of Naota's neck. "He destroyed my home planet, I had to go."
"You could have at least said goodbye, or left some sign."
"No, it was against my orders. As a Space Patrol Officer. My boss told me to leave immediately, no goodbyes or anything."
"I thought you lied about that. That you were after Atomsk for your own reasons."
"I was, but I was still a part of the Patrol."
Both of them froze as a voice rang up from the stairs.
"Dad, common, everyone's waiting for you."
"Coming, Haruma." He called over his shoulder.
"Time for dinner?" Said Haruko happily.
"Yea, I'll be ba-"
"DINNER TIME!" Haruko started for the door, but Naota caught her by the collar and yanked her back into his arms.
"Stay here, don't move, I'll bring you some food." He smiled at her, then kissed her lightly on the lips.
"Let me guess, my own children and grandchildren don't know about me." Said Haruko when they parted.
Naota paused at the door. "Well, Kaoru, Haruma and Sumatsu know a little about you, and your grandchildren know the legend of the Vespa Woman." He winked playfully and continued down the stairs, leaving Haruko on the porch.
Haruma was walking on her way to the dining area when she saw it. A picture in a frame, of her father, and a peached-haired woman. She had beautiful amber eyes. She had a goofy expression, and her father, he was so. happy. She had never seen her father smile like that. And what was even stranger, she felt like she had seen that woman before. Known her, even.
"Hey Sumatsu, Kaoru, have you guys ever seen this picture?" She picked up the frame and held it out to her siblings.
Sumatsu scratched his head. "No, I've never seen it before."
Kaoru gasped. "Maybe he's finally dating!" she said hopefully.
"Naw," said Sumatsu and Haruma.
"He's younger in that picture." Commented Haruma.
"And dad would never see any other woman. He still has false hope that mom will come back." Said Sumatsu off-handedly.
Kaoru frowned. "Well, at least you guys can remember mom. I cant."
"But that's the strange thing, I feel like I know her, like I've seen her face." Sumatsu nodded at his elder sister.
"Well, we'll ask him about him later." And so, the three siblings walked into the kitchen, followed shortly by Naota.
Dinner was great, followed by lots of joking around and horseplay.
Finally, Naota felt it was time.
Quickly he guttered his courage. "Sumatsu, Haruma, Kaoru, may I have a word with you?"
All three children glanced nervously at each other. Silently they lifted themselves from the chairs that they were settled in and followed their father into the den. Inside, pictures of Naota's father, mother, friends, the peach-haired lady, and a few magazine pictures, including one that was framed. The shadow of a boy's back, a guitar in his hand. The caption read 'Fooly Cooly.'
Naota motioned toward the couch, in which the three adults sat.
"It is time you three knew the truth." Naota began.
"Its time you knew the truth. about your mother."
Sumatsu sat up abruptly, violently knocking his sister's elbow. "You knew about her this whole time? And not once you tried to tell us?!"
Naota waved his hands defensively. "Whoa, I just thought you weren't ready. So if you would calm down now." He glared at his son.
"Your mother was not like us. She was out of this world. Wild, free, just a crazy person. She was so carefree. Its hard to describe her." Carefully he picked up the nearest picture of the peach-haired lady.
"This. is your mother." He handed the picture off to Kaoru, who looked at it fondly.
"And this." He picked up the guitar and set it on his lap, "Was her guitar. That's why I am so fond of it."
All three kids where silent.
"And another thing. You guys aren't going to believe it, but its true. The legend of The Vespa Woman, Haruhara Haruko, aka Raharu and Ta-kun."
All three kids looked at him expectantly, holding their breath. Naota's own heart felt like it would jump out of his chest.
"I am Ta-kun. And that woman, is Haruhara Haruko."
"No way!"
"Yea right!"
"Nice try!"
"I'm not kidding. That is Raharu."
Kaoru was laughing hard. Sumatsu was scratching his head, and Haruma had a very confused look.
"So, what your trying to say is, that she is an alien and that we are half alien, half human?" Kaoru finally said.
"Yes."
"No." all three said in unison.
"Yes."
Everyone looked at the door as it creaked open. A woman, looking about thirty years old, walked through the door. She had brilliant yellow eyes and peachy hair, matching both the woman in the photo and all three kids, with THEIR peachy hair and amber eyes. A guitar was swung over her shoulder, a medal bracelet with a single chain link on it over her gloves. She wore a bright red vest and a pair of worn jeans.
Carefully she walked over to Naota and draped her arms around him. "I am Haruhara Haruko. My real name is Raharu. In some places, such as here in Mabase, I am known as the Vespa Woman. I love a man named Naota, but I call him Ta-kun. And I also have three children-" Her eyes traveled over the faces of all three of them. "-but I haven't seen them since they were very young. For reasons that I should have never left."
All three adults were left with mouths hanging open. But something sparked in Haruma's mind. Faded memories of this woman, playing with her as a baby. As the oldest child, she was the first to recognize her mom.
Slowly she got up and made her way to the woman. She looked into her eyes, her own misting over.
"Its really you." She murmured. Suddenly, she threw her arms around the woman, crying "Mommy, mommy its you." Finally the other two came over, crying just as hard.
And for the first time in all the time that (Ok, that part just made no sense, lol) Naota had known Haruko, he saw the first tear fall. She had never been much of a mom, always holding the kids upside down and putting diapers on their heads instead of their butts, but she loved them something fierce.
"Well, did you have to twist the story so much?"
"Because, if I didn't they would have known it was me."
"But it was you, Ta-kun."
Haruko leaned against the man, pressing into him. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her amber eyes.
"The chitlens sure have gotten big. They are a lot like you, calm and steady."
Naota sighed and rested his head against Haruko's. "But they have your wicked sense of humor. And look more like you than me."
"I wish I could've seen them grow up."
Naota felt his heart constrict. "Why did you leave? Why did you leave me and your children? OUR children?"
Haruko sighed and looked towards the hill, where the Medical Meccanica plant one stood. "Atomsk."
Naota wanted to cry. Not him again. "I thought you were done with him."
Haruko nuzzled her face into the crook of Naota's neck. "He destroyed my home planet, I had to go."
"You could have at least said goodbye, or left some sign."
"No, it was against my orders. As a Space Patrol Officer. My boss told me to leave immediately, no goodbyes or anything."
"I thought you lied about that. That you were after Atomsk for your own reasons."
"I was, but I was still a part of the Patrol."
Both of them froze as a voice rang up from the stairs.
"Dad, common, everyone's waiting for you."
"Coming, Haruma." He called over his shoulder.
"Time for dinner?" Said Haruko happily.
"Yea, I'll be ba-"
"DINNER TIME!" Haruko started for the door, but Naota caught her by the collar and yanked her back into his arms.
"Stay here, don't move, I'll bring you some food." He smiled at her, then kissed her lightly on the lips.
"Let me guess, my own children and grandchildren don't know about me." Said Haruko when they parted.
Naota paused at the door. "Well, Kaoru, Haruma and Sumatsu know a little about you, and your grandchildren know the legend of the Vespa Woman." He winked playfully and continued down the stairs, leaving Haruko on the porch.
Haruma was walking on her way to the dining area when she saw it. A picture in a frame, of her father, and a peached-haired woman. She had beautiful amber eyes. She had a goofy expression, and her father, he was so. happy. She had never seen her father smile like that. And what was even stranger, she felt like she had seen that woman before. Known her, even.
"Hey Sumatsu, Kaoru, have you guys ever seen this picture?" She picked up the frame and held it out to her siblings.
Sumatsu scratched his head. "No, I've never seen it before."
Kaoru gasped. "Maybe he's finally dating!" she said hopefully.
"Naw," said Sumatsu and Haruma.
"He's younger in that picture." Commented Haruma.
"And dad would never see any other woman. He still has false hope that mom will come back." Said Sumatsu off-handedly.
Kaoru frowned. "Well, at least you guys can remember mom. I cant."
"But that's the strange thing, I feel like I know her, like I've seen her face." Sumatsu nodded at his elder sister.
"Well, we'll ask him about him later." And so, the three siblings walked into the kitchen, followed shortly by Naota.
Dinner was great, followed by lots of joking around and horseplay.
Finally, Naota felt it was time.
Quickly he guttered his courage. "Sumatsu, Haruma, Kaoru, may I have a word with you?"
All three children glanced nervously at each other. Silently they lifted themselves from the chairs that they were settled in and followed their father into the den. Inside, pictures of Naota's father, mother, friends, the peach-haired lady, and a few magazine pictures, including one that was framed. The shadow of a boy's back, a guitar in his hand. The caption read 'Fooly Cooly.'
Naota motioned toward the couch, in which the three adults sat.
"It is time you three knew the truth." Naota began.
"Its time you knew the truth. about your mother."
Sumatsu sat up abruptly, violently knocking his sister's elbow. "You knew about her this whole time? And not once you tried to tell us?!"
Naota waved his hands defensively. "Whoa, I just thought you weren't ready. So if you would calm down now." He glared at his son.
"Your mother was not like us. She was out of this world. Wild, free, just a crazy person. She was so carefree. Its hard to describe her." Carefully he picked up the nearest picture of the peach-haired lady.
"This. is your mother." He handed the picture off to Kaoru, who looked at it fondly.
"And this." He picked up the guitar and set it on his lap, "Was her guitar. That's why I am so fond of it."
All three kids where silent.
"And another thing. You guys aren't going to believe it, but its true. The legend of The Vespa Woman, Haruhara Haruko, aka Raharu and Ta-kun."
All three kids looked at him expectantly, holding their breath. Naota's own heart felt like it would jump out of his chest.
"I am Ta-kun. And that woman, is Haruhara Haruko."
"No way!"
"Yea right!"
"Nice try!"
"I'm not kidding. That is Raharu."
Kaoru was laughing hard. Sumatsu was scratching his head, and Haruma had a very confused look.
"So, what your trying to say is, that she is an alien and that we are half alien, half human?" Kaoru finally said.
"Yes."
"No." all three said in unison.
"Yes."
Everyone looked at the door as it creaked open. A woman, looking about thirty years old, walked through the door. She had brilliant yellow eyes and peachy hair, matching both the woman in the photo and all three kids, with THEIR peachy hair and amber eyes. A guitar was swung over her shoulder, a medal bracelet with a single chain link on it over her gloves. She wore a bright red vest and a pair of worn jeans.
Carefully she walked over to Naota and draped her arms around him. "I am Haruhara Haruko. My real name is Raharu. In some places, such as here in Mabase, I am known as the Vespa Woman. I love a man named Naota, but I call him Ta-kun. And I also have three children-" Her eyes traveled over the faces of all three of them. "-but I haven't seen them since they were very young. For reasons that I should have never left."
All three adults were left with mouths hanging open. But something sparked in Haruma's mind. Faded memories of this woman, playing with her as a baby. As the oldest child, she was the first to recognize her mom.
Slowly she got up and made her way to the woman. She looked into her eyes, her own misting over.
"Its really you." She murmured. Suddenly, she threw her arms around the woman, crying "Mommy, mommy its you." Finally the other two came over, crying just as hard.
And for the first time in all the time that (Ok, that part just made no sense, lol) Naota had known Haruko, he saw the first tear fall. She had never been much of a mom, always holding the kids upside down and putting diapers on their heads instead of their butts, but she loved them something fierce.