Disclaimer : Nope. Not mine.... fortunately... um, somehow...?
Title : The Sakuragi Cousins
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CHAPTER 7 : Eternal Bond
[Flashback still...]
April 1-- Approx. 2:30 A.M. A hospital in Naha, Okinawa.
"Oh, my God!" Remedios flung herself to her one and only son. Hanamichi just stared at her with questioning eyes that were half- lethargic.
The doctor shifted his gaze to Hannah. "Probably brain trauma. It's only temporary. We could subject him to therapy as--"
"No! There is no need for that," Hannah said a bit too sternly.
"But--"
"I said no! Thank you very much Kaita-sensei."
Defeated and startled, the young doctor prepared his leave with a final gesture at the young impudent teenager. "Hai. If something happens, please inform me at once."
"Yes, doctor. I can assure you of that," she replied, not bothering to look at the doctor beside her as she focused intently at the sobbing figure of her mother and her bewildered brother.
"I shall leave now." And so he did. But not without bearing any suspicions regarding the family that he had just encountered.
Weird bunch, he thought while threading the way to the newly born babies, first the infant, then this child.
He could not anymore question the strange predilections of the family with regards to the children. Though he dared once in a while, he would always be cut off with a definitive severity which would make him shut up abruptly. Besides he did not wish to rankle any of the family members. The Sakuragis were not the right people to mess with. They have that arresting characteristics which help them standout in a crowd; a gravity that is both fascinating and repelling.
Kaita-sensei dismissed the troubling thought as he turned right and disappeared from the hall.
***
/"It's only temporary..."/
The doctor's warning rang in her head like an ugly phone call dispatch at 6 a.m. in the morning when you just had your Saturday night hangover leaving you with a despicable headache. In the same manner it was ugly. Hannah fisted her hands vehemently, unmindful of the bandages surrounding that portion.
It's better that way. Best if it last forever.
Hannah bit off tears as she watched the lamentable state of her mother, holding her brother like it was her very life threatened. Remedios had been crying incessantly. This has got to be the worst night of the Sakuragi family. Both induced by two of Nature's best and contradicting processes: Life and Death; five hundred deaths in exchange for one born and another celebrant. Ironic how both of these had made such a disastrous impact on the life of the family. Like one soul equates five hundred of those unknown; all the same and unwanted.
The child was born about 15 minutes after Hanamichi had been admitted in the hospital. It has been half an hour now and her Aunt Mercedes was still in her misery. Hannah could still hear her furious cries, faint and ghostly, along the corridors.
Hannah slumped herself on the seat opposite the hospital bed where Hanamichi, in his dazed state, looked at Remedios with confusion. Remedios composed herself gradually, asking and feeling for her son's health. At this point, Remedios and Mercedes were all different. They were sisters alright, intent on the welfare of the family. But Remedios had loved Hanamichi from the moment she had conceived of him and she had never stopped loving him up until now. Mercedes, on the other hand, shoved the child away in a fury of contempt as soon as she had seen the total failure of her child. What was once the object of pride crumbled down to an obloquy; for the arrogant Mercedes had not taken precaution and had not thought that Nature could do her menace twice during her whimsical times. And now she was hapless, resolving to blatant cursing and damning the innocent infant. How that despicable mother wished her own child's death rang through the corridor, and then, saying that she did not wished to be like Remedios. Hannah thought it to be disgustingly pathetic. She had not remembered her own mother to be that inhuman to her brother; and how assuming of her to indirectly think that she could be like her mother! The nerve of that bitch! She could curse the French guy she had married for all Hannah cared but she shouldn't be involving her mother. She was never involve on their procreation so she should vent it on her French husband. Or was he Austrian? All Hannah knew was he came from somewhere in Europe. They have lots of those; foreign relations, she meant.
Hannah shook her head. She was attempting a diversion. A diversion was good at the moment, something to keep her sane. She glanced at the bed. Hanamichi was now softly sleeping; her mother gently caressing his forehead. She could not stand to hold her brother's gaze, afraid to find the faint traces of pain shattering his innocence. But also afraid of that blank expression on her brother, the traumatic outcome of shock and pain. A diversion, as she sat exhausted with Hanamichi slumbering in front of her, would be absolutely welcomed. There are lots of topics to choose from; she could think of anything, like her aunts' mishaps, perhaps.
Now what was it about foreign relations? The name Altagracia[1] came to her, the oldest of her aunts. They say she was quite a beauty, with intellect to boot. Hannah never meet her actually. Her mother was barely eight months in conception when she left. Altagracia married a Caucasian, a foreigner, a gaijin. Whatever you call them. Whose nationality Hannah had not bothered to remember. She was relatively young then, about 17 or 18. They didn't have a child. The fist pregnancy resulted to the child having hemolytic disease which later on killed the said child. The second one, due to a situation or another, resulted to traumatic abortion. It was the first time a disorder of such accumulated in the family. Afterall the interbreeding for nearly a century, then suddenly it occurred unknowingly, one would have guessed the stir it cost. Indeed it's the start of a bad omen.
Altagracia was said to had been advised, or -as Hannah had most accurately presumed- ordered to divorce the foreign husband. But for some reason or another, she refused the divorce, declined her inheritance, and withdrew from the clan. Hannah bet her life for it that there wasn't a peaceful goodbye for her.
Years passed by and the proud clan amazingly shrugged the whole incident off as if Altagracia never existed. They did not take any precautions of such, living haughtily and traditionally like they should; until, of course, when Hanamichi came. The Sakuragi clan, behind the shattering mask of existence, was undoubtedly stirred.
"Hannah." It was her mother, speaking calmly with evident concern. Remedios may have noticed her spacing out.
The door was softly opened and a girl with flowing blond hair which was up to her waist entered. She had concern sad blue eyes and was about Hannah's age. Her dress was a long light yellow one that was buttoned all the way up. She looked like a foreign princess.
"Aunt Remedios, I'm sorry to disturb you but... anou, Grandma has called upon you. They're waiting at the lobby."
Remedios stood up, regarding the young beautiful blonde warmly. "Yes, thank you." She glanced back at her reposed son and with a heavy heart, left the room, leaving the young ones idly.
Hannah positioned herself on a chair near her brother's bed, smiling cordially for a while at the yellow-lock girl by the door. The girl then approached the bed, looking silently at Hanamichi.
"You look pale," Hannah commented.
"You look distraught," she said without a pause.
"It's one of those highly exhausting nights brought about by stupendously exaggerated relatives who do nothing but make themselves and other people miserable because of their oh, so antiquated and unbelievable custom."
"Tradition."
"Whatever. Same fucking thing." Both of them sighed drearily. Silence impregnated the atmosphere.
"So you think it's a farce too?"
"A farce? Now that even sounded like an understatement! This is all-- "
"Bullshit."
Hannah was stunned as she heard what the other uttered.
"What?"
"I can't believe you just said that. That's the first foul word I've heard from you."
The girl chuckled. "There's a first for everything. Besides this absurdity's cracking me up. Perhaps liberating me in a way."
"Can't blame you," Hannah shrugged. "By the way, how's she?"
"Miserable. I tried understanding her but I'm running out of patience. She's still ranting and whining and cursing my brother to hell."
"Cursing your French dad there too?"
"Sometimes. And my dad's Italian."
"Same continent."
They both turned to stare at the sleeping form of Hanamichi.
"I wish they would all just stop this nonsense, Hannah. My brother does not deserve this kind of treatment, especially from our own mother. It would be just awful for a child to realize that his own mother could wish him dead. If only my mother could be just like Aunt Remedios."
"Let's just think ourselves lucky that our family weren't trained to be traditionally rigid or else they may have killed the child by now."
"Dear God, don't let that happen!"
"Don't worry, Francesca, it won't," she smiled assuredly. Francesca returned the smile, calm yet sad.
"Don't you think we should hear what they are talking about?"
Hannah stood up, all the while removing a stray lock of red from her brother's forehead. "Aa. I was just thinking of that. I'll tell a nurse to watch my brother for a while."
***
The child woke up in his white sheets and entourage, scarcely lit by the lingering night sky outside the window. Noticing his solitude, Hanamichi slid down the cool mattress and groped through the grayish compound of the room. The hallway was serene and enticing. Fright was lingering in him but his feet pursued their own volition, insisting for a walk on the half gloomy path. He had been entranced by an impressive sound that seemed to have marked itself some moment ago; only a memory of a cry retained in him from someone he did not know. He had ventured a number of turns, had passed by a couple of persons, and had gone down some flight of stairs with a mission to search for the possessor of that shrill cry.
At last his feet carried him to some quiet spot, a long passage with ample light to support the blurry eyed. He had almost bumped himself to a nurse as they go about the night shift nonchalantly. It was really queer for them to not notice the child at wonder. Sooner or later the sporadic outpour of nurses and patients faded in a lone spot, from where he ventured leisurely and aimlessly.
A door had opened in his front and out came a dull looking nurse whose main assessment in life must have been to be incredibly ignorant and to disregard things which involve something that will stir the curiosity or sympathy. She did not notice the child by her side as she was busy scribbling on her pad; or if she did notice him, there's a huge probability she chose not to. Off she went to the pseudo lit passages, leaving a door very much available for little Hanamichi.
A force such as a magnet compelled him to move towards the enclosed chamber looming before him. A glass window was on the wall beside the door and a light green curtain could be seen draping from within. He pushed the door open.
Several baby cribs were inside, arranged in rows. The chill air held a queer fragrance, yet it was nearly the same scent that was lingering throughout the area, only it was a bit distinct inside the room.
Somewhere on one of the far corners of the room was a prominent cradle. Hanamichi drew himself near it, climbed up to a chair and to a table beside it. He peeked from above and realized that he was looking at an infant. A beautiful infant with ivory-yellow hair, soft and rosy skin, and an adorably dainty, doll-like figure. He stared at the infant for a long time, contemplating childishly. A tag was hanging on the infant's right wrist. Hanamichi caught a glimpse of it, and for the first time, read it aloud.
"A-an... tohne.. teh.."
Brown eyes met blue and an everlasting bond of love was signed. A bond that would sooner or later avert to an illusive yet docile deterioration of character on either, or both, of them.
[End flashback]
****
The silence was becoming very uncomfortable. Remedios did not know what to say and an unbearable weight seemed to force itself into her chest. Like water from the rim of an overflowing pitcher, tears descended. Her voice came out in choked sobs.
"H-hana... please..." She clamped her mouth, barely trapping the sounds that came out of it.
It was more than Hanamichi could bear. If there's anything he couldn't stand, it's making someone he love suffer. Abruptly his indignation burned out, mortified of his previous attitude. He shifted from his seat to her side and embraced her.
"Gomen nasai... I didn't mean to. Please stop crying," he practically begged in an innocent childlike manner. His encompassing regret was tearfully sincere; and truly he was near to tears. "I'm really sorry. It's just that-- Please stop crying, Remedios!" Then he cried.
It has been long since he cried this way, for this same reason and situation. As of the moment he didn't have much of a clear vision as to what they were crying about; all he knew was that there was something really sad about everything. The question is: what about everything? None of them, not even his mother, made clear of what really is wrong with him. He barely knew half of the story.
"It's ok. I'm alright now," Remedios tried to compose herself. "I just want you to understand. None of us wanted it to happen. I don't want you to blame yourself. I'm sorry if we have to drag you down from your peaceful life; but your Grandma decided to summon you, along with your other cousins."
At this Hanamichi frowned. He looked at his mother but saw nothing that would indicate insincerity. The brash redhead boy of Kanagawa was once again reduced to silence. What was he to say? How would he react? What was he to do? Any moment now, he could turn into some lifeless shell, all hollow inside because of the way his mind felt so light and blank. Worse is his body was unresponsive. This scared the shit out of his conscious normalcy.
"Aa," was his automatic reply. Fuck conscious normalcy! It has been driven out unwittingly to preconscious from the moment he had set foot on this house. Even though he never really had thought of his answer, he knew better than to argue against the only acceptable thing to say, which was nothing more than to conform to his grandmother's wishes. So it's true. The great tensai, known to be the non-conforming, unruly, and juvenile delinquent redhead of Shohoku basketball team, Sakuragi Hanamichi, had considered to be in absolute subservience. But then he did this out of old reflex; it's not like he had wholly thought of it.
"Hanamichi, dear... You never really like this, I know. You have every reason to hate your Grandma for this; but, please, try to be calm and- -"
Hanamichi shushed her instantly. "Shut up. We never really talked about this seriously, Reme. We're not about to start this subject 'cause I'll blow my head off for sure." He leaned a little to his mother for support. "Let's just do what is to do, then get it over with immediately." He chuckled sarcastically to himself. "But then immediately could go on forever at this rate. This is going to be hell."
Remedios sighed resignedly. "Well, if that's that." She began to smile, insinuating a light change of mood. "Now, shall I know how is my precious son doing? Or are you too bent in thinking of other things than telling me of your stories? I heard you were a genius back in Kanagawa."
*Ting, Ting!* went Hanamichi's renewed pride as he heard the magic word. Whether Remedios is a real sly one or not (remember she hadn't been with her son for years), or she just have the knack of plucking the right strings out of a person, one wouldn't have an inkling of such out of initial glance. She looked far respectable to be conniving.
"Nyahahahahahaha!!!!" his infamous laugh retaliated. "Of course, your son's a tensai!!!" The old Hanamichi came back as fast as a flick of the finger and the suppressing mood was lifted from the scene. "I'm Sakuragi Hanamichi, star player of Shohoku!!! Nyahahahaha!!!" The flashes went click, click! all around and bright colored confetti were thrown up in the air. If that didn't seem like out of place, Chibi-Remedios laughed in a high-pitched female version of Anzai-sensei's "ohohoho!!" and clapped her hands gleefully on the background while saying "My son's a genius! My son's a genius!" repeatedly, destroying the demure elegance she possessed some seconds ago. Whether Remedios' existence and appearance proved that there is a certain tensai-ness living within the shell of Hanamichi Sakuragi, or strengthen the fact that the Sakuragis are a bunch of weird crack-ups who have the amazing ability to distract and be distracted in a matter of seconds (in line with their knack for unpredictable and quick mood swings), nobody clearly knew. Or do we really need to find out? Nevermind...
***
Hanamichi sat in front of the computer. Jeantuel had given him a beginner's guide in using a computer to start with since his mother had urged him to learn the apparatus. But he did away with the book when he saw printed in bold friendly letters on the back cover of the book in the lower left corner the words "FOR COMPLETE IDIOTS". Naturally he had tossed it over the balcony. After that he decided to stare at the computer. It took him some minutes to realize that he will not benefit anything from staring hard at it since the poor thing could only stare back at him. Nor will it do good to curse at it since it could only hum at him and by the end, he'll probably have a sore throat. Moments later, due to some heaven-sent miracle from above, Hanamichi got hold of the mouse and started exploring by himself every function he could come across at. He was currently having problems with some accidentally deleted files when the door to his room opened. It didn't take long for him to acknowledge the tall figure by the door.
"Oi!"
Hanamichi blinked, half-disbelieving, half-expecting the haughty grin from across. "Van?"
"It's been a while. A long while, Hana."
"A-a..." He stood up. It didn't surprise him when he had approximated from their distance that Van was some inches taller than him(he); but not greater than nor equal to Gori's height. [Somewhere in Kanagawa-- Akagi: ACHOO!! sniff, sniff...] Though Van was wearing black slacks and coat, and white long sleeves polo from within, unlike Akagi, Van has a far slimmer and more appreciably defined figure.
"Well, is my dear cousin busy tonight?"
"Anou..," Hanamichi glanced nervously at the blinking screen, thinking much of the deleted files. "A-haha.. Not really."
"That's great. Why don't you come with me downtown and have dinner there? It's only 8 o'clock."
"Your treat?"
"Of course."
"Sure!" Hanamichi beamed.
Van almost laughed out loud, obviously amused. "Come on then." They proceeded along the corridors, passing by the main hall. "How have you been these past years? The last I've heard of you, they say you're a basketball player. How's it going?"
Hanamichi's sudden shyness didn't actually surprised him; but then it will, at a level, surprise a lot others. It was always his initial reaction towards a relative whom he had not seen for a long time; he only needed a little adjustment to cope with it. "Um, yeah... Nothing much.." Surprise, surprise!! Rare moments hearing the Tensai speak humbly of himself! "How 'bout you?"
"Nothing much too. Quitted Cambridge two years ago because they rejected one of my proposals; then went to do modeling for some months. Hey, do you mind if we take some company? I've somebody with me and--"
"Van!" One of the doors of the main hall burst open and from the threshold came one of the most beautiful creatures Hanamichi had ever seen. "I've been looking all over for you." She approached them with floating grace; until her soft brown eyes caught sight of the redhead. She looked inquiringly and sweetly at Van.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Meimei," Van smiled warmly. "By the way, this is Hanamichi, the one I've been telling you about."
"Of course! I see the resemblance," Meimei exclaimed with sincere glee, her long chestnut hair bouncing up and down. She offered her hand to a blushing Hanamichi who took it nervously. "Nice to meet you."
"A-a.. same here," Hanamichi stuttered. He felt a bit shock about what he heard from his cousin and this girl. Who is she anyway?
Meimei was taller than ordinary Japanese girls. She has long bouncy chestnut hair and her eyes where of distinct brown hue. Her soft fair skin seemed to be glowing with vibrancy and her heart shaped face looked very unique. At a different time and place, she could have been one of Hanamichi's cute crushes; but now he felt not a single prospect of attraction. Admiration, maybe; but nothing that could stir him to infatuation. Come to think of it, he hadn't thought of Haruko that much these days; and whenever he does think of her, there wasn't anything special to it anymore. Has too much thinking changed him that much?
Van's car took them swiftly downtown. Hanamichi had gotten out of his adjustment problems and was now ogling through the glass window like a hyperactive kid.
"Oi, are we there yet?!"
"Not yet, Hanamichi," Meimei said patiently for the nth time.
"Will you shut the fuck up!!!"
"I'm hungry!!!"
"Van, don't start!"
"But Meimei!!"
"Van, we invited Hanamichi to dinner. I think you should behave more nicely to him."
"Nyahahahaha!!! Hear that? You should be nicer to me!"
"BAKA YAROU!!!"
The car swerved to the left, then to the right, missed some vehicles, some civilians, posts, street hindrances, some other living carbon-based entities, a red light, and fortunately, a couple of police patrol cars. It was a miracle for them, or for the car mostly, to have survived for long. Luckily they got in a restaurant all intact. Hanamichi ordered a lot on the menu and consumed 3/4 of their entire meal. During dessert, Meimei excused herself from the table.
"So, how long have you two been?"
Startled, Van looked up at him with a spoonful of blueberry cheese cake hanging from the mouth. "Wha--?"
Hanamichi stared long at Van's unruly pink hair. Their family sure prefers weird hair color; but they never really look that bad. They only seem intimidating. "I said how long have you two been?"
Van gaped at him. "How..? When have you--"
"I don't know. I just knew," Hanamichi shrugged, nonchalantly spooning his sundae. The fact didn't really surprise him; the fact that it didn't did. "It's nothing really. You shouldn't worry about me."
Van gradually relaxed. "Um... Five years. Met her here."
Hanamichi nodded. "Does Grandma know?" It was a useless question; nothing escapes his grandmother's notice.
"What do you expect?"
"Fight. Trouble. Hell for you."
"Precisely. They forfeited me from using the surname Sakuragi for years. I only got it back because of the invitation."
"Odd how they never forfeited mine. Where there any compromises made like, say, leave her?"
"Hell, no! Who needs the damned surname?!"
"Right, you are. Ha! They only need us because of our tensai-ness!"
"Another more of your tensai crap and I'll pound you to hell!!!"
"OK, OK!! Drop the spoon already!!"
Van sighed. "You got the invitation too, didn't you?"
Hanamichi wiped out the last of his sundae. "Hai. Reme gave it to me. I couldn't understand. It's a school right? I'm already at Shohoku; I'm not about to leave there!"
"You won't, stupid! You'll only be a part of the program. Shohoku will be your basic academic ground; the other will be something like your organization. Those two parties will have a laissez faire relationship. The program will help you on something more advance and of course, your schooling in Shohoku will be slightly affected. Fortunately, Shohoku will excuse you with regards to the program's activities and your duties."
Hanamichi gulped. "That sounded hard."
"Hm.. Not really. It's just like attending two schools at the same time. One attending to the basics while the other to advance academic program. Sooner or later you'll get used to stress, and pressure, and mental agony."
"But how about basketball! We'll be having a practice game with Ryonan soon."
"Ow... basketball?" Van blinked, looking very amused. "If you get to the Premier team, we could offer you more than Ryonan." There was something in Van's words that gave so much conviction, a promise of fulfillment. Hanamichi could not bear but be entranced.
"Really?"
"I assure you. Or my name isn't Vanessa Loswell-Sakuragi," she replied.
-_-;;; TBC
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[1] if ever the name sounds familiar to some of you and then suddenly a drama show pops out of the cobwebs of your memory, you may have just hit the jackpot there. yes, i got the name from the drama show. though i haven't seen it actually, when i first heard the name i went like 'O.ohhhh.... nice name @_@!!!!' so i couldn't help it.... hehehe...
(~_~;) so hear i am again. the plots getting out of hand (what plot???) and i'm about to put a sign that says 'THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING' in large neon colored letters. and to all my friends who passed the college exam, CONGRATULATIONS!!! i'm happy, most of us are happy. well, life can't be perfect.
M-i : what could i say? gomen. if ever i startled you or something. next time hopefully there won't be any surprises.
Zeynel : (chibi-Gen-chan tugging on Zeynel's shirt) when's the next chapter of Hidden Reality????!!!! *sob, sob*
(;#_#)
Title : The Sakuragi Cousins
----------------------------------------
CHAPTER 7 : Eternal Bond
[Flashback still...]
April 1-- Approx. 2:30 A.M. A hospital in Naha, Okinawa.
"Oh, my God!" Remedios flung herself to her one and only son. Hanamichi just stared at her with questioning eyes that were half- lethargic.
The doctor shifted his gaze to Hannah. "Probably brain trauma. It's only temporary. We could subject him to therapy as--"
"No! There is no need for that," Hannah said a bit too sternly.
"But--"
"I said no! Thank you very much Kaita-sensei."
Defeated and startled, the young doctor prepared his leave with a final gesture at the young impudent teenager. "Hai. If something happens, please inform me at once."
"Yes, doctor. I can assure you of that," she replied, not bothering to look at the doctor beside her as she focused intently at the sobbing figure of her mother and her bewildered brother.
"I shall leave now." And so he did. But not without bearing any suspicions regarding the family that he had just encountered.
Weird bunch, he thought while threading the way to the newly born babies, first the infant, then this child.
He could not anymore question the strange predilections of the family with regards to the children. Though he dared once in a while, he would always be cut off with a definitive severity which would make him shut up abruptly. Besides he did not wish to rankle any of the family members. The Sakuragis were not the right people to mess with. They have that arresting characteristics which help them standout in a crowd; a gravity that is both fascinating and repelling.
Kaita-sensei dismissed the troubling thought as he turned right and disappeared from the hall.
***
/"It's only temporary..."/
The doctor's warning rang in her head like an ugly phone call dispatch at 6 a.m. in the morning when you just had your Saturday night hangover leaving you with a despicable headache. In the same manner it was ugly. Hannah fisted her hands vehemently, unmindful of the bandages surrounding that portion.
It's better that way. Best if it last forever.
Hannah bit off tears as she watched the lamentable state of her mother, holding her brother like it was her very life threatened. Remedios had been crying incessantly. This has got to be the worst night of the Sakuragi family. Both induced by two of Nature's best and contradicting processes: Life and Death; five hundred deaths in exchange for one born and another celebrant. Ironic how both of these had made such a disastrous impact on the life of the family. Like one soul equates five hundred of those unknown; all the same and unwanted.
The child was born about 15 minutes after Hanamichi had been admitted in the hospital. It has been half an hour now and her Aunt Mercedes was still in her misery. Hannah could still hear her furious cries, faint and ghostly, along the corridors.
Hannah slumped herself on the seat opposite the hospital bed where Hanamichi, in his dazed state, looked at Remedios with confusion. Remedios composed herself gradually, asking and feeling for her son's health. At this point, Remedios and Mercedes were all different. They were sisters alright, intent on the welfare of the family. But Remedios had loved Hanamichi from the moment she had conceived of him and she had never stopped loving him up until now. Mercedes, on the other hand, shoved the child away in a fury of contempt as soon as she had seen the total failure of her child. What was once the object of pride crumbled down to an obloquy; for the arrogant Mercedes had not taken precaution and had not thought that Nature could do her menace twice during her whimsical times. And now she was hapless, resolving to blatant cursing and damning the innocent infant. How that despicable mother wished her own child's death rang through the corridor, and then, saying that she did not wished to be like Remedios. Hannah thought it to be disgustingly pathetic. She had not remembered her own mother to be that inhuman to her brother; and how assuming of her to indirectly think that she could be like her mother! The nerve of that bitch! She could curse the French guy she had married for all Hannah cared but she shouldn't be involving her mother. She was never involve on their procreation so she should vent it on her French husband. Or was he Austrian? All Hannah knew was he came from somewhere in Europe. They have lots of those; foreign relations, she meant.
Hannah shook her head. She was attempting a diversion. A diversion was good at the moment, something to keep her sane. She glanced at the bed. Hanamichi was now softly sleeping; her mother gently caressing his forehead. She could not stand to hold her brother's gaze, afraid to find the faint traces of pain shattering his innocence. But also afraid of that blank expression on her brother, the traumatic outcome of shock and pain. A diversion, as she sat exhausted with Hanamichi slumbering in front of her, would be absolutely welcomed. There are lots of topics to choose from; she could think of anything, like her aunts' mishaps, perhaps.
Now what was it about foreign relations? The name Altagracia[1] came to her, the oldest of her aunts. They say she was quite a beauty, with intellect to boot. Hannah never meet her actually. Her mother was barely eight months in conception when she left. Altagracia married a Caucasian, a foreigner, a gaijin. Whatever you call them. Whose nationality Hannah had not bothered to remember. She was relatively young then, about 17 or 18. They didn't have a child. The fist pregnancy resulted to the child having hemolytic disease which later on killed the said child. The second one, due to a situation or another, resulted to traumatic abortion. It was the first time a disorder of such accumulated in the family. Afterall the interbreeding for nearly a century, then suddenly it occurred unknowingly, one would have guessed the stir it cost. Indeed it's the start of a bad omen.
Altagracia was said to had been advised, or -as Hannah had most accurately presumed- ordered to divorce the foreign husband. But for some reason or another, she refused the divorce, declined her inheritance, and withdrew from the clan. Hannah bet her life for it that there wasn't a peaceful goodbye for her.
Years passed by and the proud clan amazingly shrugged the whole incident off as if Altagracia never existed. They did not take any precautions of such, living haughtily and traditionally like they should; until, of course, when Hanamichi came. The Sakuragi clan, behind the shattering mask of existence, was undoubtedly stirred.
"Hannah." It was her mother, speaking calmly with evident concern. Remedios may have noticed her spacing out.
The door was softly opened and a girl with flowing blond hair which was up to her waist entered. She had concern sad blue eyes and was about Hannah's age. Her dress was a long light yellow one that was buttoned all the way up. She looked like a foreign princess.
"Aunt Remedios, I'm sorry to disturb you but... anou, Grandma has called upon you. They're waiting at the lobby."
Remedios stood up, regarding the young beautiful blonde warmly. "Yes, thank you." She glanced back at her reposed son and with a heavy heart, left the room, leaving the young ones idly.
Hannah positioned herself on a chair near her brother's bed, smiling cordially for a while at the yellow-lock girl by the door. The girl then approached the bed, looking silently at Hanamichi.
"You look pale," Hannah commented.
"You look distraught," she said without a pause.
"It's one of those highly exhausting nights brought about by stupendously exaggerated relatives who do nothing but make themselves and other people miserable because of their oh, so antiquated and unbelievable custom."
"Tradition."
"Whatever. Same fucking thing." Both of them sighed drearily. Silence impregnated the atmosphere.
"So you think it's a farce too?"
"A farce? Now that even sounded like an understatement! This is all-- "
"Bullshit."
Hannah was stunned as she heard what the other uttered.
"What?"
"I can't believe you just said that. That's the first foul word I've heard from you."
The girl chuckled. "There's a first for everything. Besides this absurdity's cracking me up. Perhaps liberating me in a way."
"Can't blame you," Hannah shrugged. "By the way, how's she?"
"Miserable. I tried understanding her but I'm running out of patience. She's still ranting and whining and cursing my brother to hell."
"Cursing your French dad there too?"
"Sometimes. And my dad's Italian."
"Same continent."
They both turned to stare at the sleeping form of Hanamichi.
"I wish they would all just stop this nonsense, Hannah. My brother does not deserve this kind of treatment, especially from our own mother. It would be just awful for a child to realize that his own mother could wish him dead. If only my mother could be just like Aunt Remedios."
"Let's just think ourselves lucky that our family weren't trained to be traditionally rigid or else they may have killed the child by now."
"Dear God, don't let that happen!"
"Don't worry, Francesca, it won't," she smiled assuredly. Francesca returned the smile, calm yet sad.
"Don't you think we should hear what they are talking about?"
Hannah stood up, all the while removing a stray lock of red from her brother's forehead. "Aa. I was just thinking of that. I'll tell a nurse to watch my brother for a while."
***
The child woke up in his white sheets and entourage, scarcely lit by the lingering night sky outside the window. Noticing his solitude, Hanamichi slid down the cool mattress and groped through the grayish compound of the room. The hallway was serene and enticing. Fright was lingering in him but his feet pursued their own volition, insisting for a walk on the half gloomy path. He had been entranced by an impressive sound that seemed to have marked itself some moment ago; only a memory of a cry retained in him from someone he did not know. He had ventured a number of turns, had passed by a couple of persons, and had gone down some flight of stairs with a mission to search for the possessor of that shrill cry.
At last his feet carried him to some quiet spot, a long passage with ample light to support the blurry eyed. He had almost bumped himself to a nurse as they go about the night shift nonchalantly. It was really queer for them to not notice the child at wonder. Sooner or later the sporadic outpour of nurses and patients faded in a lone spot, from where he ventured leisurely and aimlessly.
A door had opened in his front and out came a dull looking nurse whose main assessment in life must have been to be incredibly ignorant and to disregard things which involve something that will stir the curiosity or sympathy. She did not notice the child by her side as she was busy scribbling on her pad; or if she did notice him, there's a huge probability she chose not to. Off she went to the pseudo lit passages, leaving a door very much available for little Hanamichi.
A force such as a magnet compelled him to move towards the enclosed chamber looming before him. A glass window was on the wall beside the door and a light green curtain could be seen draping from within. He pushed the door open.
Several baby cribs were inside, arranged in rows. The chill air held a queer fragrance, yet it was nearly the same scent that was lingering throughout the area, only it was a bit distinct inside the room.
Somewhere on one of the far corners of the room was a prominent cradle. Hanamichi drew himself near it, climbed up to a chair and to a table beside it. He peeked from above and realized that he was looking at an infant. A beautiful infant with ivory-yellow hair, soft and rosy skin, and an adorably dainty, doll-like figure. He stared at the infant for a long time, contemplating childishly. A tag was hanging on the infant's right wrist. Hanamichi caught a glimpse of it, and for the first time, read it aloud.
"A-an... tohne.. teh.."
Brown eyes met blue and an everlasting bond of love was signed. A bond that would sooner or later avert to an illusive yet docile deterioration of character on either, or both, of them.
[End flashback]
****
The silence was becoming very uncomfortable. Remedios did not know what to say and an unbearable weight seemed to force itself into her chest. Like water from the rim of an overflowing pitcher, tears descended. Her voice came out in choked sobs.
"H-hana... please..." She clamped her mouth, barely trapping the sounds that came out of it.
It was more than Hanamichi could bear. If there's anything he couldn't stand, it's making someone he love suffer. Abruptly his indignation burned out, mortified of his previous attitude. He shifted from his seat to her side and embraced her.
"Gomen nasai... I didn't mean to. Please stop crying," he practically begged in an innocent childlike manner. His encompassing regret was tearfully sincere; and truly he was near to tears. "I'm really sorry. It's just that-- Please stop crying, Remedios!" Then he cried.
It has been long since he cried this way, for this same reason and situation. As of the moment he didn't have much of a clear vision as to what they were crying about; all he knew was that there was something really sad about everything. The question is: what about everything? None of them, not even his mother, made clear of what really is wrong with him. He barely knew half of the story.
"It's ok. I'm alright now," Remedios tried to compose herself. "I just want you to understand. None of us wanted it to happen. I don't want you to blame yourself. I'm sorry if we have to drag you down from your peaceful life; but your Grandma decided to summon you, along with your other cousins."
At this Hanamichi frowned. He looked at his mother but saw nothing that would indicate insincerity. The brash redhead boy of Kanagawa was once again reduced to silence. What was he to say? How would he react? What was he to do? Any moment now, he could turn into some lifeless shell, all hollow inside because of the way his mind felt so light and blank. Worse is his body was unresponsive. This scared the shit out of his conscious normalcy.
"Aa," was his automatic reply. Fuck conscious normalcy! It has been driven out unwittingly to preconscious from the moment he had set foot on this house. Even though he never really had thought of his answer, he knew better than to argue against the only acceptable thing to say, which was nothing more than to conform to his grandmother's wishes. So it's true. The great tensai, known to be the non-conforming, unruly, and juvenile delinquent redhead of Shohoku basketball team, Sakuragi Hanamichi, had considered to be in absolute subservience. But then he did this out of old reflex; it's not like he had wholly thought of it.
"Hanamichi, dear... You never really like this, I know. You have every reason to hate your Grandma for this; but, please, try to be calm and- -"
Hanamichi shushed her instantly. "Shut up. We never really talked about this seriously, Reme. We're not about to start this subject 'cause I'll blow my head off for sure." He leaned a little to his mother for support. "Let's just do what is to do, then get it over with immediately." He chuckled sarcastically to himself. "But then immediately could go on forever at this rate. This is going to be hell."
Remedios sighed resignedly. "Well, if that's that." She began to smile, insinuating a light change of mood. "Now, shall I know how is my precious son doing? Or are you too bent in thinking of other things than telling me of your stories? I heard you were a genius back in Kanagawa."
*Ting, Ting!* went Hanamichi's renewed pride as he heard the magic word. Whether Remedios is a real sly one or not (remember she hadn't been with her son for years), or she just have the knack of plucking the right strings out of a person, one wouldn't have an inkling of such out of initial glance. She looked far respectable to be conniving.
"Nyahahahahahaha!!!!" his infamous laugh retaliated. "Of course, your son's a tensai!!!" The old Hanamichi came back as fast as a flick of the finger and the suppressing mood was lifted from the scene. "I'm Sakuragi Hanamichi, star player of Shohoku!!! Nyahahahaha!!!" The flashes went click, click! all around and bright colored confetti were thrown up in the air. If that didn't seem like out of place, Chibi-Remedios laughed in a high-pitched female version of Anzai-sensei's "ohohoho!!" and clapped her hands gleefully on the background while saying "My son's a genius! My son's a genius!" repeatedly, destroying the demure elegance she possessed some seconds ago. Whether Remedios' existence and appearance proved that there is a certain tensai-ness living within the shell of Hanamichi Sakuragi, or strengthen the fact that the Sakuragis are a bunch of weird crack-ups who have the amazing ability to distract and be distracted in a matter of seconds (in line with their knack for unpredictable and quick mood swings), nobody clearly knew. Or do we really need to find out? Nevermind...
***
Hanamichi sat in front of the computer. Jeantuel had given him a beginner's guide in using a computer to start with since his mother had urged him to learn the apparatus. But he did away with the book when he saw printed in bold friendly letters on the back cover of the book in the lower left corner the words "FOR COMPLETE IDIOTS". Naturally he had tossed it over the balcony. After that he decided to stare at the computer. It took him some minutes to realize that he will not benefit anything from staring hard at it since the poor thing could only stare back at him. Nor will it do good to curse at it since it could only hum at him and by the end, he'll probably have a sore throat. Moments later, due to some heaven-sent miracle from above, Hanamichi got hold of the mouse and started exploring by himself every function he could come across at. He was currently having problems with some accidentally deleted files when the door to his room opened. It didn't take long for him to acknowledge the tall figure by the door.
"Oi!"
Hanamichi blinked, half-disbelieving, half-expecting the haughty grin from across. "Van?"
"It's been a while. A long while, Hana."
"A-a..." He stood up. It didn't surprise him when he had approximated from their distance that Van was some inches taller than him(he); but not greater than nor equal to Gori's height. [Somewhere in Kanagawa-- Akagi: ACHOO!! sniff, sniff...] Though Van was wearing black slacks and coat, and white long sleeves polo from within, unlike Akagi, Van has a far slimmer and more appreciably defined figure.
"Well, is my dear cousin busy tonight?"
"Anou..," Hanamichi glanced nervously at the blinking screen, thinking much of the deleted files. "A-haha.. Not really."
"That's great. Why don't you come with me downtown and have dinner there? It's only 8 o'clock."
"Your treat?"
"Of course."
"Sure!" Hanamichi beamed.
Van almost laughed out loud, obviously amused. "Come on then." They proceeded along the corridors, passing by the main hall. "How have you been these past years? The last I've heard of you, they say you're a basketball player. How's it going?"
Hanamichi's sudden shyness didn't actually surprised him; but then it will, at a level, surprise a lot others. It was always his initial reaction towards a relative whom he had not seen for a long time; he only needed a little adjustment to cope with it. "Um, yeah... Nothing much.." Surprise, surprise!! Rare moments hearing the Tensai speak humbly of himself! "How 'bout you?"
"Nothing much too. Quitted Cambridge two years ago because they rejected one of my proposals; then went to do modeling for some months. Hey, do you mind if we take some company? I've somebody with me and--"
"Van!" One of the doors of the main hall burst open and from the threshold came one of the most beautiful creatures Hanamichi had ever seen. "I've been looking all over for you." She approached them with floating grace; until her soft brown eyes caught sight of the redhead. She looked inquiringly and sweetly at Van.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Meimei," Van smiled warmly. "By the way, this is Hanamichi, the one I've been telling you about."
"Of course! I see the resemblance," Meimei exclaimed with sincere glee, her long chestnut hair bouncing up and down. She offered her hand to a blushing Hanamichi who took it nervously. "Nice to meet you."
"A-a.. same here," Hanamichi stuttered. He felt a bit shock about what he heard from his cousin and this girl. Who is she anyway?
Meimei was taller than ordinary Japanese girls. She has long bouncy chestnut hair and her eyes where of distinct brown hue. Her soft fair skin seemed to be glowing with vibrancy and her heart shaped face looked very unique. At a different time and place, she could have been one of Hanamichi's cute crushes; but now he felt not a single prospect of attraction. Admiration, maybe; but nothing that could stir him to infatuation. Come to think of it, he hadn't thought of Haruko that much these days; and whenever he does think of her, there wasn't anything special to it anymore. Has too much thinking changed him that much?
Van's car took them swiftly downtown. Hanamichi had gotten out of his adjustment problems and was now ogling through the glass window like a hyperactive kid.
"Oi, are we there yet?!"
"Not yet, Hanamichi," Meimei said patiently for the nth time.
"Will you shut the fuck up!!!"
"I'm hungry!!!"
"Van, don't start!"
"But Meimei!!"
"Van, we invited Hanamichi to dinner. I think you should behave more nicely to him."
"Nyahahahaha!!! Hear that? You should be nicer to me!"
"BAKA YAROU!!!"
The car swerved to the left, then to the right, missed some vehicles, some civilians, posts, street hindrances, some other living carbon-based entities, a red light, and fortunately, a couple of police patrol cars. It was a miracle for them, or for the car mostly, to have survived for long. Luckily they got in a restaurant all intact. Hanamichi ordered a lot on the menu and consumed 3/4 of their entire meal. During dessert, Meimei excused herself from the table.
"So, how long have you two been?"
Startled, Van looked up at him with a spoonful of blueberry cheese cake hanging from the mouth. "Wha--?"
Hanamichi stared long at Van's unruly pink hair. Their family sure prefers weird hair color; but they never really look that bad. They only seem intimidating. "I said how long have you two been?"
Van gaped at him. "How..? When have you--"
"I don't know. I just knew," Hanamichi shrugged, nonchalantly spooning his sundae. The fact didn't really surprise him; the fact that it didn't did. "It's nothing really. You shouldn't worry about me."
Van gradually relaxed. "Um... Five years. Met her here."
Hanamichi nodded. "Does Grandma know?" It was a useless question; nothing escapes his grandmother's notice.
"What do you expect?"
"Fight. Trouble. Hell for you."
"Precisely. They forfeited me from using the surname Sakuragi for years. I only got it back because of the invitation."
"Odd how they never forfeited mine. Where there any compromises made like, say, leave her?"
"Hell, no! Who needs the damned surname?!"
"Right, you are. Ha! They only need us because of our tensai-ness!"
"Another more of your tensai crap and I'll pound you to hell!!!"
"OK, OK!! Drop the spoon already!!"
Van sighed. "You got the invitation too, didn't you?"
Hanamichi wiped out the last of his sundae. "Hai. Reme gave it to me. I couldn't understand. It's a school right? I'm already at Shohoku; I'm not about to leave there!"
"You won't, stupid! You'll only be a part of the program. Shohoku will be your basic academic ground; the other will be something like your organization. Those two parties will have a laissez faire relationship. The program will help you on something more advance and of course, your schooling in Shohoku will be slightly affected. Fortunately, Shohoku will excuse you with regards to the program's activities and your duties."
Hanamichi gulped. "That sounded hard."
"Hm.. Not really. It's just like attending two schools at the same time. One attending to the basics while the other to advance academic program. Sooner or later you'll get used to stress, and pressure, and mental agony."
"But how about basketball! We'll be having a practice game with Ryonan soon."
"Ow... basketball?" Van blinked, looking very amused. "If you get to the Premier team, we could offer you more than Ryonan." There was something in Van's words that gave so much conviction, a promise of fulfillment. Hanamichi could not bear but be entranced.
"Really?"
"I assure you. Or my name isn't Vanessa Loswell-Sakuragi," she replied.
-_-;;; TBC
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[1] if ever the name sounds familiar to some of you and then suddenly a drama show pops out of the cobwebs of your memory, you may have just hit the jackpot there. yes, i got the name from the drama show. though i haven't seen it actually, when i first heard the name i went like 'O.ohhhh.... nice name @_@!!!!' so i couldn't help it.... hehehe...
(~_~;) so hear i am again. the plots getting out of hand (what plot???) and i'm about to put a sign that says 'THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING' in large neon colored letters. and to all my friends who passed the college exam, CONGRATULATIONS!!! i'm happy, most of us are happy. well, life can't be perfect.
M-i : what could i say? gomen. if ever i startled you or something. next time hopefully there won't be any surprises.
Zeynel : (chibi-Gen-chan tugging on Zeynel's shirt) when's the next chapter of Hidden Reality????!!!! *sob, sob*
(;#_#)