Chapter Two
Anna walked back over to the sink and started to wash the dishes. Why was she acting so silly? Yoh had gone away before and she had never worried this much. She went on washing the dishes her movements were furtive and constrained. It was the silence weighing upon her. Not being able to stand it any longer she turned on the television for some noise. She listened to it, suddenly tense, and motionless as she listened to the weather report. She quickly turned it off; listening to the weather would make her worry even more about Yoh.
"It's a good chance when he's away to paint," she whispered hoarsely. "The day will go quickly. I won't have time to brood."
Since October the paint had been waiting. She knew that the moist weather would cause the paint to take longer to dry, but she needed something to keep her hands occupied, something to stave off the gathering cold and loneliness.
"But before I make another mess I need to clean the one in the kitchen," she moved briskly, performing each task with careful and exaggerated absorption, binding her thoughts to it, making it a wall between herself and the surrounding cold and silence. But after the table was cleared and all the dishes washed and put away it was more difficult again.
Anna got out the paint and opened it. She carefully stirred the light brown paint until it was well mixed.
For the next hour of so it was only the steady swishing of her brush against the bedroom door that kept her company. Six years now they had been married. The first year seemed to be the most enjoyable year of her life. Discovering each other, learning more and more about one another, but just like buying something new at a store the novelty wears off.
Back then many of their friends still lived close by and would come over regularly and visit. But now many were gone living their own lives. Horo Horo now lived far away with his sister teaching snowboarding lessons in the winter, and in the warmer seasons he was in charge of maintenance of the resort. Ren was now married amazingly enough and had two young children which kept him very occupied. Lyserg had traveled to America and was working there, occasionally sending and e-mail now and then saying he would come and visit, but never got around to it. Ryu, well no one really knew where Ryu was. He traveled on his motorcycle all over the country living in motels or in a tent. Ryu loved that motorcycle, when he had come to visit one weekend he talked Yoh into buying a used Kawasaki NINJA. Needless to say Anna was not very pleased when he pulled up with that, 'Your going to kill yourself on that thing!!' for about a week that was all he heard. But when he took her for a ride she had to admit she enjoyed it but never did tell him.
He had offered to sell it, but she had told him he could keep it. Anna sighed deeply, everyone had changed so much, except for them. The same old thing over and over. It was not like she didn't love Yoh, she cared for him deeply. But at times she always wondered. Yoh was always trying to please her, his devotion a baffling, insurmountable humility that made him feel the need of sacrifice. And when his muscles ached, when his feet dragged stolidly with weariness, then it seemed that in some measure at least he was making amends for his laziness and simple mind. He was always out trying to please her, but the only real difference that it made was to deprive her of his companionship, to make him a little duller and older than he might otherwise have been. Yoh never saw their lives objectively. To him it was not what he actually accomplished by means of the sacrifice that mattered, but the sacrifice itself, the gesture-something done for her sake. She had tried to talk with him, but she always asked herself, why sit trying to talk with a man who never talked. And when the neighbours did come over there was still nothing to speak about but the news.
"I married him- and he's a good man. I mustn't keep on this way. It will be noon before long, and then time to think about supper. Yoh will be home by then," she said to herself.
Anna jumped in fright as a loud crack of thunder broke the silence of her painting. She looked at the door and realized that in her brooding she had not been paying attention and one line of paint was all that was on the door.
"I need to get this done, Yoh will never let me hear the end of it if I don't this done before he gets home."
She went back to her painting. For a while it was easier, all her thoughts half anxious ones of Yoh in the storm. "He knew there was going to be a storm. I told him myself even. But it never matters what I say. Stubborn git. He goes his own way any ways. In a storm like this he'll never get home. He won't even try. And while he sits keeping Manta company I'll be at home worrying about him."
It was not like she meant her words. It was just an effort to convince herself that she did have grievance, to justify her rebellious thoughts, to prove Yoh responsible for her unhappiness. Six years in this dumb house where nothing ever changes. Anna stared at the door wishing that it was Yoh so she could yell at him; tell him how she really felt.
Anna finished with her painting, cleaning her brush she heard a noise of a car screeching around the corner. The motor roaring wildly, silencing the storm. The bass of the stereo booming loudly adding to the noise. Anna looked out the window wondering who it could be, but the car was now silent. She heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was Yoh she ran to it and opened it quickly not even bothering to see who it was. She stopped in shock when two deep brown eyes met hers. These eyes did not belong to Yoh, but his brother Hao.
Anna walked back over to the sink and started to wash the dishes. Why was she acting so silly? Yoh had gone away before and she had never worried this much. She went on washing the dishes her movements were furtive and constrained. It was the silence weighing upon her. Not being able to stand it any longer she turned on the television for some noise. She listened to it, suddenly tense, and motionless as she listened to the weather report. She quickly turned it off; listening to the weather would make her worry even more about Yoh.
"It's a good chance when he's away to paint," she whispered hoarsely. "The day will go quickly. I won't have time to brood."
Since October the paint had been waiting. She knew that the moist weather would cause the paint to take longer to dry, but she needed something to keep her hands occupied, something to stave off the gathering cold and loneliness.
"But before I make another mess I need to clean the one in the kitchen," she moved briskly, performing each task with careful and exaggerated absorption, binding her thoughts to it, making it a wall between herself and the surrounding cold and silence. But after the table was cleared and all the dishes washed and put away it was more difficult again.
Anna got out the paint and opened it. She carefully stirred the light brown paint until it was well mixed.
For the next hour of so it was only the steady swishing of her brush against the bedroom door that kept her company. Six years now they had been married. The first year seemed to be the most enjoyable year of her life. Discovering each other, learning more and more about one another, but just like buying something new at a store the novelty wears off.
Back then many of their friends still lived close by and would come over regularly and visit. But now many were gone living their own lives. Horo Horo now lived far away with his sister teaching snowboarding lessons in the winter, and in the warmer seasons he was in charge of maintenance of the resort. Ren was now married amazingly enough and had two young children which kept him very occupied. Lyserg had traveled to America and was working there, occasionally sending and e-mail now and then saying he would come and visit, but never got around to it. Ryu, well no one really knew where Ryu was. He traveled on his motorcycle all over the country living in motels or in a tent. Ryu loved that motorcycle, when he had come to visit one weekend he talked Yoh into buying a used Kawasaki NINJA. Needless to say Anna was not very pleased when he pulled up with that, 'Your going to kill yourself on that thing!!' for about a week that was all he heard. But when he took her for a ride she had to admit she enjoyed it but never did tell him.
He had offered to sell it, but she had told him he could keep it. Anna sighed deeply, everyone had changed so much, except for them. The same old thing over and over. It was not like she didn't love Yoh, she cared for him deeply. But at times she always wondered. Yoh was always trying to please her, his devotion a baffling, insurmountable humility that made him feel the need of sacrifice. And when his muscles ached, when his feet dragged stolidly with weariness, then it seemed that in some measure at least he was making amends for his laziness and simple mind. He was always out trying to please her, but the only real difference that it made was to deprive her of his companionship, to make him a little duller and older than he might otherwise have been. Yoh never saw their lives objectively. To him it was not what he actually accomplished by means of the sacrifice that mattered, but the sacrifice itself, the gesture-something done for her sake. She had tried to talk with him, but she always asked herself, why sit trying to talk with a man who never talked. And when the neighbours did come over there was still nothing to speak about but the news.
"I married him- and he's a good man. I mustn't keep on this way. It will be noon before long, and then time to think about supper. Yoh will be home by then," she said to herself.
Anna jumped in fright as a loud crack of thunder broke the silence of her painting. She looked at the door and realized that in her brooding she had not been paying attention and one line of paint was all that was on the door.
"I need to get this done, Yoh will never let me hear the end of it if I don't this done before he gets home."
She went back to her painting. For a while it was easier, all her thoughts half anxious ones of Yoh in the storm. "He knew there was going to be a storm. I told him myself even. But it never matters what I say. Stubborn git. He goes his own way any ways. In a storm like this he'll never get home. He won't even try. And while he sits keeping Manta company I'll be at home worrying about him."
It was not like she meant her words. It was just an effort to convince herself that she did have grievance, to justify her rebellious thoughts, to prove Yoh responsible for her unhappiness. Six years in this dumb house where nothing ever changes. Anna stared at the door wishing that it was Yoh so she could yell at him; tell him how she really felt.
Anna finished with her painting, cleaning her brush she heard a noise of a car screeching around the corner. The motor roaring wildly, silencing the storm. The bass of the stereo booming loudly adding to the noise. Anna looked out the window wondering who it could be, but the car was now silent. She heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was Yoh she ran to it and opened it quickly not even bothering to see who it was. She stopped in shock when two deep brown eyes met hers. These eyes did not belong to Yoh, but his brother Hao.