Worth It: How Izzy Izumi got the Bottle (and lived to tell the tale.)
By Sonfaro
August 1st, 2003
4:03 am
Sometimes I wonder if it was worth it.
It's night in Odiba. Technically it's morning, but the sun has other ideas. I've been up working on this speech I intended to do tomorrow... today... yesterday...
Whatever. I nervously put the finishing touches on my dialogue. It's going to be quick and precise. To the point and emotional. I almost cryed in the writing of it. Odds are, I'll forget it by the time I get there. In front of me is the finished paper. Beside me is a bottle of wine.
I bought the bottle with my own allowance, and I still don't know if I got a decent brand. Five hundred yen is prodigiously expensive for me, so I assumed that 'Laurent Perrier 1996 Brut' would suit our purposes, but looking at the thing gives me doubts. Will everybody get a glass?
Mother knocks on the door then. My cousin by blood. Mother by love. She's knocking, and I chuck the glass under my pillow. "Come in", I say. I hope she doesn't notice the seriously large lump on my bed.
She enters. My mother - a genius woman - sees through my ruse instantly. Some small talk, meant to catch me off guard. She knows just how to do it too. Talk about my algebra grade, and how it's dropping. "I know mom," I tell her. I'm a computer wiz, I'm not a math magician. I'm not perfect. So, she asks me what's under the pillow.
I try to bluff her away, but she's stubborn, my mother. She reaches. I certainly can't fight her for it. It's my mom! "What's this", she asks.
"'Laurent Perrier 1996 Brut' style champagne."
"And where did you get it from", she responds.
"Ebay."
Sometimes I wonder if it was worth it.
She has that look on her face that says I'll be grounded, no computer privileges (In her words: "And that means Digimon privileges!") I have a number of options. A.) Feign ignorance and act like I have no idea how it got there. B.) Throw a tantrum and insist she shouldn't try and rule my life. C.) Tell the truth. Or D.) Escape to the digital world and live as a hermit the rest of my days and remain a wanted man in the real world. None of the choices are good ones. I sigh. My mother frowns. She asks me what it's for.
Sometimes I wonder if it was worth it.
So I tell her. Today is when it all began. Four years ago myself and seven others were transported to another world where we had to fight to survive. Many people affected our growth out there. Many more lost their lives for us. This wine is for them. That's what I tell my mother. She looks at me for a moment, and I wonder for a little while how long I'll be grounded.
Then, my mother does something unanticipated. She kisses me on the forehead and tells me to 'have fun'. I still have trouble accepting Mom's kisses. It makes me feel little again. I hug her, tell her I won't get drunk, then head for the door. Outside, Mr. Kamiya and Tai wait in their old blue station wagon. Tai waves to me and I wave back. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it. I feel the bottle on my back. And I remember what it represents. What it stands for.
It was worth every penny.
A/N: This is the first side-shot for Anniversary I wrote, so it's particularly dear to me. It's gone through some edits to realign it with the current Anniversary timeline. I hope you all enjoy it.