Chapter Three: A Disappointment
The train ride felt longer than it really was because Retsuko's mother continued to lecture them the who time. All other passengers cleared several feet just to escape her rambling.
Retsuko envied them and rested her head against Haida's shoulder. After a while, her mother's words just became noise. However, when Retsuko looked up at her husband's face, he didn't look annoyed or tired. Instead, he appeared incredibly stressed. He hadn't spoken since they got on the train and just stared out at the approaching destination.
Retsuko had never seen him so worried or nervous, even when she first rejected him years ago.
"Haida, are you alright?" Retsuko asked while placing her hand on his. Haida began to sweat profusely and even breathe faster.
"It's just been a while since I've seen my parents is all." Retsuko didn't buy that, nor did her mother, who finally stopped talking.
"Retsuko. His father wasn't at the wedding. He's not dead, is he?" SHe whispered into her daughter's ear. Or at least she thought she did, Haida turned to her, making the older red panda yelp.
"He's still alive." Retsuko and her mother felt particularly disturbed when they noticed a bit of disappointment in Haida's voice when he mentioned his father was still alive.
"Well, we're here." Haida said as he got up. The three walked into a gated community past expensive houses, a country-club, golf-course, and luxary pool.
"Your parents live here!" Retsuko's mother cried. Retsuko similarly gazed in awe at how high-end the community looked. Clearly, the homes of politicians and well-off members of society.
"What did you say his parents did!?"
"Haida said his mom was a stay at home, and his dad's in the Ground Self-Defense Force. He must be a General or something." Restuko muttered, feeling overwhelmed at being in such a place. Haida's eyes narrowed when he saw one particular house with the Japanese and Ground Self-Defense Force flags raised over the yard.
The hyena couldn't move any further until he felt Retsuko's hand and saw her warm smile.
"I'm excited to meet your father."
Haida forced himself into a slight smile and kept walking. After a deep breath, he knocked on the door. Each moment, his heart pounded like a raging beast until, at last, the door opened. Another hyena opened the door, and Retsuko recognized her from the wedding.
"Haida!" She ensnared him in her arms with a tight hug, and even Haida seemed to relax a little as she did so.
"Mom, it's good to see you too."
"Retsuko's here too! So good to see my daughter again!"
"It's good to see you too, Yuuri." Retusko said respectfully before the hyena shook her head playfully.
"Please Retsuko. Haida was the only child I was blessed with by birth. Please refer to me as mom."
"That title is already taken." Retsuko's mother said.
"Ahhh! Good to see you too! Come in!"
Haida came in last, taking his time with each step. The house interior looked just as expensive, with lavish decorations lined finely crafted hallways. Retsuko and her mother noticed a few crosses like the one Haida kept in their own apartment as they walked. Both also got their answer on Haida's father when they passed another room.
This one appeared to be sort of a trophy room where they saw displays of military decorations and medals on display alongside pictures of a hyena who looked just like Haida only older in a military officer's uniform. It started with him as a young man but then continued until Retsuko saw pictures of the hyena standing beside other high-ranked officers in the Self-Defense Force and American Military. One showed him having a toast alongside an American Army General, and another of him doing the same with a Self-Defense Force Admiral.
However, Retsuko and her mother trembled when they saw a picture of the hyena general standing beside the Prime Minister, An American Air Force General, and the American President.
Retsuko looked closer and soon saw much older pictures of hyenas like Haida in older military uniforms, some even looking to be part of the Imperial Japanese Army of World War II.
"I was happy to hear you wanted to come over! How has married life been treating you both!?"
"Well, mom. We've been quite happy." Haida said as he put his arm around Retsuko, who similarly smiled.
"I'm still glad Haida forced me to open up to him. It was probably the best decision of my life."
"Without a doubt! You won't find many more handsome or loving than my boy!"
"Mom." Retsuko and her mother felt a bit confused about why Haida was so reluctant to come here. However, almost as if as an answer to this question, they saw someone else approaching. The light in Haida's eyes faded, and he went stiff as the older hyena from the pictures appeared out of uniform.
Haida and his father's eyes met, followed by an intense stair and uncomfortable silence.
"Haida." The General's words felt like cold steel. Just saying Haida's name the way he did, inspired more fear than years of director Ton ever could. In truth, Retsuko believed the hyena before her could probably frighten her director to death by his stare alone if he wanted to.
"Father." Haida said back coldly.
Yuuri now looked even more nervous than Retsuko or her mother, and frantically came between them.
"It's so good we have our family together now! Retsuko, this is Haida's father. Tatsuya."
"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Retsuko said in her friendliest tone. However, her father in law drilled holes into her eyes with his stare.
"You may refer to me as Lieutenant General Asami or sir."
"Yes, sir." Retsuko and her mother both came to attention and bowed with terrified expressions.
"Dad-" Haida started as he came between Retsuko and the General.
"How about some lunch!" Yuuri quickly tried to change the subject but started to sweat all the same.
A few minutes later, they knelt at a fine wooden table while a house-servant poured tea.
"Arigatōgozaimashita." Retsuko's mother said. Retsuko shook her head when the server reached her and nervously watched Haida's fierce stare with his father.
"So, how are things at work?" Yuuri asked.
"Our company hasn't avoided the economic downturn. Luckily layoffs haven't hit the accounting department yet." Retsuko said, trying to smile.
"Ahh yes, quite sad, so many people are losing their jobs lately. But things will get better. They always do. We just need to have some faith." Yuuri seemed to be the complete opposite of her husband in terms of demeanor.
"One should be prepared for such hardships to reach them. Something my son has undoubtedly failed to do." Retsuko and her mother felt the words hit them like a spear. They couldn't imagine how Haida felt. The hyena didn't respond; instead, he just returned his father's stare.
Eventually, some food arrived from the servant, and finally, Haida's stare ended when he and his father joined their mother in the usual prayer Haida said before he ate.
"Yuuri-, mom." Retsuko said while her mother playfully shook her head.
"Haida and I did have some big news." Retsuko took a deep breath and grabbed Haida by the hand.
"We're going to have a baby!" Retsuko exclaimed passionately. It felt so much easier this time now that her mother already knew, as well as everyone at work.
"A baby! Haida! This is overwhelming! Tatsuya, we're going to be grandparents!" Yuuri grabbed the General and kissed his cheek before doing the same to Haida and Retsuko. However, the General's reaction didn't match his wife's.
"Is this true?"
"Yes, father."
Tatsuya's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head in disappointment.
"Hmp, and yet you'll try to support your child with that dead-end accounting job."
"We'll make do." Haida growled back fearlessly. When Tatsuya's iron gaze returned, Retsuko didn't know how Haida endured it. Yuuri merely took a painful breath.
A few minutes later, the women sat along looking at pictures of Haida as he grew up.
"This was Haida's twelfth birthday party. We invited a girl he had a crush on over. He was so nervous that he tried to do a dive and ended up losing his swim trunks!" Yuuri chuckled as she thought back fondly to the memories.
Normally Retsuko might have laughed at such a story, but she instead took a deep breath, given everything going on.
"What happened between Haida and Tatsuya?" Retsuko asked.
Yuuri looked ready to cry as she held a picture of Haida as a boy being carried on his father's shoulders, both appearing as happy as clams.
"It wasn't always like that. When Haida was younger, he and his father were quite close. But things got more complicated as Haida got older."
"Like what?"
"My husband comes from a prestigious military family. His father before him going all the way back to the Meiji Restoration, each of them served as a military officer, usually reaching a high rank in the army or navy. Tatsuya always intended for Haida to do the same. But Haida wasn't interested in being a soldier. He got into music instead."
Retsuko and her mother slowly began to understand. Yuuri took another deep breath.
"At first, Tatsuya thought it would be a hobby he'd grow out of, but Haida didn't. When Haida said he wanted to become a musician, Tatsuya called him a fool and said he'd go to the academy to follow in the family legacy. Haida refused. He left us and went to his own collage in an accounting degree while also trying to become a musician. But as you know, it didn't work out."
Yuuri saw one of her tears drop onto the picture as she clenched it tightly.
"They haven't spoken since."
"Haida." Retsuko muttered.
"You could at least be nice to my wife!" All three women jumped when they heard Haida roar in an unhinged rage that rivaled Retsuko's karaoke.
Haida stood in another room with his father. Haida was red in the face and breathing deeply while his father stood firmer in his fury.
"You should thank God she took someone like you! All your talent and ambition gone to waste on a stupid hobby!"
Haida's fangs almost cracked as he pressed them together and shook his fist.
"I'm sorry I didn't want to be a soldier like you! It's my life too! Not just the family's!"
"Family is everything, boy! But it would seem I failed to teach you that as well!"
"I have my own family now! You could be part of it if you'd just accept me for who I am!"
"What is that!? A failed musician and a useless cog in a dead-end job! You have no ambition and no future! You'll be blessed to support even one child as you are! Let alone more! You could have continued our family's legacy and made yourself worth something! But you didn't. In the end, you're a loser!"
Haida trembled. He opened his mouth, but no words came out, only tears.
"Goodbye, father." Haida walked out of the room and almost stumbled.
"Retsuko, let's get out of here." He muttered.
"Haida!" Yuuri tried to reach for her son, but he pulled away.
Tatsuya turned back to a picture of a hyena in an Admiral's uniform and sighed.
"Forgive me, father. I've failed our family." Tatsuya heard the door shut behind him and looked over to see Retsuko staring at him with a raging intensity.
"What do you want?"
Retsuko's eyes glowed blue, and she brought up a microphone.
"Rage."
"Overbearing and cruel father! You hate that your son isn't you! Trying to live his life form him! All he wanted was your approval! To live his own dreams! Yet you crush them like a rolling tank!"
Tatsuya wasn't sure what to make of this and looked more perplexed than frightened.
"Cruel father! Cruel father! Cruel father!"
Retsuko turned off her microphone and scowled at Tatsuya.
"He doesn't need your approval."
On the train ride home, Retsuko wrapped her arms around Haida as he let out a few more tears.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Haida sniffled while wiping a few tears away.
"We don't need him in our lives." Haida smiled as he came down and pressed his face against Retsuko's stomach.
"I'm going to love you no matter what your dream is."
Retsuko's face turned red, and she wrapped her own arms around Haida's head.