Under the Same Roof - Chapter Four
By: Moments of Insanity
Date : 16 March 2005
Revised Date :
Disclaimer: not mine
Author's note: English is not my first language. I had to try my best to tackle the horrible English grammar. If you see any blatant mistake Please review, and drop a note. Also Constructive criticism will be most appreciated.
This is a "nothing-much" happens fiction, as in no enemies, no conspiracy, just a scribble about two ordinary people learning to live together.
Zale felt his shoulder relax as soon as he heard the entrance door shut quietly. He heaved a big sigh and lifted his arms above his head to stretch the knots out of his shoulder. The awkwardness was starting to get on his nerves as he danced around his flat mate whose sensitivity was like fragile glass.
He looked at the clock and noticed he still had 15 minutes before going to work. He rubbed his hand over his eyes and decided to put on the stereo in the living room to smooth his frayed nerves and catch a moment of shuteye.
As he left his bedroom for the living room, his eyes were drawn to his flat mate's room; a room that was no longer his. He stopped at the door and wondered how the room had transformed under Ami's touched. His hand rested on the door handled, torn between looking into the room, yet hesitating because the guilty feeling of invading one's privacy, after all a room could say a lot about the occupier. Steeling himself, while unconsciously taking a deep breath, he pushed and the door yieldingly swung open.
It was a surprisingly unfeminine room. A casual glance showed it lacked posters of pop stars or numerous of pushy and little knick-knacks. Her bed was neatly made with her night clothes folded neatly on the pillow with an adorable yellow angel fish plushy next to it. Her work table was orderly, very unlike his own where papers and documents were thrown chaotically on the table. It always had taken a day for Zale to clean the documents so he could see the color of his desk, a task he would reluctantly undertake once a month. The only particularity he saw was the walls were pasted with little small cards of definitions, yellow post-it-notes with messages, timetables and other small pieces of paper.
Cautiously he made across the room. His bookcase that used to house his numerous reference magazines was now filled with medical reference books. He was honestly surprise to find not even one single book on fashion or cosmetic. The only thing that might be, on the border line, deemed as frivolous was a small box filled with ordinary plain hairclips. On the floor were a few frames leaning against the wall. He gingerly picked one up; it was an oil painting of the stormy sea, turbulent and angry as grey storm clouds rolled overhead. It was breathtaking with the power of nature so wonderfully captured on the canvas. He glanced at another oil painting; it was a view of spring leaves with a blue sky backdrop. The vibrant sun lit the green leaves casting an array of green shades. They were obviously drawn by the same person. He curiously flipped the oil painting of the sea over,
"Ami. Northern Japan Sea. Father"
Zale carefully returned the picture to its original place. It was obviously a sentimental object. He frowned; the inadequate short note shed light on Ami's upbringing. In that instant, he felt pity for the girl with short hair. He mentally made a note to offer his help in hanging the pictures up.
Next he cast his eyes on the walls, and read the writings scribbled on post it notes and line paper littered across the walls.
"Usagi called. Invite them over. Mom"
"Ami. What did that note from the locker say? Mako :P"
"Remember to eat. Will be back late. Don't study too much. Mom"
"Ami, Meeting and arcades afterward? Minako v"
"Sorry, Darling. Work. Will come in late, don't wait for me. Mom"
"Sweetest, can I borrow you notes from last lesson? Ryo"
"Ami. Oooh. Secret admirer. Usagi (0)/"
"Congratulations and well done, sweet heart. Hope you like the little gift I got you, Mom PS take you out for that classy restaurant tomorrow."
"Sweetest, can I take a look at your essay? Ryo"
Zale stared at the name and felt a flicker of annoyance. Almost with a deliberately air he turned his eyes away from the notes and cast his eyes on a small number of photos frames on a row of cardboard boxes which Ami had converted as temporary bookshelves.
The first one was a picture of girls and a boy taken in high school. Two of which he recognized who had help Ami with her belongings on that day. The other two girls had long blond hair. One had a cheery red bow while another had her hair tied up in two buns. The boy stood protectively behind the later girl while the former girl, with Makoto, had their arms thrown across Ami's shoulder in a show of comradeship. The girls all had a cheery grin pasted on their faces with a flushing Ami in the middle holding a trophy in her hand. Curiously, Zale turned the picture over and as he guessed there was a small description in neat handwriting on a white sticker.
"Inter-school swimming championship. 19xx May"
A neat freak, Zale mused as he held the next picture frame up and felt his eyes widen. It was a picture of the same group of people, but this time with the Starlights, the race course star Tenoh Haruka and Violinist Kaioh Michiru. Also there was a lady with long hair and a dark complexion who stood behind a pale little girl in black dress. A picture with her idols? He mused as his eyes lingered on Ami's face who smiled gently for the camera. He turned the picture and read the description.
"As time flows. Paths diverge. We will forge dreams. Come years, Till meet again. 19xx September"
This time the handwriting seems scrawled across the small sticker, as if the description was unplanned, the solemn free verse poem as a whimsical musing.
Placing the photo frame back to its original position, he knelt down to survey the rest of the photos. One featured Ami beaming into the camera and a lady with black hair standing proudly behind her with her hands on Ami's shoulder. The lady obviously was Ami's mother, as Ami had inherited her features and those sky blue eyes. However it was an incomplete family photo as evidently lacking a father figure. Zale looked critically at the photo. We are both from broken family, Zale reflected as he examined the lady who might become his future stepmother. He smiled wistfully. Ami's mother was an antithesis of his own mother. From the pictures where Ami smiled happily with her mother and the notes that filled with motherly concern, it was quite difficult for Zale not to feel a slight bit of jealousy. His mother walked out on him years ago, and with his father's Casanova attitude, he never had a real family. He rolled on the balls of his foot, balancing carefully as he mused over a future with Ami as his sister and possibility of a loving mother.
Next to that family picture was another picture. A frowned unknowingly marred his face when he flipped the said picture for the description.
"Ryo. High school graduation. 199x"
Ryo was a boy with curly soft brown hair, the type that might beg girls to run their fingers through them. Zale looked critically at the photo, where a slightly blushing Ami was standing in Ryo's embrace with a bright smile. In contrast, Ryo's smile was polite and distant. Funny enough, Ryo was not wearing uniform.
Agitated by reason he did not understand, Zale quickly replaced the photo. He took at step back as if to distance himself from the sudden annoyance on his part. He took a look of his wrist watch and swore under his breath. Apparently he did not notice the time while musing in Ami's room. Still cursing, he gathered his bag and lunch before rushing out of the door.
He frowned as he waited for the cursed lift. Something changed and Zale just could not put his finger on it.
Yes, I'm a slow writer. This took me 4 months to publish. Actually it had been in my computer for a while in half bake form until someone dropped a review and reminded me that I still owe you guys some chapters.
My snail pace writing is also one of the main reasons why I don't have an editor. Therefore there may be grammar mistakes that I missed while I was proof reading.
Therefore please read and review. And please drop notes where my grammar had gone drastically wrong.