Chapter Twenty One – "You're always leaving"

The plane landing, it's daylight but gloomy. The clouds are flat, the colour of lead. It's raining heavily, pouring down.

Cut to:

Tokyo airport. Outside beyond the glass walls rain falls like a monsoon. Anna-Marie pushes Luisa in her wheelchair. In the arrivals area they meet Dr. Amasawa. Behind him parked outside is a shiny new people carrier. Seiji bows to him, we see him introduce Luisa, Anna-Marie and lastly, Shizuku. Dr. Amasawa bows to the two ladies but his greeting to Shizuku is minimal.

Dr. A: "We should go direct to the hospital. Mrs. Baroni, are you able to travel there now? Yes. That's good. Miss Tsukishima I will take you home."
Shizuku: "Please, no. I would like to come. I'll phone my parents from there."

Cut to:

Hospital exterior view. A 1950s concrete slab, faceless, tasteless. Without the windows it could be the tomb of a giant.

Cut to:

A hospital corridor. Shizuku pushing Luisa. Dr. Amasawa leads the group, Anna-Marie beside him in hushed conversation. Seiji brings up the rear looking unhappy. They go into a lift.

Cut to:

The lift doors open. Beyond them, in the corridor, is a doctor.

Cut to:

A side view of the doctor waiting outside the lift. Dr. Amasawa comes out, the others behind him.

Doctor (sober tones): "Mr. Amasawa? I am very sorry. It is bad news. Your father in law died an hour ago, your wife is with him now, do please go straight in."

He walks down the corridor a few yards and indicates a doorway with his arm. Seiji's father goes with him. The two men go in.

Cut to:

A waiting area outside the ward. A few chairs, some low tables, a water cooler, piles of magazines. Anna-Marie, Luisa, Shizuku and Seiji remain there. No-one sits, no one talks. Anna-Marie takes Luisa's hand.

Cut to:

A close up of the old lady's face, although she has been through so much in her long life it seems she can no longer cry and her eyes are dry and bright.

Cut to:

Shizuku. She turns to comfort Seiji but he turns away from her and looks out of a window.

Cut to:

A view through the window. Traffic passes on the street several floors below. The cars have their headlights on in the gloom of the storm. The city lights are blurred and mingled by the rainwater. The rain flows down the window.

Cut to:

Seiji standing and looking drained. Shizuku stands behind him, helpless. She wants to comfort him but is confused by his rejection. She holds her hands in front of herself wringing them.

Cut to:

A view of Seiji's back. His shoulders begin shaking as he cries silently. Shizuku reaches out a hand to touch him but then stops and lets it fall.

Cut to:

A view facing the ward doors. They open. They all turn to see who it is. Mrs. Amasawa comes out. Seiji turns, his face very red, she hugs her son. Then she looks at Shizuku and beckons her to her with an out-held arm. Shizuku moves forward and Mrs. Amasawa hugs her too. Shizuku puts one arm round the woman and one round Seiji. They hold onto each other for a while. Mrs. Amasawa then pulls away. She takes one hand of Shizuku's and one of Seiji's and puts them together. It's a simple gesture of the mother to the son accepting the girlfriend as her daughter. She nods silently and smiles. Shizuku looks uncertainly at Seiji, his face is still downcast. Mrs. Amasawa turns to Luisa and Anna-Marie, she bows to them. She kneels in front of the wheelchair.

Mrs A: "I am Yumiko Amasawa, Seiji's mother. You must be Luisa, I have heard so much about you from Shizuku, she has written to me. And of course my father would talk of you sometimes. I am so very sorry, this is such a difficult time. But you are very welcome to stay with us for as long as you wish."

Luisa reaches out and takes her hands. After a moment Mrs. Amasawa rises and faces Anna-Marie who introduces herself. The women talk in muted tones which we cannot overhear.

Cut to:

The ward doors again. Dr. Amasawa comes out and stands to one side a little way down the corridor. He is even now in a time of family grief a cold and distant person. His wife goes to him and they talk. She comes back.

Mrs. Amasawa: "You may go in."

Cut to:

A hospital bedroom. It is gloomy, only a side light above the bed is on. The blinds are drawn to shut out the dismal evening. Mr. Nishi lies on his back, his arms folded on his chest, one hand cupping the other. He looks at peace, as though sleeping. Luisa lets out a little cry and touches his face.

Luisa: "Oh, Shirou, you are as handsome now as the day you left on the train. But why are you always leaving me?"

Seiji places a hand on her shoulder. Shizuku goes to the other side of the bed and kneels on the floor. She takes one of grandpa's hands in hers, presses her face to it and breaks down into uncontrollable sobbing.

Cut to:

An outside view of the hospital in the rain. We still faintly hear Shizuku sobbing.