New chapter! And it's about to get heavy!
The next few days went quickly. I found Hitsugi quite easy to get a long with, though he's definitely odd with conversation. Hitsugi likes meaningless chatter and does do deep in to himself. The subject of cats is popular for him.
"I really like 'em. They're bad=ass.
But our conversations weren't always possible. Before he made dinner on my first staying, as he sat at dining table with his papers, he removed his heavy frames, sat back and looked at me in a seriously manner.
"Miserable topic" Hitsugi heaved a heavy sigh "The funeral is in a few days"
I swallowed, my muscles tightened. Nothing was said for a few seconds. I gazed at him with the strongest expression I could, watching his piercings pop in their holes as his tongue ran over them.
"It'll be a long drive... But I think we'll manage. We'll get Macdonalds on the way. Pizza on the way back if you're up for it. Junk food heals the soul" he smiled softly, cocking his head to one side "You okay kid?"
"Yeah fine... Not a nice thing. Funerals. But it's cool. Finally goodbyes are needed"
"Yes... Bad for the soul though. Maybe we'll get pizza too"
He knows lot about me now, but I don't know a lot about him. He told me about his band, funny things that had happened and how different his band mates are. I really want to meet the singer. He seems so comical that a meeting should not go amiss.
Hitsugi said I could get a drum kit again. He says he actually has one stored away somewhere at his parents house, but he wasn't sure of it's condition. The thought is nice though.
The funeral rolled around quickly. We both quiet that morning, just getting up, washed and dress with barely a word. By half 10, we were in the car on our way. Hitsugi put on the stereo for while to cure the silence. Once we were on the highway, he turned it down and brought up food.
"Macdonalds will be on the left in a few mins. Breakfast time, me thinks"
I agreed. My empty stomach burned with acid. As we waited for Macdonalds to come into view, we mindless chattered about it.
"I don't like their milkshakes" Hitsugi sniggered "Everyone likes them but it tastes like vomit to me"
"I don't like their fish burgers... Because I don't like much fish"
I ate my food as slow as I could. I didn't want to be late for my mother's funeral but the horrendous feeling of a final good bye, and feeling of knowing I would be in the room with his lifeless corpse made me sick. I couldn't do it. I want to break down although I wasn't even there yet.
Hitsugi must have felt the tension as, during what had been a long silence, he kindly said,
"It's never as bad as you imagine.
Not to say it won't be unpleasant. But it won't be as bad as you imagine"
Arriving was awful too. I felt sick, staring at the building where it would be held. Hitsugi put an arm round my shoulders as he walked me through the car park. It weird seeing so many people I didn't recognize. I don't know where she met these people. I looked round for the car of the neighbour who had found my mother, but none of the vehicles seemed familiar. A couple in wheelchairs, not elderly but clearly passed the stage in life known as 'middle age', sat at the bottom of the entrance ramp. Obnoxiously, they were almost blocking the entrance entirely. People were cautiously side stepping through the gap, too polite to demand them to move. They weren't conversing with anyone who spoke to them, nor each other and we're just staring off into space.
Hitsugi swore under his breath.
"Mum! Dad!"
The couple's heads slowly turned
"Back up!"
The couple looked at each other with confused faces. Hitsugi groaned before running ahead to drag their wheelchairs back a few feet to unblock the ramp.
"Mum!" Hitsugi said in a clear and loud voice "You were blocking the entrance"
"Oh... I was wondering by people kept apologizing to us... I thought they thought we were Kimi's parents" we gave dull laugh
Hitsugi moved to stand down between.
"Mum, dad, this is Meto-
"whats his name?" Hitsugi's father squinted at me.
"MEE-TO! He's Kimi's son"
A smiled spread across Mitsuo's mother's face.
"Oh I haven't seen you since you were a baby! Such a sweet little boy... I used to baby sit when your mum went to school!"
"Oh... Thank you... For... Looking after me, ma'am"
"Call me Tsu, as you seem to have forgotten my name"
"Yes... Sorry. Tsu"
"My dad is David, by the way" Hitsugi explained.
"I'm David" His father smiled, clearly not hearing his son "My father was an American. Never knew the man, but clearly my mother was infatuated by him as she named me after him. Personally, I believe she hadn't known him long enough to know his name and simple picked the only male western name she knew and declared it to have been his!" He laughed
I tried to laugh too, feeling awful uncomfortable. There was something wrong with pair. A hearing disability was now obvious but something else didn't seem right... It was in their stares.
"Where's Mrs Takanawa?" Hitsugi questioned in a serious tone
"She's inside somewhere... I don't think she's coming back"
The guitarist swore under his breath before asking for my assistance in bringing them inside. Though his mother was a small and skinny woman, I had imagined pushing her up the ramp to be a heavy job due to the wheelchair. Actually, it was fine. Tsu hummed to herself as I pushed her into the building. I found helping her a small distraction for everything. Hitsugi instructed me to walk through the corridor and too the door at the end. A golden sign was above the door that read 'Service Hall'. I gulped but did I was ordered. Hitsugi then instructed me to hold the door open while he pushed is parents in. I wish he hadn't. I didn't want to be the first person to step in room. But I did it. I placed all my focus of David and Tsu. 'It's just a room' I told myself 'an ordinary room'. I dared myself to look. There was over 50 seats in lines, but only 8 were taken. One at a time, Hitsugi wheeled them through the doors and to end of the second line of seats. I found myself frozen to the door, unable to follow. Hitsugi saw, and strolled back over to me"
"Be sweet" he said.
I blinked "huh?"
"To my parents. They're quite deaf and both a partially blind, my father more so. They don't get out much either so they really like to talk. Maybe having a chat will help you relax anyway..." I gave a little half smile " They're not... completely there anymore. They're been in a few accidents, you see... Stressful life."
I nod, but couldn't hold my tongue "Then... Why don't you see them much?"
Hitsugi sucked his lip ring "I find I cause my problems. Sometimes they don't even remember me... Sometimes one of them think I'm kid still. Then they'll argue about how old I am... It doesn't happen often..." A small smiled crept up his cheeks "For such a sad day, it's a good day for them. They're aware."
I simple smile back and nod. I found myself feeling slightly happy that he was opening up to me.
Hitsugi opened his mouth to speak again, because someone else caught his attention. Running towards the door was a chubby, young woman in a too-tight black dress.
"Mitsuo..." she puffed as she got to us "I've lost them!, I-"
"I brought them in" Hitsugi frowned at her.
She stuttered uncomfortable.
I always found sights like this a little amusing. A small man talking down to a woman who stood inches above him. Hitsugi firmly, but calmly told the young woman off for not sticking to her 'priorities'.
"I needed the bathroom! I'm very sorry, I-"
"I asked you to please wait outside until I arrived. You also left them blocking the ramp so people couldn't get in the building. Please, Ms Takanawa, look after my parents"
"I do, I-"
"Your nice but I need to know they're safe"
"Yes Mitsuo, sir. I'll be better"
Ms Takanawa quickly ran back to the couple, apologizing to them to. Hitsugi sighed.
"Are you going to say anything?"
"About what?"
"About your mum. During the service"
I swallowed. I became aware of the tightness of my grip on the door and forced myself to let it go, allowing it to slowly swing shut.
"I haven't prepared as speech..."
"You don't need one. I think you should... It's the kind of thing you may regret" Hitsugi placed a calm hand on my shoulder. "May do you some good"
"Fastfood does you good, talking to people does you good, funeral speeches do you good, what doesn't do you good in your books?" I laughed sarcastically.
"Regret and salad" he smirked back "Come on. Take a seat with me"
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