It was only a few days after Ami's discovery of that puppy that one of the Oh-gal's favorite people visited them and the rest of their family. It was their grandfather; his name was Taki but Ami and her sisters usually just called him ''Pappy.''
Ami, Yushi and Gojei loved his visits because of the stories he told them. He had begun to feel that by now the girls were old enough to hear his stories of samurai that once frightened them; up until then he had only told them the ''cute'' stories, such as those about friendly animals and dragons. Still, to be safe, he decided he would soften up the old tales just a bit.
After hearing one of his stories that day Ami told him about the puppy she had seen and that Akasei had suggested that it just might be a Christmas present.
''A dog, huh?'' Taki asked. ''Ya know, I know an old story that says dogs scare away birds that try to hurt little kids like you...''
''I've heard that one already, Pappy!'' Gojei said angrily.
Another few days passed and Akasei anounnced that the family would be going to Kyoto to visit someone in the family that the Oh-gals had not met before: Uncle Otaro. It would be a long train ride from Tokyo to Kyoto, Akasei informed the girls, but she told them she would try to make it easy for them.
But there was no way she could make it any easier for Joko. Why? It is a rather long story. You see, it has been said that Japanese children are some of the most well-behaved in the world. Well, whoever said that had certainly overlooked Joko! I won't go into much detail here, (this story is about Ami, not Joko) but let's just say that he was quite the rebellious sort, especially with Otaro, his older brother. Joko was not all that pleased with Otaro whenever he or his parents had to remind him of his place in that paticular pecking order. Why, at times it got just plain awful! And to make matters worse, those sort of quarrels happened nearly everytime he and Otaro met.
Anyway, the following day Akasei and the others got aboard the train to Kyoto very early that morning and prepared themselves for the long ride in their own ways.
It had been mere hours since sunrise and the city looked most delightful in the light, however cloudy the skies were (well, it was winter after all). As the train pulled out, Ami and Gojei stared out the window in absolute glee; they had never been on a train before. Yushi was easily bored, though, and Akasei, knowing this, brought along a good deal of books that Yushi had enjoyed at home.
Joko (as I said before), was the least happy about any of it. Not only did he have to deal with Otaro, it was Sunday, his usual day off, and he usually preferred to spend his Sundays by doing...nothing. And now here he was on a stupid train to stupid Kyoto...oh, you can imagine his displeasure (but I think it's best if you don't!)
Upon arriving in Kyoto, Ami was awestruck by how different this paticular city was from her own. This place, it seemed, you could easily trip over the dozens upon dozens of pagodas and shrines that populated the place.
Ami had seen such structures before, but she hadn't seen so many of them in one city.
Aside from that, there were plenty of other things that Ami found to be rather fascintating. As Joko (in a most dismal frame of mind) led them to the neighborhood where Otaro lived, a woman in a blue kimono passed close by them. Ami paid no attention to her at first, but then she noticed that her face was whiter than any she had seen before. Now, she remembered that the tourists she had seen many times before had white faces, but this woman's face was whiter than theirs, and her lips seemed to be redder.
''Don't be so alarmed,'' Akasei said, seeing Ami's surprise, ''that's just a geisha.''
Ami walked on, wondering what in the world a ''geisha'' could be. But she didn't concern herself with it for very much longer, and continued following her parents and sisters through the streets.
Otaro's house was situated in a rual area near a small stream lined with trees. The house was one of those older ones with sliding doors and such, but it seemed quite clean and secure for its age. It was another new sight for Ami, as the house she and the rest of the family lived in was not like this at all.
Joko, with an angry sigh, knocked on the door and braced himself for what was to come. But surprisingly, it wasn't Otaro who answered the door. It was a girl about three years older than Ami, with dark brown hair, indigo eyes, a red sweater, and black pants. It was Miruku, Otaro's daughter and Ami's cousin.
''Oh...Uncle Joko! What a surprise!'' Miruku said. ''Oh, and you must be Ami! My dad's been telling me about you and he says he wants to see you again.''
Ami didn't know what Miruku was talking about; she had not met Otaro before. Otaro had seen her before, some months after she and Yushi and Gojei were born.
''Well, then,'' Miruku said, ''Why don't you all come in?''
Some minutes later Ami and Miruku were watching TV together, Yushi was reading the books she had brought along with her, and Gojei, as usual, was pilfering through Otaro's things, much to Akasei's dismay. Gojei ended up having to try her best to do it behind Akasei's back...and that didn't quite work.
As Ami sat there beside her cousin, gazing off into space in a carefree sort of way, there was the sound of footsteps and someone calling out ''Miruku!''
Ami and Miruku turned around. Standing beside them was a man who seemed to be somewhat older than Joko, and he had black hair, deep blue eyes, a reddish-violet jacket with a purple shirt underneath, blue-grey pants, and glasses that seemed to be made of jade. Ami took another look at this fellow and liked what she saw in him.
''Oh...hi, Dad,'' Miruku said. Yes, it was Otaro.
Otaro's attention was on Ami, as well as Yushi and Gojei, who had seen him coming.
''Hmmm...so you are my nieces, correct?''
The Oh-gals didn't understand what he meant, but they nodded anyway.
''Well, it's quite nice to see you,'' Otaro said, bowing. ''Now, where is that good-for-nothing father of your's?''
''Uhm...I think I saw him over there,'' Yushi said, ''but no more of that name calling!'' As Otaro left, Yushi muttered, ''Good-for-nothing...how dare he!''
Meanwhile, Joko had begun to think that he was free of Otaro when...
''Well, well, well, if it isn't my baby brother,'' Said a voice from behind him. ''What, have you come for another good tounge-lashing?''
''I didn't come to fight, Otaro!'' Joko said angrily, ''And I'm not your 'baby' brother either!''
''Oh, say what you like,'' Otaro said pettishly, ''You know what you're here for.''
''I came here because Akasei wants my kids to see you again and meet Miruku,'' Joko said, ''that's it! No fighting, and I mean it!''
''Oh, but really, Joko, what in Buddah's name would we fight over?'' Otaro continued in that disrespectful tone.
''We're so close, aren't we?''
''We are,'' Joko said, ''but you know how we get. Now, I have more important things to worry about besides you.'' And with that he started to walk away.
''Don't walk out on me, Joko!'' Otaro called out angrily.
''Sure,'' Joko replied, ''just as long as you don't walk out on me.''
Before Joko could come to his senses Otaro was right in front of him. ''I know my place, Joko,'' He said angrily, ''and it's about time you knew yours!'' In plain English (Japanese?), he meant, ''I'm the boss around here!''
Without saying anything else, Joko left pusillanimously. It was the sort of thing he had been wanting to avoid that whole time.
Otaro stood there staring after his younger brother for some time, unaware that Akasei had been watching them. ''What am I going to do with him?'' Akasei muttered under her breath.
''I'm asking myself the same question,'' Otaro said, hearing what she had just said.
''I mean, what's his problem?'' Akasei said.
''I think he was dropped on his head as a baby if you ask me,'' Otaro said with an odd grin. Akasei couldn't help but laugh a bit.
Later on, Ami, getting bored with the simple act of staring at the TV with Miruku, noticed something that looked somewhat like a treasure chest of some sort in one corner of the room. Forthwith, she went to get a better look at it. It wasn't a treasure chest in the strictest sense, but to Ami, it was close enough.
Carefully, she tried lifting the rather heavy lid up, but her efforts did not go unoticed by Miruku. Miruku, hearing what her cousin was up to, she turned around for a better look.
''Don't be digging in there!'' Miruku said to Ami, in much the same way Akasei might have done.
Ami let go of that heavy lid momentarily, then when she was sure Miruku wasn't paying attention, tried to lift it again. Just like before, it didn't quite go the way she would have wanted it to.
Miruku noticed her attempts once again. ''No...you can't be doin'...'' Miruku began, ''...get out of there now!''
Ami ignored her.
''Ami, no!'' Miruku said angrily. Ami still paid no attention to her and kept on lifting that lid; at this point she had almost got it.
''Get out of there!'' Miruku demanded again. Ami had now gotten the lid up all the way, but lost her grip. The lid fell back down again with a massive ''thud,'' and although Ami got her hands out of the way as best as she could, the lid hit her thumb.
''Oooowwwwwwww!'' Ami wailed, clutching her thumb and grinding her teeth in pain.
''That's what you get,'' Miruku said, rolling her eyes.
Ami sat down beside Miruku and stuck her thumb in her mouth, trying to ease the pain however she could. A while passed, then curiousity took over once again and she went wandering about the house once more, this time towards the kitchen.
And she was in for a wonderful surprise when she got in there: when she looked in the refrigerator she found a small pint of rainbow sherbert ice cream. The only problem was, it was too high for her to reach.
She tried her best to grab it for some time, and when she had almost given up completely Miruku came in.
''What are you up to now?'' Miruku asked.
''I want some of that ice cream,'' Ami said, pointing to it, ''but I can't reach it...''
Almost immediately Miruku reached for it and took it out, then gave it to Ami. ''Now you can,'' Miruku said happily.
Ami was just plain confused, however: how on earth was she supposed to have any ice cream with just a cold cardboard-ish tub in her hands?
''Uhm...Miruku?'' Ami said just as her cousin was leaving.
''Yeah?''
''What do I do with this?''
Miruku understood what Ami was talking about. ''Oh, silly me,'' Miruku said with a laugh, ''I didn't give you any.''
Miruku took the pint of ice cream and got out a spoon and a bowl. ''How much do you want?'' She asked.
Ami thought for a moment. ''Just a little bit,'' She said.
Miruku scooped the ice cream into the bowl in a rather short time and gave the bowl and spoon to Ami. Still, Ami didn't seem that pleased.
''What's wrong?'' Miruku asked.
''Well...'' Ami said, ''I was thinking of a bigger little bit.'' Miruku put more ice cream into the bowl.
At once Ami began scarfing down spoonful after spoonful of the stuff rather quickly...and I'm sure you know what happens if you eat ice cream too fast.
All of a sudden Ami's head hurt, and she immediately dropped the spoon on the floor with a ''klink''
''What's wrong now?'' Miruku asked. ''Oh...I see...brain freeze. It'll pass.''
It did, but Ami was afraid it was going to happen again and thus didn't eat any more of the ice cream. There wasn't very much of it left, anyway.
Miruku left the kitchen, with Ami following. They sat down in front of the TV again.
After some time Miruku asked, ''What is your family doing for Christmas, Ami?''
''Well,'' Ami began, ''My mommy said she might get me a puppy that I saw in the store.''
''Really?'' Miruku asked, rather intrested. ''What did the puppy look like?''
''He was white and he had spots on his feet and his ears,'' Ami said; just talking about that puppy made her want it even more.
''Hmmm...he sounds cute,'' Miruku said. ''I sure hope your mom gets it for you.'' She went back to her TV watching.
I sure hope she does too, Ami thought, dreamily gazing off into space once again.
A/N: Hmmm this chappie was longer than I thought it would be...eight freakin' pages! Aiiieeee!
And we are getting closer to Dang-Dang's ''official'' debut, so stay tuned. Also, this isn't the last you will see of Otaro...I plan on using him in future installments of the series.
Until the next chappie, review me; do not flame or I will beat you.
----Shaddie-chan