A Distant Promise – Drabble #6
She was disappointed.
Mrs. Higurashi had always assumed Inuyasha's tomboyish ways would fade if he had a loving family. In her eyes, he only acted gruff and disrespectful because lives were in danger, and there were quests to finish, monsters to fight. Secretly though, she had assumed he was 'nicer' to her daughter somehow, during the quiet moments.
How could she have thought anything else? There might be no accounting for tastes, but her daughter, Kagome, was one of the sweetest, kindest people on the face of the Earth. So, when Kagome fell in love with someone, then Mrs. Higurashi knew, deep down, that person must have a good soul. When her little girl had fallen for Inuyasha, then she had accepted the fact that he must be a decent person.
But lately, her assumptions were being put to the test. Over a year had passed, and she still had to search to see his 'nice' side. Even when she did, those moments were fleeting.
Her daughter was still waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the relationship to progress. Back when Mrs. Higurashi had spoken of patient perseverance to a love-struck daughter, she had suspected the existence of some 'other woman.' Telling Kagome to remain sweet and loyal in the face of adversity had been common sense – every man would pick an agreeable girl over a not-so-agreeable one. It always happened – eventually, one of the two women in a love triangle like that would snap, making demands that the man wasn't willing to commit to – at which point, he'd return to the nicer lady, one who made him feel appreciated and special. Yelling or complaining about being 'cheated' on, this never got anyone anywhere; it just added negativity and caused the relationship to end that much faster. Yet even though that particular obstacle was gone, her daughter's love-life hadn't improved. Mrs. Higurashi began to see the pattern of a larger problem.
What concerned her was the fact that her daughter argued with Inuyasha almost every day, and then wrote it off, like this was normal. What worried her was that Inuyasha seemed incapable of fitting in, and he bristled and attacked first and asked questions later. This era was not as dangerous as the one he remembered; no one was out to get him. Everyone here wanted what was best for him. So, why couldn't the boy be more even-tempered? And what panicked her was the way her daughter acted ready to throw her future away, on a boy who didn't seem to care…
As her daughter entered the second year of high-school, with university looming only a year away, Mrs. Higurashi had quietly suggested picking some schools to apply to. But Kagome's first concern had been Inuyasha. They had agreed to discuss the matter with him first, to help explain the transition from high-school to university.
And sure enough, her daughter had been right. Inuyasha had grown irate, appalled by the idea that Kagome faced almost four more years of schooling. He could not understand why she had to leave home, to take more classes, far away. It wasn't meant as a personal insult, but he took it as such.
At first, he had fumed in silence, fidgeting and fussing with the cushions on the couch. But then, Kagome had said too much. A bit sheepishly, she had mentioned that a four-year University wasoptional. Technically, she did not have to go, but without good credentials, a girl could never achieve a high-paying job.
For some reason, that had been the last straw. Inuyasha had flown into a rage, yelling at her daughter. Claiming that she didn't want to spend time with him, he had accused her of trying to run from her responsibilities! As if Kagome would ever do such a thing! Aghast, Mrs. Higurashi had stepped into the living room to interrupt. Going to a high-ranked University was nothing to be ashamed of, and Kagome's grades in high-school were exemplary. Mrs. Higurashi was fiercely proud of her daughter, knowing precisely how hard she had worked, the hurdles she had to overcome to reach that goal. And frankly, Inuyasha should have known all those things too. She would not sit idly by, while a misunderstood boy kept Kagome from achieving her full potential.
It would be to his benefit too, she thought sadly –as Kagome was likely to be the 'bread-winner' in their partnership, should the two marry. Thoughts like these discouraged a mother, so she tried not to dwell on them. But in the end, she felt so disappointed, in so many ways. Why couldn't her daughter have had an easy life, full of love and laughter?
