Here's the next one. I hope you enjoy it.
As he sat on the bus, Shin was feeling the pain from the day before. The bus shaking though was not helping either. He was on his way home for a few weeks before he was heading to Somalia. This time around, Shin was not expecting a homecoming party. He had a feeling that he was going to help in the shop or babysit. He didn't mind though. He was finally meeting his eight month year old nephew. Although, the more he thought about it, the more he was worried that the baby wouldn't like him, or that he's be a horrible uncle. And he hoped Taro would like the fluffy dolphin he bought for him.
"We're arriving in Yamaguchi." The driver yelled throughout the bus.
Grabbing his bag, Shin got off. Ryuusuke met him at the bus stop to drive him home.
"You look less like a sailor saving people and more like a soldier, ready to kill them." His brother-in-law said.
"Let's hope I don't have to." Shin mumbled.
"Well, I hope you're good with kids, because I have to go back to work. You're stuck with Taro for the day."
"Alright."
"And just so you know, he's more like a Shizuka than a Mori. Loud and proud."
"Great." Shin laughed, "How am I supposed to teach him to swim then?"
"Good luck with that. You'll need several dive tanks."
"Are you working up in Hagi?"
"Yes and your sister has given me the job to check on the old house."
"I'll see you next week then." Shin teased.
"Ha, you're funny." Ryuusuke commented, as he pulled into the driveway, "Well, Sayoko's in there for the time being. She'll head over to the shop as you settle in."
Shin waved as he got out. Sayoko, with Taro in her arms, was already at the door when he walked up.
"Welcome home Shin." She smiled.
"I'm glad to be home."
"Come on, I bet you're hungry." She said handing the boy over, "I'll make you something quick."
The baby boy was staring at Shin with his big brown eyes, as he followed into the kitchen.
"I didn't think babies were this heavy." He said.
"He's not heavy. You were heavy." Sayoko laughed, "But you were quiet. Taro likes to think he's talking to you all the time."
"Does this mean I'm not Boy-chama anymore?" Shin smiled.
"No." his older sister flatly said.
She put a plate on the table before sitting down, "Mom and I should be back before dinner. In case he gets hungry, there are peaches he can eat."
"Diapers?"
"Washroom. All his toys are in his room, and don't leave him alone. He likes to wander off." Sayoko then laughed, "Are you going to be alright?"
"I've fought monsters, spirits, and crazy people. I think I can handle a baby."
Sayoko rolled her eyes, "I forget that you've never handled babies before."
"What about the egg I had to take care of in school? I took great care of it."
"Doesn't count Shin. Any ten year old can keep an egg from breaking." Sayoko sighed, "Call the shop if something comes up."
"I will."
Seconds after his mother left, Taro quickly showed Shin how he really was. Every time Shin tried to take a bite of his food, Taro had something to say.
"Let Uncle Shin eat. You were just fed." Shin said.
The poofy black hair and brown eyes made it hard to continue to eat, so Shin brought the kid to the living room. Some toys were already there and a blanket was on the floor. Taro was on his hands and knees as Shin was lying on his stomach. It was almost a stare off until the baby took off crawling. Frustrated, Shin quickly got up to catch him.
"This is my payback isn't it?" Shin said as he picked the boy up.
The boy, not liking being picked up at the time, screamed.
"Oh no." he said, putting the boy down on the blanket again.
The boy stopped, and instead started to play with one of his toys. Taking the short time he had, Shin grabbed his bag to pull the stuffed dolphin out. He sat the toy down in front of his nephew. He then went to grab his food to finish. As he walked back into the living room, Taro was not on his blanket.
"Dammit." Shin said softly.
Setting the plate down, he started to search the rooms. Touma and Sayoko were correct that babies were hard. When he found the baby, Taro had gone through his green bag. There was a black boot in his mouth.
"No, boots are not baby food." Shin said taking the boot away.
He then grabbed his white hat and placed it on the boy.
"Play with that." He said, since he didn't have the white shirt to go with it anymore.
Taking Taro with him, Shin sat on a sofa and turned the TV on. Someone was watching the news before as Shin decided to turn the channel. He figured it was his mother who was watching it last. Stopping on some show about fish, Shin grew tired. Taro himself yawned as well.
"You're tiring, you know that." Shin said, as the boy started to fall asleep on his chest.
When Shin woke, the baby wasn't there. He stood up quickly, almost tripped over a toy, and headed towards the noise in the kitchen.
"He's up." He heard Sayoko say.
His mother was holding the baby, "I see you and Taro got along well."
"Kinda." Shin said rubbing his head.
Both of the women laughed.
Giving him a quick kiss on the forehead, Sayoko laughed, "You did fine little brother."
"Shin, you'll need to sleep well tonight. I have a lot of work for you tomorrow at the shop. We're shipping a lot of goods to Canada tomorrow and I need your strong back to help." His mother said, still facing the oven.
"Yes mother." Shin said, sitting at the table.
"How's your shoulder?"
"It's better."
"Good." His mother turned to bring plates over, "I was given some fresh salmon. I hope you can eat it Shin."
"I'll be fine. At this point I'll eat anything."
"Was the food not good?"
"It was… alright." Shin mumbled, "The cooks were not always consistent."
His mother gave him a sympathetic look, "Well, enjoy the home cooked food while you can. I wouldn't expect it to get any better in Somalia."
Dinner was quiet except for Taro's babbling. Shin knew that his family had many questions, but they were not asking them. He wasn't sure if they didn't want to bring it up or if they thought he was stressing.
"Oh," his mother said, remembering something, "Your Uncle Robert is flying into the airport tomorrow as well."
"Uncle Robert?" Shin had a confused look.
"You haven't met him. He's finally coming to Japan to visit." His mother continued, "And it's about time too. It's been almost twenty-three years since I've seen him last."
"Her older brother's an ex-pilot for some airline." Sayoko whispered into his ear, "He's a bit crazy."
"You've met him?"
"Once, but I was eight. It was at grandmother's funeral in Canterbury. He's missing something in his head though."
"Oh," Shin looked at his mother, "Where is he flying from?"
"London. He says that he's bringing us some things from the family."
"Why is he deciding to come out now?" Shin asked. He knew he was being rude, but he felt that it was strange for someone in the family to finally visit after not do so for years.
"I told him that you were in London for a short time, and we wants to see Taro." His mother said, "Also, he says that your cousin Frank is also in Somalia. I assume he just wants to talk about it since you are heading over there."
"Great." Shin snorted.
He received a look from his mother.
"I'll behave." He responded, "But if he starts giving you any grief for staying in Japan, I'll have to step in."
His mother sighed, "I expect he will, but don't worry too much about it."
"Mom, I don't want your blood pressure to rise."
"Nonsense, I can deal with my brother." His mother finished her food, "I'm turning in early. We have a big day tomorrow Shin."
"Yes mother." He turned to Sayoko, "Need help with clean up?"
"No Shin, I'll be fine. You should get ready for bed. Taro will keep me company."
"Alright, good night." He said, giving her a kiss on the forehead.
The next morning, Shin found himself the only one up. Grabbing some old clothes, he started breakfast for everyone. He had already started eating when his mother walked in.
"Morning." Shin said.
"Morning."
"There's tea in the pot." He spoke, pointing to the oven top.
"Thank you. Take your time this morning. We don't have to be there until nine."
Shin nodded.
When they arrived at the shop, Shin recognized a few of the shippers. They all talked to him for a short time before they started packing. They spent a good three hours packing and lifting boxes into the truck. When he sat down for a breather, Shin stretched his back out. One of the shippers, Emi, went to school with him. She came over to have him sign for the shipment.
"Hey Shin. How has the Agency been?" the brunette asked.
"Busy. I'm heading to Africa in a few weeks."
"I've heard. Have fun over there."
Shin laughed at the girl's naïveté as he gave her the clipboard, "I will."
He heard his mother call him, "I have to go. Until next time."
Emi smiled, "Bye."
He soon was given a list of food to retrieve for lunch.
Shin was surprised on how many people in the area knew that he was going to Somalia. Since he had moved his mother to Yamaguchi for better hospitals, he didn't know them too well. Some people gave him sad smiles, while others wished him luck. He took them all in with no comment. He had food in his hand, so he really couldn't stop to talk to all of them.
As he returned to the shop, he asked his mother.
"They were all interested in what you were doing. I couldn't lie." She said, going through the bags, "Besides, they're friendly people."
"Alright," Shin said, leaning on a counter, "When is Uncle Robert supposed to come?"
"About seven. Now, I have some vases to finish painting. Can you watch the counter?"
Shin nodded. He waited for the door to close before looking for his book stash that was left in the store. When he found what he was looking for, he laughed. His mother had left his old comic books alone. Leaning back in his chair, he rested his feet on the counter. Unlike years before when he had done this, his feet actually could rest on the counter. He sat like that for a good hour and a half before Sayoko toss his feet off the counter.
"Don't you ever grow up?" she laughed, as Taro was now sitting on the counter.
"I do believe that the age of twenty is a sign of adulthood." He responded with a smile.
"Yes, by the government's standards." She then looked at his books, and sighed, "Has anyone come in?"
"No. We had a few window shoppers walk by."
"Okay. Can you watch Taro for a bit? I have to talk with mother about the garden in Hagi."
"Sure." Shin said, sitting up.
Looking at the boy, Shin spoke, "I should give these to you, but you'll probably have better manga by then."
Shin brought the boy off of the counter and into his lap. He attempted to read to him, but Taro wanted to eat the paper.
"Shin, don't let him eat your nasty old books." Sayoko said, walking out from the back.
"I was just trying to read to him." He defended himself.
"And I'll tell you the same thing I told Touma; he just wants to eat it."
Shin shrugged her off when she left with Taro. He fell back into his routine of reading until his mother came out a few hours later.
"I think I'm done for the day." She said, "Come on Shin, help me lock up."
It was late at night when they all returned from the airport in Hiroshima with their uncle. Uncle Robert and his mother talked nonstop, like it hadn't been years since they last saw each other. Shin quietly drove, trying to ignore the man's weird questions. He was like a bad Monty Python sketch and his mother was laughing at his jokes.
"Told you he's crazy." Sayoko whispered to him.
"No kidding." Shin said.
When Shin parked at the house, he quickly grabbed his uncle's belonging and brought them to a guest room. He didn't really want to join them in the kitchen.
"Heya Shin my boy, I'm glad you got rid of that mullet. You look more like a swinger now than a fairy. Doesn't he, eh?" His uncle said, looking at old photos, "Eh, those clothes though, boy. Do you shop in a seventies store of something?"
Shin growled. Like his uncle dressed any better. The man was wearing a tight pair of jeans, a turtleneck and a leather vest. There also seemed to be an old tattoo that he was hiding on his neck.
"Are you looking forward to going to Somalia?" he didn't give Shin a chance to answer, "I bet you are. My son Frank is there now. The young kid's getting around, if you know what I mean."
Shin watched as Sayoko sighed. Their cousin Frank was in his mid-thirties.
"Here you go Shin, an old picture of me and your mom." He tossed the photo after talking more.
Shin saw the close resemblance he and his uncle had. If it wasn't for the horrible neck tattoo, he would have thought that he was in the picture.
"Uncle, what's your tattoo of?" Shin asked, starting to recognize it.
"It was a bad mistake. Damn gangs if you know what I mean. We all thought it would be 'cool' to get snake tattoos." The man spoke, like he wasn't trying to offend him.
The look he gave him told Shin exactly what he wanted to know.
"That's odd." Shin spoke, knowing his mother would get on his case, "The man that shot me had the same tattoo. If you know what I mean."
"Boy, you better watch yourself."
"Shin," his mother interrupted, "Robert, let's not get into a fight on the first day. I don't I show you to your room, Bobby."
"Sounds great." The older man said.
After they left the room, Sayoko spoke, "What was that about?"
"Exactly what I said." Shin sighed, "The guys we fought in London had the same tattoo as well. I don't think it's just a gang. Something's coming."
"Does it have to do with the armors?"
"Yes." Shin sighed, "I just hope it doesn't happen until I get back."
"What are you going to do with Suiko?"
Shin sighed, "I gave it away."
"What?" Sayoko tried to keep quiet, "Why did you give it away?"
"Because if something happens to me, Suiko will be in Africa. I left it with Jun."
"The little boy that followed you all around?"
"Yes, he'll be fine."
"Shin…" she spoke softly, "You better hide before mom comes back."
"It already was in my thoughts." He said standing, "Night."
Heading to bed, Shin got chills after passing the guest room. He didn't slept well that night.