CHAPTER THREE: THE VISITOR
Daigoro howled and screamed as he thrashed around in Nabiki's one-armed embrace. She could feel his fear and frustration. All the more, she clung tighter to the boy as she whispered soothing reassurances in his ear. At some point, she slipped her left arm out of the sling so that she could pull him onto her lap and rock him back and forth.
Eventually, his agitation subsided, and he began to follow Nabiki's hand as she pointed at all the new objects around them. One by one, she calmly explained to him the colored LED lights, red and green stockings, and other seasonal livery that now adorned the school's commons area. As she did so, she herself finally had a chance to appreciate what she had managed to deliver with Takagi-san's money.
A young moni fir, standing at a proud height of roughly 1.5 meters, dominated the center of the room, its sweet and pleasant fragrance infusing the air with a fresh, invigorating scent. Boxes filled with brightly colored satin balls and a dazzling assortment of small toy ornaments lay unopened on the floor. Soon, the other three children in Class 1F would arrive with their teachers and the aides to dress the tree. A small blue wagon had also been brought in, filled with wrapped presents that would later be distributed among the children. Encouraged by Nabiki, the kids had created a wish list with the assistance of their teachers about a week prior.
Most people did not know, but Nabiki had always loved being around children, and they, in turn, seemed to have a liking for her as well. She began volunteering at the school about a year after Saotome and his father crash-landed in Nerima and turned the Tendou sisters' world upside down. In need of a cause that would keep her out of the house and safe from the endlessly brewing chaos around there, she came on afternoons when she did not have cram school.
Setagaya Ward was close enough for her to come regularly, but far enough that she never encountered Akane, Ranma, and their crazy entourage on one of their typical insane rampages. Studying and living now at Komaba made coming even easier. As an undergraduate, she had significantly more free time than when she had been in high school, and Meguro, unlike Nerima, was directly adjacent to Setagaya.
Daigoro had taken a liking to her ever since she had started coming (1). The teachers thought she reminded him of his departed mother. When not consumed by one of his spells, he was a kind and pleasant boy, a fact sadly belied by the unfortunate pugilistic appearance of his features. His face, set in a small head, had thick eyebrows, a small nose, and a downturned myth outlined by an unnaturally smooth philtrum and thin upper lip.
Kumi had a gleefully cheerful personality and an obsessive fascination with water (2). She resembled a puppet with extremely fair skin and light colored eyes. Though she never spoke, she constantly laughed and smiled, and she could easily run circles all day long around others without ever seeming to need to rest.
Takashi was the playful, mischievous prankster in the class, traits which endeared him to Nabiki for the similarities she saw in herself (3). He had not always been that way though. His affect tended to be on the flat side, an unfortunate consequence of his large, flat face with flattened nasal bridge and wide set, upslanting almond-shaped eyes. Her first impression of him had been of a sad and inherently withdrawn child with a propensity for early onset depression. The teachers noted, however, that he changed after Nabiki and Keiko, another volunteer who traveled from Ota Ward, started coming.
William, the newest comer (4), was extremely shy and self-conscious about the deformed appearance of his face, poor hearing, and impaired speech. He had small, asymmetrically set ears, an underdeveloped lower jaw with poor dentition, and deeply sunken cheekbones beneath drooping eyes. The overall effect made him appear as if someone had beaten him at birth. None of that mattered to Nabiki though. She remained hopeful that he would find himself in time.
Each time Nabiki came here to the Komei School, the children would run to her, embracing her with fierce, warm, and unreserved hugs of joy and gratitude. Their eyes shone invariably with innocence and blind faith. In that space, she felt safe enough to still believe that true human goodness and hope were not just silly fantasies of her naive mind.
Whatever anyone else thought, her choice to be a part of these children's lives was about a lot more than the kind of pretentious paper altruism people used to pad a resume when trying to get into a place like Todai. Her silent, seething rage toward society and the world for not wanting these children, marginalizing and hiding them away like dirty secrets of humanity, was real.
After all, beneath the cloak of her predatory wit and cheeky sense of humor, she knew how it felt to have all the "have-alls" dismiss her in that shameful bucket of the pitiable taboo — or even to have others laugh outright at her misfortune.
The scars from that year when she lost her voice were still with her, would never go away. The doctors ran so many tests before they could finally give it a name: psychosomatic mutism. Who the fuck cared what it was called. What mattered was that she finally saw the people around her for who they really were. Her father and Kasumi walked egg shells around her. Her teachers and the other kids at school changed too. Only Akane had remained the same. The other kids were the worse. They pointed fingers and whispered behind her back about "that angry girl who no longer has a mother." The gradual transformation of that pity into snide laughter as the behavioral peculiarities stemming from her inexpressible, unreconciled grief drew on.
Just like her, Daigoro, Kumi, Takashi and William were each equally beautiful and special in their own right as human beings, each deserving of their fair share of love. Certainly, she considered them far more deserving of kindness and good fortune than the brats rampaging around Nerima and the self-centered, uncaring assholes who ran the world.
One day, she promised herself, she would arrive in her rightful place as the dragon perched atop of the whole world and have the might to make right. From there, she would swoop down to crush them all, raining upon the "have-all" asses, a vengeful scourge of justice, making them know the anguish of absolute material and emotional deprivation and need that they all so uncaringly rained on others.
She would never forgive or forget. They would all pay.
In the meantime, she would have to keep contenting herself with small wealth redistribution projects. Still, the moni fir truly smelled and looked amazing.
# # # # #
By the time Nabiki left the School, the sun was already touching the horizon's edge. With her promise kept, she finally realized how exhausted and sore she actually was. Still, none of that detracted from the pride she felt thinking of Daigoro, Kumi, Takashi, and William's smiling faces and the time she had just spent with them.
Her good mood, however, evaporated when she saw the pig-tailed boy sitting on one of the street side benches just beyond the school's main gate. With a weary, resigned sigh, she walked over and eased herself down beside him. She had no chance of getting away from the martial arts prodigy even if she were uninjured.
"You followed me," she snapped without any preamble. "Why?"
"Sorry," he said. He sounded genuinely apologetic. "I just, well, ya haven't been picking up any calls for the last few days. Everyone got worried."
"So they sent you to track me down."
"Uh, yeah. Something like that."
"No cell phone, remember? You expect me to be sitting by the landline just waiting? I've been busy," she said crossly. "Even people who aren't martial artists have lives too."
"Kasumi wanted me to remind ya to eat and rest. You're still hurt and all."
"Well, that's your fucking fault!"
"I…. I also came 'coz I wanted to tell ya that I'm sorry ''bout that. Didn't get a chance before ya left the other day."
"Yay!" she exclaimed, sarcastically schooling her features into an exaggerated caricature of schoolgirl excitement. "This is the part where you start talking about my sister and your whole litany of cliche excuses for why you got trapped in another fight, right? I'm so ready for this! Let's go!"
"Nah," he said. "I can't speak for your sister or the directionless bacon brain, but I ain't gonna waste your time with any of my own. I should've led them away from ya the other day. I'm sorry."
She was far too familiar with the direction in which this conversation was going. It made her angrier. "Because I'm not a martial artist, right? Weak and helpless as if I'm made of glass and all that shit."
"No!" he shot back with surprising vehemence. "Because ya just shouldn't have been caught up in my shit."
She chuckled sardonically. "I can't tell you how touched I am to finally hear you say that after all these years. That may be the most mature thing I've ever heard you say."
Visibly exasperated, he blew air loudly through his thinned lips. Then, suddenly, he smirked at some sort of realization in his head. "Ya know, before today I would've offered ya all the yen on me right now to make ya feel better. Now, though, I don't think I should."
"Oh?" she asked, genuinely intrigued. "Why not? Even your money is still money."
"Because I finally think I get it after watching ya with those kids just now and after hearing ya talk to your sisters in your room the other day."
"You've been fucking spying on me?!"
"N-no! Ya got it all wrong, Nabiki!"
"Sure, Ranma. Whatever."
"It's true! Ya weren't exactly soft-spoken when ya and Kasumi were talkin'."
Nabiki took a deep breath and bit back on the additional choice words hanging at the tip of her tongue. She wanted to know something. "Why are you suddenly shy about giving me money that you obviously owe me? For a new phone at least?"
"Because ya don't actually give a shit about having money for money's sake at all."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. Money is just a cover for ya to chase what you're really after."
"Which is?"
"To get even."
A strange silence followed as his words hung in the air. Something about the unexpected moment pleased Nabiki somehow in a way that nothing else had for a long time. Unconsciously, she clutched at the lapel of her coat with her right hand and huddled in as she felt the heat inside of her start to cool for some reason. Without it, though, she felt completely drained.
"I'm not Akane," Nabiki eventually said with a small, tired voice.
He smiled. "Naw. You're angrier and more dangerous."
Her laughter this time reflected genuine amusement. Fear, after all, was the root of all respect.
"It's true," he said. "When your sister comes at someone, they can see and hear it from at least a mile away."
"So why do you never manage to dodge?"
He ignored the bait. "You, on the other hand, just slit people's throats and gut them before they ever figure ya don't even like them."
The clarity of his observations surprised Nabiki. She made a mental note to herself to come back to the one about Akane later. For now, she pressed on with what he said about her.
"What do you think I'm so angry about?" she smirked. "What's the score that you think I want to even out?"
"So ya admit you're angry."
"Not at all. I'm just sufficiently amused to hear your reasoning."
"Like I said, it's in how ya I saw ya handle the kids here at this school and what ya said to your sisters the other day."
He recalled how furious, hateful even, she had been when she called Akane 'spoiled' and told her that she had to grow up and change before someone actually got hurt. With the children, though, she had looked and acted so differently.
Nabiki laughed. "You must be talking about some other girl."
"It's true! Ya bought them all the presents and decor and stuff, right? That and ya spent a long time playing with them too even though ya look and must feel like shit."
"Way to add to a girl's self-esteem, Saotome," she noted dryly. "No wonder Akane always wants to hit you."
"Sorry! I… I – "
"Forget about it, Ranma." She sighed. "Your point?"
"Ya see the world full of people who have everything, but who ya think don't appreciate or deserve all these things they have going for them. That's what ya think about Akane. Maybe even me too. At the same time, ya think there's also a whole lot of other people who deserve things, but ain't got anything at all. That kind of unequal stuff actually really bothers ya."
"I'm impressed," she reluctantly admitted. "You're actually acting and sounding rather rational and intelligent today."
"Hey! I ain't stupid!"
"Calm down, Saotome," she said. "Never said you were."
Seeing how Ranma in particular muddled through life irked her precisely because she knew that he was profoundly capable and intelligent. The incredible adaptability he routinely demonstrated in his fights and his unrivaled aptitude for learning and improving his fighting techniques in record time gave her more than enough proof.
"It's so fucking annoying to watch you, Saotome. Life's short. Why waste your time like that?"
"Same reason Kasumi and ya cover all the time for Akane or why you're here doing what ya just did for those kids."
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Don't make assumptions. You don't know anything about these kids. Do you even understand where we are?"
He nodded as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and held the screen up for her to see. "I looked it up. The Komei School for children with special needs."
She hated the use of that word "special." It was just a fucking worthless platitude to make everyone else feel better.
"Sorry."
"Yeah, I get it. You were just reciting what you read. Society's problem, not yours this time," she said, throwing her head back with a sigh. By now, the sun had disappeared completely. "Everyone has needs. Their needs are just different."
"Their parents must appreciate the time ya spend with them."
"They don't have parents," she bit out tersely.
"Oh. So —?"
"It's getting late," she said, cutting him off. She did not have enough mental or emotional energy left to go into the details. "Help me get on a train back to Meguro. Then, we can say you've accomplished your mission, and you can be on your merry, destructive way out of here. You can still even make it home before dinner."
In the end, however, she found herself begrudgingly appreciating that he had tracked her down. She had become too exhausted and sore to walk any meaningful distance. Because he could not piggyback her without aggravating her injured arm and shoulder, he ended up carrying her in his arms as he hopped roofs and ran back to the station.
At first, she thought the situation would be awkward, just like that time when he had saved her and broken her fall off the laundry balcony that Akane destroyed (5). Somehow, though, it was not. He smelled of something between fresh pine and cedar, probably a combination of laundry detergent along with perhaps the body wash he used. She secretly had a moderate fear of heights, but the scent along with his firm, confident hold reassured her. She even found herself comfortable enough to look down and watch people going about their business on the street below as the two of them zipped past above.
As they boarded the train, he told her she could doze if she wanted. He would wake her just before they arrived at Meguro Station. When she stood to disembark, however, he surprised her by standing too.
"I'll help ya get back all the way," he explained as the doors slid shut behind them. The train quietly slipped away from the platform a moment later.
"Oh really," she drawled. She could not keep the drowsiness out of her voice.
"You're annoyed by that?"
"I need some sleep."
"Your sisters also gave me some money to make sure ya ate something. We can pass by a convenience store or some other place for takeaway."
Now she was genuinely irritated. "For all I care, you can go treat yourself and tell Kasumi you fed me."
"Honest! I just think the least I could do is help ya get back all the way, keep ya company while ya munch and settle in."
"Bullshit. I'm hardly your type of company. Normal girl, remember? No fighting skills or magical powers."
Just then, the audible grumble of someone's empty stomach rang out between them. To her considerable annoyance, it was her own.
"Fine," she said with a resigned sigh. "Let's go."
# # # # #
CHAPTER NOTES:
(1) Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is a genetic condition characterized by numerous physical, intellectual and behavioral differences. Children with CdLS usually have low birth weight, are smaller in size and height and have a smaller head circumference (microcephaly). Most also experience developmental delays that range from mild learning disabilities to profound intellectual impairment. The condition takes its name from the Dutch pediatrician who was one of the first to formally describe it, in 1933. CdLS occurs in an estimated 1 in 10,000 live births annually.
Common physical characteristics include; facial features such as an upturned nose, eyebrows that meet in the middle, long eyelashes and low-set ear; severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that can make eating painful and contribute to slow growth and other intestinal differences; upper limb differences ranging from small hands to missing fingers or forearms; and a cleft palate. Diaphragmatic hernias, vision and hearing problems, excessive body hair (hirsutism), heart defects, seizures and dental issues are also common. Autism and behavioral issues such as self-injury or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, might also be present.
(2) Angelman Syndrome is a genetic condition associated with delayed development, intellectual disability, and balance problems. Most children have seizures and small head size. Children with Angelman syndrome are usually happy and excitable, with frequent laughter and hand-flapping. These children usually have minimal or absent speech. Children with Angelman syndrome most likely also have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as many features of the two overlap. Angelman syndrome shares a common genetic basis with some forms of ASD. Angelman Syndrome also occurs in an estimated 1 in 10,000 live births annually.
(3) Down Syndrome, also known as Trisomy 21 Syndrome, is the most common chromosomal anomaly in humans, occurring in about 1 in 5,000 live births annually. Individuals with Down syndrome nearly always have physical and intellectual disabilities. As adults, patients have mental abilities typically similar to those of an 8- or 9-year-old; poor immune function; and an increased risk of a number of other health problems including congenital heart abnormalities, epilepsy, leukemia, thyroid diseases, and mental disorders. The disorder was first identified in 1866 by John Langdon Down, a British physician, and later named after him.
(4) Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS) is a rare genetic condition affecting the way the face develops — especially the cheekbones, jaws, ears and eyelids. Most children with TCS have a very small lower jaw and chin (micrognathia); very small upper jaw (maxillary hypoplasia); undersized cheekbones; ears that are very small (microtia), unusually formed or missing; eyes that slant downward, and a notch in their lower eyelids (coloboma). Some patients also have hearing loss caused by problems with the ear canal or the 3 bones in the middle ear that transmit sound. At least half of children with Treacher Collins syndrome have hearing problems; cleft palate; and an airway tso small that it causes serious breathing problems. These differences often cause problems with breathing, swallowing, chewing, hearing and speech. Children with TCS usually have normal cognitive development.
(5) In the anime episode "Nabiki, Ranma's New Fiancee!", Akane, frustrated by merciless teasing from her older sister and fiance, destroys the laundry balcony that the 3 of them are standing on, causing everyone to fall toward the ground. As she falls, Akane recalls that Nabiki, who is untrained in martial arts, does not know how to fall and panics. Ranma, however, saves Nabiki by catching her in his arms and gently carrying her down to the yard. In the ensuing awkward moment, Ranma tells Nabiki that he had to save her instead of Akane because she's weak and "ordinary", unlike her younger sister. Ranma then walks over to Akane in order to make sure she understands, but Akane slaps Ranma in anger before declaring to Ranma that she's had enough before telling Ranma to go and be Nabiki's fiancé instead.