Kurosawa household, Ebigashima,10:43 A.M.
It was the beginning of summer. The tulips in the front yard were in full bloom. The scarlet reds, pinks and yellows were a treat to the eye. And in that vibrant spectacle of summer colors, the cherry bush got little notice. Behind the flowers, the bushes were dotted with red fruits, ripe to be plucked.
In the front room, directly adjoining the garden, an old man slept wrapped in his futon. At his side was a boy, sitting deeply in silence. The old man coughed violently time to time. The suddenless of that attack broke the lad's meditation. He controlled his coughing and took a somber visage.
" Go away, don't keep pestering me ... Atleast let me die without a worry" the old man said.
The lad spoke nothing. He just poured warm water out of the kettle into the drinking bowl. The old man gave a side eye to his doings. After a while he sitted and sipped a few gulp. He took a long breathe and turn his gaze toward the garden.
"It seems I don't have much time left. But before i go to the other side i have something to tell to you" he said in a deep yet solemn voice.
He became curious to know what his old man was to say about, but the words didn't come out as quickly as he thought they would. Atlast sucking his dry wrinkled lips, he poured out everything,
" You are not my true grandson. That thing you might already be aware of. Your mother was a total stranger to me, who came one night and handed you to me. Before i could speak a word, she was gone and i never saw her again.... But one thing that i have always hidden from everyone was" he paused. "that you are not a human child, but one born out of a ghoul" He spoke it in one single breathe and sinked again into his futon, looking at the garden with his back toward the lad. The boy was startled and in disbelief of what he had heard. But before he could speak anything about it, the old man silenced him.
"That's all i know... Judging from the little that i remember of your mother, she might have been a resident of Tokyo. Once i have kicked the bucket, go and find her" he said grumpily.
For hours, none of them spoke a word. The boy sat as a statue and man laid facing the garden. The sun creeped toward the horizon. Its orange hue dyed the white roses in a faint tinge of scarlet. Yet that old man laid gazing at that setting sun. The lad called faintly, but there was no reply. He had departed.
Gramps had no one besides me. He had a daughter married to somewhere in the city. Due to frequent quarrels between them, both of them have separated. The last time i saw them perhaps have been eight years ago.
Even now at his funeral they are nowhere to be seen. I know they will arrive as soon as the funeral rites are over, to claim gramp's property. Once the funeral is over, i will head to Tokyo. There are few peoples at the funeral. Gramp had little connection with his relatives. Most of the people here are colleagues nearing the same age as him. Few of them i have met.
"Shinji kun are you alright? Don't worry your grandpa is fine on the other side. Oh i had something to give to you" Mrs. Iraswa produced a letter out of her bag and handed it to me. " Gengai had given it to me. He told me to hand it to you after he had passed away.
Alright i think i should be going." Mrs. Itawa hunched figure disappeared among the crowd before i could give her a proper goodbye. Mrs. Itawa was gramps childhood friend and he was closest to her. No doubt why he entrusted such a valuable letter in her hands.
After that the whole day was busy. The letter had skipped my mind. Even though i didn't get a minute to spare either. It was only when i was about to go to bed did i remember it. I hurriedly pulled it out of my suit pocket. Inside was money, lot of them and a letter. I put the money on the bedside table and walked towards the light bulb. Under it's dim light, i read Gramp's entwined handwriting that seems to climb upwards after every second sentance.
'Shinji, i know that my health has been failing me. And without a doubt i don't have much time. You are not my legitimate grandson. I couldn't leave any inheritance in your name, and i shall keep regretting about it even after my death. I have left some money in the envelope. Use it wisely; you will eventually run out of it. Staying here isn't a choice. Your aunt will soon come and kick you out. I ask you to look for your real parents. They might be living somewhere in Tokyo. Don't think that I'm being selfish. The time spent with you were the most memorable in my life. I'm sorry that i couldn't spend more of it with you. I would love to see you grow up, have a family and your kids. Be happy, be brave my son.'
Your Gramp
I couldn't feel a thing. I knew that i was crying but it's only sensation was the coldness of the drizzles out of my eyes. My mouth was dry, and my teeths were clenching the deep wailing that was raging inside me. I sobbed and sobbed until the wailing died out inside and i felt into a deep sleep as good as death.
The next day i was on a train to Tokyo. I had never boarded a train alone. It was always with gramp i travelled to anywhere far. The train raced across the fields. I waved my good bye to Ebigashima. It was a long journey and dozed several times. Atlast the speaker announced that i had reached Tokyo. I hurried outside, fearing the doors would shut. It was a large station, larger than any i had seen before.
It was already dusk. But the city seem to just had come to life. People walked in every direction. There faces carrying different expression. Some with joy, laughter, worry, frustration and malice. Up the building glow with red, blue and yellow lights. The shops glittered with lights as fireflies do during summer's night. People came and went out of it in progression as a parade of ants do, in pure synchronisation.
'So this is Tokyo' i thought.