Son of Death

The bells chimed as the morning breeze blew against them. The serenity of the garden outside Mitsuyo's house gave no hint of any misfortune that was about to fall on the octogenarian. As she sipped green tea from her cup, she took a rice biscuit from the tiny plate in front of her. She grumbled at her husband, Yuumada, as he shuffled his feet towards the table. Ever since he fell while trying to fix the garden door, his movements had become a daily struggle. " What is taking you so long? The tea is getting cold. I don't want to make another pot ."

Mitsuyo loved her husband dearly. He was all she dreamed for. He was a banker and had provided for the family since she married him. She never had to worry about money. For fifteen years after their marriage, they were childless. They were almost giving up hope until one day, when Mitsuyo was forty-one and Yuumada was forty-seven, a medical check-up revealed that Mitsuyo was unwell because of her pregnancy. The unexpected news had brought tears of joy to the couple.
Yuumada sat down slowly at the table while his wife poured him a cup of his favourite tea. She held it up to his lips but he refused to be helped. He took the cup from her with his trembling hands. Mitsuyo brought the plate of biscuits nearer to her much adored husband. She opened a box on the table and took out some rice cakes that her nearest neighbour,Etsuko, had come over to give that early morning. Actually, Etsuko, a young girl in her early twenties, was instructed by the old couple's son, Takeda, to check on them. Takeda had gone to work in the capital city and would be back only during the weekends. He was the pride of the old couple. He was a scholar and after earning a doctorate in Architecture, he got the most prestigious post in an international company.
Never in their lives had they dreamed that Takeda would leave them without saying goodbye. Never had they dreamed that Takeda would leave his betrothed without going through the marriage ceremony. It was a matter of a few days to Takeda's marriage to Etsuko's elder sister, Makido. His wedding suits were all ready and were hanging in the cupboard waiting for the big day. Invitation cards were already sent out and every one was informed. Many of the old couples' friends were already wishing them well and had expressed their happiness for them.
Mitsuyo did not understand why she was extremely grumpy that morning. It must be the excitement of the wedding. She could not sleep well the previous night and her left eyelid kept on twitching. She prayed that nothing bad was going to happen and dismissed the thought that if one's eyelid twitched, it could be a sign of bad things going to happen.

Yuumada was expecting Etsuko that afternoon. He was grumbling about her lateness when suddenly, he saw her appeared in the doorway. He lovingly scolded her for giving him a scare. The pot that was near him came crashing down as he lost his balance a little. Etsuko dashed forward to catch hold of him. Why are you so quiet today? Are you not feeling well? What's wrong with your eyes? Been crying? Your mother scolded you? Etsuko could only shake or nod her head. She was feeling too upset to reply. How is she going to tell them? That their only son is dead? That his body cannot be found? That he is one of the victims of the tsunami that hit Sendai that morning? That they are not going to see him anymore? That there is not going to be any wedding?
Too many thoughts flashed across Etsuko's mind. There was a big and hard lump in her throat. Words just could not come out. Tears flowed profusely down her cheeks as the couple stared at her dumbfounded. What has happened that made this young girl so sad?What is this to do with Takeda? Come on, my dear, could you say properly. What is this about Takeda? Has something happened to him? Oh. please tell me. Don't do this to me. I am old and I do not have many years to live. What have I not gone through at this age? Tell me. Is it Takeda or is it Mikado? Oh, God! Why, why, my son. Why, why, us. Give me back my son. Give me back my Takeda. My poor Takeda! Where are you, my son? Take my life instead! Why take my son? What am I going to do? Who is going to care of us? Takeda, don't you want us anymore?
Mitsuyo cried aloud as her husband slumped across the table. He was struggling convulsively. He was having a heart attack and in a minute, he was motionless. Etsuko looked on stunned. She put him down on the floor and tried to revive him by giving him first aid.She thumped hard on his chest and blew through his mouth. She could not bring him back to life. Mitsuyo looked devastated.

　
　
　
　
　

QUICKIE CHILDREN STORIES: Dead or Alive

QUICKIE CHILDREN STORIES: Dead or Alive: "Takeda must have had walked for metres and what lied before his burning and stinging eyes were unfamiliar and mind boggling. His mind just c..."

Dead or Alive

Takeda must have had walked for metres and what lied before his burning and stinging eyes were unfamiliar and mind boggling. His mind just could not provide him with a better explanation. An earthquake was a definite answer but how did this mess came about. Something happened that wiped out all that was there and left behind the debris where he crawled out from.
A tsunami. That was it and Takeda was stunned for a moment to know that he had survived a tsunami. As he thought of it, he shuddered. Where am I heading? Where are my colleagues and all the rest of the people? What is this place? Where is the office building?
He looked around and the morning sunlight which brought in some brightness gave him some ideas of his location. He must have had walked further away from the sea for the saltish air was no more there and the cries of the seagulls were distant. The flickering from afar now and then lit up the sky and Takeda could see the smoke from a burning mass billowing up into the sky. Moments ago he was too close to it to realise it had come from one spot. He wondered what it could be, and he brushed off the thought of the nuclear plant that could have caught fire. He must have walked away for a long time. He squinted his eyes as if it could help him to see more clearly the strange surroundings. He tried very hard to figure out exactly his whereabouts.
His blistering feet and nagging pain of his scorched skin stopped him from continuing and he sat down to rest. He wondered why he felt extreme dryness, in his throat, his nostrils, his mouth and lips. His eyes could not be open bigger than mere slits. He felt death and just as he felt his lungs could no more give him any air, he heard a moan and as if in answer to the moan, a few voices came running towards it. Suddenly, he was not alone. More humans joined the scene and he could see more people awakening from death. For a moment he wondered if they were walking corpses, just as he had thought he was one.
They looked like zombies trudging slowly towards him.  Takeda was too weak to run away. The familiar syllables of  his mother tongue was heard. "Hello!" in Japanese. Then, followed by a woman's voice asking an uncle whether he had seen her baby. No, I am sorry no, my dear. I lost everything, my wife, my daughter and my grandchildren. I was looking for their bodies. Nowhere, nowhere can they be seen.
On hearing the moan from the debris, both of them rushed towards its direction. At the sight of Takeda, they stopped. They were taken aback by his condition and feeling pity for him, they told him gently that they could not go nearer. The old man spoke again. Son, you have been exposed to radiation. Did you come from over there? Takeda nodded his head feebly. He could not understand this sudden weakness. His vision was blurred. He realised it was not the smoke that caused his blurred vision. He opened his mouth to speak but no voice was heard. He realised the moan had come from him.
He stretched his arm to tell them that he needed water but they were walking away. Suddenly, his stomach turned inside out.  All its contents were now in his mouth. " Come back, come back. Help me."  They did not even come close enough to hear him murmur. "I am Takeda Ochi from Shibuya. Please tell my family I am here." Takeda looked up at the sky. A bright light was shining down on his face and he felt too weak to raise his hands to block off the light. He felt his lungs burst as he tried to breathe in the air. Soon, Takeda's energy was sapped totally and his whole being was pulled into another dimension, somewhat dark, completely silent, filled with nothingness and devoid of life.
　
　
　
　

QUICKIE CHILDREN STORIES: Tsunami, the Game of Ocean and Land

QUICKIE CHILDREN STORIES: Tsunami, the Game of Ocean and Land: "The vast ocean was beckoning to its playmate, the land mass. As it teased and tickled Land with its lapping waves, Ocean murmured sweet noth..."

Tsunami, the Game of Ocean and Land

The vast ocean was beckoning to its playmate, the land mass. As it teased and tickled Land with its lapping waves, Ocean murmured sweet nothings near its shores. Together with Wind, Ocean liked to frolic under Sun, always very near Land. They were inseparable.

Sometimes Land did not want to play as it was burdened by humans with countless tasks. Furthermore, Land had not been feeling well. There was too much pollution. Ocean was angry too. Long ago, Ocean was not often sick. It could reach further into Land without being harrased by structures built by humans. It could leave behind shiny crystals of sand, shells of queer shapes and sometimes bringing its inhabitants namely the turtles ashore.

Lately, Ocean was playing too rough. It had resorted to extreme sports too. Instead of churning waves of two or three metres high, it was not satisfied if they were not ten metres high. Why are the Humans so afraid?  Ocean just want to play rough. Why don't Humans just join in the fun?  Go, go and prepare some special gear and play with Ocean and Land! You like rollercoasters- the crazier the better.  So does Ocean and Land!  You want to be part of us, so you have to play our game!  Why do you choose tragedy when you can have happiness?  Is you life so worthless? A survival kit does not guarantee your life, any precautionary measure does not either.  Living in harmony with Ocean and Land does. Understanding our temperament does.  Why all the money and time spent on plans to go to Outer Space when your friends here are calling to you? 
   
Let's have some 'rollercoaster' fun with Ocean! Let's do the craziest surfing! Let's turn the place into a Theme Park when the next tsunami hit us!  Ocean and Land just want to play!  They are not Bad Boys!

Sayonara

That was all Hatsumi could do as she laid sandwiched between a fallen wall panel and a ceiling with an injured leg. It was so close to saving her baby daughter from her crib. She had imagined herself rushing into her house just in time to catch hold of her precious child, and then running out safe from being crushed by falling wood. Why, why, had it not be so, she lamented. I thought God loved my baby, loved me as well , and that was the reason He gave me this baby after so many years of trying and waiting. Please don't take her away from me, please.  Hatsumi screamed her voice hoarse.

Mummy, Mummy, where are you, Hatsumi almost felt as if she heard her four month old baby calling. Mummy, Mummy, don't leave me! Hatsumi was helpless. She cried like a baby.She tried hard to move but her injured left leg was numb and would not move at all. She used her hands to claw her way towards the crib but in vain. She only got her nails broken.

Soon, the sea water moved in. Where is everybody, she asked herself a silly question. She knew she had to save herself and her daughter because time was too short. No time to turn back. She wished she had not gone out to deliver the finished kimono to the bride-to-be who lived not far away. She was too proud of her work to wait. Her husband had warned her to be alert though he did not think anything bad would happen. There had been tremours for years and years , and nothing really dangerous had come out of them.

Anyway, make sure you don't leave the house without the baby, he warned as he left for work in the city. What is she going to tell him, that is if she and the baby survive at all.  Suddenly, she felt the pressure on her body grew less and seconds after that, she knew why. A big wave must had hit the shore and the sea water had now moved in. Everything in the house started to bob around and for one moment, she saw her baby floating on the foam rubber mat she was lying on.  However later, she could not see her because a big cupboard which had floated in front of her,  blocked her view. She tried to stay calm so that she would not sink into the rising water. She clung on to the cupboard door. It hurt her hands but she decided to focus on saving her daughter to cut off  all the pain she felt.

The baby was crying and crying now. Where, where, are you, my baby, Hatsumi called out desperately. Hatsumi could not hold on anymore. The more she panicked at the thought of losing her baby, the more tensed she became. She slipped and sank into the water . She struggled, kicking hard to surface but to no avail.

 Sorry, my baby, sorry, I cannot save you. Sorry, I have to leave you. God will look after you. God , you MUST. Take me instead. Hatsumi floated away together with the other items in the house leaving Masuko still floating on the foam rubber mat trapped in a corner at the rooftop. Mummy, Mummy, what is this funny taste? Mummy, Mummy, I am wet. I don't like it, Mummy. The baby cried as she complained of the unfamiliar surroundings. An hour later, she got tired and fell asleep.

The Sea Monster's Meal

Mitsuyo was awake all the time. Being a professional photographer, her greatest regret was she had not her camera with her. She could not let a single thing pass by her eyes, her 'natural camera'.

She captured the swaying buildings, the scampering people on the streets, the shoppers running inside the buildings and going under tables to protect their heads and bodies,and the countless calling up of whoever that might be on their handphones.  Later, just as she was up in her office and was almost reaching out for her camera in its bag, a loud crashing sound stopped her. Pieces of glass from the windows fell on to the floor of the 3rd storey office and they were told to leave immediately as the roof was coming down. Her hands were bleeding profusely as some of the glass splinters had pierce into her flesh. Before she could feel any pain, she was bundled off by a caring female colleague, Akio, to run for their lives. And as they were running down the steps, thoughts of dying kept flashing across her mind. The flight down the stairs took a long time. Even in fleeing for their lives , the younger ones were still giving way to older ones.

Downstairs, they were told to take their cars and drive as far off the coast ,towards the interior ,as they possibly could. They were warned if they did not hurry. they would soon be swallowed up by the impending tsunami. Mitsuyo went into Akio's car and had to forget her own because she could not drive with her bleeding hands. They had got into their car and suddenly, Mitsuyo saw an odd expression on Akio's face. It was like she had seen a ghost. She was staring at the rear mirror, and wondering what the reflection was, Mitsuyo turned her head to look. In the distance she could see a greyish mass moving towards them in a fast pace. The others must had just seen it too because there was loud horning to hasten each other, but it was too late. Akio knew it, Mitsuyo knew it and so did others. The cars just stopped moving as if waiting for the next thing to happen.

Next they could see cars ramming into one another and Akio was screaming as the car next to them crashed into hers. As the salty sea water seeped into the car, the claustrophobic Akio struggled to open the door and she just crawled out into the rising water. She disappeared and Mitsuyo, with a quick action, grabbed a rubber neck pillow, filled it with some air and then shoved it into her jacket, hoping it might help later on. In a nick of time, she managed to retrieve the emergency bag containing a survival kit from under the driver's seat.  Deftly, she strapped it over her shoulders.  Just as she had finished, she too was 'consumed' by the sea water.