Maria Sama Ga Miteru:Volume12 Chapter2

Why is it impossible to go to sleep, only when one must quickly get as much sleep as possible for the next day -- like the day before hiking, or after staying up through the night for an exam?

I must sleep. I must sleep. This forced idea would only force one awake, that's for sure. However, if one tries to hint oneself 'Don't think I must sleep,' what waits ahead is just the unescapable bottomless swamp of sleeplessness. One will just sink deeper and deeper, and find no way to escape.

This effect manifests itself in the opposite way during times that one must not fall asleep, like in a lesson. I must not sleep. I must not sleep. Such commands will somehow be interpretted in the brain as urge to sleep.

So why not try giving the opposite command this time -- "I must not sleep" when early sleep is needed?

Unfortunately, the idea "I must sleep to prepare for tomorrow" was already stuck in a corner of the brain, so as expected, there is not way such a command could help with sleeping.

Because of that, when Yumi set foot in her dreams that night, it was already around two hours after she got into bed. Three hours was left before the alarm clock would be ringing.

"Good moooorning." Yumi walked down the stairs with a grimace. The morning came too early. Her eyelids didn't obey her brain to open. It was only five in the morning, that's why. "Good morning, Yumi-chan. How great it is that it would be sunny today!" Mom turned to Yumi with a smiling face from the kitchen, as she was making onigiris.

"What about breakfast? Do you feel like eating?" "Hummmm" What do you think, Yumi asked her stomach. Normally her stomach firmly feels like eating from the morning, but now her internal organs all seemed to be in a sleepy state. "If you don't want rice, at least eat some yogurt. An empty stomach makes you easy to turn sick on vehicles." "Okay."

Yumi opened the fridge and took out cereal, yogurt and strawberry jam. Her eyelids finally felt less heavy opening and closing when she was mixing stuff in her cafe au lait bowl. On the dinning table lined neatly some wrapped umeboshi onigiris. "I have prepared a lunchbox, so please help yourselves on the train. The lunchboxes on the trains are not bad, but somehows look dreary. Hiking always goes with mom's onigiris for sure!"

Mom opened the plastic basket lid and and let Yumi look inside. Inside were fried white fish with herbs, panfried rolls with asparagus, cheese and bacon inside, and panfried petit tomatoes. "That is splendid!" Yumi muttered as she worked on her mix of yogurt and cereal. Those are mom's set menu for hiking. It seemed that mom anticipatingly woke up early that morning to make them. "I have set aside two sets, so eat with Sachiko-sama." "Thanks so much! Looks delicious."

Being appreciated for her work, Mom was so pleased that she started to share her profound knowledge on petit tomatoes' calyx. Just as Mom reached without reserve the topic of when is the best timing to wrap seaweed on onigiris, Dad entered the dining room with sleepy eyes, scratching his head. "Oh, it's hiking?" From the plate of leftover side-dishes, Dad picked a tomato and put it into his mouth. "Yup." "Oh it is today! That day for Yumi to stay ay the Ogasawara's summerhouse. When and where are you meeting again?" "5:50 at the gates of M Station. Dad, you said you would drive me to the station, right?" "Oh, that's right."

Oh, Dad. He clapped his hands once, reached out in the key case for his keys, and thrusted his hand out. Oh, Dad looks like he is going to jump into the car any minute. Before that, Dad, do something to your pajama, your five oclock shadow, your bedhead and the gum around your eyes! Yumi pushed Dad on his back and first led him to the bathroom.

Just at that time.

"Dad, you are just too good to Yumi. If it was for me, you will definitely just say 'Get your butt off and go!'" Probably awaken by the noice on the first floor, Yuki got down from the second floor without anyone noticing, and was standing at the corridor outside the bathroom.

"Mornin'" "Mornin'" Wearing pajamas crumbled during sleeping, Yuki looked like an exact copy of Dad. Even their sleeping habits were astonishingly similar. What's it about those two?

"Yumi-chan is a girl, that's why." Dad said as he squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush. "And, she is so cute! I would never let her walk alone in a deserted street, and be abducted by some bad guy!" "We are so blessed that you are our father!" Yuki laughed.

True. It is already so great for him to point to his own daughter and claim unbashfully that she is so cute. Giving him a hug in return would be nice, but Yumi suppressed the idea as Dad was brushing his teeth. It would be a little problematic to leave the bathroom smeared with toothpaste foam.

"Haim wot hurried habout Huhi hor hat, horse his a buy." Suddenly Dad said something alien. "What?" Haim what? Yumi would like to ask for clarification, but Yuki translated before that. "I'm not worried about Yuki for that, because he is a guy, Dad said." "Oh."

Invoked by such a line, Yumi gave a look at the human translation-machine. "...Hey!" Noticing what Yumi was thinking about, Yuki restrained his sister with a grim face that screamed "You don't dare to say anything unnecessary."

Of course not. Dad. Your son is a guy, but he is so cute that he is being pursued by some bad guy now! -- Such words Yumi could never say, even if someone forced her mouth open.

Eluding from each other's glance, the Fukuzawa siblings did their routine errands in the morning, as if nothing had happened. An agreement was reached: let the line they heard that morning be flushed down the bathroom drain, together with the water that washed Dad's shaver.

" Wow, that's some effort!" Yumi was putting on her sandals and leaving the genkan, when she found Yuki outside retriving the newspapers. Yuki looked up and down his sister's looks, and laughed out. " Thanks for your compliment!" Yumi pouted her lips a little and stared at her brother. It was a seventeen-year-old maiden's innocence to refuse to respond with a smile and a "You're right!"

"Welcome. It really looks good on you. The best performance so far, in fact." "The last sentence is not needed!" Sure it is a compliment to be praised her clothes look good on her, but Yuki's compliment didn't sound at all pleasing. Yumi rolled her fist into a ball, and threw it straight towards the head of her brother, who was to return with newspaper on one hand.

"But hey, you didn't wear a one-piece normally, did you?" Yuki laughingly raised his arms to guard his head, and barely escaped. "My uniform is a one-piece." "No one would put this in the same league as a uniform, would they?" "Yeah, I guess." Yumi quietly loosened her fist.

In fact, she knew full well: she would be embarassed wearing this newly bought, white, French-sleeved one-piece. Maybe she was not used to wearing it. She was confused by this different self from normal. The feeling was a little like the next day after having her hair cut. She could not even get used to herself in the mirror. How would other people look at her? She was worried. Even when she was complimented "It suits you well," she would get doubtful whether others were talking about their true feelings.

That was why she overreacted beyond her control upon the slightest wording stimulus. It was pitful for Yuki to be there by chance and play on the delicate topic of dressing, but under his sister's light hysteria outburst, Yuki could only swallow down his misfortune and accept whatever was to come.

"About this one-piece," Yuki mumbled with his arms crossed. Did he not receive his lesson and continue to babble? Yumi thought, but she was so curious of Yuki's comment that she decided to listen.

"... in it you look like a cabbage butterfly (紋白蝶, kanji directly translated as "white-background striped butterfly")."

It was neither a compliment nor a compliant, just plain impression. But Yumi was drawn into such description very much. Cabbage butterfly. A one-piece like a white butterfly. It was of a simple design, with no lace or patterns, but only a ribbon at the back. The lack of decorations makes the one-piece look very elegant.

Of course, Yumi made this very consicous choice so as not to embarass the Onee-sama together with her. However, Yumi could never push away her doubts: was the person wearing the one-piece the real misfit? Was it a good idea for someone like her to wear the one-piece? However, if it was a one-piece like a white butterfly, Yumi's feeling became much less heavy.

Light, soft and gentle. A cabbage butterfly commonly seen on a cabbage field represented Yumi much better than a glorious birdwing butterfly (アゲハ, scientific name "Ornithoptera").

However, Yumi just could not give her thanks to the bragging Yuki. It was too shameful to give Yuki the impression that her feelings took a U-turn due to just one comment.

"There is no stripes on this one-piece though." (Translator: Cabbage butterfly in Japanese literally means "white-background striped butterfly".) "Is that supposed to be a joke?" "Sheesh." Yumi laughed out despite herself. Yuki joined her in laughter. It was a uninteresting feeble joke, but once they started laughing, they could not stop themselves for a while.

"Hey, Yumi-chan. Lunchboxes." Mom who walked out of the door handed Yumi the temperature-preserving case with an amazed expression. Dad was taking the car out of the garage, and trying to parallel-park right in front of the house.

5:30 am. It was early morning, so the roads were empty. In 15 minutes, they would arrive at M station with quite some spare time. The meeting place was at the station gate. Okay. Everything was on schedule.

To avoid feeling cold in the air-conditioned train carts, Yumi pulled a light green cardigan around her neck. Oh, a hat. Also, never forget to bring along the white parasol she bought with all her savings just this summer.

"Anything missing?" "Nope." Yumi lifted her travelling bag. It was a retangular cane basket Mom used when she was young. "Handkachief, tissue, purse... you have them with you?" "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry. See?" Yumi stick out her back and showed Mom a small shoulder bag that shaped like a pochette.Every small things was inside the bag.

"Are you sure you haven't missed anything when arranging your baggages for the last time? If you find anything missing, call us. We will send it you by home delivery." "Oookay." Mom kept sticking behind Yumi and talking about things Yumi should be careful about. No matter how old Yumi would become, Mom would probably take care of every detail like treating a kid.

"Sachiko-sama would be taking care of the train tickets, right? Remember to pay Sachiko-sama back the train fee, as soon as possible!" "Okay, okay." Taking everything along, Yumi got into the car's back seat.

"Madam , where would you like to go?" Dad turned back from the driver's seat and smiled. "M Station, please." "My pleasure, madam."

After the door was closed, Yuki walked near the car and knocked on the window. "What?" Yumi drew down the window, and Yuki poked her cheek with his pointing finger. "Relax, relax. It is a just summerhouse, right?" Do I look so tense? Yumi followed Yuki and poked her cheek, and realized that her face muscles was growing tense from some time ago. "It is not like you are going to a battlefield. So just sit back and relax this short vacation treat." "...Thanks."

Yuki left the car, so Dad quietly started the car. "This brother of yours is pretty reliable, isn't he?" "Yeah. I even felt defeated." Well, though she felt defeated from a long time ago. Looking back, Mom and Yuki was still standing in front of the house. They were facing the car and waving, despite that they had turned very small already.

(Relax. Relax.) Yumi gave a slight effort to mimic Yuki, and repeated the word in her heart. Right. No point to get tense all over. It is just a summerhouse, right? It is a trip to enjoy some fun time with Onee-sama, right?

Yumi arrived at the ticket gate of M Station five minutes before the meeting time. No young lady in Sachiko-sama's age could be found there, but after two mintues of waiting, a lady approached from a corner of the North Exit. The lady had a cream white summer sweater inside her matching cardigan, and slim jeans that flow along her long legs. Walking in brisk steps, the lady found Yumi and waved her hands lightly.

It was so different from her usual image that Yumi did not pay attention in the first place. However. "Yumi." The calling voice was the same. The gradually approaching face was the same. "O-ooooooooh?" Without a doubt, it was Ogasawara Sachiko.

"Doh-doh-doh..." Like always, the confused Yumi started to drill holes on the street under construction. Hey, in Yumi's expanding imagination, when the daughter of the Ogasawara family pays a visit to the summerhouse, she would definitely be wearing a one-piece or a flaring skirt. Yumi chose the one-piece in order to suit her Onee-sama. So why the jeans? Onee-sama's appearance now was actually closer to Yumi's usual style. So the "doh" in Yumi's string of "Doh-doh-doh..." is for "doushite? (Why?)"

"Good morning." Sachiko-sama put her hand around Yumi's chest as usual, but realized that Yumi was not wearing a tie. There was not even a lapel to Yumi's pristine collar, so instead Sachiko touched Yumi's collar and smiled.

"Good morning." The greeting was not the usual "Good day." It might be because they were not at school. It might be because the time was actually early morning. However, such a small inconsistancy was not at all irritating.

"What a cute one-piece. It suits you well." It might just be a common compliment, but being complimented by Onee-sama was itself gratifying. Yumi barely tied down her blown-away heart, and smiled back.

"Onee-sama, those jeans suits you very well too." The jeans, though causal-looking, are one of those expensive kinds. They looked very similar to those appeared in a vintage fashion show Yumi had watched on television before. Those jeans on television was eye-popping expensive; so expensive that one could buy a huge fridge with the money.

"Yes. From time to time, I wear at home the jeans you have chosen for me on our Valentine date. My grandpa saw them, and bought this pair for me." Jeans that the president of the Ogasawara Group had requested himself -- then no doubt the jeans were the real thing. Without any sense of pity, Sachiko-sama cut the jeans to her size and wore them. Yumi could gradually feel distortion to her sense of money.

"So, let's go." Yumi was still digesting her Onee-sama's words when Sachiko-sama turned back and retraced her steps. "Oh?" Yumi cocked her head.

Let's go, Onee-sama said. The ticket gate was here. However, Sachiko-sama walked further and further to the north. Continuing walking, she would get out of the north exit. In order to ride on the train, however, they had to pass the gate and wait at the platform for the train.

Yumi decided to chase Sachiko-sama for the time being. Then she realized. Onee-sama's hands were empty. No way, Yumi thought, but Sachiko-sama had already walked down the stairs. Yumi also caught sight of a black car, waiting slightly away from the north exit roundabout. Without mistake, that car was the Ogasawara's home car. Though it is a home car, the driver was not anyone in the Ogasawara family, but a driver.

"Why are you so surprised? Haven't I said that we are going by car?" Sachiko-sama turned back and said to Yumi, whose brain was stuck due to the unmatching reality. "No, I heard nothing of that." Yumi had just learnt of it. However, Sachiko-sama looked very confident, and Yumi started to become unsettled.

"I have said so." "But" Yumi didn't heard of it, that was the truth. Yumi could never say "I have heard it," just to save Onee-sama's face.

"I have said so." "Never heard of it." Neither side would give way. Then which side was telling the truth? No, it was too early to conclude so. Both sides were holding the unwavered belief that her standpoint was right.

Speaking of that, the same thing happened once before. In the treasure hunt event, the two had argued about how deep Yumi had dugged for the hidden card. At that time, Tsutako-san intervened, and the argument was somehow cleared with everyone satisfied, even though the mystery was not solved. Unfortunately, there was no friend here now to step up and make a judgement.

(Anybody...) Yumi looked around, and her glance met the driver, who was in standby mode in the black car's driver seat. Yumi hastily gave a slight nod. There was no way the driver could untie the tangled web of misunderstanding. Yumi had to put her own effort here.

"Onee-sama, do you remember that I had asked your opinion whether I should book train tickets beforehand?" "Yes, of course." Onee-sama nodded. "And I replied, 'Leave it to me, and I will ask the people on my side to settle this matter. (*1)'" "Yes." In the end, the two began to rehearse what they had said.

"Then what did you say, Yumi?" "'Then I would leave it to you.'" "See, you had acknowledged my suggestion, hadn't you?" "Pardon?" Why? Yumi's eyes began to roll. "Wasn't it that I leave it to you to buy the train tickets? (*2)" "Pardon?"

Then the two finally realized. No way-- "This matter (その件)" and "The tickets (その券)" ? (Translator's notes: see below.) "You are kidding." "That is so silly." Unbelievable. The two was stuck in such a clumsy misunderstand.

"B-but, that would not equal 'going by car,' would it?" Even if Sachiko-sama was saying "this matter" instead of "the tickets," she was telling Yumi to rely on her for arranging transportation. They could go by bike, by bus, by local trains, by Bullet train, by plane (not in this case, of course), etc. How could Yumi judge it was by car?

"But I definitely had said that we were going by car." Sachiko-sama said with a light laugh, apparently enjoying the gradually funny scenario. "By car, right?" "Yes, by car." "Car... c-a-r..."

Like solving a puzzle, the two teamed up to make it clear why such a misunderstanding took place. "C-a-r... C-a-r..." Yumi replayed her memory around the "This matter (ticket)" line, and searched for the keyword "car."

"Oh." "What is it?" Sachiko-sama asked with sparkling eyes. "Well, at that time I was thinking about when Onee-sama should leave home..." Yumi slowly put what she remembered into words. "Yes. I did not know how much it takes to travel in the morning." "In the end, after you said that you might arrive a little before our meeting time..." "Then?"

"You said, 'It is all right for me. If I arrive early, I would kill time before you arrive.'" (*3) "Yes, I did say so. So what is about it?" Sachiko-sama gave a blank stare. "I was saying I would arrive a little earlier, instead of you waiting for me at the gate. It is all right with me, because I can wait in my car with air conditioning... (*4) Hey!" Sachiko-sama finally got it.

This time, it was "before you arrive (来るまで)" and "in the car (車で)." (Translator's notes: see below.) "Ha" "Hahaha" The funniness exploded like springwater gushing out. The two looked at each other's face, and burst out laughing.

"Madam, is it alright now?" The driver said as he got off the car. It seemed that he left the two alone without a word, and observed until the conversation was over. When the two was walking up towards the car, they were having a light quarrel, and the driver could not find a right time to get out. Now that laughter escaped from their lips, the driver observed that the problem was settled.

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Translator's Notes on the Puns:

(*1) Sachiko's understanding: 「その件はうちの者に行かせるから任せて」 >>"Leave it to me, and I will ask the people on my side to settle this matter." (*2) Yumi's understanding: 「その券はうちの者に行かせるから任せて」 >>"Leave it to me, and I will ask the people on my side to settle the tickets." The pronounciation for "This matter (その件)" and "The tickets (その券)" are the same.

(*3) Yumi's understanding: 「早く着いたら、来るまで時間つぶしているからいいわ」 >>"It is all right for me. If I arrive early, I would kill time before you arrive." (*4) Sachiko's understanding: 「早く着いたら、車で時間つぶしているからいいわ」 >>"It is all right for me. If I arrive early, I would kill time in the car." The pronounciation for "before you come(来るまで)" and "in the car (車で)" are the same.