Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume11 Chapter6 5

Visitor. Part 5

"Onee-sama … "

The room was dimly lit.

Perhaps that was unavoidable because it was cloudy out. But stepping from the hallway lit by incandescent lamps into the unlit room, the impression of gloominess couldn't be wiped away.

Facing the door was a large, open window, and the lace curtains fluttered silently.

It looked like it was somebody's bedroom, as the canopied bed and old, large, wooden cabinet were quite conspicuous.

Where was Sachiko-sama? Yumi focused her eyes and searched.

"Onee-sama."

Keeping the closed door behind her, Yumi called out.

Something near the foot of the bed moved slightly.

Initially, Yumi thought it might have been a dog. Before that, she'd believed it to be a bed cover that had fallen and crumpled together.

However.

" – "

That was Sachiko-sama. Lying across the bed, her legs on the floor, she raised her head slightly.

"Yumi … ?"

The curtains fluttered in the breeze, and a little bit of sunshine made its way into the room.

Yumi's eyes widened in surprise. Sachiko-sama had lost a lot of weight and looked worn out. Even though she was wearing the familiar Lillian's school uniform, there was no sign of her customary aura. Was this person really Ogasawara Sachiko-sama?

"I wonder if I'm dreaming."

Sachiko-sama reached both her arms out, as though stretching.

"Onee-sama."

Yumi rushed over, and jumped into those open arms. But Sachiko-sama's body was a lot thinner, and weaker, than usual, almost as though she would snap in two. So Yumi pulled her onee-sama towards her and embraced her tightly.

"This is a dream."

Sachiko-sama said, again.

"No, onee-sama. I'm here."

Yumi released the embrace, so that Sachiko-sama could see her face clearly.

"But in my dream, my onee-sama said that she'd bring you to me."

Apparently Sachiko-sama thought that she'd only dreamed the request she made to Youko-sama.

"Right. But, here I am."

"Is that you, Yumi?"

Sachiko-sama's fingers gently stroked Yumi's cheek. As though to confirm that Yumi really was there.

Softly, softly, as though she were touching valuable glass-work.

"I'm sorry, onee-sama."

Yumi instinctively took hold of Sachiko-sama's hands and squeezed tightly. Sadly, even her fingers felt gaunt.

"I was only being selfish during such a difficult time for you onee-sama. I caused you so much trouble."

"You're not to blame, Yumi. I was wrong. Because I couldn't – "

"No."

If Yumi had only believed in her unconditionally, none of this would have happened.

Despite hitting rock bottom, Yumi had been able to quickly recover. But for her – such were Yumi's thoughts as she supported that frail body.

Slender, exhausted, and grief stricken. Forgetting things like eating when left alone, and so withdrawn into her own world that the boundary between dreams and reality had blurred.

Until now, Sachiko-sama had always been a strict person, relentlessly driving herself. But now she was weak, unable to surface under her own power.

"Onee-sama."

"You'll still call me that?"

"Of course."

For Yumi, there was only one person in her life that she'd ever call "onee-sama," and that was Ogasawara Sachiko-sama.

"You'll forgive me?"

Sachiko-sama smiled weakly.

"There's nothing to forgive."

Yumi hastily shook her head.

From what Sayako oba-sama said, neither was in the wrong, they were just not connecting with each other. Now the only regret remaining was that she couldn't have stayed dependable just a little bit longer. As her petit soeur, Yumi was supposed to cover for Sachiko-sama when she wasn't in complete control of her emotions.

"While my grandmother was still alive, I told myself that it couldn't be helped, that you were the sacrifice. I told myself that you would understand. But that was naïve. You're a living human, you get hurt, and you get disappointed. What kind of an onee-sama am I, that I wouldn't notice something so obvious?"

A flood of tears came gushing out of Sachiko-sama. As though all the tears that she couldn't cry while her grandmother was critically ill, or after she'd died, came bursting out at once.

"If only you'd told me."

Yumi took a handkerchief from her pocket and held it up to Sachiko-sama's cheek.

"My grandmother told me not to say anything to you."

Sachiko-sama said, the handkerchief halting the stream of tears.

"Huh?"

"Because she loved you, Yumi."

"Even though we never met?"

"Yes. I suppose it is odd. She always said not to talk about her illness. I think that's probably because she didn't want to worry her friends."

It was a strange feeling for Yumi. Somebody she'd never even met liked her. On top of that, by the time she heard of it, she was never going to be able to meet that person for all eternity.

"I was really looking forward to going to the amusement park with you, Yumi. So, I wanted to go. It probably looked to you as though I was breaking our promise, or being wishy-washy, but I wanted it to happen soon because my grandmother was looking forward to hearing about it too. Those were my honest feelings. But then my grandmother's condition took a sudden turn for the worse, and when I found out I rushed over to the hospital."

So she may have wanted to talk, but she couldn't say anything to Yumi. For some reason, the words of Katou-san came back to her at that point. Katou-san had said that when her father had collapsed, there had been no room for her emotions. That there had been nothing she wanted to say, and no-one she wanted to listen.

So, even if Sachiko-sama hadn't been told not to by her grandmother, she may not have said anything to Yumi. Because Sachiko-sama loved her grandmother, Yumi thought she may not have wanted to admit that she was in hospital.

That showed even in the clothes she was wearing. Certainly, the school uniform was a convenient garment to wear for a memorial service, but Sachiko-sama's family wouldn't have had any trouble procuring a mourning dress. That they hadn't done so was probably because they hated the thought of preparing for this.

Even if they're resigned to it, some things are hard to admit and accept.

Of course, that was all just speculation on Yumi's part.

"Whenever I spoke about you to my grandmother, I think it took her back to her youth."

Sachiko-sama looked around the darkened room before she said this. As though she was checking that her grandmother wasn't present.

"So that's why she thought of me as a friend."

Yumi said, and Sachiko-sama answered with, "Yes," and sat down on the bed. She patted the space beside her, inviting Yumi to sit down too.

"But I think, deep down, she was waiting for her friend to come and visit her."

"She was waiting?"

Yumi sat down on the bed too. It had probably been the bed that Sachiko-sama's grandmother had used, but she didn't dislike that. Actually, Yumi was delighted by it, because it felt like she was getting closer to Sachiko-sama's grandmother.

"Not for you, Yumi, but for her real friend."

Sachiko-sama explained that her grandmother would occasionally, when rambling incoherently, call out her old friend's name. She would also say, "I miss her."

She didn't want people to find out, so they wouldn't worry. – Despite this, she still had that feeling of longing.

"So I found her phone number from the Lillian's graduate contact list and called her from the hospital. Unfortunately, that lady was – "

"What happened?"

Yumi called out instinctively. Sachiko-sama was taken aback by the force of the question, and faltered as she answered.

"She wasn't at home."

"Ah, not at home."

Yumi felt a bit deflated, which was quickly followed by embarrassment. What on earth had she been expecting?

"The house-sitter told me she was traveling. By this point my grandmother's condition had deteriorated to the point where she was near-death, so even if I waited until the lady returned and asked her to visit, she may not have made it in time. I hung up the phone, dejected. Then when I turned around, what do you think I saw? You wouldn't believe it, but there she was, standing right there."

"Oh … "

"There was my grandmother's friend. She and I both realized it straight away. Because when she saw me, she said, "Saiko-san.""

Sachiko-sama's excitement made her speak faster.

"My grandmother's name was Saiko. That lady was traveling to the hospital to visit my grandmother."

Miracle. Fate. Those words spun around Yumi's head. Then Sachiko-sama suddenly said, "Say, do you believe in miracles?"

"That lady told me that long ago they had a fight and separated. So she never thought they'd meet again their entire lives. But a few days ago, she suddenly thought back to those days and really wanted to see my grandmother again. So she made some inquiries as to her whereabouts. As though she'd heard my grandmother's pleas. No, it was as though their hearts were drawing them together."

Just then, a woman's face floated into Yumi's mind. Holding a white parasol, heading out saying she was going to set things right with an old friend, an old lady with a sunny smile.

"When my grandmother saw that lady's face she was overjoyed, and her condition seemed to improve temporarily. When they parted, they were both content, even though they knew they'd never see each other again. Not long after that my grandmother passed away, but she had such a serene look on her face."

For she no longer had any regrets. She was able to recover what she'd lost so long ago.

"That started me thinking. Right at the end, my grandmother was able to free herself from her regrets. What about me? If I died right then, could I claim that I had no regrets?"

Sachiko-sama gripped the handkerchief tightly in her fist and covered her eyes. The tears that had stopped temporarily were flooding out again.

"No, I had my regrets. That's why I had to see you, I had to tell you."

Tears soaked through the gaps between her fingers, down the palm and back of her hand, onto her wrist.

"Onee-sama… "

"I love you."

During that downpour, Yumi had thought that it would be better if she disappeared. But if she had disappeared, she never would have been able to receive these wonderful words from Sachiko-sama.

"I love you too onee-sama."

She never would have been able to convey this important message to Sachiko-sama.

Never again would she compare herself to Touko-chan.

Seeing those tears, she would believe her onee-sama no matter what.

She said that I was the only one.

Sachiko-sama's one and only petit soeur.

Yumi thought, "Ahh, so that's how it was."

Yumiko-san had seen through the situation. That's why she had declared, "If you still love her, things will be fine."

Don't mock the wisdom of the elderly. For they are more experienced in life.

"You know, I'm feeling a bit hungry."

Sachiko-sama suddenly mumbled.

"Then you should tell your mother, and she'll get you something. I'm sure she'll be delighted."

Yumi led Sachiko-sama by the hand.

Joyously.

Perhaps Sachiko-sama's metabolism was getting back to normal after all that crying. At the very least, Sachiko-sama's appetite returning was something to be happy about.

"What is it?"

Sachiko-sama asked, looking at Yumi's grinning mouth.

"No, it's nothing."

Yumi hurriedly covered her mouth. Now that she'd been spotted, if she said something like, "I'm just happy that your appetite is back," then Sachiko-sama was likely to act perverse and respond with, "Well now I'm not hungry anymore."

"Such a strange girl."

"Yes."

Yumi opened the door and let Sachiko-sama go first.

"Your grinning is disturbing, stop it."

"Yes."

She'd been scolded be her onee-sama. What bliss.

Raindrops started to appear here and there on a hallway window.

But for now, Yumi felt like taking a walk with a parasol, not an umbrella.