Plight Over Sake

Plight over Sake

          In the center of the petite yet sophisticated living room was a gazing Katsumoto-san. He was nervously moving his eyes around the antique-filled room while slightly tapping his middle finger on the table before him. In the next moment he moved his fingers through his shaggy Asian hair that slicked back as soon he repositioned it. He took a deep sigh that awkwardly echoed through the room.

         Katsumoto-san then glanced down at his cup full of sake and kept his eyes on it until he reached down for it and raised it to his face to take a drink. He took small sips at first, needing something to do while a hard conversation approached.

         He then looked at his son Kyo kneeling across the table from him as he set his cup down. Kyo just stared back at him.

         “Why so melancholy, Father?” asked Kyo as his eye brows rose and his blistered hands rested on the knees of his crimson kimono.

         “It’s…nothing,” Katsumoto replied as he reached for the rice bowl and chopsticks before him. This set of china was expensive and belonged to his wife, and using these reminded of her, which made it harder to bring up the information he had to tell Kyo.

         “It isn’t Mother is it?” wondered Kyo.

         Katsumoto hesitated with his bowl in mid-air up to his face. He slowly set his chopsticks down as his temples wrinkled.

         “So…you mentioned something about going to America this summer?” Katsumoto asked, trying to change the subject. His eyes changed from glazed to interested as he shifted his position on the floor. He moved his legs from under him to front-word to create a cross-legged position. He rose the bowl of rice once more without a word and took in a few pinches.

         It was just that morning Katsumoto had called Kyo on the phone and asked him to come over for a visit because he had to tell him some important yet tragic news. He didn’t realize it would actually be this hard to tell him. This made him think about his relationship with his son and how Kyo would handle the information if he was the one to tell him.

                Though it was modern-day Japan, the Minagawa family had always stayed to most of the traditional ways. While Kyo was growing up Katsumoto and his wife, Rinkotsu had always made their son wear kimonos. They had sliding doors, ceremonial sake parties, and often bowed when it came to introductions. (Seldom do Japanese teen folk do that now). His parents had extremely high expectations for him, especially Katsumoto-san. He wanted him to be at the top of his class, dress in kimono, visit the family shrine weekly, study many languages, stay away from Americans, and take on the family tea business.

                The tea business known as Ririku Apashi Minagawa Tea was a local tea-making business where the whole Minagawa family lived. They lived in one big circle around each other and in the center was the garden to grow and pick the tea leaves. They’re tea was famous in all of Osaka and Katsumoto-san wanted to make sure his son lived up to the families wonderful reputation for all sorts of rumors can go around if one simple mistake is made especially in Katsumoto’s “traditional Japanese circle of friends”. And because of this, Kyo and Katsumoto didn’t have the best relationship because believe it or not, Kyo had some different dreams in mind than being a simple boring tea-maker.

                Kyo is now eighteen years of age and is ready to be on his own. His father is upset at this, of course because he feels that he never truly got through to Kyo. His son is an Anime artist, and insists on pursuing a career in it.

                Kyo had had this discussion with his father the last time they met; that he was first going to start out publishing some works in a local magazine and then soon maybe his own Manga. And on top of all that, he was ready to give up the kimono and wear “real” clothes. This dream of his also meant leaving the family house. This put a damper in their relationship. Katsumoto is still bitter about Kyo leaving, and Kyo is still bitter about his father’s ignorance of his choices.

                “Father, don’t go off subject. You summoned me here for a reason, and I am not leaving until you tell me what is going on. Is Mother all right? Tell me!” he said with much force as he leaned forward a bit while still on his knees. Katsumoto just sat there and examined him.

              “You’re wearing kimono. Why? I know you hate wearing them. Did you wear it here just to impress me?” he asked with a suspicious attitude. He put down his rice bowl and took another drink of sake. He then shifted a clinched fist up to support his face and looked back at Kyo. There was anger in his son’s eyes.

              “You can’t even put that stuff behind you for a few moments?” he paused and sighed as his Father said nothing. “This is the kimono you gave me before I left the house. I wore it here to honor and respect you. No matter where I go, what I do, who I see, I will never forget where I came from and I will always want to please while in your sight,” he stated with his eyes shut and head towards the floor. He gently rose from the floor to leave.

              “Sit,” said Katsumoto. Kyo turned with a surprise and froze. Katsumoto pointed towards the floor. “Aye!” he yelled. (Something Japanese people say, it’s like a gesture). Kyo hastily sat in attention. His father paused. “She…she’s…well, pregnant,” he said in a depressing tone.

     
            Kyo just sat there, eyes wide open in awe.

            “You called me here for this?! You…you acted all depressed! You…oh, Father! You made me think that something was wrong! That’s how you sounded on the phone! Ah!” he yelled at his Father.

        “You don’t realize how much work I went through to make sure you would stay a good boy! Now, I have to go through this again, and who knows? He may grow up to be just like you, hence another disappointment,” he said in a more relaxed tone. Kyo sighed and rolled his eyes.

        “Seriously, Father. Sometimes I wonder about you.”
Then a long pause took place while Katsumoto-san and Kyo just starred at each other. Not long after, a few snickers of laughter were afoot. Then the whole room filled with hysterical giggling as the Father and son both laughed in unison. That was their only choice: Agree to disagree.

        Trying to stay sane after the minutes of uncontrollable laughter, Kyo spoke.
“You really got me there; I thought there was a real problem. But I guess, Mom being pregnant is one in your eyes,” he chuckled.