Oyomesan escaped - to a huge, meat 'n chocolate cake/fondue pig-out buffet lunch with a friend and Nine, the escapist movie about the Italian movie business (who knew Daniel Day-Lewis could sing?!!).
Yujiro stayed home and cooked lunch for his mother, in between translation work.
The doorbell rang.
It was Hoshiba-san. The nice old lady who lives across the road with the big garden.
In winter we don't see her so much, but chat a little on fine weather days or putting out the trash.
She'd come to ask: "Can you return the money Okaasan borrowed from me for a taxi recently?"
WHAT?
Of course Okaasan doesn't remember this at all.
But apparently sometime recently she had come home by taxi, but didn't have enough money. She'd gone and borrowed Y1,000 (about $10) from Hoshiba-san......but then totally forgetten of course.
A little embarrassing in any culture, for anyone.
In Japan a MAJOR embarrassment.
Poor Hoshiba-san, we don't know her so well...and I bet she was waiting and wondering what to do. Finally she saw the car in our parking space and came over to ask for her money back.
Yujiro returned the money with many apologies and says we should go at the weekend and give Hoshiba-san some kind of apology present too.
Yikes.
He doesn't give Okaasan much money because of all the random shopping she does, but she usually has enough for bits and pieces. About once a month Okaasan doesn't have enough money in her purse for a restaurant or shop. But getting in a taxi without the money to pay for it is a new level of money-mismanagement....
I read that first sentence as okaasan and not oyomesan and was thinking how well okaasan must be doing to handle a choccy buffet and an English movie!! :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you got a break though.
She probably IS strong enough to his the buffet pig-out...and would also probably love that kind of dancing movie...but this was MY day out so absolutely NO OKAASAN!
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