The Chikamori Legacy (The Sanitized Version)
Prologue - "Seeds of Dissent" Part I (Author's Note: "This is the clean, sanitized version with no links back to my blog - meaning no contraventions against rules) Vancouver, BC, Canada - 1988 ...
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Chapter One: “Love and Loss” - Part II
The McIrish Residence
“Any plans after graduation?” River’s mother asked her.
“Well, I want to study Arts at UBC.”
River’s mom noted, “That’s going to be a tough field to make money in…”
“The trick here is, Mom, I’m gonna take education as my primary focus and then go into teaching art in school.” River explained. “I’m sure that being a teacher, even if it’s not the most lucrative job in the world, at least it will be the most rewarding.”
https://i.imgur.com/cZjgJyA.jpg
Fiona smiled. River knew what she wanted and how to get it. She didn’t have to worry. What Fiona hoped for was that River would find a young man who was good for her and eventually settle down. She didn’t want her daughter to make the same mistakes as she had.
“Haruo graduated this year and he’s waiting a year to go to university. His mom’s grinding his gears over that. She really shouldn’t pressure him like that.” River looked out the window at the tree-lined avenue they lived on. Her mother noticed a softening of her daughter’s usual stance whenever she referred to her landlord’s son “I sure hope he does go to university, but he’s found that high-school was really tough for him. He’s not academically gifted in sciences and maths although I’m jealous of his ability to write. He really should become an author, but he says he can’t think fast on his feet or sit and write for long periods of time.”
https://i.imgur.com/SndbjrI.jpg
“Where’s Haruo today?” Fiona asked, finding it rather odd that River’s ever-present friend wasn’t anywhere near her. She was also wary of Haruo’s intentions in terms of her daughter. After all they were teenagers, River was an attractive young woman and of course, Haruo was a red-blooded young man and hormones ran hot all the time for them. Secondly, the venomous mother was a warning bell to Fiona. Did she really want her daughter to end up dealing with someone like that vicious woman on a daily basis.
https://i.imgur.com/uqV5W3V.jpg
“He told me that he’s spending the time with Grandma Yumiko. She’s 92 now - and I don’t want to monopolize all his time. She needs to see her grandson.” She didn’t want to say for the time that she has left - it seemed too final. As much as River loved her baby-sitter, she knew that Yumiko had a family and that her babysitter’s family deserved to spend the rest of her remaining days with her. And that was a positive sign to Fiona about how much he cared for his grandmother because his mother was lucky if she had anyone left to care about her due to every fault of her own.
If Mayumi wasn’t such a witch to everyone, perhaps she’d have more friends but the way she is turns off most people in any form.
“We should go see her too at some point.” Fiona said, remembering the kindly elderly Japanese lady who helped her to get a place even if it was with that narcissistic, cantankerous bat who was her friend’s daughter. Fiona often wondered how such a nice old lady could have had such a venomous shrew like Mayumi come from her loins.
The daughter and her husband had the suite above her and Fiona had the bottom suite. Yumiko’s daughter’s husband was nice and her daughter’s son was always respectful and exceedingly polite when Fiona’s daughter invited him over which was quite often as River always had a kinship of friendship with the teen who was in the grade ahead of River.
https://i.imgur.com/PXCSlKj.jpg
“I’m gonna spend the day painting, there’s some techniques, I want to try before September and enroll in Art 12.” River explained. She was happiest in front of an easel; paintbrush in hand emulating the strokes of Monet or Rembrandt; although she wanted to develop a style uniquely her own.
River hoped to get her degree five years from now. Her Grade 12 year was looming in the fall and well, being in honour roll would put her in the running for scholarships that could help her through university, meaning she could devote more time to her studies and have to work less to meet her expenses while in school. She could also take evening classes to cut her semesters she had to take high school to one and perhaps graduate in January rather than have to wait a whole year. Yeah, that’s what I’m gonna do. River thought to herself. No point in staying in high-school till I’m bored out of my mind in May - I’ll do my final exams the last week of December. If I finish up high school in January, then I’m off to UBC where I can take electives spring and summer till the fall term starts.
https://i.imgur.com/UpyFmyh.jpg
She walked over to her room and picked out a fresh canvas and started applying tentative brush strokes.
End Part II
The McIrish Residence
“Any plans after graduation?” River’s mother asked her.
“Well, I want to study Arts at UBC.”
River’s mom noted, “That’s going to be a tough field to make money in…”
“The trick here is, Mom, I’m gonna take education as my primary focus and then go into teaching art in school.” River explained. “I’m sure that being a teacher, even if it’s not the most lucrative job in the world, at least it will be the most rewarding.”
https://i.imgur.com/cZjgJyA.jpg
Fiona smiled. River knew what she wanted and how to get it. She didn’t have to worry. What Fiona hoped for was that River would find a young man who was good for her and eventually settle down. She didn’t want her daughter to make the same mistakes as she had.
“Haruo graduated this year and he’s waiting a year to go to university. His mom’s grinding his gears over that. She really shouldn’t pressure him like that.” River looked out the window at the tree-lined avenue they lived on. Her mother noticed a softening of her daughter’s usual stance whenever she referred to her landlord’s son “I sure hope he does go to university, but he’s found that high-school was really tough for him. He’s not academically gifted in sciences and maths although I’m jealous of his ability to write. He really should become an author, but he says he can’t think fast on his feet or sit and write for long periods of time.”
https://i.imgur.com/SndbjrI.jpg
“Where’s Haruo today?” Fiona asked, finding it rather odd that River’s ever-present friend wasn’t anywhere near her. She was also wary of Haruo’s intentions in terms of her daughter. After all they were teenagers, River was an attractive young woman and of course, Haruo was a red-blooded young man and hormones ran hot all the time for them. Secondly, the venomous mother was a warning bell to Fiona. Did she really want her daughter to end up dealing with someone like that vicious woman on a daily basis.
https://i.imgur.com/uqV5W3V.jpg
“He told me that he’s spending the time with Grandma Yumiko. She’s 92 now - and I don’t want to monopolize all his time. She needs to see her grandson.” She didn’t want to say for the time that she has left - it seemed too final. As much as River loved her baby-sitter, she knew that Yumiko had a family and that her babysitter’s family deserved to spend the rest of her remaining days with her. And that was a positive sign to Fiona about how much he cared for his grandmother because his mother was lucky if she had anyone left to care about her due to every fault of her own.
If Mayumi wasn’t such a witch to everyone, perhaps she’d have more friends but the way she is turns off most people in any form.
“We should go see her too at some point.” Fiona said, remembering the kindly elderly Japanese lady who helped her to get a place even if it was with that narcissistic, cantankerous bat who was her friend’s daughter. Fiona often wondered how such a nice old lady could have had such a venomous shrew like Mayumi come from her loins.
The daughter and her husband had the suite above her and Fiona had the bottom suite. Yumiko’s daughter’s husband was nice and her daughter’s son was always respectful and exceedingly polite when Fiona’s daughter invited him over which was quite often as River always had a kinship of friendship with the teen who was in the grade ahead of River.
https://i.imgur.com/PXCSlKj.jpg
“I’m gonna spend the day painting, there’s some techniques, I want to try before September and enroll in Art 12.” River explained. She was happiest in front of an easel; paintbrush in hand emulating the strokes of Monet or Rembrandt; although she wanted to develop a style uniquely her own.
River hoped to get her degree five years from now. Her Grade 12 year was looming in the fall and well, being in honour roll would put her in the running for scholarships that could help her through university, meaning she could devote more time to her studies and have to work less to meet her expenses while in school. She could also take evening classes to cut her semesters she had to take high school to one and perhaps graduate in January rather than have to wait a whole year. Yeah, that’s what I’m gonna do. River thought to herself. No point in staying in high-school till I’m bored out of my mind in May - I’ll do my final exams the last week of December. If I finish up high school in January, then I’m off to UBC where I can take electives spring and summer till the fall term starts.
https://i.imgur.com/UpyFmyh.jpg
She walked over to her room and picked out a fresh canvas and started applying tentative brush strokes.
End Part II
