12/01 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 56
Early that morning, I was awakened by a feeling of dizziness and a slight pain in my head. At first I couldn't understand why my head was aching or why I felt so bad, since I was still halfway in my sleep.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/02 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 57
But something was not right, something seemed to be different from the usual morning, and though I've usually been asleep around this time of the day for the past couple of years, which I spent here in my room of my parent's house, still I could tell that something WAS wrong.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/03 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 58
Gradually I came to notice what it was that seemed to be wrong.
It was the smell.
The smell of fresh morning air that should have been coming in from my nose even while I was asleep, was totally different from the usual morning. Actually, it wasn't fresh at all that day.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/04 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 59
It smelled like ... something that I knew ... something that I've certainly smelled before ... .
What could it be? I was sure it wasn't a nice smell like the sweet fragrance of flowers, or the smell of the brisk morning air, and it was certainly not the appetizing smell of coffee. It was a nasty kind of smell, that makes you wish you haven't noticed it.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/05 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 60
Drowsing in my sleep, my brains went into a searching mode. The word 'SMELL' was typed in the keyword window, then the search button was pressed and my brains seemed to be searching rapidly through my memory data. But of course, it was much slower than the google search engines, because of the pain in my head and the dizziness.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/06 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 61
After a while, my brains seemed to hit a result. The result seemed blurred at first and I couldn't read it with my brains aching and working so slow. It became less and less blurred as the minutes ticked away, until finally I was able to read it.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/07 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 62
The result seemed to be only three letters in boldface that read ... GAS.
GAS ... of course I know what it means, I murmured in my sleep. It's something that could burn down your whole house when lighted with a spark ... GAS? ... GGAAAASSS!!!
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/08 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 63
It smelled of GAS! It's a GAS LEAK!
What's the detector doing? Isn't it working? I thought it was supposed to be seperated from the telephone line in order to make it work properly, when the line went dead and the NTT guy came to fix it, though it wouldn't be connected to the security center. But I couldn't remember hearing any alarms.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/09 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 64
There was a gas burner in the kitchen downstairs where we kept them, and it must have been leaking from there, or someone must have forgot to turn the burner off or ... . I was nearly in a panic, but I jumped up from my Futon kicking off my blankets, and ran out the door of my room to the top of the stairs.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/10 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 65
Now that I was awake, I knew for sure that the smell of gas was permeating the second floor. Every breath I took made my head ache more, and I was stumbling from the dizziness. How long have I been breathing this? I must be intoxicated, I thought as I tumbled downstairs and flung into the kitchen. A hissing sound reached my ears. It was gas, no doubt.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/11 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 66
Covering my nose and mouth with the sleeve of my pajamas, I went inside the kitchen and opened all the windows. Then I aproached the burner to quickly check the knobs one by one, then found out that one of the four knobs was turned on, though there was no flame coming out from the burner.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/12 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 67
I turned it off immediately, then after thinking for a minute with my aching brains, whether it would be all right to turn on the fan, since it could drive me into serious danger if turning it on would give out sparks of some sort, I decided it would be all right and turned on the fan.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/13 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 68
The fan started to suck out the gas, and soon everything seemed to be settled back into a normal morning kitchen. The soft constant humming of the fan, made me drop a sigh of relief. But the next moment as I took a deep breath to take in fresh air into my lungs, I realized that the gas still smelled strong in the kitchen.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/14 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 69
Suddenly I remembered the dizziness and the pain in my head and feeling real sick, I crawled back up the stairs again staggering on my way. I went back inside my room to lie down, but my room smelled even worse than the kitchen. I figured with my light head that more gas must have been coming up, since they say smoke and flame usually climbs upward.
I guessed that gas could climb upward in the same way.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/15 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 70
I couldn't even lie myself down to rest in my room when I'm feeling so bad, I thought. I could have been killed while I was asleep, you know. And I can't even lie down to rest because of ... Tono, yes, I bet he's the one who left the gas turned on. He's always the early riser, the cock-o-doodle-doooo in our house who's usually up by 4:00 in the morning, starting to cook some health food on the burner for his breakfast by 4:30.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/16 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 71
Or myabe it could have been JoOusama. She'd never even notice, if she had turned on the gas without intending to do so.
Oh, it didn't matter who's done it. My aching brains refused to think any more.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/17 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 72
I crawled outside on the balcony from the window of my room, to get some fresh air. That should make me feel better. At least it's better than staying inside ... .
The morning sun has started to throw its bright light upon my face on the balcony, but the slight coolness that was still left in the air, felt refreshing.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/18 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 73
I stayed squatting down outside on the balcony for more than an hour. The clock was pointing six thirty when I came up from the kitchen, but it was already eight o' clock when I came in from the balcony. By this time, I was wide awake and could not go back to sleep, not only because I was awake but also from fear that something like this could happen again.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/19 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 74
Great. Just great.
I have been dealing with that Obaba until yesterday and I'm tired and sleepy. And these people, either Tono or JoOusama almost killed me of carbon monoxide intoxication, while I was asleep. I can't even get a quiet night's sleep in this house.
Are these people trying to kill me?
What do you think, Mikeco?
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/20 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 75
"Bzzzzz ... Bzzz .... ."
MIKEECOOO!!
"Bzzzzz ... Bzzzz .... ."
Even the cat's not listening now ... .
"I AM."
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/21 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 76
I am ... what ...? Ryuchin, it's you!
"YUP. I'M LISTENING TO YOUR STORIES, SO GO ON."
Oh, Ryuchin. You've always been so nice. It was always you and only you, who would come sit by my side to comfort me, whenever I was down and weary.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/22 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 77
"WHY, OF COPURSE. THAT'S WHAT BUDDIES ARE FOR RIGHT, PARTNER?"
( Buddies? I never took him as a buddy, after all he's just a dog. But if he thinks so, well then, let's just leave it that way ... . ) Yeah, right.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/23 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 78
"SO YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH PHYSICAL LABOR TO REPLANT JOOUSAMA'S HYDRANGEA, JUST TO SATISFY TONO'S STUPID IDEA, ON THE VERY DAY THAT YOU WERE AWAKENED MUCH EARLIER THAN USUSAL, BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS LEFT THE GAS KNOB OPENED AND ALMOST KILLED YOU FROM CARBON MONOXIDE INTOXICATION, AFTER BEING WORN OUT BY THAT DEMENTED OLD LADY, AM I CORRECT?"
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/24 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 79
Oh, yes you are. So you've got the whole story, Ryuchin. Since when were you around?
"SINCE WHEN? I'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE YOU WERE PEEING IN YOUR DIAPER."
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/25 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 80
You were NOT. I was in the fifth grade when you first came to this house, and YOU were the one who were pissing all over, you know? You were just two months old back then.
HA-HA-HA-HA. YOU REMEMBER TOO WELL, MY FRIEND, YOU REMEMBER TOO WELL. AND MAYBE THAT COULD BE WHAT'S TROUBLING YOU SO MUCH. YOU SHOULD FORGET THINGS MORE, ESPECIALLY BAD THINGS. LOOK AT THAT CAT. THAT STUPID ANIMAL DOESN'T SEEM TO REMEBER ANYTHING AT ALL.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/26 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 81
I guess you're right, and I've been working on it for a while, but I always end up remembering the bad things and forgetting the good. I also have to admit that I'm very impatient especially when I'm dealing with granny. I know I have to have patience when treating her, since she's demented and she shouldn't be blamed for the troubles even if she was the one who started it. I've been trying to treat her nicely, but so far 2 months has been my record.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/27 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 82
2 MONTHS? WELL, ISN'T THAT LONG ENOUGH? DON'T EXPECT YOURSELF TO BE PERFECT. EVERYBODY CAN GET PISSED OFF ONCE IN A WHILE. I THINK IT'S O.K. TO GO ROUGH SOMETIMES. IT'S NOTHING YOU SHOULD FEEL GUILTY ABOUT. FIRST OF ALL, I THOUGHT YOUR PARENTS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE POSITION TO TAKE CARE OF THE OLD LADY, GENERALLY IN THIS COUNTRY.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/28 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 83
Well generally, yes, I suppose so.
THEN I GUESS IT SHOULDN'T BE YOU DOING THE WORRYING AND ALL, IT SHOULD BE YOUR PARENTS. LET THEM TAKE CARE AND WORRY ABOUT YOUR GRANDMOTHER.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/29 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 84
But I don't think they'll take care of her at all. I haven't seen them taking proper care of her for at least these three years. And I'm sure that they've never worried about her.
WELL, WHY DON'T YOU LET THEM HAVE IT THEIR WAY. MAYBE THEY MIGHT DO MORE THAN YOU THINK.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/30 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 85
BESIDES, YOU'VE GOT YOUR OWN LIFE AHEAD DON'T YOU?
Of course I do.
THEN I THINK IT'S TIME YOU LEAVE THE OLD LADY TO THEM AND START LIVING YOUR OWN LIFE. YOU CAN'T BE BOTHERED WITH THOSE TROUBLESOME PEOPLE ALL YOUR LIFE.
You're always so right. I guess I'd better set my mind on my own life, and get myself back on the track somehow ... .
THAT'S IT, THAT'S MY BUDDY.
To be Continued ...
Caterpillar
12/31 Troublesome People of Caterpillar Family 86
"Miaaaooowww. Hey, what's up guys? Did I miss out on all the fun?"
WELL, YOU SURE DID. MATSUZAKA HAS BECOME A MAJOR LEAGER IN BOSTON, IGAWA'S BECOME MATSUI'S TEAM MATE IN YANKEES, KAMEDA HAS BEATEN LANDAETA AND DEFENDED HIS CHAMPION BELT, CHRISTMAS AND ARIMA-KINEN HAS BEEN OVER, AND TODAY'S THE LAST DAY OF THIS YEAR.
"Wow. Then why don't we put all the troublesome stories aside and wish for a happier new year?"
IT'S A RARE CASE, BUT I AGREE WITH THE CAT.
Sure, why not. Have a Happy New Year, guys. And to the folks out there, hope you have a better year than the last.
The End
Caterpillar
