"Uh, Mama, you heard the same thing I did, didn't you? You heard it too, didn't you girls? Right?"
"Logic dictates that we are about to become a family of five. Specifically, we are about to experience the dubious joys of having an older brother, and you of a younger. I do not believe that I have missed anything, have I Kimiko?
"Not that I can see Kumiko. Things are getting weirder and weirder. I don't think we're in Kansas any more."
"Will you PLEASE stop with those strange movie sayings Kimiko? Ah, It is from a movie, is it not?"
Kimiko just glared at Kumiko. Just then Jane and I looked at each other and it wasn't a glare. It was more shocked.
Once again in unison: "OH shit! The dragon!"
We sprinted off toward the house.
"We'd better follow them Onee-chan."
"Agreed Onee-san. Besides, if we do not, we might miss out on something interesting! Hurry!"
Four pair of legs thundered through the door and down the hall. Karla threw open the door to her room and she and Jane charged inside then stopped cold.
The twins slammed into their backs, but Karla and Jane just absently braced themselves against the impact. Their attention was fully on what was in front of them.
"Jane, we're both seeing the same thing, right?"
"If you mean that all five toes and the wrist of the right foreleg are all black now, yes I guess we are seeing the same thing."
"I can't see anything Jane-neechan, move over!"
"In truth I also cannot see. Please move Okaa-san, and explain what this is about black toes and such."
Well, it would come out eventually, so I motioned Jane over and I stepped aside as well. Then I explained about the dragon changing.
"Oh, is that all? I'm gonna go play my typing game. Bye...." Kimiko was either truly bored by what had happened, or she was faking it very well.
Kumiko on the other hand...
"Hmmmm What is this? The area around the claws and toes is....."
Right then I "accidentally" bumped Kumiko and interrupted her. "Yep, you're seeing it right, gold claws and black toes."
"Come on, we're both filthy again. Let's get our baths and change into some fresh clothes."
"To be sure Okaa-san. A bath would be most pleasant. I need my hair washed anyway." Then Kumiko stalked off down the hall.
"What's got her knickers in a knot Mama?"
"Beats me. Probably half, no three-quarters exhausted. Master Oh beat the heck out of both of us for almost four hours."
"Oh my God! Why didn't you say so? You're going to need a good soak or your muscles will be Jello by tomorrow. Just the shower you had before isn't going to help at all. I'm sorry I didn't give you time for more than that before Kimiko and I did our little demonstration. Off wit ye!" Then she pushed me toward the bathroom and, I must admit, I didn't resist even a little bit. I really DID need a long, hot soak.
Kumiko and I did the Japanese thing of washing each other's hair and scrubbing each other's backs. I really wonder why we don't normally do that here. It's a LOVELY custom. The not lovely thing was that she didn't speak to me at all.
Once we were soaking, she pinned me to the side of the tub with what was a quite well practiced glare.
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"Okaa-san. Why did you prevent me from speaking in your room?"
Damn, she's too smart. I didn't really think that it would work, but you can always hope, right?
"I need to ask you a question first Kumiko. Humor me please. Tell me what it was that you were about to say. Then I'll answer your question."
"Very well, but do not try to sidetrack me. I can be very persistent, and I will not let you distract me."
Dang, there went one of a parent's best tricks. Not that I had planned to use it just then, but I might have wanted to in the future, and that sorta spiked my wheel in advance.
"Above, or maybe within, the changed areas, I regret that I am not entirely sure which, there was some sort of light. I think it was a kind of light. I just cannot be sure."
"OK honey. I have just one more question, or perhaps I should say that I have a set of questions about one thing, then I'll answer you, I promise."
"What color are my eyes?"
"REALLY. I have told you that you cannot distract me. And why try with such a simple question. They are green of course. Now that I think of it, they are about the prettiest bright green that I have ever seen."
Suddenly Kumiko clapped her hands over her mouth and this time she started to bounce. Fortunately just a little, so she only made a few ripples in the tub. Kimiko would have caused a miniature tidal wave.
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"Kaa-chan, tell me. Tell me RIGHT NOW! What color are my eyes and Kimiko's?"
"You have very lovely, turquoise eyes. Kimiko's, now that's rather odd. They're sorta brown, but they have areas with bright orangish and yellowish tones to them, almost like flames in a fireplace. She's the only person I've ever seen with those colors."
Now Kumiko was bouncing nearly as much as Kimiko would. Fortunately the floor was completely waterproof throughout and had a drain in the middle.
"Yatto! Yatto! Finally, I have found someone else who sees things like I do. Kimiko always got mad at me when I said that. She insists that our eyes are dark brown, like most every other Japanese person.
"OH! Tell me. Please. What color eyes does Jane onee-san say that she has, and what do you see?"
"Jane says that her eyes are blue and mine are brown. I expect that she sees your eyes and your sister's as brown also. I see eyes that are a vibrant, lavender color."
"Me too. Me too! How exciting! Ah. Now I see why you interrupted me. You did not wish them to know what I see. I understand that now, but I must confess that I do not understand why you do not wish them to know."
Then she gently whapped herself on the forehead.
"Oh my. Please forgive my rudeness. I know it was terribly wrong of me, but I was unable to restrain myself."
"It's all right honey. I understand why you were irritated with me. There's nothing to forgive."
"I do not mean that. I called you 'Kaa-chan' instead of 'Okaa-san'. Such a thing is not easily forgiven. You have my abject apologies."
"Whatever are you talking about? Kimiko calls me that all the time."
Kumiko sniffed at me. Maybe she couldn't talk the usual way, but she was great with body language and facial expressions. "That one has the manners of a barbarian. You cannot expect a barbarian to behave properly. I, on the other hand, understand my position and the responsibility of a child toward her parent."
"Oh, I see." I didn't really but, hey, sometimes you need to wing it. "Very well, I will forgive your transgression if you put in some extra time with your mathematics. You're not very good with that yet, and you need to get up to speed in the next few weeks."
"Hai, Okaa-san. I will work hard so as not to embarrass you with my poor performance once we start school.
"School. I get to go to school. Marvelous."
Then she wrapped her arms around her knees and sat there with a dreamy expression on her face until it was time to get out of the tub.
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After dinner Jane and I were cleaning up, and the girls were doing homework. Yes they weren't in school yet, but they were studying and at home. If that isn't homework, what is?
<
"Did you notice what's on the door of our new, non-resident, family member's room Mama?"
"Hard to miss a heart shaped plaque with 'Ian's Room' on it.
"And yes, I already checked Jane. Jerry doesn't know anything other than that 'we' ordered it along with the rest of the stuff.
"And did you notice that he didn't freak out when he saw TWO girls instead of one?"
"Yeah Mama. Things are getting stranger and stranger. What's gonna happen next do you suppose? Will it start raining frogs wearing tuxedos?"
Jane shrugged her shoulders, "Well, at least we know his name."
"And, speaking of plaques, the girls want one for their room too. Apparently that's not all that rare in Japan, and they say that they'll feel more comfortable that way."
Jane pondered. She does that very well now. "Somehow I suspect that the real reason is that they don't want their soon-to-be new 'brother' to have something that they don't. The fancy computer setup doesn't bother them. They have computers that suit their needs, so that makes them equal in that sense.
"I also suspect that they've seen boys, especially older boys, get all the attention from the adults and want to be sure that they won't be ignored. Women and girls are still considered second rate beings by a lot of folks in Japan."
"You're probably right Janie. I've had some problems along that line with Asian men who are over here for business. The ones who have come to the studio to keep up on their Hapkido when I was up there for a class seem to have lost that prejudice rather quickly though."
Jane and I shared a very wicked grin. Nobody ever tried to pull that on me twice, even outside the studio. Inside, well... Nobody ever finished doing it once.
"Anyway, back to business. Anything I should know about what's going on with you and the FBI?"
"Good timing Mama, I was about to bring that up. There's a courier run for you. Fortunately just down to Eugene. The CIA doesn't want any known operative doing it because they don't want the recipient ID'd."
"The CIA? How'd this conversation go from the FBI to the CIA? Now that I think of it, you never explained why that first badge you gave me was CIA."
"Oh that. That's because you've been delivering packages for them for years. They've come to trust you. At least as much as they trust anyone that is.
"Some of your 'business' clients were CIA agents working with Interpol on some drug cartel problems. And, no, they haven't told me what was in the packages, and I'm not going to ask either."
<
"OK, when?"
"Tomorrow morning Mama. We're to make the pickup at 7:30 a.m."
"What's with this 'we' Jane?"
"Beats me. They just told me that I'm to go along as camouflage. There's nothing suspicious about a mother-daughter shopping trip after all. Besides, there's a shop in Valley River Center that caters to the fantasy cosplayers, and it has some interesting knives. It'll be fun to take a look while we're in town. Strictly as part of our cover of course."
"Of course Jane. Strictly as part of our cover."
Giggles all around at that retort. Huh? All around?
I turned around and there were Kimiko and Kumiko behind us. Obviously eavesdropping again.
I glared. They grinned back at me.
Dang, already it wasn't working. It took Jane 3 years to figure out that I didn't mean it when I glared at her.
No it didn't Mama. I just let you think that so you'd feel better. So there!
Whoops! The girls.... What were we going to do about the girls? No way could we take them with us.
Of course, it was Kumiko who anticipated my concern.
"Do not be distressed Okaa-san. Kimiko and I shall stay here and either study or exercise -- INSIDE." Another glare for Kimiko then. Kimiko seemed unfazed by it, but she did nod -- hopefully in acquiesence.
"Worrying about leaving two normal nine year old children alone is understandable. Worrying about leaving THESE nine year old children alone is a mistake. We are hardly normal." She looked a bit sad as she said it, but then shook herself and continued.
"Any intruder would find himself in, how do you say it? Oh yes, 'A world of hurt'. Besides, from what Kimiko says, Jane onee-san's pink hornet on the gate post will dissuade all but the most desperate from even considering an attempt to enter the property much less stealing something.
"The desperate will be thieving within the city. They will not take the time to come all the way out here. Even if they did, should someone attempt to force the gate the automatic systems will summon the police immediately, will they not? And should someone essay to approach from another direction, the motion detectors will warn us.
"Should that occur, we will hit one of the panic buttons and take ourselves directly to the hidden safe room. That way nobody will ever discover that we were left 'Home Alone'. Besides, we are much more capable than that idiot Kevin child in the movie."
Dang but she's thorough. And good at relieving my fears too, I might add. It makes me wonder who's the mother here.
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OUCH. I told you before, NO HITTING!
I deserved it did I? Well I'll tell you something! Um...actually I won't. We should stop playing and get back to work.>>