I have recieved a number of complaints about the beginning of this
piece. I agree with several of them. The beginning is too weak and to be
truthful, beginnings are not my strong suit. I will however take
participants advice to heart and see if a judicious re-write of the
opening scene will help.
Once again, thanks for the criticism,
Don Granberry.
Most of the characters in this piece and the setting for it, were
conceived of by Rumiko Takahashi for her Ranma1/2 series of Manga. All
such characters and the setting are the property of Takahashi-san and
her licensees. All other characters in the piece are purely fictional
and any resemblences to actual persons living or dead are purely
coincidental.
Spreading Wings
Part I: The Burning Ring of Fire
Scenes 9 thru 12
I woke up on Wednesday thinking about her. I was disgusted with
myself. Westerlake, I told myself as I shaved, leave that kid alone.
You are too old and she is too young. I took my usual morning shower,
fought my way through the crowds to the school. Fumbled around in a haze
trying to lecture all day. I made more than one wrong turn on my way to
the station after my last class, but my real trouble started on the way
home from the station in Nerima. I walked by this little shop that
specializes in things for the yard and they had a swing set on display.
I stood there looking at it for almost thirty-minutes.
�Either you are in love and thinking of marriage, or you are divorced
and miss you children,� the proprietess said to me with a smile.
�I...ah...well...�
I realized then that I was trying to stammer something out in English
rather than Japanese.
�I am not sure of what my problem is to be truthful,� I said, �Sorry to
be a bother.�
�Not at all! Come back and daydream anytime!� She said with a wink.
Then I remembered that tonight was the night I was supposed to run. I
hurried home and changed. Once into my warm-ups the last vestiges of
energy left me. I HATE running alone. The doorbell rang. It was
Saotome-sensei
�Tofu said you would have a hard time running on your own.�
�He�s right. I hate running alone.�
�So do I, Biru-san. Shall we?�
�Hai, Sensei.�
Off we went on a long, soul grinding tour of Nerima. After about the
first five minutes I started feeling better and did not mind it nearly
so much.
�Biru-san?�
�Hai, Sensei?�
�I saw American soldiers running like this once.�
He demonstrated. It was the good old �Airborne stomp and drag.� Stamp
with you left foot drag with your right. It is noisy, showy, difficult
and a world renowned trademark of all American, airborne troops
�Why do they run that way?�
�It serves two purposes, Sensei. One, it is much more difficult on the
men thereby exercising them a little harder and two, it puts all
soldiers everywhere on notice that these guys will keep coming, even if
they are wounded.�
�So that�s why they do that!�
�Yes.�
How do I explain what it is like to run with a young god?
Saotome-sensei could have won any track and field event in the Olympics,
but near as I can tell, glory was a drumbeat he cannot hear. I followed
him as best I could but I have to admit, I chickened out on him several
times. There are some things a man my age just doesn�t do and I had a
hard time making him understand that. It disappointed him a little, but
we had a good run together anyway.
Our run terminated in a small park and we took seats on the vacant
swings to catch our breaths. I could smell food cooking somewhere. The
aroma was delicious--too delicious! It made me feel faint.
�What on earth is that cooking?� I wondered aloud.
�Okinomiyaki.� Saotome told me.
�Okiyama what?�
�Okinomiyaki! You mean you�ve never tried it?�
�No, but I am going to now,� I said and got up to follow my nose.
�See you later, Biru-san!�
�What? You�re not coming with me? I�m buying!�
�Well hell! If you�re buying, I�m eating.�
We laughed and he led the way to Ucchan�s Okinomiyaki at a dog trot. I
didn�t mind running again at all. Running isn�t all that bad when you
have a young god to run with.
The lady, er, young woman running the place was delighted to see us.
She was especially delighted to see my sensei. I was only slightly
envious. The girl was too young for me but a delight to look at. I
horned in a little just to see how sensei would take it. Much to my
surprise he seemed relieved. Flirting with her was fun. Ukyo Kuonji has
that sort of personality that gets your attention, no matter who else
may be in the room.
�Who is this, Ran-chan?�
�Wild Bill Westerlake, M�lady!� I said with a bow that was much too
deep and a sweep of the arm seen only corny movies, �At your service!�
�I�m Ukyo Kuonji of Ucchan�s Okinomiyaki� She said extending her hand.
She was expecting me to shake her hand so I kissed it instead. She
laughed like hell. Most any other nihonjin would have been angered.
�Well have a seat here at the bar Biru-san. What�ll you be having?�
�Something loaded down with meat and a tall beer.�
�Ranchan?�
�A small special and tea, Ucchan.�
�Coming right up.�
I guess there had been something between Saotome-san and Ukyo at one
time or another. She started giving him a bad time about bringing
competition to town. He allowed as how I wasn�t much competition owing
to my age. I smarted off at him about being a �young snot.� It was that
warm, funny kind of banter people get into when they like one another,
common to every culture I have ever been around. The whole time we were
bantering, Ukyo was cooking. Her skills bordered on the miraculous. I
was so caught up in all this that I had not really paid a whole lot of
attention to the other patrons.
A man walked from behind and jostled me from my left side, making sure
that I noticed the big, bodacious knife he had in his belt. He had
tattoos all over his arms and smelt of stale beer. I lent him all the
attention he deserved, which is to say none, zero, zip. I guess maybe he
didn�t like that very much. He whipped out that big shiny knife of his
and buried the point of it into Ukyo�s lovely oak counter top between my
hands. I looked around to find myself nose to nose with him, his rotten
breath spoiling the wonderful aroma of Ukyo�s cooking.
I have to tell you something. I once pushed an airplane just a little
bit too hard and it fell apart all around me. I got hurt. I stayed laid
up in a hospital for months. Among the many problems I had was a loss of
strength in my right hand. One of the physical therapists gave me a ball
to sqeeze. I carried that little ball, or one like it around for years,
constantly squeezing and releasing it. This got to be such a habit I
graduated to a block of wax. I wound up with a far better grip than I
had before the accident.
This ape was still hanging on to his knife with his left hand, staring
me in the face while trying his best to look scary. A hopeless effort on
his part as I had been thoroughly frightened by professionals. This
skinny little puke was never going get into their league. I wrapped my
hand around the hand he was holding his knife with and raunched down on
it. I waited until his face began to cloud up from the pain, looked him
right in the eye and �splained to him how things were--in Texican of
course. What I had to say wasn�t fit for mixed company and I did not
want to offend Lady Ukyo�s ears. Words do not count with animals anyway.
It is the tone of your voice that matters.
�I don�t like yew one little bit, yew two-bit heel-fly. When I turn
loose of yer goat-smellin� ass yew are goin� to leave. Not only are yew
goin� to leave this here place, yew are going to leave town! Iffen� I
ever lay eyes on you again, Ahm gonna to cut your codds off and have yer
scalp hanging from my belt. Wakari mas ka, Bubbette?�
By the time I finished talking his eyes had teared up pretty good so I
stood up. Mean of me I know. The silly little booger had no way of
knowing he was sticking his hand into a beartrap but so what? When you
bully strangers you take your chances. Some of us are little hard to
buffalo.
�Let�s you and me go outside and discuss this like gentlemen,� I said
to the wannabe little monster as I drug him towards the door. �There�s
no call to upset the ladies in the house.�
I turned loose of his hand once we got outside and he dropped his
knife. I guess I had pretty much made a mess of his left hand. He was
still looking down at his knife when I hit him with a stiff right-cross.
My mean streak had taken me over completely. I went over to the garbage
can out on the curb and lifted the lid. It was empty so I picked the
little hoodlum up and stuffed him into. Just as I dropped the lid back
onto the can, his buddies came running outside. They gave me a wide
berth and evil looks as they boogied off into the gathering dark. That
made me a little nervous. I hate dealing with cowards.
I stood there for minute while my temper cooled and wondered how I was
ever going to recover from this one. Gaijin like me are always
committing one sort of social gaffe or another in Japan and I am cursed
with an extra measure of gaucherie, but even for me, this one was pretty
extreme. I was still standing there trying to figure out if I should go
back inside or not when Lady Ukyo walked out.
�Well you aren�t going to let the likes of him spoil your supper are
you?�
She stood there with her arms crossed and stared at me for a few
seconds, then she turned around and went back inside. I couldn�t help
noticing that she had a huge smile on her face even though the tone of
her voice sounded severe. Much to my shock and surprise, I was greeted
with cheers as I walked back in. Apparently those boys were not all that
popular with the other patrons.
�Bathroom�s over there,� Lady Ukyo called out to me, �Go wash your
hands and come eat.�
So I did. I ate and I drank until I nearly split. The funny part of it
was, I never got to pay for any of it. The other patrons paid. It was
humbling in a way. Oh, well I did give Lady Ukyo the little stink�s
knife. He had to have stolen it from somewhere. The danged thing
belonged in a museum, not in some hoodlum�s sash. I was home before I
realized that Saotome-sensei had left while I was washing my hands. I
figured out that he was probably the only reason the rest of the
hoodlums left instead of jumping me. I made a note to myself to thank
him the next time I saw him.
---------
Much to Ranma�s relief, Kasumi had saved some supper for him. He was
very hungry. Nabiki came downstairs when she heard him talking to her
older sister.
�How did the run go, Ranma?� Nabiki asked.
�Real good!� Ranma said enthusiastically, �He can�t jump very high but
he can run for hours--like a donka.� (Author�s note: A doka is a local
train. They never run fast but they run constantly).
�So he�s basically healthy?�
�Oh sure! He just has a few kinks to work out is all. Some of it is his
attitude.�
�What do you mean?�
�Well, he wouldn�t follow me up on the canal fence for one thing.�
�Oh? I don�t know that I can blame him for that.�
Ranma grinned at the memory and did his best to mimic the way his
student�s spoke.
�Biru-san said, Boy, I am at the age where I don�t dare ride
motorcycles, horses or hookers. I am not about to run along the top of
that fence.�
Akane arrived just in time to hear Ranma mimicking their new student
and joined in the laughter.
�You sound just like him, Ranma!� Akane said.
�He talks so slow he�s easy to imitate.�
�But his Japanese is nearly flawless. Almost no accent.� Nabiki noted
thoughtfully.
�He�s so handsome.� Kasumi said.
�It�s a shame really. I know he can do it and it is just the sort of
chi exercise that Dr. Tofu says he needs the most. I�ll just have to
keep encouraging him.�
�Ranma don�t you dare get him hurt!� Nabiki said.
� Aw I�m not gonna get him hurt. Besides, he�s as tough as boot. He
just needs to work on the balance of his chi a little is all.�
�How do you know he�s so tough, Ranma?� Nabiki said in a tone which
expressed a level of concern that she normally reserved for family
members.
�Because I got to see the soldier side of him tonight.�
The girls involuntarily crowded in a little closer, listening eagerly.
�Our run ended up in that little park over close to Ucchan�s. You know
the one?�
�Yeah, so?�
�Well you know how well you can smell Ukyo�s cooking from there when
the wind is out of the north...Ow!�
Akane elbowed him in the ribs.
�So you just had to go to Ukyo�s! Huh, Ranma?�
�Well, he was hungry! What did you want me to do? Tell him the place
was off limits?�
�For you, yeah!� Akane retorted.
Ranma took time to stick his tongue out at her before continuing.
�Anyway, you should have seen Ukyo when he walked into her place. I
thought she was going to melt into a puddle on the floor.�
The three girls all reacted simultaneously.
�She didn�t, Ranma!� Said Kasumi.
�Jealous, Ranma?� Akane asked.
�What did he do?� Nabiki asked darkly.
�Yes, she did. No, not all that much...Oof!...and he liked her a lot.�
Ranma rubbed his ribs thanking his lucky stars that the elbow drubbing
was merely perfunctory. It was not unexpected in any case. As painful as
the results sometimes were, he could never pass up a chance to bait
Akane a little.
�To tell you the truth I was glad to see there might be someone besides
me that could make Ukyo happy.�
�He�s too old for her, Ranma!� The girls chorused.
Ranma was too busy being pleased with the softening lines arouind
Akane�s mouth to notice that Nabiki had begun to glower or that Kasumi
was becoming concerned.
�So what else happened Ranma. What brought out the soldier in him?�
Akane asked.
�A yakuza.�
�A yakuza!!� The girls chorused again.
�What happened, Ranma? He didn�t get hurt did he?� Nabiki asked. Her
concern make her voice go up an octave in ptich.
�Yeah, he go hurt.�
�How badly?� Nabiki squeaked.
�Aw not to bad. The worst of it happened when Biru-san stuffed him into
a trash can.�
�Oh! You mean the yakuza got hurt!�
�Yeah! Didn�t I say that?� Ranma asked sounding puzzled.
Nabiki gasped in exasperation.
�Go on and tell us what happened, Ranma!� Kasumi said.
�Well, this monkey stabs the counter top right between Biru-san�s hands
with this great big knife, then bends down and makes a face at him.�
The girls covered their mouths in horror.
�Biru-san got well and truly pissed about that. I think he was angrier
over the damage to Ukyo�s counter than he was at the yakuza�s threats.�
�Men!� Nabiki growled deep in her throat, but no one really took
notice.
�So Biru-san just grabs the guys hand and squeezes until the yakuza�s
eyes start popping out of his head.�
�He must be terribly strong!� Kasumi said, keeping one wary eye on
Nabiki.
�You�ve got that right. You should have been there. You would have
heard the yakuza�s bones grinding together. Anyway, Biru-san drags this
wailing yakuza out the front door, thrashes him pretty good, then
stuffed him into Ukyo�s garbage can out by the curb.�
�Oh, my goodness!� Kasumi said in alarm, �He didn�t kill the man did
he?�
�Nah! But it had to be have been pretty embarrassing. When the other
two got up to help their buddy, I started towards them and they ran
off.�
�Then what happened, Ranma?� Akane asked.
�Well I chased them for a few blocks and when I got back, Biru-san had
gone back inside. Ukyo and everybody else was making such a big fuss
over him I just came on back to the house. Ukyo was really impressed
with him and I didn�t want to get her attention.�
Ranma was looking at Akane and enjoying the pleased look on her face
too much to notice Nabiki as a small mallet suddenly appeared in her
hands. Rather than hand it to Akane the way she usually did, she used it
herself.
�I can�t believe you did this to me, Saotome!� Nabiki said in a low,
guttural growl as her mallet came down square on his head.
�Nabiki!� Akane and Kasumi chorused, �Ranma doesn�t know!�
�If you think for one second that I am going to let that quivering
bundle of hormones wrap herself around...around him, you have another
think coming!� Nabiki said with an angry hiss.
Ranma made the silly mistake of sitting up before fully recovering.
�Now what�d I do wrong?� He asked in a daze.
Akane quickly inserted her person between the dazed Saotome and her
furious sister.
�Nabiki!� Akane yelled, �Calm down! Ranma doesn�t know!�
�Know what?� Ranma asked in a puzzled tone of voice. �What did I do
wrong?�
�Poor Ranma!� Kasumi said.
�Just lay down, baby,� Akane told him in soothing tones, �I�ll get you
some ice.�
�Baby?� Ranma was far more alarmed by Akane�s soothing tone than he was
by the blow to his head.
�Shh!� Akane said, �Everything is going to be fine.�
Nabiki regained control of her temper and was immediately contrite. The
mallet disappeared just as quickly as had appeared.
�Akane...I�m....I�m sorry!�
Akane hugged her sister.
�I�ll get the first aid kit,� Kasumi said with a sigh.
�I thought you weren�t all that interested in that guy, Nabiki.� Akane
said reprovingly, �Why the sudden fuss?�
�I don�t know!�
Akane gasped.
�Then Ko Lon was right about your aura and his...�
�I don�t like things happening to me without consent,� Nabiki said
angrily.
�Are sure you can fight it?� Akane asked.
�I was handling it pretty well until just now,� Nabiki said, �I�ll find
a way to deal with it.�
�He�s too old for you.�
�You and me and everyone else that has ever seen him knows that, Akane
and guess what? I�m pretty sure he knows it as well. You haven�t seen
him hanging around here have you?�
�But you aren�t very happy about that,� Kasumi said as she returned
with the first aid kit and a loaded ice bag. She handed them to Akane
who immediately began to look after Ranma.
�Are you Nabiki?� Kasumi asked with her hands on her hips.
Nabiki ran up the stairs without answering.
---------
The Man was not at all pleased with his underlings. He was especially
annoyed with the idiot that harassed the big gaijin.
�Baka!� He yelled loud enough to make the windows of his tiny office
rattle. �I told you not to harass customers!�
He got up and paced around behind his desk for a moment. He felt sure
that the fool with the ruined hand would have already been removing a
finger tip in a forlorn attempt at mollification, but the fool had lost
his knife to the gaijin.
�I told you not to bother anyone without my orders, did I not?�
�Yes, boss!�
Without warning, The Man whipped out a nine-millimeter Glock and shot
his underling with the ruined hand in the forehead. The others froze
themselves in place, afraid that they would be next.
�Without customers, the merchants don�t make any money. If they don�t
make money, there is no money for us to take! Do you understand now?�
�Yes, sir!� The two remaining men chorused.
�These are not bankers we are dealing with! They do not swim in an
ocean of currency. No rough stuff unless I specifically order it! Do you
understand?�
�Yes, sir! We understand!�
�You!� The Man said, indicating Tattoos, �Go steal a car and bring it
back here.�
�Yes, boss!�
�You!� The Man said, indicating the other man, �Get a mop and bucket. I
want this place spotless in thirty minutes or you will be fired--just
like him!�
�Yes, boss!�
An hour later Tattoos showed up in a stolen vehicle.
�Take this piece of shit,� The Man said as he pointed at their dead
comrade, �Stuff him in the trunk. Then drive out into the country
somewhere and leave the car.�
�Yes, boss!�
�Be sure to leave the keys in the ignition!�
The men scurried to comply with the wishes of their angry boss.
---------
Nabiki went for a long soak in the tub shortly after everyone but Ranma
and Akane had gone to bed. They were immersed in some childish horror
movie and did not notice her come down the stairs. She probably should
have felt bad about hitting the hapless Saotome, but in the end all that
had done was give her little sister and excuse to pet Ranma, something
Akane had been wanting to do for a several years now.
�You, my dear girl,� Nabiki said to herself, �need to think clearly
for a few minutes.�
Westerlake was not someone with whom she could trifle. A man like him
could not be baited then frightened off with the demand for a
committment. That would work only one time with the good Captain. He
would either commit or never come around again. Nabiki was fairly
certain that he would commit. She wanted to be sure her mind and heart
were aligned with the hormones before she made a move. A few minutes
introspection convinced her that more than her body wanted Westerlake
but her mind was screaming, No! No! No! And not without good reason. The
man was forty-two years old. If she got involved with him they would
have little time to get things done. A child born this year would turn
eighteen the same year her husband turned sixty and Nabiki herself would
be forty. She would have to stay after him to make sure he took care of
his health. A forty year old woman in need of a husband would not have a
great range of choices...
The thing about mixing introspection with hot water is that it
invariably leads to sleep. Nabiki woke up with a start and knew from the
feel of her skin that she had been in the water for far too long. She
got out and dried off. She did not bother with any clothes, just a
bathrobe. She heard snoring in the living room as she walked down the
engawa towards the stairs and checked to see who it was.
Ranma and Akane were sound asleep in a pile in front of the television
set. Whatever they had been watching was long gone and just a test
pattern was showing. Ranma had wrapped his arms around her sister in his
sleep. She hurried upstairs for her camera and a blanket. No matter what
happened, some things never changed. She shot several frames of the
sleeping couple before covering them with a blanket. Then turned off the
television.
�What a haul!� She whispered with a giggle as she ran up the stairs,
�What a haul!�
As sleep returned Nabiki realized that she would probably spend the
whole day on a computer terminal finding out everything she could about
William �Wild Bill� Westerlake. The universe if it were to have its way
it seemed, would have them together. Her heart, soul and body were more
than willing to go along with the universe, but Nabiki Tendo was first
and foremost a person of the mind. She could take no course of action
until her mind was satisfied. Now that she knew what she would do next,
sleep came readily.
---------