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by Yoshimi Kobayashi

"Oh, no. Not again!" said Mitsuko almost hysterically.

It was her third son Takayuki on the phone asking her to bring his sportswear to school as soon as possible.

"Fifteen minutes' weeding in the garden for me next Sunday, okay?"

She grumbled, and tucked her cellular phone in her bag.

Unlike his older brothers, Takayuki was forgetful. Mitsuko was always bringing his lunch box, textbook...anything you think of. Mitsuko jumped in her car and rushed to the gate of the school, where he was supposed to wait.

The big clock on the school building showed it was almost eight-thirty, when class begins. Pupils were rushing through the front gate. There, Mitsuko met Takayuki.
"Just in time, huh," Takayuki said, panting. He loves playing pick-up soccer - games with his classmates in the school yard just before the school starts.Tak is so active a son, Mitsuko thought.

"I don't have time for weeding next Sunday. I've got to take a special exam. Don't you remember?"

Before his words could resister to Mitsuko, her son was gone, run off to join the group of boys inside the gate, who all began laughing.

Mitsuko sat in her kitchen, staring into her cup of coffee, she wondered, "Why is Takayuki irresponsible? Is it the way I've raised him ?" She sipped her coffee.

"When I was younger, I respected my elders."

She dreamed of when she was a high school student living in a small town.
One rainy autumn morning she had walked to the train station. There, she met two of her friends, both wearing nice dress shoes. Mitsuko was wearing plastic black rain boots. Mitsuko looked down. She could not look her friends in the eye, thinking
"Oh, I've got to wear my pumps. And the rain'll stop soon."
"Let's see.Let's see."
" Oh, yes! I'll call father."
She ran from her friends to the pay phone.

Among neighbours, her father had the nickname of "Idaten," after one of the gods of ancient time, who, the Japanese believed, can run as fast as a streak of lightning.

"Mikochan, I'll be there in a flash," said Idaten and he had run to her like his namesake.

Mitsuko continued sipping her coffee slowly. Refusal never entered her father's mind. He simply sacrificed for her.

"Oh, it's time I went to the hospital again to see father," she said to herself. "I'll go Friday...And, I think I'll bring Tak, his favorite, with me."