I don't know why I was feeling so blah.. but when I did, this
came out. It's a bit of an alterna-verse, and I won't give more expla-
nation as to who everyone is in the story or how they got where they
were.. it'd be too long.
Happy Father's Day
{by LB (feeling a bit bummed) Ranma 1/2 characters and situations don't
belong to me. Please don't use my depression without my permission, and
don't use it to make money in any way. That's bad news in anybody's
book!}
"Tatchi, why don't you let me watch him for a while?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I do not trust you, Father."
"I thought it was all water under the bridge, Tatchi. Why can't
you give your father a break? Why can't you leave him with me?"
"You know why. Don't make me say it again."
"What? That you think your father's crazy and you don't like him
very much? My daughter-in-law doesn't seem to think I'm all that bad."
"She hasn't known you as long as I have. She never had to go
through the humiliation or anger, the pain and the... the heartache."
Suddenly, a wall collapsed and it felt much better to be saying how he
had loved his father and how terribly he had been hurt when the stranger
had come to live in the home.
"You had no idea how much we missed you. Obviously, you still
don't, and you don't care either." Tatewaki glared at his father, who
could see the hurt in his son's eyes, and started to leave the room.
In the doorway, he turned. "I will never be like you. I will
always love my son and will not abandon him. I won't make him go
through the same thing I did... because of you." Then he left.
He watched his son go. "Oh, Tatchi. What have I done?" he asked
quietly.
***
He looked down at the sleeping child and immediately felt his
heart swell. It was practically glowing with love and pride, and all
because of the tiny figure before him.
"I'll never hurt you the way he hurt me," Tatewaki said in barely
a whisper. "Your life and well-being comes before mine." He wanted to
hold his six and a half month old son, but was afraid to ruin the
moment.
"I love you with all my heart and soul, and you mother too. If
only I could change that into being a good father..." I was surely
noble to vow never to be like his father, but noble gestures were
exactly that and nothing more.
Then the child opened his eyes and looked up at his father.
Seeing his son awake, Tatewaki lifted the baby and held him close.
"Did you hear me? Everything I am is for you." He kissed the
child's head and carried him to the bedroom.
"Can you watch him for a bit?"
"Sure. What's the problem?"
"Nothing. I just need to have a talk with my father."
***
"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry, Tatchi?"
"Do not speak. I have something to say." Tatewaki was dressed in
his most formal kimono and kneeling on the floor. His face was very
serious. "I thought that you did not know. But maybe you simply do not
understand. I will make you understand."
"Tatchi, what are..."
He held up his hand to quiet his father. "I am not finished. I
suppose it wasn't fair of me to expect you to understand, you never paid
that much attention to me. Did you ever know how much I loved you?
Before Mother... I would have done anything you asked me. Anything.
Did you know that?"
Slowly, he shook his head.
"And then Mother... and you left, and kept breaking your promises.
I saw you once a month for a few hours, and it wasn't you. You don't
know how much that hurt, do you?"
He shook his head again.
"Then, when you finally decided to stay, you tortured me,
humiliated me... Did you know the entire school laughed at me? It was
bad enough before, but after... it was far worse. I bet you didn't know
that I didn't have any friends. Did you?"
He shook his head, feeling worse and worse about the whole
conversation.
"I didn't think so. You took no interest in my life except for
the length of my hair. And I'm sure you couldn't possibly imagine how
happy I was when you left and didn't return for three years. Things
didn't get any better while you were gone. In fact, I nearly drove
myself to madness... No, I did drive myself to madness, but you weren't
there and it was a small comfort. How does that you make feel?"
"Not... very good."
"Then you know how I felt... for five years!" His voice rose for
a moment then returned to normal. "Then you came back and you were
worse than before. It turned my life into a nightmare. I could only
hope Kodachi was faring better than I, wherever she was. And I always
hurt so much, and nobody cared. All they could see was what a... a
bastard you were, and what a freak I was. And my father, who should've
been there for me, only made things worse!" There were tears in the
corners of his eyes.
"And you didn't care. That was what hurt worst of all. More than
the insults, the beatings, the public humiliation... You didn't care.
So now you want to play grandfather to my son and you don't know why I
won't let you. Why don't you take a look at what you did to my life?
Then, if you can answer 'why', come and talk to me."
Tatewaki stood up, bowed respectfully to his father, and left the
room. Just outside the doorway, he stopped. "I don't hate you, Father,
but I will protect my son with my life. The way you should've done with
me. And Kodachi."
***
"Happy Father's day. How does it feel to be one?"
He took his son into his arms, asleep once again. "I like it very
much."
**My one and only prereader said this wasn't much of a story, and even
less of an ending. I didn't care particularly much since I thought the
material seemed to go well with what day it is (was). 6-15-97 11:50 PM