Ride on Time

Chapter 36

Christmas was due in less than a month and Misao pulled Kumiko to the mall to do some gift shopping. The latter didn't mind since she was just as unprepared.
"What shall I get for my mom?" Misao sighed as she passed one shop after another. "I can't seem to get any ideas!"
"What does your mother like?" Kumiko asked. "You should know, you're her daughter."
Misao frowned. "Oh, I know exactly what she needs. Last year, I got her a new bag since her old one was quite worn and do you know what she did?"
Kumiko shrugged. "She got a new bag?"
"No! She mended the old one and stowed the one I got her in the back of her closet!"
"Ouch..."
"I know right!"
Kumiko frowned thoughtfully. "Alright, maybe bags don't work. Why don't you get her a nice new wallet instead? Who doesn't like a wallet that keeps your money crisp and new, right?"
"Got her one for Mother's Day and what she did with it? She stuffed it in a drawer and left it to collect dust."
"How about a new book? You like reading, pretty sure she does too. You said most of the books you've read were hers, right?"
Misao nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah... that's a good idea. But that's too small! I wanna do something big!"
"A book collection," Kumiko smirked.
Misao nodded. "Oh... hey, that's a good idea. Yeah! Thanks, Kumi. I'm glad I brought you with me."
Kumiko chuckled. "Let's go to the bookshop."
They made their way up the escalator and went to the bookstore a few floors up. Misao didn't only get books for her mother but got a few for herself too. Kumiko decided to get some too.
"Look at this!" Kumiko giggled, holding up a ring-bound book with a colourful cover. "How to Write Stuff!"
Misao smirked, taking it from her hand. "Give me one of those, I wanna try my hand at writing! Hey, who knows, maybe I can be a writer just like Shri!"
Kumiko burst into laughter. "Misao, that book is for kids!"
"And junior writers!" Misao pointed at the words under the title. "I'm considered a junior."
Kumiko rolled her eyes and continued shopping. Misao went after her, laughing softly.

"Now, what shall I get for my father?" Misao asked as soon as they left the bookstore, holding heavy plastic bags of books each.
Kumiko groaned. "Seriously? Why didn't you get him something from the bookshop?" She waved an arm towards the shop she just exited, swinging her bag as she did.
"My dad's not much of a reader," Misao sighed. "He's a tv person."
"Then get him some CDs or something!" Kumiko suggested. "Movies, drama CDs, anything!"
"He already has all of the movies I can think of," Misao groaned. "Oh... what do I do?!"
"I need to go to Abon to get some stuff," Kumiko said, ignoring her. "Maybe I'll get some makeup for my mother too. Come if you want, or stay here and whine."
Misao frowned and followed after her, stomping slightly.

Kumiko browsed through the catalogue, finding whatever she fancied. She gasped and asked the sales clerk for a line of lipstick with pinkish shades. Misao sighed, flipping through the pages of another catalogue with a bored expression, unable to find anything of interest.
That was until she spotted something that made her unimpressed face light up with joy.
Cologne...
Misao quickly thought and called for a sales clerk. "Sorry, can I have this?"
The clerk nodded. "Sure, ma'am. Would you like the set or just the cologne?"
"Just the cologne, please."
"Ma'am, I suggest taking the set since it's on promotion," the clerk suggested persuasively. "It comes with deodorant and you only have to pay a little extra for it. I'd say it's a real steal."
Misao frowned thoughtfully but nodded. The promotion certainly did seem like a steal. "Sure, I'll take it."
Kumiko briefly glanced at Misao and was surprised to see her smirking mischievously.
"What did you do?" Kumiko sighed, suspecting that she had done something stupid.
"I'm buying some cologne and deodorant for my dad," Misao grinned, wiggling her eyebrows. "So it's case closed."
"Good thing I brought you here, huh?" Kumiko chuckled. "Well, at least you got that done with."
Misao suddenly gasped. "I just remembered! I have to get something for Shri too!"
Kumiko groaned. "Why don't you get him some perfume as well?"
"Too expensive," Misao shook her head. "My dad deserves the best this Christmas. I'm getting Shri something smaller."
"A book?" Kumiko shrugged. "He likes reading, doesn't he? Like you."
"Yeah, but... it needs to be special, something he can carry around and keep with him wherever he goes," Misao exaggeratedly said. "What shall I get him?"
"A keychain? Something he can carry around... something handmade?" Kumiko suggested. "Make him something, Misao. You're good at that sorta stuff, aren't you? Knit him a sweater or something."
"No, a sweater would take too much time and I ain't got enough time with work and all," Misao frowned for a moment and lit up, gasping in excitement. "That's it! I'll make him an omamori!"
"Great idea," Kumiko nodded. "Do you have the supplies?"
Misao shook her head. "Nope."
"Let's go get some, then."

Misao sat at her desk and carefully sewed the omamori charm with the kit she got from the craft shop. She even made alterations to the original plain design by adding embroidery of a sky with a red sun with clouds and birds.
But then she realised. She needed to give Shruti something too.
So she began making another one, where she embroidered a Sakura flower in the centre. Of course, the kanji that meant good luck came with the kit she bought, but she decided that it needed something else too.
It was a good thing she got more than one of those kits.
When at last she was done, Misao put it in a little box and wrote a letter, wishing Shri and his family a Merry Christmas, though they don't really celebrate, and put the letter in the box.
She decided to send it the next day since it was almost bedtime and the post office would be closed.
So she spent the rest of the night wrapping the gifts she got for her parents before resuming to read Shri's book. She was reading it fast too, finished more than half of it in less than two days.
Misao wanted it to last, but it was too good to stall.
She eventually called it a night once she heard Kumiko turn the television off and go to bed.