Today, November 23rd, is Labor Thanksgiving Day. In Japan, it is a holiday for commemorating labor, but to children, it specifically feels like a day to thank their parents for working hard for their families. In kindergarten and elementary school, in order to show thanks to their parents, many students make gifts during arts and crafts time...
"Uu! Maria made a Thanksgiving Day present at school! Look, it's this, uu!"
"Ooh, that's a nice envelope! 'Thanksgiving Day Present,' huh. I like how straightforward it is!"
"You decorated it very nicely. Did you make these with origami? The flowers you pasted on are very well made."
"It really conveys your sincerity. So, what's inside of it?"
"Uu! Look, see. It's a coupon for shoulder massages~! It lasts for a month. Whenever Mama wants, Maria will tap her shoulders!"
The expiration date was in a month. It could be used once a day, for thirty minutes.
However, it could only be used before 9:00 at night. So in a way, it also contained a message from Maria, asking her mother to come home early. The envelope and the coupon, which were decorated in a surprisingly diligent and fun-looking manner, were something of a masterpiece. Battler, George, and Jessica were all deeply moved by that sincerity...
They were in a coffee shop in a metropolitan area. George had proposed that it would be nice to have fellow cousins together for tea once in awhile, so they had all gathered there. Rosa had also been with them for awhile, but she had an arrangement to go greet someone from work or something, and she had entrusted Maria to them and left. Then, secretly. Maria had showed everyone her plans to give Rosa a present that day.
"Today, I'll give her the present when we're eating dinner. Uu!"
"I'm sure she'll be delighted... I forgot about those kinds of feelings a long time ago."
Jessica embarrassedly scratched her head, averting her eyes. ...Maria's earnestness was a bit dazzling. The same went for Battler. He could only laugh awkwardly at Maria's pure smile.
...Nearly everyone is grateful to their parents. However, during their rebellious period, those feelings become distorted. ...Afterwards, having those kinds of feelings seems almost embarrassing, so nothing changes.
"...Maybe...I should go buy some kind of present, too..."
"George-aniki, you brought some luggage with you. Could that be presents for your parents...?"
"Yeah. I got Father a new wallet. ...I'm not sure if it's because of some kind of superstition, but he's been using a really old one for awhile. Recently, his change purse has gotten really worn-out, and it seems like coins often fall out of it. I thought it was about time he owned a new one. ...I'm also giving my mother a gift for Thanksgiving Day. This, which I picked up on the way here today, is my present to Mother."
"Hmm. What is it?"
"A kitchen knife. Mother is obsessed with kitchen knives. With brand name ones, that is. I'm sure she'll like it."
When seated at the family conference, Eva appeared very shrewd and faultfinding. But at home, she was a good mother who excelled at cooking and gardening. She especially loved creative cooking, and would often invite the women of the neighborhood over for house parties, in which she would proudly announce her newest works and receive praise. It was certainly a fitting gift for that "witch of the kitchen."
"A kitchen knife, huh. It seems pretty high class for a present. How much did it cost?"
"P-Presents aren't about the cost. ...I guess this was about 200,000 yen."
