Taking The Long Way Home

Part 17

17. Until the world stops spinning.

She didn't feel like grocery shopping that day. Neither did she feel like going out. But being human she needed to eat and realistically speaking, the fridge was getting empty. Pushing a squeaky trolley down the aisle, she eyes the racks for things to buy. It was obvious that her mind was just not into it as she realized that she had come to the mart unprepared. She was always a 'list' kind off girl, organized and proper, jotting everything down like a compulsive habit. And now she was strolling aimlessly from aisle to aisle, unsure of what to buy.

Understandably, she took more time than she'd intended, it was unusually crowded that day and the goods on the racks were thinned out more than usual. Eventually she did make it to the checkout lanes, parking her trolley behind a decent line of customers that was snaking all up to the aisles. And then it hit her as to why it was so crowded, she had picked the worst day to go grocery shopping. Payday.

All around her were families of three or four, with their trolleys filled to the brim with things ranging from diapers for the little ones, shampoo for the mother and a sly six-pack cans of beer tucked under mounts of fresh vegetables. The couple in front of her was planning to entertain guests it seemed as multiple bottles of cheap wine tinkled together in their already full cart of meat cuts and assorted fruits. They were being careful with their spending and judging from the conversation they were having, they were also quite reluctant to entertain any guests. Nanase couldn't help but smile a little. They were so close to her, it was impossible not eavesdrop on their cute, lively banter. One was saying how it was customary for newlyweds to invite friends over and her partner grumpily mumbled that "friends" were supposed to let newlyweds have their well-deserved alone time. It was endearing, and romantic. And it was about to make her day until it got all too real, evoking deeply precious, familiar memories. She quickly dabbed the slits of her eyelids and thought of different things. Well, there's no time for that. Don't wanna be called a crazy lady for suddenly tearing up in a supermarket.

When she got home, the television was entertaining itself and the ceiling fan was at top speed. A usual sight. "Nana? Nana? How many times must I tell you to shut things off when you're not using them?" Nanase beckoned, slightly displeased but not at all angry. She heard a rustle from behind the curtains. "Oh? Nana is not here? Oh where could she be?" she asked wistfully, playing along this game her daughter had initiated without her consent. She did a circuit around the house, but when her search was fruitless except for the childish muffled giggles that accompanied her blind search, she released herself onto the couch. And as she was about to put her feet up, her daughter's head slid out from under the couch like some scene in a Ju-On movie. "Oka-san!" the little one cheerfully said, with pure delight in her innocent eyes as she prides herself with another successful attempt at scaring her mother. Nanase wasn't all too happy to see the sight between her feet as she crinkled her nose, slightly displeased that Nana's hair that she had diligently brushed this morning was now a rumpled mess, complete with thick dust bunnies as decorative clips. "Oh dear, your hair! It's so dirty down there. And your pretty dress! Oh heavens..." Nanase sighed, while her skinny but strong arms swooped the little one to her feet. Nana wasn't affected by her mother's slight distress, in fact she was still giggling. Cheerful, happy giggles like a melodic wind chime in steady winds immediately filled the house with life. Nana was on her mother's lap now, she had been told to stay in place as her mother picked out dust from her hair. Occasionally, she would hear the usual "tsk-tsk" or sometimes when her mother was more cross than usual, the gentle but not-so-subtle "my DEAR child". It was just the two of them. She and her mother. It has been that way for a while now. Sometimes she would feel a sense of lost, not intense but as if something was missing from her life, and it was meant to stay that way for a long time. She knew exactly what it was, but she knew better than to talk about it with Oka-san since she's a big girl now and it's time Oka-san stops crying at night.