The Ways We Love
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Takako Ishii is very excited to be attending college once the new term starts. She’s also relieved her grades are good enough that she’s been accepted into her first choice of university. Sure, there are plenty of colleges to choose from, but not many that specialize in preparing young adults for entering into law enforcement.
Takako’s mother still isn’t completely resolved to Takako’s career choice, she knows, but at least her mother is willing to let Takako have her way for now. Probably, her mother is hoping that Takako will meet a nice, young man while away at college, get married, and forget all about choosing such a dangerous job.
Takako has already decided, though. Even if she meets a man who she might wish to marry while at school, she won’t agree to any permanent commitment until after she’s been accepted into the Public Safety Bureau. Takako feels like she has to try this path, at least. She wants so badly to help defend her nation, to be someone who stands for justice and upholding the law.
Her friends think that Takako sounds naive, and she’s self-aware enough to admit to herself that they’re right, but she doesn’t mind. This is the path that Takako has chosen to follow, after all. She’s eager to begin her life at school a few hours away from home, finally.
Then, two weeks before Takako is due to leave, her mother collapses.
Overwork, the doctor says. That makes sense. Takako’s mother is a single parent, and has raised Takako by herself for all of these years. Takako is at first frightened when her mother collapses, and then very relieved when the doctor says that her mother will be fine.
Then comes the worst news. Her mother has overworked herself to the point that she’s going to need a long stay in the hospital, and going back to work is out of the question for a long time even after then. They have no savings, aside from the money meant for Takako’s schooling, and they need rent money. And food. And the hospital bills need to be paid.
So, Takako is eighteen and does not go to school. This is fine, she tells herself. Plenty of people nowadays don’t attend university their first year after high school. Plenty of people get part-time jobs like Takako is looking into right now. They stay and work, and start school later, and everything turns out just fine.
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Takako Ishii is 18 years old and ready to start college when her mother collapses. Suddenly, Takako is forced to put her life and dreams on hold in order to care for the mother who has raised her for all of these years.
What does it mean to love someone? To have a duty towards them? How does someone deal with the feelings of resentment that build up? With the feeling of watching everyone else living their lives and being left behind?
Takako must decide what it really means to care for someone.
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Want to find out what happens next? You can buy the story on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y1CLHBG.
Takako’s mother still isn’t completely resolved to Takako’s career choice, she knows, but at least her mother is willing to let Takako have her way for now. Probably, her mother is hoping that Takako will meet a nice, young man while away at college, get married, and forget all about choosing such a dangerous job.
Takako has already decided, though. Even if she meets a man who she might wish to marry while at school, she won’t agree to any permanent commitment until after she’s been accepted into the Public Safety Bureau. Takako feels like she has to try this path, at least. She wants so badly to help defend her nation, to be someone who stands for justice and upholding the law.
Her friends think that Takako sounds naive, and she’s self-aware enough to admit to herself that they’re right, but she doesn’t mind. This is the path that Takako has chosen to follow, after all. She’s eager to begin her life at school a few hours away from home, finally.
Then, two weeks before Takako is due to leave, her mother collapses.
Overwork, the doctor says. That makes sense. Takako’s mother is a single parent, and has raised Takako by herself for all of these years. Takako is at first frightened when her mother collapses, and then very relieved when the doctor says that her mother will be fine.
Then comes the worst news. Her mother has overworked herself to the point that she’s going to need a long stay in the hospital, and going back to work is out of the question for a long time even after then. They have no savings, aside from the money meant for Takako’s schooling, and they need rent money. And food. And the hospital bills need to be paid.
So, Takako is eighteen and does not go to school. This is fine, she tells herself. Plenty of people nowadays don’t attend university their first year after high school. Plenty of people get part-time jobs like Takako is looking into right now. They stay and work, and start school later, and everything turns out just fine.
--------------------------------------
Takako Ishii is 18 years old and ready to start college when her mother collapses. Suddenly, Takako is forced to put her life and dreams on hold in order to care for the mother who has raised her for all of these years.
What does it mean to love someone? To have a duty towards them? How does someone deal with the feelings of resentment that build up? With the feeling of watching everyone else living their lives and being left behind?
Takako must decide what it really means to care for someone.
--------------------------------------
Want to find out what happens next? You can buy the story on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y1CLHBG.
