As a quick reminder, "Amazing Grace" is what you call a SERIES. So before you go any further, you must read the previous installments to understand the plot. The series is as follow: Amazing Grace: Take a Picture (one part) Amazing Grace: Facing Mother(hood) (two chapters) For those of you wondering where my web site went to, I wondered the same thing. Tripod decided to show its devilish side and deleted, not only mine, but many of their accounts. It wasn't just me! And along with my web site, Meara's page was lost! While they fixed the problem a while back, I will no longer have anything to do with them. I finally realized how terrible it is. (Glares at Tripod.) The new address for my web site is http://miracleromance.cjb.net/. Please visit when you get the time! :) Speaking of thanks, many thanks goes out the to the wonderful "old" lady, Meara. This woman is remarkable! She proofreads my stories, manages to keep me halfway sane when I'm whining about my writer's block(s), proofreads for other authors, and then finds the time to write incredible stories that increase in quality with every chapter. That and she's one of the nicest people in the world! Please take pity on me and drop me a line at masked_maiden@hotmail.com. You have no idea what your email does for this heart of mine. Most of the time they really make my day when everything is going bad. And besides, authors love to know they're being read! So please write me! And finally, the dreaded and overrated disclaimer all fan fiction authors must abide by: I don't own Sailor Moon or any of her beloved friends. Takeuchi Naoko and very big companies that could sue the pants off of me do. So don't sue me. It's impossible to get blood from a stone, but it's even more impossible to get money out of a teenager! Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, "Something is out of tune." ~ Carl Gustav Jung Amazing Grace: Facing Mother(hood) By: Masked Maiden Chapter Two: Mistakes Continued… Being a landowner's son and a well-known businessman, Mitsukai Takara was blessed with many earthly possessions that matched his life of wealth and prosperity, a life where he didn't have to fear never being able to support his family. That was what he lived for -- his family. They were his life. He'd been married to the same woman for twenty- three years, over half of his life and hopefully for more years to come. During their marriage the gods blessed them with two daughters. He loved them with all his heart. With them he had a life that surpassed the expectations he'd made for himself during his years of youth. He couldn't (and wouldn't ask) for anything more. However, there were times when he wondered why the gods ever gave him a wife that was so… Well, stubborn couldn't hold a candle to Mitsukai Anjeru. Parsimonious, hypocritical and a harridan fitted more properly. "She's ruining her life!" Anjeru proclaimed. Takara watched his beloved pace up and down the space between the two full size beds in their hotel suite. He then glanced over to his eldest daughter, Karei, who sat Indian-style on the opposite bed with her arms folded and her eyes following her mother's every move. She bore the same expression of exasperation as her father. Anjeru continued to rant. "Megumi does not know what she's getting herself into! You should have seen it! She already has furniture for the nursery! She should realize that giving that baby up for adoption is the appropriate and wiser thing to do! If she thinks she can raise it and then juggle college and work then she can-" Takara found it the perfect time to interrupt her. "Anjeru, could you calm down?" he asked her. "It's not as bad as you assume." Anjeru stopped her pacing and glared down at her husband with her stinging, cold eyes. "She's too young to have a baby!" "Need I remind you how young you were when Karei was born? I believe you were 18." For the first time since she returned to the hotel, Anjeru fell silent. She married Takara when she was 16 and became a mother two years later when Karei was born. In her generation young girls were expected to marry at the age of "womanhood" and produce children to carry on their husband's family name. In many cases girls were betrothed to boys chosen by their parents. Anjeru and Takara tricked their parents by seeking help from a man who was a friend with both of their families. The villagers also knew him as the matchmaker. He easily convinced their families to allow the young lovers to marry. By taking manners into their own hands, Anjeru and Takara were rebels in their own time. "The times are different," Anjeru said, ceasing her silence. "When I was young, girls were forced to marry and produce children. These days women are able to pursue careers and have a life of their own without a lot of the pressures of having a family. I don't want Megumi ruining that opportunity with that mistake! She made a mistake by rooming with that young man and now she's making another mistake by keeping that baby!" Takara and Karei saw the other side of the argument -- the side Megumi voiced to her mother's face during their spat earlier that afternoon. Over the years Anjeru grew quite fond of the aristocratic life she now lived in. (It was an improvement from the village occupied with farmers and fishermen she was from.) She was a recognized and respected woman among their society. If word every got out that her daughter had a child out of wedlock, her reputation with her rich friends would be, in Megumi's words, "kaput!" Right then Anjeru dropped the bomb, and it fell in Takara's lap. She turned to her husband and asked, "Don't you agree with me?" Karei abandoned (or maybe saved) her father by standing up and announcing, "I think I'll go see Megumi." Takara got up and stopped his daughter at the door before she left. "Wait a minute," he said. He took out his wallet and handed her some money. "Take Megumi wherever she wants to go for her birthday. I think she would prefer that under the circumstances." "Papa, I'm not taking your money," Karei said. "I have enough." "Take it anyway." Karei knew her father wasn't going to take no for an answer. She took the money, thanked him, and then left. Anjeru was tapping her foot as she waited for Takara. When he returned she simply looked at him, eyebrow arched. "Well?" "Well what?" Takara retorted. "What do you think about all of this?" Takara sat back down on the bed. "Honestly? I think you're over reacting." Anjeru's voice went from low to high, surprised by her husband's reply. "I'm WHAT?" "Hon, I don't like it just as much as you do. Megumi and Joben should have taken precautions to prevent this. And without support from Joben, Megumi is going to have a rough time ahead of her." "So you're saying she should keep it?!" "That's exactly what I'm saying. Anjeru, do you honestly expect Megumi to give that child up after she's already carried it for six months? As a mother yourself, you should know what it's like. Would you have been able to give Megumi or Karei up?" "Of course not! But I was married. Megumi isn't even an adult!" "You weren't either. Are you saying that because Megumi isn't married that she should give the child up?" "Yes, I am. If Megumi and Joben were married it would be honorable. However, I still wouldn't like the idea of her having the child at her age." "Look, I don't like it either. But marriage and age is beside the point. We should take into consideration Megumi's capability of caring for this child. She is a responsible young woman who is able to take care of the baby, resume college and keep the bills paid. And she's also responsible enough to ask for help if she needs it. While I would rather see her supporting herself, I would have no problem helping her if she asked for help." "If she were responsible she wouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place!" "Anjeru, protection isn't 100 percent effective. We don't know the situation. Maybe they didn't use protection. Maybe they did. I would hope they did. But whether or not Megumi shouldn't be deemed irresponsible with one mishap. She's taking responsibility by keeping the baby." "I will not tolerate seeing Megumi ruin her life." "Oh? Tell me, Anjeru. Are you more worried about Megumi being scarred or about you being the subject of gossip amongst the ladies at the country club?" Anjeru hesitated for a moment, and then responded to her husband's comment. "Well can you blame me? When I was little I was looked down upon because I was poor. Now I have obtained the respect and honor that I deserve and I do not want to give it up over something that can be fixed! I won't ruin it. It's took me too damn long to get where I am today and I'm not about to see all my hard work go to waste." Takara's face remained neutral, but inside a flood of emotions had erupted from its damaged embankment. He knew that his wife had changed over the years, yet at that moment he saw the new woman she had become. His love for her still remained, but his heart was broken by the knowledge of what she now considered important in her life, and it wasn't her family. Anjeru watched him stand and gather his hat and coat. He put on his coat in a manner that showed the pain he felt. She couldn't understand. What did she do besides telling the truth? Perhaps that was it -- the truth, her truth, had wounded him. The look he gave her before heading for the door told her so. "You're not the same woman I married," he uttered. "The woman I married looked past a person's flaws and treated everyone as equals. She saw them as who they were. She went out of her way to help a stranger. Honor and respect were secondary to her, because her good deeds were all she needed. Have you found another love besides me and our daughters?" Anjeru was speechless. Takara donned his hat and buttoned his coat. "I'm going for a walk," he said. "And when will you be back?" Anjeru pried. Takara's temper flared. "I don't know. Should it even bother you?" The door was slammed shut, and Anjeru was left abandoned in the hotel suite enveloped in the haunting silence that took over. She sat down on one of the beds and surveyed her surroundings. She faced her own desolate prison marked with material possessions of aristocracy, reminders of her foolish and selfish pride. For the most part Anjeru was left alone during her childhood. Her mother died during childbirth, and through a nonverbal manner her father blamed her for his wife's death. In fact, he rarely spoke to her. All day long he would work in the fields and at night he would spend his time with the geisha at the local tavern. Her grandmother took care of her, though truthfully Anjeru raised herself and became an independent young girl, teaching herself how to clean the house, cook, and various chores commonly done by men folk. Many of the townspeople consider her independence an undesired characteristic for a bride, and so no man came to court her until a young boy visited with his father some of the farmers that lived on their land. Until she met Takara, Anjeru always believed she was worthless. It wasn't his money that Anjeru desired -- it was what his money bestowed upon him. Money had given him an authoritative position, respect, and honorable name. Those things and Takara alone were what Anjeru wanted. Now, she had her husband and was blessed with the things that made her fall in love with him. She had the life she dreamed of: a husband, two daughters that she did love, and the honor she never received. So why did she feel hollow inside? Why did she feel even more worthless than before? Her pride wouldn't allow her to answer. ~*~*~ Karei decided to call her sister before visiting her. After the events that happened that afternoon, the least she could do was warn her ahead of time. She found a pay phone at the end of the block, dropped a couple of coins in the slot and dialed Megumi's phone number. Her thoughts drifted as she waited for a response. Between the two sisters, Karei was the impetuous one. (Her late grandmother affectionately called her "Koarashi," which literally translated to "little storm.") That was the reason why it appalled the Mitsukai family when Megumi announced a year ago she was moving into an apartment in Tokyo with her now ex-fiancé. Her decision did not please their parents -- Anjeru tried her best to change Megumi's mind -- but they quickly realized she was not going be persuaded. With their permission she moved in with Joben a week after high school graduation. Now, hardly a year later, she was soon to be a single mother. The unborn child, in Karei's eyes, was a mixed blessing, a piece of heaven and hell combined. She could not condemn her sister for planning to keep the child. If she were in her shoes Karei would make the same decision. The thought of becoming an aunt in three more months was also appealing. However, she couldn't help but agree (yes, she agreed!) with her mother on a couple of details. The society they dwelled in still lived by culture and tradition that was centuries old. Therefore it was beyond a doubt single mothers were "discreetly" condemned. Exceptions were widows only. Divorce was looked down upon for marriage was one of the most important phases in life, a necessity. And as the sixties ended and the seventies began, a time where moral and social norms were on the brink of alteration, more and more young couples began to move in together. The people who refused any kind of change would despise such actions and bicker at how the world was going straight to hell. Megumi was a miniscule part in grand scheme of things, as was Anjeru -- they were only an example of what thousands of families were going through across the island country. There were also the financial problems Megumi could come up against after the baby was born. Karei knew she was determined to finish college, even if it would be a semester behind the other students. (She assumed Megumi was going to skip the winter semester as a leave of absence.) It was already an effort for a college student to remain in school and keep a job to pay for their bills. Karei could only imagine how it would be with another person to take care of. But money was the lesser problem. Even without Anjeru's help, Takara would willingly help both of his daughters in any way he could. He already agreed to continue paying for Megumi's tuition, but if he had to pay for a month's apartment rent, he wouldn't hesitate. Karei silently confessed. ~*~*~ Megumi agreed that sometimes solitude was the best therapy. She closed the door to her bedroom as well as the window blinds. The lights were turned off and the room was filled with a dimmed darkness. She lay on her bed, eyes closed, and listened to Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” as it resounded from her clock radio. While people spent their money on quacks that were guaranteed to diminish stress, Megumi simply fell back on the crutch she obtained at a young age - music. Listening to it wasn’t always enough. Creating it completed her. She could pick up her guitar or sit down in front of her keyboard and let the music take over her. When she no longer could play either instrument, due to the ever-growing child inside of her, she would depend on her voice and sing from pop songs and lullabies. Music was a part of her. It was what helped her through many of the hard times, a morphine that relieved the pain and enveloped her in its tantalizing, gripping embrace. Megumi remembered when her mother forced her to learn the piano, telling her that such an instrument brought out the elegance of a young lady. With no say so in the decision, Megumi reluctantly agreed to take the piano lessons. Surprisingly, she loved it. A spark of passion was ignited inside her soul. Perhaps if her mother never made her take up piano, Megumi would have never discovered the gift she was given. she mused. By Christmas, Megumi needed another musical challenge. Behind her mother’s back she begged her father for a guitar, saying it was the only thing she wanted for Christmas. On Christmas Day, an ecstatic little girl saw that Santa left her a guitar under the tree. To that day Megumi still took out that little guitar and strummed its plastic strings, just to brush the dust away. Years later when she entered junior high she signed up for chorus and began to realize that people, not only enjoyed hearing her play the piano and guitar, but also enjoyed hearing her sing. With her musical talents everyone automatically assumed she would pursue a singing career. But all Megumi wanted to be was a music teacher. Many questioned her occupational choice, even some of her friends. Why would a young woman choose to become a simple music teacher when she possessed what it took to be the next music idol? Megumi’s answer was short, sweet, and simple: “Because I don’t want to!” It was little bit more than that, though. Megumi just did not have a desire for fame. She would rather continue performing at dinner clubs and keep her privacy than have become a household name without a moment of peace. The phone rang, which placed Megumi in a pinch. She could either a) struggle to roll herself out of bed and reach for the phone in time; or b) stay contemptibly where she lay and let the phone ring until the person on the other end gave in and hung up. Expecting it to be either Hanako or Setsuko calling her, she reluctantly chose option A. The phone was on its seventh ring when she finally answered it. she said to herself. "Hello?" she spoke. The sad attempt of the imitation of a man's voice was heard. "Hey, is this Spanky's Pool Hall?" Megumi immediately recognized the voice, yet it still took a moment for it to register in her mind. "Karei," she questioned, "is that you?" "This is Bubba. Is this the pool hall or not?" "You baka! Cut it out before I hang up on you!" Karei's laughter ruined her cover. "Hey, chick! How are you?" "Considering the fact that I've had enough surprises for today, and if I'm surprised again I'll likely give birth, I'm fine. And how are you?" "Well, I must admit that I'm a little pissed off because a certain someone couldn't even tell her own sister that she is going to be an aunt in the mere future. But other than that, I'm just dandy!" Megumi's voice grew serious in tone. "Oka-san told you?" "Told me? She blew up in mine and Papa's faces." "She told me I had to break the news this evening." "Ah, well I'm not surprised. But she was so mad when she came back that when Papa asked if something was wrong she just blew up. And speaking of this evening, plans have changed. I'm coming over and I'm treating your to whatever you want." "Karei, that's nice of you, but you don't have to." "Yes I do! So call Setsuko, Hanako, and whoever else and we'll have a girls' night out!" Megumi admitted that was tempting. A moment ago she wanted to stay home for the rest of the day. Now, going out with her friends and her sister was a good idea. "Well, that does sound nice…" "Of course it does. I'll be there as soon as possible. By then you better know what you want to do. If you don't I'll make the decision for you." "I shall do my best." A thought struck her. "Does Papa know anything about this?" "He was the one who suggested it." "Is he trying to kill himself?" "I wouldn't be surprised if Oka-san knows. He wasn't too discreet about telling me. It wouldn't have made much difference. She probably wouldn't have shown up for dinner this evening." "You're probably right. I wouldn’t be surprised if she buys a ticket back to Kobe tonight." "Take my advice and not worry about it." "And take my word for it -- it's hard not to worry about it.” The ding-dong sound of the doorbell interrupted their conversation. Karei stifled a giggle while listening to her sister mutter under her breath. It was a comfort to know there were people who cared about Megumi, but Karei realized it could also become an annoyance very quickly. “Just see it as my cue to shut up,” Karei chimed. “I’ll let you go so you can answer the door.” “You’re too kind,” Megumi deadpanned. “Now let’s not get testy.” Megumi huffed. “Karei… shut up.” “Only for you, my imoto!” The doorbell rang for the second time when Megumi hung up the phone. She voiced a loud, “I’m coming!” as she went to answer the door. There was no doubt in her mind that it was her best friend and not anyone else. After all, Setsuko was the only person left to check on her. So when she opened the door she spoke her mind before giving the visitor a chance to open their mouth. “Before you even utter a word I just want you to know that I’m fine and I’m getting tired of everyone bugging me!” Her visitor began to wonder if he picked a very bad time to stop by. “Uh…” he stammered, “I didn’t say you weren’t fine.” A lump of embarrassment began to swell right beside Megumi’s heart and dropped to her stomach like an iron ball. How it ever found room she would never know. She grew even more embarrassed, signified by her bright red cheeks, when she looked at him for the first time. His blue uniform and badge (not to mention the vacant holster by his side) indicated he was a police officer for the Bunkyo-ku Police Department, the same precinct Hanako’s husband was stationed. Megumi concluded he was the poster boy for the saying about men in uniform, and everyone knew what women thought about men in uniform. He was young, though older than Megumi. She guessed he was at least twenty-two, maybe twenty-three years old. His thick coal black hair was pressed down after being covered by a hat all day, and his mustache and five o’clock shadow ruined the clean-cut appearance. Still, Megumi couldn’t complain. In contrast of his black hair were his bright cerulean eyes, perhaps his best feature. The eyes were said to be windows to a person’s soul. All Megumi could see in his eyes were clarity and euphoria… obviously he’d never experienced any hardship in his life. The man’s brow arched after a period of silence. “Ma’am?” he questioned. Megumi could just imagine how she looked -- staring wide eyed at the man in front of him. Couldn't she act just a little more indiscreet? "Oh God… I am so sorry," Megumi apologized. "I thought you were someone else." A half amused, half-bemused smirk formed on his lips. "Apparently so… are you Mitsukai Megumi?" "Yes… is something wrong, officer?" "Oh no, nothing like that. Sorry about the get-up, I just got off from work. My name is Chiba Hitori. I live two floors up from you. Some of your mail got mixed in with mine this morning so I came by to give it to you." From his back pants pocket he produced two white envelopes and handed them to Megumi. Sure enough, she saw her name and address neatly printed on both of them. Megumi silently quipped, "Thank you," she said. "No problem." Hitori could have left then, but he felt pressed to ask Megumi a question. Her name sounded familiar to him. He'd never met her, but he once knew someone close to her. "Hey, aren't you Watabe's girlfriend?" he asked. The question was a sudden blow. "I was," she answered. "Do you know Joe?" Hitori shook his head. "Not really. I bumped into him in the elevator a couple of times. He mentioned your name once. But if you want my opinion, he has to be a real idiot for leaving you." He put on his hat and thumped it once on the brim. "Have a nice day, ma'am." Megumi was unsure whether to feel flattered or offended. There was the part of her that never wanted Joben back in her life -- she had placed him aside and accepted the fact he would never return for her. Then there was the part of her that still had affections for him -- she'd given anything to kiss him one more time. But whatever emotion she decided to go by, nothing could disguise her speechlessness. It'd been a long time since a man gave her a compliment. "Y-Yeah," she finally replied, stammering. "Same to you. Except it would be, 'have a nice day, sir' and not 'have a nice day, ma'am' but anyway… Have a nice day." His smirk stretched to a genuine smile. "Right. Good-bye, Mitsukai- san." "Sayonara." When he was down the hall and on the elevator, Megumi stood in the entrance and banged her head on the door and allowed it to rest there for several minutes. "Megumi, she muttered to herself, "you have got to be the biggest idiot in the world! The least you could do was act halfway sane. You'll probably never even see him again! And truthfully he probably doesn't care to see you again. He was only trying to be nice. But he wouldn't even consider…" Megumi stood straight. "I'm talking to myself!" "So I hear," Karei interjected. "But carry on. I find it quite interesting. Like this 'he.' Who is this 'he' you are talking about? And is this 'he' as cute as he sounds?" Megumi scowled. She was going to ask Karei how she arrived to her apartment so quickly, but realized a lengthy ten minutes must have passed since their conversation over the phone. Karei's brow arched. "Stop looking at me like that!" she demanded. Her sister's eyes narrowed. "Why not?" she vexed. "It's very hard not to." "Oh come on. Don't get mad at me over a little eavesdropping. I've done much worse before." "I should know. I was usually an accessory for those ‘much worse’ things." A wave of nostalgia washed over her as her harden expression soften with a smile and a laugh. She turned to her sister once more, and realized how thankful she was to have her, to know she could count on her for anything. "We put Oka-san through a lot," Megumi added. Karei put her arm around her little sister. "Yep," she agreed. "And it looks like she hasn't escaped from it just yet." Megumi looked down at her belly. "Well, I've always liked proving Oka- san wrong." "And I always enjoy seeing the results." The two sisters entered the apartment, closing the door behind them. There was much to talk about and so little time to complete the discussions. Yet, Karei made sure the most important subject was dealt with first. "So," she chirped, "was he cute?" "Karei!" "What?!" ====== End of chapter two.