On the Beach
Originally posted on October 27, 2007
Kenzo: So how did you get your sister to agree to let you miss school for this trip?
Kaida: I had no trouble at all. I think she likes her "alone time" with Asher.
Kenzo: Bet that wasn’t her only reason.
Kaida: It wasn’t. Kohana just wants what’s best for me. She knew how happy it would make me to see you again, so she helped make it happen.
Kenzo: I wish…. No, never mind.
Kaida: What is it? I know something’s been on your mind a lot. In Austin - and here, too. Is it Yoshi?
Kenzo: Yeah. I hate to keep complaining about him – I don’t want him to spoil any of our time together, you know?
Kaida: But Kenzo, I want to know, and I want to help in any way I can. Even if it’s only by listening to you complain, as you say. It wouldn’t spoil a thing; if anything, it might help us be closer.
Kenzo: I don’t want to sound like a whiner.
Kaida: You never do. And I haven't been asking, because believe it or not, I don’t want to sound like a meddler.
Kenzo: I guess you’re right – I need to explain some more …..so here goes….. My brother is the favorite son in my family, and my parents have always had really high hopes for his future. He was always good in school, almost without any effort. Sometimes I think my parents don’t care about anything except what kind of prestige it will amount to if we’re super successful at what they want us to do…. and they want another doctor in the family. Dad's a GP, but a specialist would really please them.
Kaida: Don’t they have high hopes for you, too?
Kenzo: Maybe, but so far I’ve able to dodge that bullet because my brother’s plans met their expectations. It’s about the only thing he ever did that I liked, because it took the folks’ attention off me enough so I could study my music.
Kaida: And you’re really, really good on your violin. Don’t they know how happy it makes you to play?
Kenzo: They know... we both had music lessons when we were little, and they encouraged me when I did well at it, made sure I had a good violin and teacher. It was fine as long as Yoshi was doing what they expected of him... but it doesn’t make a difference. Now I might have to give it up – all because Yoshi dropped out of school. He doesn’t give a damn about anything, and I’m not sure they can force him to. So it might be up to me now, to take on those grand medical ambitions of theirs.
Kaida: Parents shouldn’t try to make their kids follow their own dreams like that. I feel bad that it’s happening to you.
Kenzo: Don’t feel bad. I’ll figure something out. And maybe Yoshi will go back to school even before they find out what he did.
Kaida: Kenzo?
Kenzo: Yeah?
Kaida: Thanks for telling me.
Kenzo: Thanks for listening.
