Maria - Chapter 4 Originally appeared in Nakayoshi, March 1990. Written by Takeuchi Naoko. Translated by Alex Glover. Version 1.0, September 2000. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two girls run past Maria. "Hurry! Hurry! We have to change!" "All right! The boys are playing tennis!" "Instead my head, still..." thinks Maria. "It's playing over and over. She sees Kazuma and Kazushi on the tennis court laughing. "You're going to fall in love with me." "So there are times... when he smiles like that." "What are you doing?" says Noa. "Everyone's lined up already." "Sorry," says Maria. "I'll be right there." Maria runs off. Kazuma gets a drink. "It's hot," he says. "Kazuma..." says Noa. "Say... When you took that girl to the health center the other day, is it true you played the piano for her in the music room? What about me...?" "I always play for you," says Kazuma. "That's not what I..." Kazushi grabs her. "Hey Noa!" he says. "What are you doing ditching here!" "Kazuma!" calls a voice. "I should go," says Kazuma. He runs off. Noa turns to Kazushi. "Kazushi, you idiot!" she says. "H- How mean!" says Kazushi. "What did I...?" Noa runs after Kazuma. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I wonder if Noa knew I was watching Kazuma-kun," thinks Maria. "I'm back," she says. "Maria?" says Ema. "This is great!" She hands Maria a bouquet. "What?" says Maria. "From Daddy Longlegs!?" "To my dear Maria," the card reads. "I haven't received any letters recently. Meeting you is my dream. From the god who is only yours." "So you got a reply!?" says Ema. "Wow, you did it! So what does it say? This bouquet is wonderful! Is it your birthday?" "What should I do..." says Maria. "I can't accept this. There's nothing special. My birthday is still a while off." "His dream..." she thinks. "Oh Maria..." "Wow, it's done with a word processor," says Ema. "Hey, you're not writing letters? Why...?" "I wonder if that was a good idea," thinks Maria. "Promising to marry Daddy Longlegs... so easily..." "Maria?" says Ema. "Ehe," says Maria. "I've been a bit busy, and I'm storing up letters." Ema looks at the calendar. "I see," she says. "Final exams are coming up." "I haven't talked much with Noa and Kazuma-kun lately..." thinks Maria. "But how should I act if I see them...?" "Say, Ema..." "What is it?" "Nothing..." "Maria," says Ema. "You can talk to me about anything. Even things that are hard to say." "Thank you," says Maria. "All right, good luck with exams!" says Ema. "If I talk to Ema," thinks Maria, "I'm sure Noa would find out... Noa would definitely worry, if she knew that a long time ago Kazuma-kun and I..." "My bride." "It's a promise." "You're going to fall in love with me." She takes out a piece of paper. "God," she writes. She crumples up the paper. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What?" says Ema. "So Maria, you're going to spend all of spring break in the dorm? No way! You should have told me sooner. Everyone's going home, so the dorm will be empty during the break. If we weren't having a memorial service, I could invite you to come with my family." "Don't be so concerned," says Maria. "I'm used to being by myself." "One week!" says Ema. "I'll be back in one week! And I'll call you, too." "Don't worry, take your time, Ema." "Today's the fourteenth," thinks Ema. "Hmm..." She looks at the calendar. "What!?" she thinks. "Tomorrow is Maria's birthday!?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maria looks around the empty building. "Oh..." she thinks. "I guess I should have told people more. That tomorrow's my birthday... Maybe I'll go to see my mom. Tomorrow I'll talk to her about all the things that have happened. If I'm with my mom..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maria looks at the sign on the door to her mom's room at the hospital. "No visitors?" she thinks. "Oh no, what does that mean... This is my mom's room, right?" "Maria-chan?" says Maie. "Oh, you're on spring break, right?" "Did something happen...!?" she says. "It's no big deal," says Maie. "They're just doing an examination or something in there. It seems she couldn't sleep much last night. Don't worry." "Really!?" says Maria. "Really, really," he says. "So I'm sorry, but you should go home." "Umm..." says Maria. "Well, it's just, this bouquet... But... I got it from Daddy Longlegs. I was going to share it with my mom..." "I'll give it to her," says Maie. "They're pretty roses." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maria sits down at the bus stop. "Here will be all right," she says. "Yeah, since there's no one in the dorm. And cars never pass by here, either. I wonder if my mom is all right... My birthday last year was just my mom and me. Oh, and the year before that, too." She looks up at the sky. "Happy birthday... to... you..." she sings. "Happy birthday... to you... Happy birthday..." She buries her face in her hands. "Is there really a Daddy Longlegs?" she thinks. "If there is, come to me, right now..." "Dear Maria..." says a voice. "Come!" she thinks. She looks up and sees Kazuma. He lights a match, sticks it in a cupcake, and holds it out to her. "Happy birthday to you," he sings. The match is extinguished by the wind. "Oh, it went out!" Maria smiles. Kazuma wipes a tear from her eye. "Come on," he says. "Smile." God... The final snow of the year... "Snowflakes dancing in the wind," says Kazuma. On his hair and shoulders... I always watch. I always think of. I love Kazuma-kun. "Come with me," he says. They go to her room in the dorm. "Kazuma?" says Noa. "You're late! The shopping force..." She stops as she sees Maria. "Oh, Maria!" says Ema. "You're back already!?" "Ema!?" says Maria. "Everyone!" "Ehehe!" says Ema. "We came back. It's your birthday after all, right?" They all hold up their glasses together. "Cheers!" Kazushi gives her a bouquet. "From me and Kazuma." "I'm so happy," says Maria. God... This is the first time I've had such a happy birthday. Coming to Green Garden, and making such wonderful friends, I've found so many precious things. God, please... Stop time... The bracelet on her wrist slips off. "So you went to visit you mom?" says Ema. "Yeah," says Maria. "But I couldn't see her..." She feels her wrist. "What?" Noa holds the bracelet out to her. "You dropped this." "You couldn't see her..." says Ema. "Is she in bad shape?" "I'm going to make a call," says Maria. She picks up the phone and dials. The phone rings. "Mom..." she thinks. It continues ringing. "Mom!?" The phone is picked up. "Hello!?" says Maria. "Umm, is Maie..." "Maria-chan? Is this Maria-chan!?" "Sensei?" "Come to the hospital right away!" God... "My mom..." she says. "Let's go!" says Kazuma. My mom is all right... isn't she!? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original manga copyright © 1990 Takeuchi Naoko. English translation copyright © 2000 Alex Glover. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Manga of Takeuchi Naoko | Maria