Chiisai ouchi

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1

Eric Paroissien translation

"The Little House"

Family Nunomiya

Notice for the Nunomiya family.

You're invited to collect the remains.

Please wait in the lounge.

End of announcement.

That's it.

Grandma Taki died alone.

I told her many times.

"Don't stay on your own".

I invited her with us.

She'd say:
"No way, I'm happy on my own".

You found her, Takeshi.

We couldn't get her on the phone,

I asked him to go check.

Right?

He found her squatting

by the sink in the kitchen.

The TV was on.

She raised me and your father.

I always wanted to repay her somehow.

I brought her a present for New Year.

I wanted to make her smile

I told her a men's joke.

She told me:
"you're an idiot".

I thought she'd live a thousand years

No, really?

Taki Nunomiya was my grandma.

Why does God let her old age[].

She could be annoying or

hard to deal with sometimes.

But she certainly had a long

life with much happiness.

Takeshi.

Yes.

Come here.

It says, "this is for Takeshi".

Sir, what do we do with that picture?

Throw it away.

What is it written?

I told you she was writing

her autobiography.

She has a beautiful handwriting.

She like literature.

She was probably a good student.

Grandma was smart.

Ma'am.

Yes.

[Ring].

Let's throw this.

in the spring of 1935

I went to Tokyo to study.

Among 6 brothers and sisters

the 4 elders were sent as servants.

It was understood that I'd follow them.

The villages were overpopulated.

Some girls were sent as prostitutes.

In that time.

If a girl had a reputation to be pretty.

She could also be bought as a geisha.

As I wasn't that pretty,

it didn't come up.

Instead I was sent

to serve at relatives'.

Grandma, you're a good writer.

You make an occasional typo,

I'll correct it.

Keep writing like that.

You can flatter me, I won't pay you.

It isn't flattery.

I want 10 more pages for next time.

You do as you please but.

If I write your autobiography

you'll become a bestseller.

You'll be rich.

Don't talk nonsense.

What would you have for dinner?

Sorry, I'm with my buddies tonight.

I'll be back later [].

My sister said, don't forget

your medicine.

Takeshi.

The keys of your motorcycle.

Call me if you need me.

About the electricity and the gas.

I still clearly remember

the day I left home.

I was only 18 more than the sadness

of leaving my parents.

My chest was filled with expections.

About that unknown life ahead.

Say, taki.

You have to learn to hold your

tongue, don't bother them.

You have to drop our dialect

and speak as they do in Tokyo.

You git it?

I git it.

You end your sentences

with "desu" and "masu".

I git it.

Don't tell them "I git it",

with that accent.

But you spoke to me with our accent,

I was only replying to you.

That's why I said "I git it".

I git it.

You're sure I didn't say "I gEt it"?

You sure didn't.

I git it.

Hey, postman.

I was longing for Tokyo, the City.

For a girl like me Tokyo

was a land of marvels.

The lively shopping streets,

people hasting to their business.

Bicycles rickshaws carriages.

Black luster cars,

and ringing streetcars.

Tokyo at that time was

such a fascinaating capital.

Wow!

So you worked as a maid.

You worked hard.

Young people might think so.

In the early Showa era,

a working-class family in Tokyo.

A maid was a very common thing.

Is that right?

Now we call them an au-pair.

In my time it was a decent job.

And it prepared a girl for marriage.

No one would consider

it as a slaving job.

But you didn't get married.

Why is that?

But things happened?

Surely did.

You have to tell it all.

Fresh fried.

Let me sprinkle some salt.

Delicious.

My sister never managed

to cook a proper pork chop.

It's all in the know-how.

Your sister is no better

than you in a kitchen.

When I started as a maid.

There was a novelist named Hongo

living in a beautiful house.

There were two other maids older than I.

Anybody!

Yes.

Trash this please.

This room is messy,

but many documents are important.

Please be careful.

Your name is Taki?

45 years ago.

Geisha I was seeing

sent me love letters.

I was careless and tucked

them in a corner.

At that time, a clever maid named Fumi.

Took them carefully and hid them

at the back of a drawer before my wife sees them.

Don't you think she was

a very smart maid?

The job of a maid is

very tricky in fact.

The harmony of a family rests

on the skill of a maid.

What's the chitchat about.

A general discussion about

the skills of a maid.

You can go.

A general discussion

or something more personal.

What's that nonsense.

The next year, when the cherry

blossoms fell.

His wife introduced me to

a household with kids.

If you don't mind I call you Taki-chan.

Call me Tokiko.

Taki and Tokiko, it sound similar.

Get me the sugar in that closet.

That's it.

Just 2 cups.

That girl is determined

to build her house.

What do you mean?

Even after the Great Kanto

Earthquake has burned Tokyo.

All the houses are gone.

It doesn't deter her the least.

You're envious of your younger sister.

Of course not, aunt.

I'm saying that for her own good.

Thank you for your present, sister.

You're welcome.

Your house is beautiful,

tastefully decorated.

Now the difficult part is coming.

What is that?

We borrowed so much from the bank.

Tokiko.

Your money should be spent on children.

I know my advice comes a bit late.

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