Rice Ball
By Cole Carr and ThunderCharacters
You-Na-Shi
You-Na-Hi
You-Na-Hew
You-Na-Soy
You-Ha-Lee
You-Ha-Koy
You-Ha-Noy
You-Na-May
Today is the day I start the 4th grade, my dad went to work early otherwise he would probably be wishing me good luck and not to get into any trouble this year. Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu “Are you ready for school You-Na-Shi?” Me “Yes I am mama” Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu “Boys come downstairs it’s time for school”. Later on at school, Ms.Li-Li-Tan “Hello I am your teacher Ms. Li-Li-Tan, now for your assignment I want you to write a paragraph about yourself” Me “What’s a para graph?” Ms. Li-Li-Tan “It’s paragraph and its 5-8 sentences” Me “Oh, okay Miss thank you, I am You-Na-Shi Shi-Shi-Mu” Ms. Li-Li-Tan “I’m pleased to meet you, You-Na-Shi”. Mr. Ya-Ya-Mil over the loudspeaker “If your last name is Shi-Shi-Mu, please report to my office immediately”. In the principals office, You-Na-Hoy “What’s wrong Sir?” Mr. Ya-Ya-Mil “Your father disappeared on his way to work, you’re moving for safety measures”.
I remember You-Na-May’s first word missind which in his language is missing. We hired a private investigating team this year. Also as respect for our father we are going to his favorite restaurant tonight for the anniversary of his disappearance. I can’t stop thinking about all the good times I had with him, that You-Na-May will never have. He will never know his father. Like the time I went to my first football game with him, I was scared that they’ll throw the ball at me that I hid behind my dad the whole game. Or the first time I stuck up for myself and my dad told me how proud he was.
It’s been three years ago today that my dad went missing. My mom moved us all back to Japan, and started searching for him. You-Na-May thinks it’s his fault that dad left. He tells us everyday. Like take today for instance, at the restaurant is where it started. Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu “Lets celebrate that we’re still together” You-Na-May “No we not! Dada No here! He weave betause of ME!” Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu “No he didn’t leave because of you, You-Na-May, he disappeared”. Then mom and You-Na-May started crying. Everybody looked at us as though we were crazy.
On the fifth anniversary of our dad’s disappearance we gave up searching. It was useless now, we knew and accepted our dad was never coming back. We accepted our dad would never come back, or tuck us into bed. Or even stay up with us when we had a bad dream. He would never know how grown up we’ve gotten since he left or even know how much we miss him.
Hello my name is You-Na-Shi... I am fifteen years old and I am now going to Japan’s best school that they have to offer.... Su-Na-Ha-Ra Academy... You see I sent in an application to get in even though I can’t afford it. Because my dad disappeared six years ago, so my mom works two jobs to afford rent, me and my brothers school intuition.
I have seven brothers, three older, four younger.. You-Na-Hoy is the oldest he’s 17 1/2, You-Na-Hew is You-Na-Hoy’s twin, You-Na-Soy is 16 1/2, You-Ha-Lee is 14, You-Ha-Koy is You-Ha-Lee’s twin, You-ha-Noy is 13, and You-Na-May is 6, and never knew my father because he was so young.
We go through life just a little differently than you would think... You-Na-Hoy and You-Na-Hew got a job at the age of 15, I got a job six days ago, and believe me it’s hard. I do laundry and clean bed sheets at the best hotel in town, Li-Shi-Shi-Ni-Loy Hotel. It’s $2.75 an hour and I work 3 hours a day, it’s not that much but it will work for now. I start school in the morning, hopefully they don’t give me a hard time. Because I can’t afford a uniform I have to wear a plain shirt and jeans. Which is usually looked down upon in this school. So I guess I’ll find out tomorrow, goodnight.
The next morning You-Na-Hew was yelling at me to get up, “YOU-NA-SHI GET UP NOW, YOU HAVE SCHOOL IN TEN MINUTES” I responded “Why didn’t you get me up sooner?” You-Na-Hew “Because I was getting ready”. I then got dressed and ready for school. I was 1 minute late to my first class. Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “You are late Ms.?” I responded “I’m a boy, and it’s You-Na-Shi Shi-Shi-Mu” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “What is your last name?” Me “Shi-Shi-Mu, why sir?” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “I had a son named You-Na-Shi, but I disappeared 6 years ago and haven’t seen my children since then” You-Na-Shi “Names and ages” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “The oldest is You-Na-Hoy he’s 17 1/2, then there’s his twin You-Na-Hew, then You-Na-Soy he’s 16 1/2, You-Na-Shi he’s 15, You-Ha-Lee he’s 14, then there’s his twin You-Ha-Koy, then You-Na-Noy he’s 13, then the youngest You-Na-May he’s 6” You-Na-Shi “That’s funny cause that’s all my siblings names and ages” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “Okay, well take a seat Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu, and here’s your detention papers, detention with me after school and I need to talk to your parents” You-Na-Shi “My dad disappeared 6 years ago, will my older brother do?” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “Yes that’s fine, now take a seat.”
Later on that day after school Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu just arrived with You-Na-Hew. Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu “Hello you must be You-Na-Shi’s teacher, I’m Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu, and this is You-Na-Hew, sorry You-Na-Hoy couldn’t come, he has work” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “How many children do you have?” Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu “8 children” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “How old would your husband be this year?” You-Na-Hew “My dad would have been 39 today” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “And if your husband was still here?” Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu “I would praise God, my family and I have had a rough 6 years, We’ve moved a lot” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “My name is Chi-La-Tin Shi-Shi-Mu” Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu “But how? You disappeared 6 years, left me to raise our kids, did you know, You-Na-May never knew his father, he says his father left because of him every day” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “I’m sorry Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu” Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu “Please it’s Lin-Lin-Shu” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “Okay I’ll tell you what Lin-Lin-Shu, go pick up the rest of your kids and bring them here, I want to see my kids.”
Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu arrived ten minutes later with all of her kids, You-Na-May “Hello I You-Na-May, I 6” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “The last time I saw you you were 5 weeks old” You-Na-Hoy “Not to be rude or anything, but who are you?” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “You’re father” You-Na-Hoy “That... That... That’s impossible” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “It’s not impossible You-Na-Hoy” You-Na-Hoy “I didn’t tell you my name” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “Why don’t I tell you a story of when you were 8, You-Na-Hew and you just got off the bus from your first day at your new school, you came up to me and said ‘Daddy some on make fun of You-Na-Hew but don’t worry I tell teacher she want to see you tomorrow’ I then asked what you did and do you know what you responded ‘I went tai-kwon-do on him’ so I then grounded you for the first time telling you it’s good to stick for your brother but bad that you fought” You-Na-Hew “That was the first of many times You-Na-Hoy stuck up for me.”
Later at there house they were packing and getting ready to move into there new house. Then You-Na-Shi realized something, “MOM I’M LATE FOR WORK” Mrs. Shi-Shi-Mu “Then get going now, You-Na-Shi” You-Na-Shi “Okay bye mom, Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu” Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu “Please at least call me Chi-La-Tin” You-Na-Shi “Okay Chi-La-Tin, I’ll call you that.” Then You-Na-Shi, You-Na-Hew, and You-Na-Hoy left for work. When they got home no one was there so they went to the school to ask for Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu’s address. You-Na-Shi “Hello I’m You-Na-Shi Shi-Shi-Mu, and I was wondering what Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu’s address is” Mr. Cre-Ma-La “I’m sorry I don’t have permission to give out his address” You-Na-Hew “We live there now but we had to go to work and forgot to ask for the address.” Mr. Cre-Ma-La then called Mr. Shi-Shi-Mu to ask to give away his address to You-Na-Hoy, You-Na-Hew and You-Na-Shi, he said yes. So here they are standing outside of the most outstanding house they have ever seen. You-Na-Shi “Are you sure this is the right house?” You-Na-May “You here, finally” You-Na-Hoy “Well I guess this is the right house, because we are talking to You-Na-May” You-Na-May “Come on, daddy and mommy are getting your room ready, come on” They went to their room to see it. My family was whole at last, after 6 years we were together again, and that’s all that mattered.
