April Klasen (Author)
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Fluent: Arrival

30/12/2016

 
“We’re not going to make it today,” Takashi sighed into the phone.
“Everything alright?” Hikaru was sprawled across the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The morning breeze was cool as it wafted in through the window.
“Now it is, but… Yuki isn’t going to be able to move for another few days.”
‘Ask what’s going on? Or let them have privacy?’ Hikaru worried about the correct procedure. “What’s happened?” He settled on being nosy.
Takashi paused. “Yuki isn’t well. We’ve been at the doctors doing a lot of tests.”
“No idea what it is?” He sat upright, his brow furrowed.
“Not yet.”
The lapsed into silence. “If you need anything…”
“Thank you. I am going to ask that you look after Ruby, please. Make sure she has a good time and stays safe.” He sounded like a concerned father, trying hard to hide the horrible truth from his child.
“Does she know?”
“Only that Yuki has been to the doctor.”
“Okay.” Hikaru didn’t know what else to say.
“We’ll tell her more when we know what we’re dealing with. Until then, we’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything.”
“What excuse should I give about you not being here?”
Takashi paused again.
‘That must be the constant sound around his wife, people not knowing what to say and so they just shut up.’ His skin crawled with the memory. ‘They did that around mum.’
“I’ll just say that you missed the train.” Hikaru supplied.
“Yes, please. We’ll try to make it tomorrow… but I’m not sure. Maybe we should just say that we can’t make it at all… then we’d have to explain and Ruby will want to come home… no. We missed the train and will try for tomorrow.”
The two men said their goodbyes and hung up on each other. Hikaru headed down stairs. He paused when he heard female laughter.
Simultaneously.
“Chiyo, that’s wonderful. Are you sure I can borrow it?”
“Of course. I’m not going to wear it.” She replied.
Ruby giggled. “No-one to impress this year?”
“Well…”
“Oh my god! Spill it. Who is he? When did you meet? Is he a nice guy?”
“Jeez, Ruby. Stop with the inquisition. Anyway, I’m getting too old to be wearing yukatas.”
Ruby snorted.
“You can get away with it because everyone thinks you’re just a tourist.”
“Oi. Here I thought I still looked very cute in it.”
“You do, but face the facts Ruby-chan, we’re getting old.”
“I know. It seems everyone around us is settling down and doing the right thing.”
“You too?”
“Yeah. My sister is pushing me onto every guy that she knows and doesn’t understand why I can still be single.”
“My entire family is the same… I am too.”
“What?” Ruby sounded surprised.
“I want to get married and have a baby.” Chiyo clarified.
Silence. Hikaru could only hear his breathing for a long time. ‘They can hear me, they know I’m there and listening, anytime they’re going to find me and yell.’
“What?” Chiyo snapped.
“Nothing, I didn’t say a thing.”
“That’s what I mean. You said nothing.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know.” Chiyo grumbled. “But at least don’t look so scared of me. So what if I want a family?”
“You could just have the baby.” Ruby prompted.
“Don’t start.”
“Why not? Why do you have to get married?”
“Because I want to. Not every marriage ends in disaster. And this is Japan. Single mothers are not the norm here.”
“I don’t suppose marriage ends in disaster, never have.”
“Then why don’t you want to get married?”
Ruby didn’t respond.
Hikaru stared at his bare feet. ‘She isn’t interested in marriage. She doesn’t want to acknowledge us to anyone. Damn I’m stupid. Why am I attracted to a woman who will disappear from my life as soon as her holiday is over and not worry about it? What if I want this to last? Doesn’t she care if I get hurt.’
Hikaru was shocked at the place his mind arrived at.
He didn’t want to be a summer fling.
He wanted a relationship that could lead to the happy life Chiyo was describing. A family. Someone to come home to and who was dependent on him.
‘Ruby would hate that. Not enough excitement.’ He backtracked his steps, closing the door to his room loudly and making sure he made noise as he hurried down the stairs.
“Hello Shinjo-san,” he nodded to the woman as he entered the lounge room. And then gasped. “Wow.” Ruby stole his attention. “That’s… wow.”
“High praise coming from a professor of literature.” Her cheeks bunched under her eyes as she grinned.
‘Don’t stare. Don’t get caught up in it all. Look at Chiyo, she’s attractive, available, and looking for a partner.’
But he couldn’t.
The yukata suited Ruby perfectly, the obi cinching in on her naturally curved waist to highlight it more, the perfect green colouring with blue and purple flowers floating all around. She was a beautiful vision.
“When’s the festival,” he forced his eyes away and directed the question to Chiyo.
She didn’t glare at him.
‘Must be forgiven.’
“This weekend.” She simply said.
Ruby raised her hands, the large sleeves hiding her body from his view, and covered her mouth. She giggled. “Sorry,” her voice was muffled by her hands. “I’m just really excited for a festival. Haven’t been to one in so long.”
Chiyo rolled her eyes. “Actually, we probably have some yukats you men might want to wear.”
Hikaru swallowed hard. “No thank you.”
“Why not?” She countered.
He simply shook his head; inside his chest his heart was pounding. ‘Why is she suggesting I look like a fool? Is this her revenge?’

2016 Movie List

29/12/2016

 
The Princess Bride
The Cutting Edge
Labyrinth
My Science Project
Ice Pirates
Say Anything
The Sure Thing
The Favor
Kull the Conqueror
Jumpin Jack Flash
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Highlander
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Sabrina
The Taming of the Shrew
Emma
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Cat Ballou
His Girl Friday
Working Girl
Aliens
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Breakfast Club
Sixteen Candles
Weird Science
Some Kind Of Wonderful
The Lost Boys
Poky's
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
That Was Then This Is Now
The Terminator
Streets of Fire
Stargate
Big Trouble in Little China
Blade Runner

The Dark Crystal
Zapped
Satisfaction
Johnny Be Good
Earth Girls Are Easy
Beetlejuice
Flash Gordon
Ghostbusters
Willow
Rocketeer
Can't Buy Me Love
Tango and Cash
Ladyhawke
The Goonies
The Pirate Movie
Gremlins
Roman Holiday

Movie Review Week Fifty-Two

28/12/2016

 
Roman Holiday, 1953, really is one of the greatest films ever made. Story (and this is where things get a little confusing and has its own story to tell) by Dalton Trumbo, script by Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton, and produced and directed by William Wyler. Get ready for one day of freedom.
Anne (Audrey Hepburn) is a princess travelling through Europe on royal business, when in Rome, she has a nervous breakdown and cannot take the pressure of her duty any longer. She runs away. Being nice, though not sure why he bothers, Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), an American newspaper man, helps the girl he finds sleeping on the street. In the morning, he discovers her true identity and concocts a plan to get an exclusive story on the princess while pretending to be ignorant. She doesn’t want him to find out she’s a princess and he doesn’t want her to find out he’s press; they both play along. And then they both fall in love. But, a princess has a duty to her people and can’t run away forever.
The silence. Nothing speaks louder than the silences. They become the feature in the final minutes of the film, as each character has their moment of silently communicating so much, so much emotion. This is perfect. Every second that passes in silence makes your heart ache. We’ve forgotten how to be silent in modern times, especially in film. If a character doesn’t speak then there must be accompanying music to clue the viewer in on the emotion. It wasn’t used in Roman Holiday and they show a true mastery of emotional communication through silence.
Hepburn and Peck are great together. Neither shines brighter than the other. They play the roles they have to and that’s that. They’re brilliant actors and they’ve been paired up right. Anyone else for either role wouldn’t have worked as well as this pairing.
No-one could ever say a terrible thing about the story or the script. And the way it was written has a big tale to tell. Trumbo rushed to write a script that could be sold quickly so he could support his family while placed on the blacklist. That’s what happened when you were found out to be a communist in America; no-one wanted to use you. He was never to be credited for this story, or any of the others he wrote. He did win an award for best writing for this, though. Some credit where credit’s due.
Filmed entirely in Rome, we are gifted with a tour of the beautifully ruined city. What I glimpsed, makes me want to fly over, rent an apartment, and go on adventures without a schedule. But it wouldn’t be as charming as back in the fifties, or as carefree without a couple of newspaper men showing the city off or paying for things. Still, it would be fun.
This is the final film for 2016 and it is probably the best (why it was saved for last). Please enjoy it whenever you need a little reminder to take a day off from your duty and find romance where you can.

The Reading Bucket List 2017

27/12/2016

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2017’s reading challenge is slightly different to 2015. Yes, still 52 books in 52 weeks. However, each book is on my bucket list; the reading bucket list.
Half-finished but placed to the side because I was distracted or too emotionally fragile to continue (as with Blue Moon by Alyson Noel).
“Recommended”, or nagged and harassed into picking up a particular book which is the best review for a book, by a friend (Harry Potter… yeah, I’m still trying to make it through the first part).
The well intentioned purchase (Howl’s Moving Castle because I love the anime and I am determined to see where it originates from, I just have to find the motivation to read it) and the impulse purchases (Eat Pray Love).
And the attempts to read the books that have always been in the background in my home (Clive Cussler has always been on the shelves because of my mother, but I’ve never read any of his works).
As well as the book that I was hunting for for years and then suddenly found it at the second hand book fair but I had grown out of the series (P.S I Love You by Barbara Conklin, the first Sweet Dream romance).
I reserve the right to bail on any book if it doesn’t hold my attention beyond the first chapter. No way am I going to force myself to read just to cross something off my list or to halt the harassment from that particular friend who wants me to be as equally obsessed with her favourite series as she is (you know who you are and what series I am referring to). If it sucks, I will stop.
Calling for suggestions also. If you have a book that you love and want to share, please shout it out in the comments and if I have access to said book it shall be read.
As I write, I am looking at my beginning stack of TBR. After going through the shelves at home, I discovered 14 books that needed to be finished. Another trip through the hallway library and I will find more, I know it.
That’s what I’m doing in 2017; what are you planning on reading?

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A Choice

26/12/2016

 
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I made the decision very early in life.
“Verity, when can we be expecting an announcement from you?” Aunt Mary stared me down over the Christmas roast.
I reached for my wine glass. “Well, I am trying really hard at work, but I can’t say when I’m going to be promoted.” Beside me, mum sighed as if she knew where this was leading to.
The table fell silent.
“She was referring to starting a family,” my grandmother clarified with a chuckle.
Well, they’ve backed me into the corner. I gulped more wine. Find the courage to say the words now, or it will be non-stop questioning and a lifetime of pity looks for missing out if I lie right now. And please don’t let them lecture me that I’ll change my mind with the right person or regret it later.
“I’m not going to have kids.”
There. Said it.
“Why?”
Annoyance flared. More wine. “Why have kids?” I tartly reply.
“Because you should want them.” My grandmother quickly responded. “What about your parents? They will be missing out on having grandchildren if you’re selfish.”
“How is it more selfish for me to choose not to have kids than it is for me to have kids just please other people?”
“You’re a woman, you should want kids?” Aunt Mary finally found her voice again. “There is no joy greater than having a child.”
“For you maybe; but not for me. I don’t want to have any and that’s it. I would appreciate if you would respect my decision.” More wine.
My grandmother flapped her hand at me. “This is a phase. In another five years you’ll be married and wanting babies.”
Beside me, mum glares at me to shut up.
I’m sorry mother, but I can’t lie anymore. “I’ve thought long and hard about this and it isn’t a phase. I will not be having children.”
“And what if you get married? Are you going to deprive your husband of having kids?” Grandmother continued.
Wow, she really feels passionate about this subject. More wine.
“I will always be upfront with any man about my decision. If he wants children then he can go have them with someone else.”
“You won’t be saying that to the love of your life!”
“Why is this so important to you? It’s not your life.”
“Because I care about my grandchildren, I want what’s best for them,” she glared at me.
“If you really cared, then you will accept me as childless by choice. Not try to bully me into a life that has no appeal for me.”
Aunt Mary grumbled. And then she got nasty. “You have no respect for mothers.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re looking down on all of us who had babies.”
“I have so much respect for women who choose to become mothers, and I love my mother. My choice has nothing to do with respecting other women. And it doesn’t mean I’m missing out in my life. Please, stop lecturing me.”
Then he spoke. “Okay.”
My grandmother gaped at her husband.
“Can someone please pass the gravy?” As the gravy boat was passed to him, he winked my way.
I smiled.

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