literature

Hideki and the tanuki

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Literature Text

Hideki, an investment banker, was on his way home from a long but successful day. He had made his firm a tidy profit by swindling an elderly, high-value client and it had made a good impression on his superiors. There was a promotion available and Hideki felt he had it in the bag.

He walked hurriedly, eager to let his wife know that his bosses were looking on him favourably. He was gaining respect at the firm...more respect than he felt his family ever gave him at home. He turned a corner and noticed a 10,000 yen note on the sidewalk in front of him. As he bent to pick it up he noticed a homeless man sitting about ten feet away. The vagrant watched Hideki pick up the note with pleading eyes.

“Don't look at me like that. See here. I deserve this money. I can turn it in to so much more than ever could, you filthy beggar.” The man said nothing, just looked down in to his empty bowl. Hideki scoffed as he passed.

This extra good luck had Hideki practically in a run the rest of the way home. He would make sure not to tell his wife of his small windfall lest she request it for some domestic expense. He burst through the door and loudly proclaimed that he had his bosses in the palm of his hand, embellishing here and there in an effort to sound even more impressive. The promotion was practically his. His wife politely nodded as she put away his things and waited for the hot air to stop blowing before she went back to the kitchen.

Hideki sat in his chair and felt the 10,000 yen note in his pants pocket. He smiled to himself as his wife brought him an open bottle of beer. Thoughts of how he could treat himself flowed through his mind. His wife set the table and started dishing out food. Like most nights, she made sure what meat there was went to Hideki and the growing children. He did not like to overspend on “extras”. He guessed it also helped her manage her weight, preventing herself from having anything “extra” Hideki might find unnecessary.

The children were called and a strained conversation began. Hideki did not listen to either child as they spoke of their days and he instead zoned out. Suddenly he felt something furry jump from his pocket. The note he had found earlier had changed in to something very different.

On the table stood an intimidating-looking tanuki, his round belly inches from Hideki's face. Its eyes pierced Hideki's astonished gaze, a gaze meant to convey just how unimpressed this magical being was. It waved its hand and turned Hideki's children in to 10,000 yen notes and his wife in to a number 9.

“Hideki, you are a greedy and selfish man. You do not care about your family, the one thing that matters in life. You only care about money and numbers. You treated that homeless man in an undignified manner and you treat your wife and children even worse. So there you have it, Hideki. Your love of money and numbers is no longer limited to your working hours. Here too, in your home, you can bask in the happiness they bring you.”

Hideki blinked. The tanuki looked at him, expecting a pitiful response renouncing his ways, promises to be a more caring family man. Instead, the man offered the tanuki one of the plates of dinner.

“Thank you, tanuki-san. This really has been my day.”
For TheWritePlace's TheWriteInspiration weekly prompt - The Write Inspiration: 1.11.2016

This week we were to update a mythological being. I chose the tanuki of Japan. I have been meaning to start a series on Japanese mythological beings and this was fun.

information on the tanuki

599 words
© 2016 - 2024 vigour-mortis
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ShinyScribe's avatar
This was different from all the others but in a good way! C:
Nice, simple, and I love how it ended. :3