Mob №127 “As you can see, it’s mahjong. It’s good for preventing senility since you use your hands and head”
After finishing mother’s meal for the first time in seven years, I was looking outside for a digestive rest when—
“Want to go see the grape vineyard to walk off that meal?”
father called out to me.
The grape vineyard I’d seen before only had a few thin trees standing, and the grape trellis was small in scale.
I’d heard they’d expanded it several times since then, so I was a bit looking forward to seeing it.
We got in the small air-truck and arrived at the grape vineyard on a hill away from the house in about 20 minutes.
The grape vineyard had become much larger than when I last saw it.
The number of grape vines had increased, the trunks of the original grape vines had thickened, the grape trellis was now 190 cm high for easier work, and its area had doubled.
The grapes hadn’t borne fruit yet, and a green canopy spread above my head.
On the ground, various grasses I didn’t know the names of grew sparsely here and there. Clearly weeds.
Without saying anything in particular, both father and I naturally started weeding.
As we were silently pulling out grass—
“Your work seems to be going well.”
With our backs to each other, pulling weeds, father spoke to me.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“To be honest, I want you to quit being a mercenary. A lot of the unreasonable debt money has come back, and you should have plenty of savings by now.”
Even through father’s back, I could tell he was worried about me, but for me, I don’t think I could do any job other than mercenary work now.
Unlike father, whose family home was a farm, I have no knowledge or experience in agriculture.
All I can do is pull weeds.
“But. You’re not going to quit, are you? Then at least contact me after big jobs.”
Just as I was thinking about how to persuade him, father, with his back still turned, said words that seemed to accept me being a mercenary.
“Got it. I’ll do that as much as I can.”
After that, we did weeding and vineyard maintenance until near sunset.
After returning home, I had my first evening drink with father.
I couldn’t do it when I left home to become a mercenary since I was a minor.
Well, I’m not good with alcohol, so it was just one 350ml metal bottle of beer.
The next day, I decided to head to the care facility where Grandma, Lucria Uzoss, is.
Since she moved in, I’d talked to her on the phone, but this was my first visit.
I initially suggested going as a family, but they declined, saying they’d just been there two days before I came.
In that case, I borrowed an air-car, bought souvenirs for Grandma around Balbis Central Station, and headed there.
The care facility [Pastus] was built on the grounds of Balbis City General Hospital, located on a plateau near a cliff along the coast, and apparently prides itself on having ocean views from all the wards.
I parked the air-car in the parking lot, walked through the hospital garden, and stepped into the care facility.
Unlike the hospital facilities, the care facility had a share-house-like atmosphere.
Of course, there was a nursing staff station, and there were direct passages to the hospital and treatment facilities.
In a room labeled [Lounge] within the facility, many elderly people were enjoying recreational activities.
Grandpas reenacting some historical battle with fleet chess.
Grandmas doing embroidery who apparently still have love stories to tell at their age.
Grandpas and Grandmas getting excited over young idols’ music videos, making me, the observer, anxious.
There was also billiards and darts. In the facility’s garden, they were even playing gateball.
They’re awfully energetic, but weren’t they all supposed to have hurt their bodies?
And my Grandma seemed to be winning big at the mahjong table in the corner against two Grandpas and a female facility staff member.
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“Long time no see, Grandma. Sorry to ask this right after seeing you… but what are you doing?”
“As you can see, it’s mahjong. It’s good for preventing senility since you use your hands and head.”
“Well, I understand that, but…”
Seeing Grandma smiling and staring at her point sticks, the very frustrated old men, and the female staff member who looked like her soul had left her body—
“Are you betting?”
I had to ask.
“We’re not. Well then, shall we go to my room?”
Grandma answered with a composed face, but they’re definitely betting…
Grandma’s room was on the third floor, and just as she’d told me when we talked on the phone before, the ocean was visible from the large window.
“Once again, thank you for coming, John. It’s been seven years since we met directly, hasn’t it?”
“You look well too, Grandma. How’s your body?”
“It hasn’t gotten worse, and it’s even recovered a bit. I guess it’s good to live enjoyably.”
That said, she does seem a bit thinner than before.
“Ah, here’s a souvenir. Crispy waffles from [Floes Awis].”
“I’m so happy! I love these!”
Grandma placed the boxes of crispy waffles on the shelf, leaving one out, opened the box, took out one piece, and happily bit into it.
The crispy waffles from [Floes Awis] are thin waffles with cream sandwiched in between, Grandma’s favorite.
I bought about five boxes for the facility staff too, but at this rate, she’s going to eat them all by herself.
After finishing one piece—
“By the way, I heard the money you paid for your father’s unreasonable debt came back.”
She brought up what my parents must have told her earlier.
“Yeah. That’s right, but…”
“And it seems you’re still upset that when you tried to give it all back to your parents, they refused it, right?”
And Grandma hit the nail on the head about what I’d been thinking.
“As for me, I want them to keep it in case something happens again, and having a large sum of money with no purpose or plan is scary.”
If something happens twice, it could happen three times, so I want them to keep it in case something happens.
Then Grandma shook her head.
“Having their son clean up their mess twice and then calmly accepting the returned money? To me, that’s failing as a parent. If they’d accepted it calmly, I would have scolded them. Besides, you’re a mercenary, so you never know what might happen. For that reason too, you should keep it and save it.”
The words of Grandma, who married Grandpa who was a farmer but continued being a teacher and even served as a university president, were very persuasive.
Although I’d agreed yesterday, I’d been feeling somewhat unsettled, but after Grandma said that, I could resign myself to it, or rather, I was resolved.
“All right. I’ll take the money.”
“That’s best. It was originally your money, so use it how you like sometimes. Like this.”
Grandma said that and patted the crispy waffle box.
“Well then. Shall I go squeeze out some more?”
Grandma walked toward the elevator with an elegant smile, holding the crispy waffle box.
They really are betting…
“Want to give it a try?”
During that move, Grandma invited me to play mahjong, but thinking it would be the end if I participated—
“I’ll pass.”
I declined without hesitation.
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