The Wife *ongoing

Cinderella?

Kobayashi Rina, 29, a mother to a 5 year old son, married. Her husband, an office man arrives home at 7 in the evening, eats dinner and then goes to sleep. Her son, whom she fetches at school at around 4 in the afternoon also goes to bed with his father, leaving her doing the dishes that needs to be washed and other things that she needs to finish before going to sleep.

As early as 5 in the morning, she wakes up, prepares breakfast for her two boys – her husband and son and then gets herself ready for work. And altogether they will leave the house and locked it. She is working as a cashier at a nearby supermarket and starts her shift at exactly 7 am and ends at 3 in noon. By then, she’ll go home, fix early dinner and wait for her son and husband to be home while doing laundry and other chores. This is her daily routine, as a mother and as a wife.

Kisha, a neighbor and friend, suggested that she gets a new look by going to a parlor, have her hair dyed or even cut it short and buy new clothes since all her clothes came from sale at the department store ever since she got married 6 years ago. Rina just laughed it off and told her friend she’ll think about it.

Back at home, she thought about her friends’ suggestion and decided to follow her advice. So the next day, she took the day off from her work, told her husband about her plans that day and left the house after her doing her usual chores.

Arriving at the parlor, she asked the beautician to cut her hair short and dye it to a color that will make her look younger, have her nails cut and put nail polish in it, give her a facial and all. After what seemed like forever, the beautician asked her to open her eyes because they’re already done with her make-over. Rina opened her eyes and stared in awe in front of the mirror.

‘Is that me?’ she asked.

The beautician laughs and then replied ‘Of course my dear. You just need to fix yourself up to look younger and gorgeous. Who would have thought that you’re already married?’

She then smiled and uttered a word of thanks to the beautician as she headed to the cashier to pay her bill.

‘That would be 13,000 Yen ma’am.’ The clerk said that startled her. She handed her a card from her wallet absentmindedly.

‘Ah – ma’am this is a Super Market card.’

‘Wha – Sorry. Here.’ Rina snatched the card away from the clerk and handed her Credit Card.

The clerk swiped it and said ‘There’s only 10,000 Yen left in your balance, would you like to pay the remaining balance in cash?’

‘Oh no! I forgot that my card is at its limit! I didn’t bring any cash with me. What should I do?’

‘I – I don-‘

‘You can get it at my card miss.’ A guy handed his card to the clerk and smiled at Rina.

‘Ahm…Thanks mister?’

‘Nizumu.’ He offered his hand as a sign of introduction.

Rina hesitated before accepting his hand in return.

‘Don’t worry about it, you can always return it to me, the money I mean. I always do this when there are people in need.’ He smiled again at Rina, showing his perfect white teeth.

‘I can return it to you once I get home. Can you give me your home address and phone number?’

Nizumu listed it at the back of the receipt the clerk gave him and handed it to Rina.

‘Oh. You’re also from my neighborhood. I can give it back to you sooner then.’

‘Really? What’s your name then?’ Nizumu’s eyes lit.