Fredward shi no Ahiru by Ushijima Keiko Volume 3 Part 1 Voice of the Sea Translation in English by Y.W natane@geocities.com This translation may not be 100% accurate as I tried to make the whole thing "flow" better and because my Japanese is by no mean perfect! :) 1:02 AM 2/10/99 Key { } = labels placed by the author [ ] = action by characters ( ) = speech bubble/ thought Notes ______________ Rosemary Kevin, the picnic baskets are packed. Kevin Thanks Rosemary, but why are there two baskets? Rosemary [Looks rather pleased with herself] Kevin (Smile ! When the afternoon sun reflects its last light. There is a feeling of unease, a paranoia that distress and covers this feeling. Sparkling ocean, tell me, I did an important task today...but I don't know what it was.) Sheryl Now everyone straighten your back and don't hold your breath. C'mon Kate, strengthen that stomach muscle. Now everyone pretend that you're white swans. Students Bye Miss Sheryl. Sheryl Bye little fairies. Aunt Sheryl! Sheryl Aunt! Aunt When we're at the studio call me teacher. Sheryl I'm sorry sensei. Aunt Here, you got a letter from your boy friend. Sheryl (Roy) Aunt I understand you miss him, and you can't wait until you meet him next semester in September, but I don't understand how you can write a letter to him every single day. (No sense of embarrassment for someone who is alone like me) Sheryl I promised him to write everyday. Roy [In the letter] Dearest Sheryl, It's been 2 months since you left to stay at the island where your aunt lives. As a result Meg and Ryan dragged me. Tomorrow, the three of us will go camping near the lake, I'll send you a photo, just wait for it. Sheryl (Camping with friends) Aunt Sheryl! Sheryl Yes Sensei! Aunt You're forgetful aren't you? You can call me aunt outside the lessons. Oh and Sheryl, when are you going to practice by yourself? Two years ago, when your family moved from the city to this island, I really thought you were going to stop ballet. You threw away the ballet school that I recommended, then you went to a normal high school. Sheryl I practiced there as well. Aunt It's not enough if you only do it twice a week. You're back now, will you dance Giselle? Will you continue ballet? It's all up to you. Even if you decide to stop or to continue, just don't give up. If you're happy that's enough. Sheryl Aunt... Aunt Then? How about this afternoon. Sheryl Neil, the travel agency guy wants me to do part time work. He wanted me to guide a tourist around the island. Aunt The only kind of people who would go to a quiet island like this are rich and infirm. (I like people who are young and filthy rich). Sheryl Hey just remember how old you are yourself! [Sheryl rides a bicycle to meet Kevin] Sheryl Sorry I made you wait. [She saw Kevin and paused] Kevin You're the one who's going to guide me? Sheryl (Gawd, if only I wore a skirt today) Kevin I'm Kevin Fredward, how do you do? Sheryl (Aunt, what do you mean he's old, oh big hands) Sheryl, Sheryl Reid. (He's very tall, maybe a foot taller than Roy) {Someone who always compares everyone to her boyfriend} (Why are there two baskets? maybe because he's so tall, he also has a big appetite. Eh?) [A pair of eyes peeked from one of the baskets] Kevin [Slams the basket lid down] Did you see something? Sheryl Err no. Later on... Kevin (I wanted to write a book with this island as the background. This small island coloured with sunshine and the splash of waves) Sheryl This is the southernmost valley. Below the cliffs is a cave. We would be able to visit it when the tide is low. [The lid of the picnic basket opened a fraction] Sheryl Mr. Fredward, there's a living creature inside the box isn't there? If it's a snake or a lizard it might be rather scary. But, why don't you let it out? I feel sorry for it. Rosemary [Inside the box] What a kind child. Kevin It's a good thing you decided to come after all Rosemary. Rosemary A truly kindhearted girl Kevin. Sheryl A duck? Kevin My housekeeper Rosemary. Rosemary Hello Miss Sheryl. Sheryl It's magic. She's truly alive, I can hear her heart beat. if this is a dream may I not wake up. Are you truly human? Or maybe you're a wizard? I always wished that something magical like this would happen. Kevin (Her reaction is unexpected) Sheryl Talk again. Rosemary Would you like to help me make lunch? Kevin (An ordinary person would probably panic. I was hit by Rosemary. Maybe because she's still innocent. She can accept things which are out of the ordinary easily. I'm comparing her to myself again. It's not that odd that not everyone are exactly the same. Then again, if the Professor see Rosemary he would probably die of shock) Professor [In Kevin's imagination] Hey don't kill me so easily! Sheryl Aunt, I'm home! Aunt What took you so long? Sheryl Today was very exciting, ummm.. [whispers] Aunt A young man!! Sheryl I promise to meet him tomorrow to guide him again. (What should I wear?) Aunt [Hugs Sheryl] Why don't I come along as well? (I'll take care of dinner for a week) Sheryl No, no woman above 40 is allowed. Later at night Sheryl (I used sleep at the top floor with the window open when I was younger. My aunt the primadona from the palace used to teach me. I started when I was 3. The practice was arduous...but I loved the ballet world. In the darkness, the spotlight lit the dream world. A world filled with fairies, witches and princess. I thought that if I open the window they would visit me, maybe one day a miracle like that would occur. That silently, maybe a prince...) Oh I forgot to write a letter to Roy! (I have to keep Rosemary as a secret. It's so unfair that he has friends like Meg and Ryan to tell all his secrets and troubles to. I don't have anyone.. I don't have anyone. Flashback Roy I understand that you like ballet, but don't you have time for a date. Sheryl Roy. Roy Be sensible. They're different from us. Ballet is something that only a few special people can do. Don't run away from reality and think about your own future. We're going to graduate from high school next year! Classmate You're odd Sheryl. Just because you can dance a little, you really think you're a princess. Classmate1 I can't believe it. Classmate2 Weird! Classmate You're in primary school now! Aunt You want to continue ballet? Sheryl (How would I say it? When can I say it? To Aunt who had taught me like her own daughter, I don't want to continue dancing. I came here to stop!) Rosemary Hmmm...put the Orange and then the Bougainvillea and Peppermint. Kevin how are you with your work? Kevin I have been collecting legends from this island, something smells sweet. Rosemary I'm making pot pourri. This is a villa and not our usual home, so I'm trying to add some atmosphere to make study and relaxation easier. Kevin Thank you Rosemary. I have the initial idea and I'll start tonight, I think it will work out. I've also drank that cup of luck with you. Rosemary [Shock] (I made that up to help recover your energy. I can't believe he bought it) Kevin Yep everything would work out fine. Rosemary (He's so innocent sometimes, that's why I can't leave him) [Blush] Next day Sheryl Kevin! Kevin Morning, sorry it's so early. Sheryl Don't worry about it, where's Rosemary? {This time she dressed up} Kevin She can't come this morning since we're going to the library today. She would attract too much attention right? Sheryl Eh. Kevin She said hi though. Sheryl [Disappointed] (She didn't come) Kevin Aren't I enough? [Bends down to her height] Sheryl N....o! [Blushes] Kevin There's another reason why Rosemary can't come, I have a dog who's still a puppy. I told him to guard the house yesterday and he sulked, hahah, silly. Sheryl (This person, has blue eyes like sea crystals. Blond hair like the light of the moon, everyone's looking this way.) Kevin Sheryl, you do ballet right? Sheryl How did you know? Kevin From the way you stand. Sheryl [Standing in one of the positions] I'm sorry, I... Kevin Eh? Sheryl My boyfriend Roy always told me that he ran away from girls who stands with their feet looking like an X when he's waiting for his date. Kevin I don't think this guy named Roy realizes your full attraction. Sheryl Eh? (My attracton? I'm attractive? If someone like him who's so much more better looking than a girl like me...) Kevin Do you want to drink tea? Sheryl (I can feel *his* attraction, no!) [Shook her head] Kevin You don't want any tea? Sheryl (I'm sorry Roy, there's only you) At the cafe Kevin Why is it so crowded? Is there a festival? Sheryl Yes, in a week's time. There's a festival every two years to promote the island. This island used to be a fishermen's island. before Christianity comes in, the festival was to thank the sea god. Now it's used to attract tourists. The children from my aunt's ballet school will perform Swan Lake twice as the first act in an open theater. Kevin And you? Aren't you interested Sheryl? Sheryl I was asked to dance Giselle, but I can't do that my dance is terrible. Once a week I go to a ballet studio, but I've never gotten a main part, always been part of the crowd. Once when we were performing Swan Lake... Flashback Sheryl Roy you came! Roy Sorry Sheryl, I came to take photos of you, but I didn't know which one you were. Sheryl At that moment I realised that's the reality. I feel terrible to aunt, who had taught me for thirteen years. If I continue like this, I'm going to stop ballet. Kevin "I'm going to stop ballet." Hello Cliff, you stopped sulking haven't you? (Why do I think about it? It's not my problem if she wanted to lead her life like that. Not my problem. Sally "Kevin, even when someone died, they continue to live in the heart of the living. If you always remember me". Kevin (Sally! By continuing it hide her passion for dancing...The girl who drowned herself in the lake. Sheryl wanted to do the same thing as Sally. She wanted to kill herself!) [Got up and left] Rosemary Oh? I thought I heard Kevin's voice. {Cliff sulks again} Aunt Oh, Giselle is about a village girl whose love is unrequited, what do you think? The part where she tries to continue to live when her feelings are distraught must affect the audience, even the men. That's something Sheryl can not do. She does not posses that quality within her. Odeth from Swan lake who continued to love her prince. Odier, the daughter of the devil Rothbart. Carmen who used men until her own life was taken. Nikia from Vayadelka who could only unite with the man she loved through death... To touch the audience, you must be able to do more than dance well. Since she was young, because she practice so often it's probably why she didn't have many friends. She's afraid of being hated by people, she became weak without her own opinions. She can't continue because she felt guilty about me, nor can she stop just because her boyfriend told her to. She needed to make her own opinions, without anyone's backing. Kevin Are your feet fine? Sheryl I'm fine, I often sprained it, and I've already put ice on the swollen part. It's just rather embarrassing to be seen when I'm being told off. Lately I don't know whether I like or dislike ballet. If there's no miracle, I don't think I can dance. Kevin Sheryl? I almost never went to school, but now I'm a writer. If a stranger hear the story they might think it's fiction. I've tried hard, and I've learnt much, so much so that there's no room for that miracle. At that time I was only looking at reality, until I met her. until I meet Rosemary. Sheryl, if you don't know whether you like ballet or nor, then continue to dance until you hate it. Then that miracle will come. Dance until you believe that it is better for ballet to vanish from this earth. Aunt Sheryl, you have a postcard! (Her reaction is different, not as excited as usual) Sheryl Thank you aunt. Aunt you're welcome. Roy How are you Sheryl? Today when we were boat riding, Ryan fell off. Meg and I laughed so hard. Then in the afternoon, we went bike riding. Sheryl [Scrunches the postcard] Aunt What are you doing? That was a letter.. Sheryl Enough, it's enough. Roy can never understand my life. Everything he does not understand he denies its existence. He doesn't understand that in this world there are people who lived a different way from him. He doesn't want to think about that. Roy is still a child! I...love Kevin. Aunt That man is... Sheryl I know, I'm just a child, and he's a man, I could never support him. I want to dance. I can't be by myself again, it's not enough to be alone. All this time I was afraid that Roy would hate me, for that I was ready to throw away ballet. "Dance until you hate it" The truth is it love it, and I might loose his as well. If I loose ballet, I don't think I can live. Spectator Fireworks! Girl Play the music! Rosemary Kevin! it's started, the fireworks was the sign for it, hurry! Here's the pot pourri that I made, give it to Miss Sheryl. Kevin Yes, yes. Rosemary Aren't you going to see him off Cliff? {Lately he's getting very good at ignoring people} Kevin (I haven't seen her from the last time. The islanders told me that she is going to dance a solo) Sheryl Kevin? you came. [Dressed up in her outfit holding a bunch of Lilies] Kevin (A fairy transformed her?) Sheryl [Took one of the flowers from her bouquet and hugged Kevin] I'm going to dance for you. Giselle who was trapped, rose from her grave and continued to dance into the darkness of the night. In her heart she treasured her love for the person she loved, until one day... One day, a miracle will happen for me and for you. Kevin (Curtain call which is both long and continuous) [Reaches into his pocket] (The pot pourri from Rosemary, maybe she's now more suited to perfume.) Rosemary Kevin must be watching Miss Sheryl's dance right now. Kevin (SparkLing ocean, tell me that something wished for today will be granted. Could it be that one day that miracle would come...)