it has been 6 years since Hideki found chi. He still treats her as nice as he did the day she found him. College was not going as good as he hoped, if he failed one more semester, he'd lose his scholarship he earned from Yumi's father the owner of "Our Pleasure" the Japanese style pub Hideki had noticed he has found the print inside the textbooks were getting more and more blurry. Chi had learned finally not to speak in the third person. She sighed. "Hedeki, when are you going to get your eyes checked out. Hideki, Chi, even your starting to notice somethings wrong with my eyesight? Chi, I have for a while. You need to either call and make an appointment, or ask your mom or dad ifc either side of your family has any blindness in your genes. Hideki, I'll do that, it doesn't take as much money to make a call as it does to go to the eye doctor.
Summon please call my parents. Sumomo, Ai. She called the number for his parents, his dad answered, "Moshi moshi. Hello Son, what's going on. Hideki, dad, I have a problem. His dad said, what is it? You know we'll always help you with what we can. Hideki, Dad, do you know if mom's side or your side have any eye conditions.
His father swore, I prayed this day would never come, so did your mom. Yes, both sides of our families have one or more eye conditions, we can not know what one you have, until you go to the eye doctor. Hideki, great, that was what I hoped to avoid, because I know its going to put a dent in my wallet.
His dad said, "listen we had an extra good harvest this year, so we can afford to send you the money you need. Via PayPal. Chi smiled. Her friend and lover was going to get the help he needs. Meanwhile Jeremy was with his mom, and found a persocom at saint Vincent dual, they had it marked as a manikin. Jeremy found the mini disk . Mom, what is that? Jeremy, it was mislabeled as a manikin, but its not its a computer in humanoid form. Mom, oh wow! How much do they want for her. Jeremy, $5.
Mom, do you think you can get her fixed up?
Jeremy, does a bear shit in the woods. Mom laughed. Is that a way of telling me, did you really need to ask? Jeremy yes.they put the persicom in the cart, and it was holding a mobile unit. In the other hand it was holding a pair of power supplies. They rolled it over to the checkout, the woman aid "what is that" we thought it was some sort of electric Mahican. Jeremy, no it's an item from Japan called a persocom. A walking computer with a personality. The clerk looked at him and said shit, now I've seen everything!. Together it cost $25 Jeremy called out some cash and paid for the whole thing. Mom, you could've used your debit card. Jeremy, I know, but why use my debit card when I have cash lying around that's perfectly good. Mom, fair enough.
They took it home and after Jeremy and her what his other items from a Day away, Jeremy inserted the disk into the back of the larger persocom. And plugged in the little thumb drive into the smaller and found the power switch for both. Luckily in this model the power switch was not between the legs. He opened up one of her ear compartments and found the power switch. She whirred to life. She looked up. Where ami I. Then she got into a fighting stance. Mom, easy easy. We don’t know what you went through, but you are safe. She sighed. I am adella, I was responsible for destroying the Japanese crime syndicate that wanted my creator to make chobits for them. Jeremy, and your job was to stop them for using the other chobits for evil? Adella, yes. Jeremy, but before I could finish I was powered down, but, it appears my mother, the wife of the man who created me. She is still alive, and she is OK. Jeremy, that is good.
Just then the mobile unit powered on. Its eyes slowly opened. Wa! Where am I. Adella, Its OK Kinkan. We’re among friends. These people saved us from being recycled. He is our new master. Kinkan. Hai, I understand sister. Jeremy, sister. Adella, I told her she could call me sister, Jeremy awe, that’s sweet. Hello Kinkan, My name is Jeremy. There is something, you both should know. I don’t like the word master, it denotes slavery. Call me Jeremy, or call me boss.
Kinkan, so you do not like being called Master, I will remember that boss.
Jeremy, Kinkan, would you like to ride on my shoulder. Kinkan, yes please? Jeremy picked her up from his bed, and put her on his shoulder. Jeremy, I’m about to go get my haircut. They walked down with them and watched Jeremy gets his haircut. Jeremy, Kinkan, tell me about yourself. Kinkan, I am an experimental mobile unit made from a raspberry pi model 4. But because of the color of my dress, my creator called me Kinkan
Jeremy, well Kinkan pleased to make your acquaintance.
Adella. Jeremy, I have former persicoms that were once members of the syndicate. They need reprogrammed to be useful in Society. They are in a storage facility right down the street don’t worry all of their weapons have been removed from them.
Mom, do you want me to help bring a over to be reprogrammed. They must be given to other residents Jeremy, you can’t keep them all for yourself.
Jeremy, that’s what I had planned to do. Mom, good. And I want one too. One of each a live sized unit and a mobile unit.
They got in mom’s car, and they Brought back 7 life sized pursocoms, and a basket of 24 mobile units. They took them back to Jeremy’s room, and Adella set them up to be good, and erased all the syndicate software. The first one was a curly blond haired life sized persicom and a purple mobile unit. The life-sized unit they named Violette. And the mobile unit they named BudoKoshi or Miss grape. Both Budokoshi and Violette. Went home with mom, and they continued reprogramming other units.
Jeremy invited sharon, dale, and Bryan to each pick one of each pick out a mobile unit, and a life sized unit.
Sharon got one she named Karen, which was her life sized unit, and Maran which was her mobile unit.
Back in Tokyo, Hideki went to the eye doctor. Hitoshi Nakamora the eye doctor looked at Hideki’s eyes, chi waited in the waiting room, reading google news articles. After the end of the exam. dr. Nakamora said Motosua san, you have Stargardts disease. We can not stop you from going totally blind, but we can slow the progression down with medication.
Hideki I can’t afford medication. Is there anything else you can tell me. That can help prolong what vision I have? The doctor said, yes, stargardts, is an early adult form of macular degeneration.
Hideki , I… I see. Thank you doctor. Chi looked up as Hideki walked out of the room. Chi, you got some bad news didn’t you? Hideki started crying Chi. I’ve been diagnosed with Stargartds disease. 1 in 3000 have this condition. And its a young adult form of macular degeneration. Chi, I don’t know what that is? Summon, can you please look up Macular degeneration? Summon, Macular degeneration is a degenerative condition affecting the central part of the retina (the macula) and resulting in distortion or loss of central vision. It occurs especially in older adults, in which case it is called age-related macular degeneration.
Hideki, that explains it all right there. Don’t you think Chi? Chi, Yes it does. Is there anything they can do for it? Hideki, yes, there’s expensive prescription meds, but its more than I can afford.
Chi, Hideki, there’s got to be another way. Hideki, chi, what do you say to a change in location, and I don’t mean moving back in with my parents. I heard there are places to work for those who are blind in the united states.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Summon, hey, you have a call from Minoru Cocobunji, he said he wanted to see you once we left the doctors office. A woman walked up, and said “excuse me sir. My husband just regained the use of his eyesight through an experimental surgery, its a mobility cane. You swing it at a 45 degree angle feeling for any obstacles, and dips in the road. You may not need it now, but you might need it in the future. Hideki, thanks. I appreciate this hole heartedly
The woman smiled and said, you are so welcome young man. They made their way to Minoru’s house. Chi pushed the button. Yuzuki answered. Chi, we’re here Yuzuki. Ok, I’ll let you in. Minoru is waiting for you out back. They walked around, and saw Minoru sipping on some sparkling iced tea.
Minoru, Hideki what the hell are you doing with that mobility cane for the blind man, I new you went to the doctor’s office, but… Hideki, Yeah, I just found out I have Stargardts disease. Minoru, Oh fuck! Dude, I… I thought when you said you weren’t seeing well, I thought you know, that you were just having a little trouble seeing. So what kind of meds have they put you on. Hideki, none, I could not afford them. I’m also considering moving to America, a city that has some place for the blind where I can work. Indianapolis has 1 place to work, while cincinnati has two. Clover nook and Cable. And Cincinnati has a home for the blind, I have a friend who started out as an online acquaintance, now whenever I go to my vacation home in cincinnati, he told me there’s CABVI, cincinnati association for the blind, and Clovernook. He Tod me that if anyone comes to Cincinnati, for the Love of God do not work for a place called Luxfer Magtech. They treat their employees like crap.
Hideki, ok so don’t work for that company. Got it. Miss hibia is also thinking of selling the apartment complex, the Gub jokisaki, and moving to Cincinnati. You might tell her your wanting to move there, and tell her you heard about the Samuel Bell home for the sightless, that’s where my new friend lives. All I need to do is send the word out, and Jeremy will let the head of the bell home, pastor Dave know that your thinking of moving in.
He and chi went back to the apartment, and mis Tibia was waiting for them. Hideki, you might want to find a new place to live. I am selling this apartment complex. Hideki, your moving to cincinnati aren’t you? Miss Hibia, yes. I guess minor told you. Why? Hideki, I want to move to cincinnati, I heard they had to great places to work, and they had a home for the sightless. Miss Habit, yes, I have ben there, I wanted to see the place for myself. Its quite a nice place to live. Its on muddy creek. Your going to need to either get a bus pass, or sign up with Access paratransit. So I take it the eye doctor told you that you are going blind. Hideki, Yes ma’am he said I have stargardts disease.
Miss habit, stargardts disease effects on in three thousand people.
Hideki, wait a minute, you mean I am not alone with this disease? Miss Hibia giggled, No Hideki, you are not. Not by a long shot. Hideki, oh, that makes me feel a hell of a lot better. Chi, me too. I didn’t know what to think when he told me he had it. We knew it was an early onset form of Macular degeneration, but that’s it.
Miss habit, oh, I didn’t even know that much about that disease. Hideki, I have something for chi. It will allow her to eat like humans do. I was sent the blueprint by my sister. Who actually married my husbands brother. What is sad is they both died 1 week apart. Both my husband and her husband died a week a part, both killed by the syndicate that asked us to make the persicoms
When hideki heard this he just about flipped his lid. She continued, where I gave up on continuing the creation of the persicoms, she continued her husband and brother in law’s legacies. She made a chobit called Adella. Which was created to infiltrate the syndicate and destroy it from the inside. Which she has done. Now she is working on reprogramming all of the units that the syndicate owned, and giving them to those who will treat them well.
She just got a message from Adella, and della has been reactivated, and has found her a human, he has a girlfriend, but he treats Adella like a member of the family. As if she were his and rose’s kid. She sleeps in the recliner, which she has set up to allow her to charge at night, when she doesn’t like what their having for a meal.
My sister Cara has yet to meet Adella’s adoptive parents. But she has plans to do so in the future.
One of the first person to receive a modified unit from Adella, was Jeremy’s mother, who received a normal sized persicom who’s name is Violette. And a pocket unit named Budokoshi. Which means miss grape. So Adella has a mobile unit counterpart her name is Kinkan. Or as Jeremy calls her cumquat.
Hideki, what do you think Chi. Chi, sounds totally awesome, that way I will have persicom’s to hang out with while your at work. Miss Hibia Hideki, looks like chi’s excited. I’ll make the call. Can you contact dr. Nakamora and ask him if he can send you a copy of your eye report in English. Tell him your going to go to cincinnati. Hideki, I need to let my family know what I’m planning.
Meanwhile, all of the persicoms had been given to people, that were in the first storage box. Then Jeremy got a call from his grandmother. Bud, there is a young man in Japan, who just found out he is losing his eyesore do to a young adult form of macular degeneration called stargardts disease. A woman by the tame of chitose hibia will be calling to sign him up to live there at the bell home. I want you to go pick him up. And bring him to America. He’s going to get a work visa for here in the states. Meanwhile back in Japan. Hideki walks into the bar called our pleasure. His friend Yumi sees him. Hey Sinai, why are you using that blind cane. Hideki, I’m losing my eyesight. She said, what? No way! Hideki, yes, I’ve come to turn in my uniform. I’m going to move to cincinnati, where there are jobs for blind people and a place for blind people, that is a home for the blind.
She said, oh my. What is your eye condition. Hideki, its called stargardts disease. Its a form of early onset macular degeneration, that affects one, in 3000 people. Yumi said, geesh, that’s pretty rare. Only 1 in every 3000. Hideki, Minoru knows a guy in cincinnati, who has an eye disease called optic nerve hypoplesia. Which means very few optical nerves, and comes with the inability to control one’s body temperature, the inability to see peripheral vision, so he’s the opposite of me. And only one in ten thousand people get his eye disease. Oh, some of their other problems have to do with their frontal lobe not being fully developed, which means they have hypothyroidism, and their body does not produce cortisol for healing. And minoru told me he had to take growth hormones, and testosterone shots. Yumi shit. So he took shots most of his life. Hideki, yeah, apparently so. Until he was unable to go to his indocrinologist, because he was at a children’s hospital, after that they put him on a patch, and he said for about 15 days after he would take the patch each month he would feel lethargic. He would get plenty of sleep, but would wake up unrested as if he had performed an all-nighter.
Yumi, again shit… well, I’m sorry to see you move, but I understand that this place is the best place for someone who is visually impaired. My dad is in his office. Hideki walked into the owner’s office. Hideki, sir. I found out that I have stargardts disease. The owner said. Shit. I had notice that you haven’t been doing as god at your job here as you usually do. But… I never thought it was linked to you going blind. If your handing in your uniform, something tells me we won’t be seeing you again. Hideki, that is a chance as I am going to see about moving into the bell home in cincinnati. Once my passport is created, and my work visa has cleared.
Yumi walked in the office. “So where would you work in cincinnati. Hideki, there are actually two places that hire the blind in Cincinnati, Cincinnati association for the blind, and clover nook center for the blind. One does more manual labor, and the other does a combination of manual labor, that’s CABVI, and Clovernook has manual and mental labor. Depending what department I would be working in.
The old man who ran the establishment said, you made your way back here, using your cane to get here. Here’s your last paycheck, plus something extra for all the hard work you have boot in over the years. Hideki, thank you. The old man said, come on, I’ll drive you home. Yumi look after the place while I’m gone.
Yumi, Yes dad I will. They pulled into the apartment of the Gub Jokisaki apartment complex. Heideki, thanks sir. I appreciate the years you have let me work there. And the chance you took on me when I first started looking for a job. He got out, and waved good bye at his former boss. Chi was waiting for him in the apartment’s door.
Hideki, Chi, what are you doing out here. Chi, well I heard a strange car pull in the driveway, and thought it might be your manager bringing you home after you went to see him to return your uniform. Hideki, that is pretty good analysis chi. I am impressed. |Chi, I know. Just to think 5 short years ago, I was still talking in incomplete sentences.