ep54

                       Sakura to Omoide no Kerenda
    It was a bright morning. Sakura was cooking. "It's done!" She flipped the last pancake into the dish. She went upstairs to call her oniichan and father to breakfast. "Father!" Fujitaka looked up from a small calender. Sakura asked him about things in a small box next to him. Fujitaka smiled and said it was things from the time when Nadeshiko-san was still a model. Sakura asked if she could have her mother's calender. Fujitaka allowed her to. Sakura thanked him, then told him that the breakfast is ready. We see a picture of young Nadeshiko with her father in the box.
<Titlescreen: Sakura and the Calender of Memories>
     Sakura hummed, looking at the calender. "That's mother's..." Touya started out. "Calender! Father allowed me to keep it." "I found it while I was cleaning things in the box," Fujitaka added. Sakura flipped through the pages. She saw January 3rd marked as Fujitaka's birthday. She also found Touya's birthday marked at February 29th and happily told him about it. Touya grumly said that that couldn't be helped, since he had a birthday every four years. Fujitaka smiled and added that if the number was not on a calender, she would write it in with a big handwriting. Sakura noticed her birthday, marked in April 1st. Delighted, she said her birthday was marked, too, and thanked her mother. Sakura left for school.
     Sakura entered class 5-2. She said good mornings to her friends. Tomoyo asked her if something nice had happened. Sakura asked her if she could tell. "Of course! It's Sakura-chan's matters, after all," Tomoyo replied, smiling. Sakura showed her her mother's calender. "Talking about calenders!" Takashi broke in. 'Do you know that the ancients used to write their important events on the rim of a paper? Because of earthquake and lightening and wind, the rim of the papers would tear away, so this was a big problem! Even dogs and cats walked all over them! So to protect the calender, they used to hire people to watch over their calender!" "Not all those lies again~" Chiharu sighed. "But he's pretty good at it!" Naoko happily said.
     Eriol entered the classroom. Takashi turned to him. "You know the story about calenders too, don't you?" "Unlike Takashi, Eriol-kun is honest," Chiharu said, sighing. "So you know about it too," Eriol sid. "Huh?!" Chiharu asked, developing a sweat drop. "In Europe, the most wanted job was to become a calender-watcher. Anyone who messed with the calenders faced a cruel punishment." Takashi added in, "You know the story about the Egyptian calender and their curses too, of course," Eriol smiled and said, "That is also the work of aliens, you know." Takashi held Eriol's hand. "I think we'll get along vrey well!" "So do I," Eriol replied, smiling. Naoko said Eriol and Takashi were the types that got along well. Sakura said, looking scared, "The ancients had a hard time...." Shaoran agreed, "Yeah...."
     Touya was in the music room. He had a flashback of his mother teaching him how to play piano. He played the same music on the piano, imagining his mother as she stretches her arms towards him with flowers showering down upon her. He heard a clapping sound. "You're really good, Touya-kun!" Yukito complimented him. Touya smiled and started to play the piano again. Yukito commented that he had never heard of this piece before. Touya told him that it's a piece made by his mother. Yukito said it was beautiful. Yukito closed his eyes, enjoying the music. "Yuki." "Yeah?" "I...about you..." "Awesome!" Nakuru cut in. Touya made a crashing sound at the piano. Nakuru climbed in through the window and hugged Touya. He then looked up to Yukito and told him that the archery team captain was looking for him--probably to ask him to help out with the next competition. Yukito left.
     Sakura was sitting on the edge of a water fountain, reading through the dates. "Touya's Participation Day," She read, smiling. She noticed Sonomi's birthday was Octer 13th. Sakura sighed, "I could've given her a present... Surely, next year! I won't forget!" She flipped through the pages and found, marked on November 1st, "Grandfather's birthday". Sakura realized that this must be her great grandfather and wondered what he was like.
<CM Break-- Sakura Card!>
     Sakura asked Fujitaka if it was her great grandfather's birthday today. Fujitaka glanced at the calender and said it was. Sakura asked what her mother did on his birthdays. Fujitaka said she always gave her grandfather a handmade birthday present. "But mother was not good at things involving handcraft," Sakura said. "But she tried really hard," Fujitaka replied, smiling. "How is great grandpa doing?" Sakura asked. "I heard he's fine. I've only met him once before." "How come?" Sakura asked. "Because Nadeshiko-san's grandfather really loved her. I'm a bad person who stole her away, so..." Sakura leaped up from shelling peas. "Father is not a bad person!" Fujitaka looked at her in mild surprise. "I don't know my mother that well, but she always looks happy in every photo we have of her! Besides, if mother and father weren't together, I wouldn't have been born! And I"m so happy!" Fujitaka smiled and thanked her. Sakura sat back down, looking unhappy. She suddenly said she would like to make a birthday gift for her grandfather. She hesitated, saying her great-grandfather may not like things that she made. Fujitaka smiled and said he would love it. Sakura smiled in relief, than said, panicking, "But I won't make it!" "You can finish it before end of night today if you start now," Fujitaka said. "But the delivery!" "I have a delivery person who'd give the gift on time, so don't worry," Fujitaka replied, giving her a meaningful smile. "Hoe?" "I'm sure your great grandfather will be happy." Sakura smiled.
     Sakura is making something late at night, as Fujitaka is coaching her. It was a pink eyeglasses case. She pricked her finger. "Are you all right?" Fujitaka asked, concerned. Sakura smiled, sucking on her finger. "I'll do my best," She replied, and resumed her sewing.
     It's 10:30 PM. Sakura ran into the dining room, happily crying that she's finished. Fujitaka looked up from the dishes he was washing. "How did mother usually give the gift to grandfather?" Sakura asked. Fujitaka said, "With letter...and some nadeshiko..." "Hoe! All the flower shops are closed already!" Sakura cried in dismay, looking at the clock. She suddenly ran up to her room. On the way, she saw her brother entering the house. "Oniichan! The song mother used to play! Hurry up and record it!" Touya looked after her, wondering what the hell's going on. "Please play it for her," Fujitaka said, coming out of the kitchen and smiling. "So that's why..." Touya said, knowing look coming into his eyes. He smiled.
     Sakura threw the door open. Kero flew off and got his head stuck in the VCR, his face showing on the TV. She grabbed kero and told him that she needed flowers, but Kero-chan had said she can only change cards on emergency situations. "Is it okay to make flowers?" She asked him. "Ya really want flowers?" Sakura nodded. "No matter what?" She nodded again. "Then try it. If you tryly want it, you wouldn't lose your control over them." "Yeah!" Sakura replied, smiling. She released the key. She changed and released the Flower Card. Flower looked down on her with a warm expression. Nadeshikos were raining down from the sky. Sakura looked at her in awe. Flower returned to her card form, leaving Sakura with a armful of pinks. "Ya did it!" Kero cried. Sakura heard Touya playing the organ. She smiled. "He'll understand...that we're all happy..."
     "You had the nerve to call me, Kinomoto-sensei," Sonomi said, looking majorly pissed. Fujitaka handed her the package of gift. Sonomi looked startled, then smiled. "For grandpa's birthday... a hand-made present that was not very well made, but made with lots of loving thoughts.... and a letter telling him about how happy she was, married to Kinomoto-sensei.. and pinks..." She turned away. "Only because Sakura worked hard to make it, this will be delivered on time!" She growled, pouting. Fujitaka thanked her. Sakura looked out from the window. "Ah, so Tomoyo's mother can deliver it! I hope he likes the gifts..."
     The phone was ringing. Fujitaka answered it. "Sonomi-kun? Thank you for yesterday. Sakura-san was very happy. Grandpa...?"
     Penguin Park. Granpa was sitting on a bench. "I'm sorry to call you out all of a sudden," He told Fujitaka. "It's all right," Fujitaka replied, sitting down next to him. "How long has it been?" "Since I've brought you the wedding invitation with Nadeshiko." Fujitaka answered. "Has it been that long..." The grandpa looked sad. "I've received the gifts from Sonomi-kun. Sakura wrote with all her heart on the letter, how happy she and Nadeshiko were. Will you give the presents to Sakura and Touya?" He hnaded two gift-wrapped boxes to Fujitaka. "I'm sure they'll be delighted," Fujitaka said, receiving them and smiling. "There is something.... something I wanted to tell you for a long time." Tear started to form in the old man's eyes. "Thank you... and I"m sorry." He dropped his head. "I should have understood. That you were the man she chose, that you were the one who can make her the happiest..." "She was only 16 years old at the time. And I was only a new teacher. You cared very much for her. It was only natural that you were unwilling to give her to a man like me." "No, I was only being stubborn. I was only dreading her of leaving me. I could have told her that she've chosen a fine man. That she was the happiest woman in the world..." Pinks fly by in the background. "I'm sure she heard us... somewhere out there."   Fujitaka said, smiling. An angel form of Nadeshiko was floating above them, smiling.
     Sakura came back from school. She noticed gifts on the table. "Whose are those?" She asked. "For you and Touya-kun. A thank-you gift for the present," Fujitaka replied. "He's here? Where is he?" She asked, looking around the house for him. "It was delivered by someone else," Fujitaka told her. Sakura looked slightly disappointed, but she smiled. "But I"m gald that he liked it.... may I open it now?" "Sure, it's yours." Sakura opened the gift and revealed a dress. Sakura ran into her room and slammed the door open. Kero flew off and got his head stuck in the VCR again. "What the~!" Kero asked, as clothes that Sakura took off fell on him. She came out. "That's the cloth from the summer house..." Fujitaka said. Sakura happily nodded. "You look very nice," Fujitaka said. "I wonder if he was able to etll that we were all happy together..." "I'm sure," Fujitaka said, smiling. "I wonder if we will be able to meet someday." "Sure," Fujitaka answered her. "I'm so glad... aren't you, mother?" Sakura turned to look at a picture of Nadeshiko. Nadeshiko smiled warmly in the picture....
<To Be Continued!>
Summary written by Wing Zero and placed on Sakura Wing on August 2001. CCS is CLAMP's.