Birthday Traditions

Usually, Betty would be surprised to find her husband home when she woke up. Considering he usually worked from nearly 5 in the morning, until 6 at night Monday through Saturday it was rare for him to ever spend more than an hour or two awake once he got home. Sure, it limited the time they got to spend together during the day, but they were both pretty busy, and Betty didn't mind only having one full day a week with her husband. The time apart just made their time together all the more special. Today however, Betty found her husband at home in his 'special room' when she woke up. She'd almost forgotten the reason until she saw an ornate sake bottle sitting on a small table in the middle of the room with a single small china cup. A smile worms it's way onto Betty's face as she watches her husband try to set up a tablet in front of the table. He's very specific about it's height, and angle. The camera is about half a foot above Kisho's head while he's sitting, and is angled down towards his face. Betty wants to give him a good morning kiss, but she knows that this set up is VERY important to Kisho, and she doesn't want to run it. As Betty makes her breakfast this morning, she makes a little extra for her husband to find later, and even leaves a note in her best neighpanese to tell him she loves him. She checks the time to find that she's running a little late today, and will need to eat on the go. Betty crams her breakfast into separate zip-bags, and grabs her suitcase before hurrying out the door. She's got a long day of work ahead of her. Kisho has made certain that no piece in his elaborate set-up is out of place. The table is at just the right height, and position in the room. The sake bottle, and glass are perfectly spaced in front of him. He's sitting just close enough to the table. The camera is positioned high enough, and angled just right to meet his eyes. He's carefully pressed, and ironed his clothes so there isn't a spec, or wrinkle on them. Everything is just right. Now, Kisho sits patiently as he waits for what he knows is going to come in exactly 24 seconds from now. Kisho takes a deep breath just before the small speaker of his tablet begins to ring. A message appears on the screen informing him that he's receiving a call from "Saito Yakushi." He speaks loudly, and clearly to address the tablet. "Accept." A second later, the face of an older neighpanese stallion sitting at a table of his own appears on the tablet's screen, looking down at him. The stallion smiles before speaking in neighpanese. "Kisho! It's good to see you!" Kisho replies back in neighpanese. "Happy birthday father. I've been looking forward to this for some time." Saito nods. "As have I. You know I would be devastated if I didn't get to spend my birthday with my son." Saito's smile then fades, and is replaced by a much more serious look. Kisho gives a slow, drawn out bow. Once he's finished, he reaches for the sake bottle in front of him, with Saito appearing to do the same. The two grab, and pour sake into their identical glasses in unison. Their movements are expertly choreographed, and the two mirror each-other's movements with a level of precision a top surgeon would find impressive. Once they have filled their glasses, and placed their bottles back exactly where they had been the two bow forwards. Kisho takes a few small sips from his glass with his forelegs behind his back, with Saito doing the same. The two stallions sit up straight, and grab their glasses. They then raise them as if to toast. "To 90 years of life, and love." Saito states. "And to 100 more." Kisho replies. The two then down their glasses in one go before both relax their posture. For the next few hours, Kisho and his father drink sake, and talk. They talk about Kisho's restaurant, his house, his wife, and children, and much more. Saito talks about his retirement, how he's become the local gomoku champion, and the local pachinko parlor he's been going to. Later on in the afternoon the two begin to reminisce about their pasts. Saito gushes about how great a son Kisho is, and Kisho replies in kind, stating that he wouldn't be the man he was today without his father's guidance. The two laugh, they cry, and they make cheers for all of the good things in their lives. When Betty arrives home that night she finds dinner waiting for her at the dinner table. Once she's changed into more comfortable clothing Betty finds her husband sitting at the dinner table, waiting for her. She and her husband sit, and eat (but not before saying thanks for the food) while they talk about the days they had. Hearing just how excited Kisho was to have gotten to talk to his father melted Betty's heart. He was such a hard, and selfless worker. He deserved moments like these. No matter how much he insisted he was fine working himself to death.