Story 2: Gen Fu

July 11-12, 2014, Story 2: Gen Fu
The second story in the anthology and the second story in the first of the Video Game Fighters Arc: Dead or Alive

Kimberly dreams she shares her wisdom as a grandchild to Gen Fu and Gen Fu shares his story of what being a loving grandfather means.

Story
I was in the little play-area in my complex, lying in the grass when I heard the footsteps coming from an old Chinese man with a bushy Fu Manchu mustache & beard combo, a tuft of hair on top and a long braid coming from near the nape of his neck, which all the hair was white with age. I got up and dusted off the dirt that I may have got on me. I approached him and judging by his outfit, he was a practitioner of some animal-based Chinese martial art. I said “Hello…Mr.?” He said “Gen Fu…my name is Gen Fu.” I said “Mr. Gen Fu, what’s it like teaching students your skills?” He said, “I find it to be stressful enough to not harm me or be not as stressful as to cause a monotonous pattern.” I said “I hear you on that.”

While the clouds hid the sun, I then asked “How much does your granddaughter Meilin mean to you?” and he retorted “Is your grandfather still alive?” I replied “Yes” and he said “Then tell me of all the things he did for you.” I said “He changed my diapers when my mother and father were starting out as a family…He taught me part of the basics of computers…He essentially paved the way for the modern Internet, which I’m trying to revolutionize.” Gen Fu said “I’ve done so much for Meilin. I fought 3 times to cure her of her diseases and pay for the operations. Would your grandfather do the same?” I said “He would.”

The clouds turned black and began to downpour. I invited Gen Fu in for some of my home cooking. He said “You are very kind for someone with no experience in martial arts.” I said “I would take it up, but I first need to get healthy.” I served him my tempura udon soup I made fresh that morning and had a bowl too.

As I had a tendency to eat as sloppily as the Muppets’ Swedish Chef cooks dishes, I had to wipe up the bonito broth after we finished the dishes we ate. Gen Fu had rested on the couch.

When my parents came home, he woke up and said “I must commend you for raising a daughter with the best qualities. I’m sure her spouse will never stray.” He left to return to China and Meilin.

When I got back to my room, I watched a video tape of my gameplay of Sonic the Hedgehog games from about 10 years ago.

Gen Fu imparted in me a valuable lesson in showing love to your family. I try to be a good granddaughter to my remaining grandparent.

As I woke up, this thought ran through my head.

“You definitely need to hone your fighting game skills!”

Trivia
• The area where Kimberly lives only has a tiny play area for young children to use. In fact, Kimberly hasn't laid in the grass since she was 8, which when this was written, that's an 18-year discrepancy in a simple pleasure.

• In reality, Kimberly has no other grandparents beyond her paternal grandfather as of this writing. Her maternal grandmother, died when Kimberly was a baby. Her maternal grandfather has never been seen again since his tendency to wander may have led him to somewhere remote and may have died in the 1990s. Her paternal grandmother died on June 30, 2014.

• The whole "healthy stress" bit comes from old studies where too much stress can harm you physically and too little stress can harm you mentally and emotion. It is unknown to Kimberly if the study was debunked by scientific advances.

• The whole changeable weather is due in part of Kimberly living in the convergence zone, where the weather tended to take a mind of its own. It could be neck deep in snow and the neighborhood outside the complex's boundaries would be ankle deep.

• Tempura udon was chosen as 1.) Tempura is Portuguese and Kimberly is Portuguese from her mother and 2.) Mabo tofu is an acquired taste and scent. It's awful-smelling due to further fermentation.

• The whole "Swedish Chef Comparison" bit was coined by Kim's mother.