from The Baseball Widow, a novel-in-progress - at the doctor's office by Suzanne Kamata
chapters
chapter 1:
at the doctor's office
at the doctor's office
chapter 1
—
updated Jan 16, 2009
—
2526 characters
—
1 person liked this writing
The nurse called her name. Christine rose from the vinyl sofa and tried to slink past all of the young women in their maternity smocks without being noticed. It was ridiculous, she knew. They saw her. They noticed. Even if they looked down at their laps – their burgeoning bellies – as she walked by, they’d probably noted her blonde hair and big nose the minute she’d stepped in the door. Maybe that was why her mother-in-law insisted on waiting in the car – so as not to be noticed.
The nurse ushered Christine into a private room, then turned to her with a grin. “I saw you on TV.”
“Really?” So much for being anonymous.
“Yes, you were the Princess Diana lookalike, right?”
Christine nodded. One of her English conversation students had called the local TV station. During their early morning show, there was a segment on celebrity lookalikes. Christine had been game, but she doubted that anyone would watch. After all, it had been aired at 6AM. Her student had gotten a free tea towel for the referral.
“You do look like her,” the nurse went on. “During the engagement, I think.”
Pre-bulimia Princess Di. Di, before she threw herself down the stairs.
“Um, thank you,” Christine said. People had pointed out the resemblance before, but she was never sure of how to respond.
She actually had a few things in common with Diana, besides a physical resemblance. At 19, she’d been a virgin, and later, like Di, she’d taught at a kindergarten, albeit in Japan. But lately she felt a greater affinity with that other princess, Masako.
Masako, a commoner, had married a prince supposedly descended from the gods. In essence, Prince Naruhito had wed a foreigner. Before World War II, the Japanese had considered themselves special, chosen, and invulnerable to defeat, whereas Christine was a mere mortal. And then, of course, Masako was having trouble getting pregnant. She had only one job – to produce an heir – and yet, after seven years of marriage, there was no sign of a baby. The gossip magazines were filled with rumors of IVF, or of problems with the prince. Headlines blared that the princess was suffering from stress. In her youth, Masako had wanted to date baseball players and study abroad, and now everything depended on how she waved her hand.
“Please lower your pants,” the nurse said, reminding Christine of why she was there.
“Uh, okay.” Christine unzipped her trousers and prepared for the first jab.
back to top
The nurse ushered Christine into a private room, then turned to her with a grin. “I saw you on TV.”
“Really?” So much for being anonymous.
“Yes, you were the Princess Diana lookalike, right?”
Christine nodded. One of her English conversation students had called the local TV station. During their early morning show, there was a segment on celebrity lookalikes. Christine had been game, but she doubted that anyone would watch. After all, it had been aired at 6AM. Her student had gotten a free tea towel for the referral.
“You do look like her,” the nurse went on. “During the engagement, I think.”
Pre-bulimia Princess Di. Di, before she threw herself down the stairs.
“Um, thank you,” Christine said. People had pointed out the resemblance before, but she was never sure of how to respond.
She actually had a few things in common with Diana, besides a physical resemblance. At 19, she’d been a virgin, and later, like Di, she’d taught at a kindergarten, albeit in Japan. But lately she felt a greater affinity with that other princess, Masako.
Masako, a commoner, had married a prince supposedly descended from the gods. In essence, Prince Naruhito had wed a foreigner. Before World War II, the Japanese had considered themselves special, chosen, and invulnerable to defeat, whereas Christine was a mere mortal. And then, of course, Masako was having trouble getting pregnant. She had only one job – to produce an heir – and yet, after seven years of marriage, there was no sign of a baby. The gossip magazines were filled with rumors of IVF, or of problems with the prince. Headlines blared that the princess was suffering from stress. In her youth, Masako had wanted to date baseball players and study abroad, and now everything depended on how she waved her hand.
“Please lower your pants,” the nurse said, reminding Christine of why she was there.
“Uh, okay.” Christine unzipped her trousers and prepared for the first jab.
Did you like this?
vote
(1 person liked this writing)
