Yukari's Surgery

As rare as it often is, Yukari had to get put in the hospital last fall for a major surgery. She needed her surgery to repair her damaged right leg or the right side of her pelvis which was damaged whilst she was imprisoned, also, sometime afterward, when we moved to the countryside, she took a bad fall while visiting an ancient temple, injuring it more. She never really complained  and there weren't any changes in her walking or movement patterns that I could see. However, if I last recall, she often sat on a few cushions when she was in her rocking chair and took to walking a cane but I figured it was because she liked sitting on a few cushions and her cane was just something she walked with. I didn't think she was really crippled and that her injuries were causing her some discomfort. As her surrogate offspring, I should have noticed. Hopefully, the surgery she gets will alleviate some the discomfort and that she could walk better.

We often visited Yukari and she told us how things were going but, then, one day, she told us some news we didn't want to hear. She said, that in order to get her operation to repair her injuries, we would to come up with the money because the surgery she needs is not only expensive but it requires her to be transferred and we haven't applied for insurance. "We have to come up with the money to pay or I come home." she said, sighing in disappointment. We went home not knowing what to do or how to go about it but then the idea came when Ran called us all into the family room. "Alright, darlings, we are going to help Yukari by going out into the world and getting jobs so we can earn enough money to pay for her surgery." she said. Being the small children that they were, Flandre and Chen were excited but I didn't know exactly how it was I would get any employment. Being at home and being a shrine maiden was all I knew and it would be unlikely any of the local shrines would take me as a miko and it would be unlikely that I'd be paid for it. If I was a cleaning lady like Ran, I would probably wouldn't be be paid as much. I could beg but I doubt I wouldn't get anything higher than pocket change. I wanted to help Yukari but I wasn't sure on exactly how I could get some employment. However, an idea did come to me when I remembered how Yukari would ask me to sit in front of her and, while I played the erhu, sing her a song or two, then it occurred to me that I could make money by singing and along to the erhu. She'd be so proud me and will be very happy, too.

After deciding and after informing Ran, I bought a round-trip train ticket to the city, packed my things, and disembarked the next day. When I got there, I breathed my first breath of city air and said, "Alright, this is where I stop and this where I make the money to so I can pay for Mommy's surgery." To my surprise, I found Satori and Koishi waiting for me and it didn't seem they were sober. "Greetings Reimu, we heard of your plan and we wish to give you place to stay for your time here and we wish to help you raise money for Madame Yakumo." Satori said, whilst lighting what appeared to be a cigarette. They led me back to their car and brought me to their house. They showed me to such a pretty room, with Koishi saying, "This is where you'll sleep, Princess." Once I was left alone, I got right to practice. If I was going to make any money by singing and playing the erhu, I had to practice. Of course, Koishi had curiosity to watch and be my audience, dropping some money into a basket. Pretty soon, Satori joined Koishi and put money in the basket. About an hour, her guests sat and watched me sing. Once, I was finished, Satori exclaimed, in her somewhat drunken voice, "I shall inform Aya at once!"

The next day, after thanking Satori and Koishi for their hospitality and while taking my basket of money, I  went to Aya's house  and she's placed my story in the shinbun. Soon, I was contacted to play on the radio and the deal overjoyed me quite so and I knew Yukari would be so happy to hear me on the radio. Of course, I wasn't doing this to get famous, I was doing this because I wanted to pay for Yukari's surgery that she needed, so this was for Yukari. Two days after being contacted, I went to the radio station to sing and play my erhu. I remember that I had gotten a check that was estimated to be a bag of money far bigger than my head for doing that. Not too long afterwards, I was set to perform in concert. Naturally, I was very shy but, when I spotted Ran, Chen, and Flan in the audience, I had the courage to go on. I took a deep breath and went out onstage with my basket of money. I performed a sweet tune and sang a pretty song, stunning the crowd into awe. After the concert, it turned out that I had made more than enough money. After packing up and after I've made the money, I was ready to come home.

Pooling all of our money together, we managed to pay every bit of Yukari's hospital transfer and surgery. According to her, her discomfort will be alleviated but she will still have to walk with a cane because the damaged done to leg had healed improperly and surgery could only repair it to the extent that to make where she won't need anything besides a cane to ease her walking, however, her the right side of her pelvis was repaired successfully and she no longer needed three pillows to sit on. As soon as she came home, she game me a kiss and said, "Thank you, Reimu dear."