Beautiful Justice by FURUNARI OKONA at Inkitt

Summary

**Summary:** When the narrator was six, they ordered more pasta than they could eat at a family restaurant, angering their father. The father, frustrated with the leftovers, scolded the child and hit them. An old man at a nearby table intervened, condemning the father for his behavior. A heated confrontation ensued, culminating in the old man jabbing his fingers into the father’s eyes, leaving him blind. The old man was arrested and later died in prison, while the father’s blindness and mental deterioration forced the narrator to spend much of their life as his caregiver. During this time, they fell in love with a nurse, who eventually became their spouse. After the father’s death, the narrator jokingly credited the old man as their “Cupid,” though the comment made their spouse physically ill. Through these experiences, the narrator reflects on their ability to handle difficult situations with composure, something they now take pride in.

Genre: Drama/Humor

Author: FURUNARI OKONA

Status: Complete

Chapters: 1

Rating: n/a

Age Rating: 13+

BEAUTIFUL JUSTICE

Once, when I was six years old, my family and I went out to eat at a family restaurant. Being a kid, I insisted on ordering a large plate of pasta I had no hope of finishing. Predictably, I left more than half untouched.

My dad got mad.

“What are you going to do with this? I asked you, didn’t I? I asked if you could really eat it, and you said yes! You told me you could! So, what now? I’m not eating this. I don’t want it. I don't.... I don’t want to eat something covered in… salmon roe!”

I think I had ordered a creamy pasta with salmon and salmon roe, but I don’t remember the specifics. What I do remember is how furious my dad got, especially about the salmon roe.

“I told you! I said, if you’re going to leave it, don’t mix the salmon roe! What, did you just assume I’d eat your leftovers like always? Like I’d just choke down this gross, vomit-like mess? Are you even listening?”

Then he hit me on the head. That’s when an old man at the table next to us stood up.

“Hey, you there. Hitting a child is unacceptable.”

Now, as an adult, I believe this: both corporal punishment and sticking your nose into other people’s family business are equally wrong. My dad’s “sin” and the old man’s “sin” seemed perfectly balanced.

“This is a family matter!”

“Enough!”

Without another word, the old man jabbed his fingers into my dad’s eyes. No hesitation. No warning. I saw it clearly—his gnarled fingers sank into my dad’s eye sockets, right up to the second knuckle.

The old man was arrested. My dad lost his sight completely. His mind unraveled soon after. The old man died in prison.

I ended up dedicating half my life to caring for my father. During that time, I met and fell in love with a nurse—my darling—and we eventually got married. When my father passed away, my darling cried.

One day, I told my darling the full story about my dad and the old man. I even said that the old man had been our Cupid. My darling looked queasy and promptly threw up.

I cleaned it up without a second thought. That’s the kind of person I’ve become, and I’m proud of it.