Peter circled the table and frowned at the overgrown shrub sitting in a pot on the table. "What is it?"
"A bonsai tree," Yukio said.
"Uhm, I've seen the Karate Kid. That's no bonsai tree."
"It is so." Yukio scowled. "It just hasn't been trimmed."
"Oh."
"My grandfather left it to me when he died, but I want to learn how to shape it before I do any cutting."
Yukio pulled a stack of books off the shelf. Bonsai for Beginners. How to Shape a Bonsai Tree in 10 Easy Steps. Inner Peace Through Bonsai.
"Okay," Peter said. "I get that I guess. How long have you had it?"
"Three years."
"Three years? And you haven't snipped a branch yet?"
"I don't want to screw it up," Yukio said. "This is a rare species and very valuable."
"So, you're just going to let it sit there and get bushier and bushier?" Peter asked. "Have you read the books yet?"
"Yes."
In fact, the spines were creased, and each one was full of underlined passages and dog-eared pages. Yukio returned them to the shelf before his visitor could discover the truth of just how often they had been read.
"Well," Peter said. "You might want to start clipping those branches soon. You're about one winter away from being able to hang ornaments and put presents under this thing."
"I don't have any experience. It's hard to teach yourself from a book." Yukio touched a branch gently. "I don't want to ruin it."
"I'm no Einstein, but I'm pretty sure you actually have to do something to get in experience. Why don't you clip a branch? What's the worst that could happen?"
"I could kill it," Yukio said glumly.
Peter raised his eye brows. "How likely is that?"
"Not very. I guess the worst that would happen is it wouldn't come out anything like what's in my head. I have this really pretty picture in my mind... but I don't think I can do that."
"So, what? It'd grow back, right? And you could try again."
"Yeah, in a couple years."
"There you go." Peter shrugged and left the room.
Yukio stood in silence and gazed at the tree for a while. He looked at the shelf and all the books he had read, and he looked back to the tree. Yes, perhaps it was time to do something.
He found a pair of cutters and took the first snip.
"A bonsai tree," Yukio said.
"Uhm, I've seen the Karate Kid. That's no bonsai tree."
"It is so." Yukio scowled. "It just hasn't been trimmed."
"Oh."
"My grandfather left it to me when he died, but I want to learn how to shape it before I do any cutting."
Yukio pulled a stack of books off the shelf. Bonsai for Beginners. How to Shape a Bonsai Tree in 10 Easy Steps. Inner Peace Through Bonsai.
"Okay," Peter said. "I get that I guess. How long have you had it?"
"Three years."
"Three years? And you haven't snipped a branch yet?"
"I don't want to screw it up," Yukio said. "This is a rare species and very valuable."
"So, you're just going to let it sit there and get bushier and bushier?" Peter asked. "Have you read the books yet?"
"Yes."
In fact, the spines were creased, and each one was full of underlined passages and dog-eared pages. Yukio returned them to the shelf before his visitor could discover the truth of just how often they had been read.
"Well," Peter said. "You might want to start clipping those branches soon. You're about one winter away from being able to hang ornaments and put presents under this thing."
"I don't have any experience. It's hard to teach yourself from a book." Yukio touched a branch gently. "I don't want to ruin it."
"I'm no Einstein, but I'm pretty sure you actually have to do something to get in experience. Why don't you clip a branch? What's the worst that could happen?"
"I could kill it," Yukio said glumly.
Peter raised his eye brows. "How likely is that?"
"Not very. I guess the worst that would happen is it wouldn't come out anything like what's in my head. I have this really pretty picture in my mind... but I don't think I can do that."
"So, what? It'd grow back, right? And you could try again."
"Yeah, in a couple years."
"There you go." Peter shrugged and left the room.
Yukio stood in silence and gazed at the tree for a while. He looked at the shelf and all the books he had read, and he looked back to the tree. Yes, perhaps it was time to do something.
He found a pair of cutters and took the first snip.
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