The Peter Pan Syndrome
Here is a story treatment that goes along with my earlier thoughts. It's also filled with some of my own feelings of loss and sad nostalgia
They say bad things happen in threes. Looking back, I can recall such a grouping of events that happened within a span of a little over a year. It made me realize that I was no longer the boy genius robot scientist, and that there was no longer any way I could 'go home' to the comforts of my youth. As I'm writing this, years have passed since the events I'm setting down to paper have elapsed. It won't be long before I'll be thinking of retiring from my position here at the Ministry, and perhaps that realization is why I've finally decided to write down my memoirs.
I know for Atom that the passing of Ochanomizu Hakase had been a hard thing to come to grips with. The man was the closest thing to a parent that he had ever had, and as our gang grew up and became adults, Atom had felt a bit out of place. We all grew many centimeters in height while our robot buddy remained at his 130 cm height. We never gave a second thought to that, maybe somehow having something in our lives that never changed was a comfort to us, but the reverse must have felt rather uncomfortable to Atom.
Certainly our bunch saw less and less of each other. Suibugaki gradually took over control of his father's business, and was also starting a family of his own. Needless to say, he didn't find much time for contact with his old buddies.
Tamao had become a prolific inventor, some people were even calling him Japan's Thomas Edison. Our geeky friend had started several companies and was doing quite well for himself. I bumped into him once in a while when he had some new discovery to demonstrate at the Ministry.
Kenichi was still trying to make a go at his sports career, and was almost always on the road. Once, when his minor league baseball team was in town, I attended a game and cheered from field level box seats. That was the last time we'd laid eyes on each other.
Myself, I took over the operation of the place after Hakase's passing. The Ministry's board of directors didn't take much time to honor Ochanomizu's recommendation that I replace him. He'd actually put that into his last will and testament, which embarrassed me at the reading. While I knew that the job would be demanding, I had no idea just how much so it would be. Some days I'm lucky to get four hours of sleep at the most. It sure doesn't leave me with much time to socialize.
Shortly after I took over Hakase's position, Atom stopped coming by the Ministry on his own accord. If we really needed his help I could still call him using the radio that Ochanomizu had installed inside of him, but I rarely made use of that. The police have their own robotic squad now, and Delta and his patrolmen are doing a good job. I think they've learned a few things from Atom during the years that he'd been a thorn in Tawashi's side.
Then, I too suffered a loss. I received news that the robot circus that raised me had broken. The Ringmaster who had been a father figure for me before I was adopted by Professor Ochanomizu, suffered a breakdown and he couldn't be repaired. He was a rather unique robot, as were the rest of the troupe, a creation by an unknown genius with Tenma Sensei's talents for design. The circus was performing in some backwater part of the globe when an earthquake occurred, and the troupe pitched in to help. Ringmaster over exerted himself, and was badly damaged. I wish they had shipped his damaged parts back to me, maybe I could have done something. I now feel like a total orphan.
If you're counting, that was number two. Then I received word of Black Jack Sensei's passing. There had been an outbreak of a new strain of some deadly disease on the Asian mainland, and a wealthy philanthropist put up a large sum of money to pay for Kuro Hazama's services. The doctor may have a reputation as a money grubber, but he has never hesitated to put his own health at risk to treat the sick, even when payment for his services might have been in doubt. Black Jack took ill himself after returning to Japan, and after a lingering illness he passed away.
I don't know why I was asked to give a eulogy at his funeral, for I had little contact with him during the past years. When I entered the chapel where funeral services were to be held, there was quite a crowd present to pay their last respects. Many of the mourners were former patients of the infamous surgeon, whose lives had been saved by the man's unique medical skills.
Standing in a corner of the room, somewhat away from the crowd, were two individuals who stood out by their diminutive height. Pinoko was trying to keep her composure, but was now being comforted by Atom. The two of them were locked in a mutual embrace, with Pinoko's head resting on the boy robot's shoulders. She got a glimpse of me walking towards them, and quickly released Atom from her grip, and then wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.
I'm very sorry for your loss, Pinoko, I spoke in a soft voice, extending my hand in greeting.
Arigatō gozaimashita, Reno, she replied, trying to hold back her tears.
Hello, Atomu, I said, looking at my old buddy, Long time, no see.
Hi, Reno, Atom replied. Yeah, well, I've been a bit busy lately.
I saw Shunsaku Ban waving to me from across the room, and I wandered over to see him. I looked back and saw Atom and Pinoko holding hands and then walking towards the casket, their bodies locked in a half embrace.
Well, I gave my eulogy speech, and the priest completed the rest of the funeral service. Kuro's body was cremated, and his ashes were cast to the wind from the cliff side of his home and clinic. I was too busy with my work at the Ministry to think about the recent events, when I received an email from Pinoko inviting me over to her house to visit. I figured it would be proper to pay a call to comfort her in her time of mourning, and Yuko told me to bring some food items with me. So I stopped over at a nearby bakery for something sweet, and made my way over to the doctor's cliff side home.
When I got there, it was Atom who answered the door and invited me in. Pinoko was in the kitchen, and at the sound of the doorbell had stuck her head through the door into the main space.
Thank you for coming, Reno! she smiled at me as she entered the room.
Atom gave her a peck on the cheek and I could see the happiness in both of their eyes. It didn't take me very long to figure out what was going on.
How long have you too been together? I asked.
I've been by Pinoko's side ever since Black Jack Sensei took ill, Atom replied. I was visiting the doctor in the hospital when I heard he had become very sick, I felt I owed him a great deal since he had treated my mother.
I quickly realized that Atom was referring to Hoshie, who had died years ago from a massive stroke. Kuro had tried to treat her, and with Atom's help had performed brain surgery on the comatose woman, but to no avail.
I'd been feeling rather lonely for some time, Atom continued, and when I saw Pinoko in the hospital I suddenly realized that we both had something in common.
Yes, Pinoko inserted, While all our friends have aged and grown up, the two of us still look like we did when we all were like kids.
But you always insisted that you were 18 years old! I laughed at her.
A woman doesn't tell her age! Pinoko sniffed back. She turned towards Atom and gave him a lip lock. I could see the love in their eyes, and I understood at once.
You see, Pinoko isn't totally human. She has no skeletal frame, no internal bones. She was born as a subcutaneous cyst inside of another person. All of the internal organs of a human being were present, brain, eyes, digestive tract, muscles, heart and lungs. Just a mass of flesh with no body to bind it together. Dr. Black Jack removed this mass of tissue from its sibling, and created an exoskeleton body to contain it. Pinoko could never grow in size, she would live out a normal lifespan as a midget person, never growing older in appearance. She was the perfect mate for Atom, who suffered from the same Peter Pan Syndrome.
Atom would have been happy to just move in with Pinoko, but being the romantic that she had always been, the doctor's former assistant wanted to have some sort of wedding ceremony. It was a small affair with a small number of invited guests. Pinoko invited Hosuke Sharaku and Shunsaku Ban, while Atom had asked Shib, Tamao and their spouses to attend, along with Kenichi and myself.
I'd never seen two people so happy to have discovered each other. Atom and Pinoko almost never took their eyes off of each other, and they danced all night until the band called it quits and started packing up for the evening.
Although she still looks like a nine year old child, who speaks with the wisdom of someone in her middle years, Pinoko is as old as I am now. Atom is still locked in the same form as the day Dr. Tenma first activated him. Although he and his 'child' bride still look like they will both go on forever, only Atom will. Inside, Pinoko is feeling her age, just as I am. I once asked Atom what will become of him when we're all gone.
He smiled at me and replied, I've already decided on my last will and testament, he told me. When I reach the point where there is nobody left who remembers me, I want to be put to sleep. Maybe on display somewhere in a museum, or in a time capsule buried in the subbasement of the Ministry. I don't want to exist alone with only my memories to keep me company.
That sounds so, human. I told him.
Yes, I guess it does. Atom answered.
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