a serialized online story
by Tommy Schmitz
Chapter 13 - scene 1 - Big breakfast.
"Have you seen or heard anything suspicious in this wooded area?"
Kaneko-san and Taya-san were trying to get a word in edgewise
while the girls prepared for school and the day.
"Excuse me, but no discussion at breakfast, gentlemen.
And not because you're here," Obá-chan said. The girls
need their breakfast, and a good one.
And excuse me for saying so,
but it looks as though you could use
more than just a little breakfast yourself.
Both of you.
Have a seat.
Katie-chan would you please grab tea cups for the gentleman.
Natto with your rice? Kaneko-san."
"No thank you."
You Taya-san? You're a Tokyo lad.
"Yes, please , um...."
"You can call her Oba-chan." Susan said. "She'll like it."
Oba-chan tried concealing her smile but it was too late.
"Yes please ... Oba-chan," Taya-san said.
The men sat charmed and barely eating.
"There's mackerel, there's melon,
there's ume-..., Susan-chan, hand Kaneko-san the umeboshi."
The skin on Kaneko-san's face grew tight and his eyes stood suddenly still.
"A salty plum with your fermented bean curd
never hurt anyone, did it Taya-san?" Obá-chan said.
"Thank you, Obá-chan." he said,
and grabbed an umeboshi for his natto, his head and eyes still a bit lowered.
"Now gentlemen, I believe you had some questions for the girls?"
The men in concert
put down their bowls of rice, their hashi,
sat up straight a bit and
grabbed their napkins on their laps
with both hands.
"Katie-Susan-chan.
Have you seen or heard
anything suspicious in this wooded area?" Taya-san said carefully.
"Sir, we don't go in there. Obá-chan says it's haunted."
"That's not our question." Kaneko-san interjected.
Oba-chan raised the muscles above her eyes.
"Have you seen you heard anything suspicious?" Taya-san said again.
"If a place is haunted, sir, with all due respect,
would it not continually emit
rather odd sounds and visions?"
"I don't know." Kaneko-san said.
"Well this haunted place is no different than others, sir.
We've grown used to it over the years. Katie said.
"And they've grown used to us." said Susan.
"We seem to get along just fine," Katie said. "nothing suspicious...."
"Just the normal haunted stuff..." she added.
"Good morning everyone." Kenji from the back hallway
suddenly walked into the room.
The girls looked at each other with big eyes and turned away.
Oba-chan quickly gathered herself.
"You're looking a bit sleepy this morning, dear cousin." she said,
"Oh, gentlemen? Allow me to introduce
our cousin visiting from Guam,
Sachinosuke Mori.
Dear cousin, these men from
the Japan Foreign Ministry
are helping us during our crisis."
"An honor to meet you," Kenji said,
"with great hopes of making a good relationship."
"How do you do, Mori-san." the men said.
"Welcome to Tokyo."
"We must be off, Oba-chan." said the girls
getting up and grabbing their schools packs and shintaiso gear.
"And I must be off
for an appointment in Shinjuku." said Kenji.
"Come on girls, let's walk together to Fuda Station."
"No breakfast, dear cousin?" Oba-chan said.
"No thank you, I ate early this morning." he said
and followed the girls out the door
moving backward, bowing a bit up and down
until he shut the door
still facing those whose company he was leaving.
"You are not our cousin, are you, Satchitananda?" Katie said.
"No, I am not."
"Why did you come in
and allow yourself to be seen?" Susan said.
"I am hiding." he said.
The girls shook their heads.
"Well," he said. "Sometimes it is easier to hide something in clear view."
"Even yourself?" Susan said.
"Sometimes especially yourself." Kenji said.
They walked for ten minutes mostly in silence.
"We can talk again tonight?" the girls asked.
"I look forward to it." said Kenji.
"In Hebi-yama?" Susan said.
"Yes," he said.
Just inside the main entrance of Shinjuku Station
Kenji heard a woman call his name.
"Satchitananda-san."
(end of Chapter 13 - scene 1)
