a serialized online story
by Tommy Schmitz
Chapter 13 scene 2 Down under and the big inside.
Kenji turned around.
"Ah, Edo-san." Kenji said.
"Can you come with me, Satchitananda-san?"
Edo-san was in her late fifties
and probably as familiar with Shinjuku Station
as its builders were.
He followed her around
to the busy south exit,
but not out the door.
She led Kenji to a wall
beneath a staircase
drumming currently and loudly
with the footsteps above
of a thousand commuters
on the fly.
She slid back a large panel of sheet metal,
enough for them to slip into and behind,
and led him by the hand
through damp and dripping
walkways lit barely
by too few low-watt incandescent bulbs,
and then down a narrow flight of stairs,
and then another more dark,
and then another completely black.
She knocked a couple times
on one of the walls,
apparently made of wood.
There was movement from the wall,
and a hand came over
the hands they held,
and said, "Good to see you."
And the three hands moved together
through many steps of void
until a line of light appeared
at the bottom of something
somewhere.
And then opened up
a cavernous room,
if you can call it that,
where women and men
gathered in smiles and nods,
and bows here and there.
"Where are we?" Kenji asked.
"We're in the Tokyo Metropolitan Sewer System." said Edo-san.
"Nice digs." he smiled.
"We like it." she smiled back.
And the two removed their shoes
and set them by a line of a couple dozen more,
and walked across make-shift carpet flooring
and sat down.
"Would you like coffee or green tea? a new voice spoke.
But not a new face.
"Ah, my friend Yamoto-san from Harajuku, how are you," Kenji said.
"Tea would be nice." he added.
It was a loose group,
Kenji thought,
unpretentious, self knowing.
He was impressed.
but not too surprised.
He could feel an energy coming off this group
he had often felt
among the poor,
hard to describe, he thought,
but easy to feel...
He sat watching his new friends.
Hmm. He smiled a thought.
These are unself-serving people --
and for no reason...
and unattached...
unattached to the very thing
they have the most to give.
Must be love, he smiled.
Who'd a thunk it,
or even made it up?
This unlikely and delicate palette
for compassion,
and more unlikely still,
for joy,
among the poor.
There were, naturally, his thoughts running on,
those among this group of twenty-five,
that figured this Kenji guy for nothing but crazy.
A comfort to know, he smiled again,
some reputations, well earned,
never change.
He stood up
and stood still a moment, looked around and
got a nod from Edo-san across the room.
"Hello and thank you all for coming.
Gives us a chance to touch base.
Wasn't aware many here are already good friends.
Thanks to each of you for meeting with me over
the past week.
Each of us knows now,
what actions to perform...
when and if the party does break out.
It's the outcome
of these actions
that I am here to discuss with you today.
Only a couple of you,
carry our delivery on its final steps,
but each of you carries it for some distance,
so each will know exactly where
our package is being delivered." Kenji stopped and
reached into his bag and unfolded
for a moment, then displaying before the group
a large print of this:
[photo of the Fuji TV building]
"Fuji Television," someone said.
"Their headquarters." said another.
"Down by the river." it was added.
Good, good, good," Kenji said.
"Each of you has my cell number.
Feel free to contact me anytime,
and thank you for coming here today."
(continue chapter 13 scene 2 here.)
1:22pm · Edit · Del
Question please, Satchitananda-san? someone asked.
Yes.
"Satchitananda-san, it's been mentioned by more than a few of us sitting here in this room....
how can I say this....
several of us have become aware
that the dates and times
when each of us individually or in small groups
first met with you... these points in time are ...
well... not only close together... they are identical.
Kenji looked at them.
"Can you comment?"
The question came from Yamoto-san.
"Is that so?" Kenji said.
"It's very strange, can you explain it?" Yamoto-san added.
Kenji paused.
"I'm sorry." he said. I cannot explain it."
There was silence in the group
and people looking at one another.
"Satchitananda-san?"
"Yes."
"One more question?"
"Yes."
"What is it exactly we're delivering?"
Kenji paused again and smiled.
"Oh yeah."
(End of Chapter 13 Scene 2)
©Tommy Schmitz 2006
