Now that we met Ryo's cousin Momo and her husband, Dafydd, it's time for Dee, Ryo, Bikky, Carol and the twins to arrive in Japan, along with some familiar members of Ryo's Japanese family.
CHAPTER ONE
October 19, 2006
Haneda Airport
Tokyo, Japan
The Greenways Airline 737 was parked at the gate designated for Greenways flights at the International terminal. Normally only one Greenways flight a day came into and left from Haneda, the flight going non-stop to Frankfurt, Germany and then making stops in Paris and terminating in London. During the day, the gate was also used for two other airlines that had only one of their planes land in Haneda a day, and there were a few open slots to be used by private business jets. The private Greenways jet was becoming a regular at Haneda as business transactions took place to purchase hotels in Japan and other Asian countries. The headquarters for the Asian division of L-M Hotels International was located in Tokyo with a corporate jet coming in from other parts of Asia on a regular basis while hotels were being bought. The 737 that was parked at the gate looked like another of Greenways jets, but if someone looked closer at the logo on the tail, under in small letters said 'Corporate Jet'.
Inside the private 737, Dee and Ryo were preparing to disembark. Dee looked around the luxurious front lounge with buttery tan leather and cherry wood couches and arm chairs. Bikky was sitting at a chair and table by the window, putting his Gameboy into his rucksack. Ryo was getting the twins settled in their strollers and Carol was in the bathroom, checking her make-up.
Dee had enjoyed the private flight from New York to Tokyo. This was something he decided he could completely get on board with. It was much easier with two infants and two teenagers. He also loved that he didn't have to be cramped in a seat for the 13-hour flight. It was even much more comfortable than first class. Once they had reached cruising altitude, they were allowed to sit on the couches and armchairs in the front section. In the middle section, there were tables with cushioned seats by the windows. Best of all, they all got to sleep during some of the journey in the two staterooms in the aft section of the jet. They allowed Carol and Bikky to share one of the staterooms, saying they would prefer nothing but some kissing happened, but if more did, they did not want to know. Even more, they did not want the flight crew to know. When they weren't sleeping, they spent time watching movies on the large flat screen in the lounge.
Dee could still remember how long and uncomfortable his previous flights to and from Tokyo were. This trip seemed like it took them hardly any time at all. Being able to watch movies as a family and sleeping for almost half the flight in a decent bed definitely had made the trip seem shorter than it was. The only thing a private jet could not relieve was Dee's mounting excitement to finally see Japan again. This time he was going there with his husband, who had been to Japan many times growing up, and his family. He was hoping that Bikky and Carol would love it as much as Dee and Ryo believed they would. The teens were excited about the trip, and hopefully it wouldn't disappoint their expectations.
Dee looked at Ryo and could tell his husband was also excited. Ryo once thought that he would always go on a trip to Japan, getting used to the travel when his parents would visit his grandmother, but after his time stationed at Camp Zama when he was in the U.S. Army, he never had a chance to go back. The night before they left, Ryo had admitted he was glad they upped their plans to go then instead of waiting another year or two. Ryo wanted Bikky to finally see the land that was a second home to him, and he wished that Ryoko and Darin would grow up knowing Japan, just as he had.
The only thing Dee was not looking forward to was customs. They were told that instead of going through customs on the plane., they would have to get on the customs line with everyone else who had arrived on commercials flights. While firming the plans for this trip, they were told how the two airports in Tokyo expected everyone to get on the lines for customs. They had also found out that the process to get a slot for a private jet was difficult and more expensive than other airports in Japan. They had considered flying into Nagoya, where the airport was more private jet friendly and then take the 90-minute ride on the Shinkansen to Tokyo. It was Estelle who pointed out that another 90-minute ride after all the time flying across the Pacific Ocean just might not be the best idea, especially with the twins and that the people at the airline had their ways of obtaining a slot for the jet to park. The plane would only be in Tokyo long enough for their belongings to be removed, and to be fueled up. They would probably still be on the line going through customs when the jet would be departing for Hong Kong, where it would stay until the acquisition team for L-M Hotels were ready to head back to the U.S.
Carol entered the lounge, and went over to the couch to collect her carry-on bags.
"Are we ready?" Ryo asked.
"Yup!" Bikky exclaimed. He had been sitting by the window with Carol when the jet made its final approach into Haneda. He had become very excited as he looked below at the streets of Tokyo. He had laughed as he had pointed out three 7-11s on the approach. "It still can't believe the first thing I saw of Japan was a 7-11!"
"Welcome to the land of the 7-11s," Ryo said with a laugh. "Just you wait until we go in one. It's nothing like you're used to."
"Oh, tell me!" Dee agreed. "I'm still getting used to our 7-11s not having bento boxes and other cool food."
"Really?" Carol asked as she joined Ryo and Dee. "Can we go in one?"
"You'll go in one plenty of times while we're here," Dee said. "Don't you worry." He took one of the baby bags from Ryo and put his hands on one of the strollers. He looked down into the stroller. "Hey there, baby girl. Are you ready to see Tokyo for the first time?"
Ryoko looked up and smiled at Dee, but he knew it was because she noticed him and nothing more. It would still be few more years before she and her brother would start having opinions about anywhere they travelled.
"I think Darin is ready to get off the plane," Ryo said with a laugh, pointing to the baby boy in his stroller.
"Oh man!" Bikky laughed. "He looks like he wants to get the stroller moving on its own. Crazy baby." Darin was wiggling in a way that if he could lift his body, he would have been setting the stroller in motion.
Dee was laughing too.
"Does everyone have everything?" Ryo asked.
The others nodded their heads. "Even if we did, we either do without it or we'll get a call and have to come back to the airport to pick it up," Dee commented.
"I'd rather not," Ryo said.
"Agreed," said Dee. "But we're good. So, let's get off this thing and let them start their turn around while we get on a nice long line."
OoOoOoO
Another advantage of a private flight was that someone from the flight crew accompanied the group as they made their way from the gate to customs, pushing a baggage cart with all the luggage they had aboard with them and not in the baggage hold. Meanwhile another crew member handled their luggage in the cargo hold and accompanied it through customs and into a waiting van hired to deliver the luggage to Akira's home.
The customs line was not as long as they feared, because they were led to a shorter line for people with small children. It took them twenty minutes before they were officially in Japan and entering the arrivals lobby to meet up with Ryo's grandmother and uncle. The flight attendant, who had also gone through customs with them, was still with the group, pushing the luggage cart, smiling at the family's enthusiasm.
"Are you sure we're going to be able to get everything in one of their vehicles?" Dee asked as they entered the baggage claim area.
"Relax Dee. It's all being loaded onto a van and they have Obāsan's address. It's all being handled through Greenways' personnel situated in Tokyo. It might even make it there before we do."
"Or it might end up arriving tomorrow after everything finally clears customs," Dee quipped. "We did take a lot with us. While packing, I almost felt like I was moving to Japan again. Hell, that time I left New York with two suitcases and a carry-on."
"Well, let's see," Ryo said, "we have two babies, a teenage boy and an 18-year-old girl, plus us. For a two month stay. Yes, that's a lot of luggage. Also, keep in mind that there's still a chance that if something doesn't clear customs, we'll have to come back to settle it. Hopefully that doesn't happen and everything makes it to Obāsan's house sometime today."
Dee agreed with Ryo as he noticed both Bikky and Carol were giggling like crazy, trying not to outright laugh. "What's with you two?" he asked.
"Dads? Why are people wearing masks like doctors do in the hospitals?" Bikky asked amused. "It looks silly."
"Especially the really colorful ones," Carol added. "One lady had one with Hello Kitty on hers."
"Remember that Japanese are very polite people," Ryo explained as Dee rolled his eyes and started to grin. "So, when someone is sick, they wear surgical masks, which you can buy just about anywhere here, to keep their colds to themselves."
"Seriously?" Bikky asked.
"Wow, that is polite," Carol remarked. "I guess it's not so silly after all."
"It's probably better than the American way," Ryo said.
"How come you never wear one when you're sick, Dads?" Bikky asked. "You both lived here. And Ryo you practically grew up here."
"He's not that Japanese," Dee replied with amusement about Ryo, "and I'm not Japanese. Besides, I hardly get sick, but yeah while I did live here, if I was sick, I was expected to wear one, but I tried to keep it to at home when I wasn't in my room and at school. I was also expected to wear one if one of the other guys got sick, but I never went that far. Not only are the Japanese polite but they are also very cautious. They also might wear them when they are around someone who is sick so they don't get sick. Sometimes they'll wear masks in public places not to pick up any germs from strangers too. Not all Japanese, but some. I knew some people who wore the masks almost all the time when in public."
Ryo smirked. "I lived on base, with a bunch of Americans. We never thought about the masks, and I tried to avoid going to Obāsan's house on the weekends if I was sick. At least wearing one in the house because someone else is sick is optional in Obāsan's home."
"Does that mean if we get sick while we're here, we'll have to wear one?" Carol asked.
"Yes. Exactly," Ryo replied.
"That sucks," Bikky remarked.
"Then don't get sick," Dee commented.
"Look!" Bikky cut in, "there's Obāsan and Uncle Nobu!" He ran off to meet his great-grandmother and great-uncle.
"Don't knock anyone over," Dee warned. He laughed and looked at Ryo. "At least he seems to be on the tall side between his growing and the average Japanese height."
Ryo spared a hand from the stroller to reach out and lightly pinch Dee. "Don't get him started on that," he warned.
"Ouch!" Dee complained. "It's true, even if I won't say that to him. Which happens to go against the code I have with Bikky. I've always been honest with him."
"A little too honest sometimes."
Dee and Ryo watched as Akira hugged Bikky tenderly, kissing his head. Ryo smiled warmly, glad that his grandmother accepted Bikky as his son as much as Ryoko and Darin were his children. He was also happy that Bikky came to love her as much as if she actually was his grandmother, or great-grandmother. They continued to watch as Bikky moved from Akira to Ryo's uncle as Akira welcomed Carol to Japan. Once Carol was released and turned to say hello to Nobu, Dee and Ryo approached.
Dee was prepared to hold back as Ryo took the last few steps toward his grandmother but Akira closed the distance, going between the strollers and was hugging both of them. "Oh, my darlings, you really are here, along with your lovely family," Akira gushed happily in English for Bikky's and Carol's sake. "Welcome to Japan." She then knelt before the strollers. "Hello my sweet chibis. I know it wasn't that long, but I have missed you all so much."
Darin and Ryoko both squealed when they saw Akira before them. Darin kicked his feet and waved his arms while looking at her, while Ryoko reach out as she smiled.
Ryo laughed and said, "It looks like they missed you too, Obāsan."
Everyone else laughed at the twins greeting their great-grandmother.
Dee said, "What will they do when they don't see you for months when we get back to New York?"
"We'll find a reason to get you back here before too long, if I can't make it to New York," Akira replied with a smile.
Nobu came over to them, bowing in greeting. The two men bowed back and smiled at Ryo's uncle. "I received a call assuring me that the rest of your luggage is already going through customs and will be on the way to the house shortly," he said in English, also mindful of Bikky and Carol. He assisted his mother to her feet. "Shall we go to the house now? I am sure you are all tired from your journey."
Nobu turned to acknowledge the crewman with their bags. "Please follow us," he said.
"Getting to the house would be good," Dee replied, "but we're not really tired. We all got to sleep some during the flight. Chibis included."
Ryo laughed. "Yeah, we sleep for about 6 hours or so. Right now, I think there's a lot of adrenalin from finally being in Japan that we'll need to work off before attempting anymore sleep," he said as the group started across the arrival lobby toward the exit.
"Did the little ones have any problems with the flight?" Nobu asked as they walked.
Akira had accepted Bikky's offered arm making the teen smile as they walked. Carol walked alongside Nobu while Dee and Ryo each pushed a stroller. Bringing up the rear of the group was the flight attendant with the baggage cart.
"They both screamed their little heads off during takeoff," Ryo explained. "We were expecting them to cry for the entire flight from the way they carried on, but once we hit cruising altitude and leveled off, Darin started to calm down and happily snuggled against Dee. We had them in the baby slings you bought for us, Obāsan."
"He fell asleep," Dee added with a laugh.
"Yes, he did," Ryo agreed. "His being calm and accepting of the flight seemed to get Koko to calm down soon after he fell asleep. Which is a change of pace for these two."
"No more crying until we went into final approach," Dee said. "It wasn't as bad as going up, and we knew they would settle soon once we were on the ground, so we just snuggled them until then."
"Obāsan, Uncle Nobu," Ryo started, "I hope you don't mind, but we're thinking of going out for a bit later today. I don't think we can keep Bikky and Carol from exploring until tomorrow." He glanced sideways. "Probably Dee too," he said with a laugh.
"Oh, I don't mind going out and showing the kids around," Dee said, "but I'll be thankful enough just to sit in a car and watch as we go to Obāsan's house. Just getting around Japan is an experience in itself."
"That is so very true, Dei," Akira said with a laugh. "I found myself thinking that too when I finally got back here after my last trip to New York."
"Do you think we can stop at a 7-11 today?" Bikky asked.
"My boy," Nobu said with a laugh, "don't you have enough of them in New York?"
"Not as many as here," Dee said. "Besides I think Ryo and I talked up the differences between them here and in New York, and now Bikky has it on the top of his list of experiencing Japan."
"That's because it's also the first thing I noticed on our approach to land and then saw two more after before we touched down," Bikky said.
"Okay. I don't know what's going on for lunch yet, so I'll stop at the one near home so you can pick up some snacks," Nobu said. "After all, you're here to enjoy yourself on your vacation. We'll make sure you do just that."
"I'm enjoying see Obāsan and you again, Uncle Nobu," Bikky replied with a smile, "but there's so much I want to do, I don't know where to start."
"We have time to do it all," Ryo said to his son. "That is another reason why we are staying in Japan as long as we are. Besides, I doubt I'd be able to get your father on a plane after only a week."
Bikky started to laugh. "I don't blame him. Even the airport seems so…. Japanese."
"It really does," Carol said. "I know I'm in Japan already. This is so unbelievable." She smiled, looking back at Dee and Ryo. "I don't know how I'm going to thank you for bringing me along."
"Just have a great time, Princess," Dee replied. "That's all we ask."
"I will!" Carol exclaimed.
As they reached the doors leading to the outside, Dee checked to make sure both babies had their blankets still tucked around them. It wasn't cold outside but it was slightly cool. The travelers only had light jackets, knowing soon enough they would be inside a vehicle. Inside the trunks with their clothes for their stay, they all had warmer jackets. They considered bringing coats along, and decided that if the temperature did drop that much, they would buy something there. Dee and Ryo already knew there would be at least one shopping trip during their time there so that Carol could come back to New York with some Japanese fashions, which they knew she was interested in.
"Obāsan, I was thinking we could walk around near your area," Ryo said. "And if it's not too late, we can kick off the sightseeing with Daibutsu."
"What's Daibutsu?" Carol asked.
"The Great Buddha," Bikky answered and glanced at his dads, who both nodded with approval. Ryo was smiling.
"Obāsan lives not far from Daibutsu," Ryo explained. "Just a short walk, in fact. I've been there many times."
"I've been there twice," Dee said. "I've been to the beaches in Kamakura plenty of times."
"So it's this big Buddha in the middle of Kamakura?" Carol asked.
"You'll find lots of ancient things in the middle of cities around here," Dee explained.
"Dee is correct," Nobu said. "About Daibutsu, it is a bronze statue of Buddha, about 11 meters tall. It was built in 1252."
"Wow!" Carol exclaimed.
"Originally it was within a temple," Akira explained while they entered the parking building. "But the temple was destroyed by typhoons and a tsunami. Only the statue remained."
"When was that?" Carol asked, intrigued.
"Since 1495," Nobu replied. "Sometime during the Edo period, one of the temples on the grounds was restored and became the Kotoku-in.
"Wow! It's so old! I do want to see it now!" Carol exclaimed.
"My dads told me about it. I really want to see it too," Bikky said.
"If we can't make it there before they close today, we can go back tomorrow morning," Ryo offered. "We can at least make it to temple and maybe catch a glimpse of it today."
"I'd like that," Carol said.
"Awesome!" came from Bikky.
They continued with small talk about the flight and things that had happened since the last time they spoke on the phone until Nobu and Akira stopped them at a vehicle that was a compact size bus. It looked like an over-sized van.
Dee tipped the crewman after the bags were in the vehicle. "Thank you for putting up with us," he said with a smile, handing the man a hundred-dollar bill. "Have a good flight to Hong Kong."
The man looked at his tip and his smile grew. "Thank you, sir. I will. Enjoy your stay in Japan." He bowed to the family and walked away, taking the baggage cart with him.
Dee leaned over to whisper in Ryo's ear, "Did I tip too much?"
Ryo laughed and hugged Dee. "According to my dad's standards, it was just perfect. We can afford it, so don't stop if someone helps us in our travels."
"Good," Dee said. "That felt good."
Ryo chuckled. "I left an envelope on one of the tables with something for the pilots and attendants, but John did extra so he gets extra. We're good."
"I'm glad."
Overall the vehicle was smaller than the buses that were rented in New York, but inside there was room for everyone, including two seats with baby car seats already set up. In the back was room for their carry-on bags. They still had room to seat two more.
"This is cool!" Bikky said as he looked to the front right side as Nobu sat in the driver's seat. "I knew the steering wheel was on the right side, but to actually see it. Wow!"
Nobu laughed. "Just wait until I start driving on the left side of the road."
"When I first arrived in Japan, I was told that the right side is the left side, and that Americans drive on the wrong side," Dee said laughing.
"That is truth," Nobu said with a smirk, making Akira laugh.
"Whenever someone has an issue with me being left handed," Dee said, "I tell them that I'm so left-handed, I even learned how to drive stick left-handed."
Bikky looked at Dee in confusion, while Carol laughed along with the other adults.
"I learned how to drive a stick here, Bikky," Dee offered. "Most cars are standard, including the car that I found that was affordable. So, I had to learn how to drive stick." Dee pointed to the shift stick between the two front seats to the left of Nobu.
"Oh." Bikky started to laugh. "That is cool."
"Actually, didn't you learn how to drive while in college?" Ryo asked Dee.
"Yeah. Before I got here, there was no reason to drive. There really wasn't a reason to drive living in Yokohama, but we got an offer to buy a car cheap, so I learned how to drive," Dee explained. "Having a car was practical when we wanted to get out of the area or go to the beaches, but usually going to Tokyo or somewhere around here, the car usually went as far as the lot for the local train station and we took the train."
"Does that mean you did not have the comedy of confusing blinkers and windshield wipers?" Nobu asked.
"Not here, but the first time I drove a car in New York, I seemed to have that problem," Dee replied ruefully, making everyone laugh.
"Oh that's awesome!" Bikky remarked as he laughed.
"I'm guessing we'll be hearing cool, awesome and wow a lot over the next few days," Ryo said, smiling at Bikky. "And I don't mind it."
Looking around the interior of the vehicle, Dee asked, "I hope you didn't rent this just because of us?"
Ryo laughed. "This is a newer one than I remember, but Obāsan always had a vehicle like this because most of the family live close in Kamakura and loves to do things together. I remember as far back as I can that we would get into something like this at times."
"Yes, this is a family vehicle," Akira agreed. "No need to use several cars when we don't have to. I keep it parked by my house, but Nobu usually gets to drive it."
"I am the family chauffeur. So, do not worry about asking to make stops. I am used to it," Nobu announced, making everyone laugh.
Nobu drove the vehicle out of the airport. Even knowing, Bikky and Carol stared mesmerized as they drove on the left side. They stared intently at signs as they came up, noticing they were in Japanese and English, making it somewhat easier to figure out where they are going."
"Will we see Tokyo on the way?" Carol asked.
"We are in Tokyo," Ryo replied. "However, this is not the very photographed area of Tokyo or what you see in manga and anime."
"So no Tokyo Tower or Ginza?" Carol asked.
"Tomorrow night," Akira assured her. "We're planning on going out to dinner in Tokyo tomorrow. We thought you might like to spend tonight at home, so I am cooking."
"I missed your cooking, Obāsan," Bikky said. "Yum! I mean oshii!"
"We will be going through Yokohama," Dee offered. "If I remember correctly, we'll be taking the Yokohama Bay Bridge on this route." He looked at Akira, who nodded.
"Yes, we are," Nobu replied. "And you'll be able to see some of the famous buildings in Yokohama as we pass," he added for Bikky and Carol.
"Is that the bridge that's on those coffee cans that you have?" Carol asked.
Ryo started to laugh. "Yup. That's the same bridge." He smiled at Dee.
"Hey, don't knock the Yokohama Coffee cans. I love those cans. That's why I made sure to take some back to New York with me," Dee said with a laugh.
"Is that a tunnel we're going into?" Bikky asked. "You can't see anything from a tunnel." He started to frown.
"We're going under a runway," Nobu explained as he entered the tunnel. "And then we have several more tunnels as we go under parts of Tokyo Bay. When we're not in a tunnel, I'm afraid we'll have a stretch of pretty boring highway until we reach the bridge. Then things will get more interesting once we go over the bridge."
"You'll notice we end up going through a lot of tunnels driving around here," said Ryo.
Dee suddenly sat up in his seat. "Nobu-san, may I make a stop request, kudasai?"
"Oh oh," Carol giggled. "When Dee throws a little Japanese into English, he's up to something."
"Yeah," Bikky said intrigued. He leaned forward to look at Dee better. "Especially since I know what kudasai is. Where do you want us to go?"
"As I said before, I'm willing to stop along the way. Where do you want to go, Dee?" he asked.
"The toll road parking area," Dee stated. "Daikoku Parking Area, if I remember.
Ryo looked at Dee confused. "A rest area? Why?"
"Haven't you ever been at the rest area before going on the bridge into Yokohama?" Dee asked Ryo.
"Maybe. I don't remember, but I'm sure I might have a couple of times."
"Of course you have, Ryo. Many times, including your last time you were here. What makes you remember it, Dei?" Akira asked.
"For some reason, we would go there a lot," Dee replied. "One of the advantages of having a car and going local. We would get on the toll road, and over the bridge just to go to that rest area. We'd grab something to eat and hang out for a while checking out the cars. It was a popular spot to show off the fancier cars, and work done on them. So we'd walk around, talk to others and have a good time. Not counting the toll, it was a fun and cheap night out," he added with a laugh. "Well, cheap depends on how hungry we were. But it was something we'd do often and at night, the expressway ramps above were kinda cool. Plus it wasn't that far from home if we stayed out late."
"'We' would mean your friends in Yokohama from school, yes?" Akira asked.
"Yes. Sometimes with some others."
"Do you plan on calling them today and letting them know you arrived safely?" Akira asked. "You can call them on our house line until we get you burner phones for your stay."
"That's what we should do this afternoon," Nobu said. "Or we can stop on the way home."
"Stop along the way sounds good to me," Dee said.
"Same here," Ryo said. "We can let the kids walk around a bit too."
"While you get your phones?" Bikky asked. "Don't I get one?"
"Yes, both you and Carol are getting phones, but you don't have to be with us," Ryo said. "I promise we'll get the same type of phones for everyone."
"There's no way we're going to let you two go off on your own without phones," Dee remarked. "And you better keep them on at all times when you're not with us."
"Sure. We will," Bikky replied. "So we'll be free to roam on our own?"
"Not for the first few days," Ryo said. "We'll be doing some family sightseeing."
"If we have some down time, going off on your own might be an option," Dee added.
"I can accompany Bikky and Carol," Akira said. "It would be my honor to show my great-grandson and his girlfriend some Japanese streets for the first time."
"I can handle the chibis," Nobu offered.
"Sounds like we have a plan," Akira said with a smile.
OoOoOoO
Daikoku PA Toll Road Rest Area
Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
The adults sat on benches in the center of the various food shops with the twins in their strollers. After walking around once, and explaining about the toll roads rest areas, they gave Bikky and Carol some yen and let them go off on their own for a while with a warning not to eat too much.
Bikky wanted to see more rest areas. Ryo assured him that they had just arrived in Japan and they would come across plenty of service areas, especially during their cross-country trip in a few weeks. Originally Dee and Ryo thought they would get train passes for their family and take the Shinkansen across the country, but considered traveling in a group of four plus two infants and suddenly taking trains, and taxis and public transportation didn't seem practical. They decided they would rent a van for their trip, but as they discussed their plans with Akira and Nobu, they were told they could use the vehicle currently parked not far in the parking lot. Nobu assured that the family could survive two weeks without it, and it would be perfect for the trip.
Ryo and Dee thanked Akira and Nobu, and then Nobu set off to round up Bikky and Carol. They watched as Nobu finally came into view from the noodle shop with a protesting Bikky and Carol in tow.
Dee laughed, shaking his head. "Bikky is acting like this is the only time he'll see this or other road stops."
"This was a good idea, Dei," Akira said. They had stopped 45 minutes before. "After that long stretch of not very interesting scenery while stuck in traffic, at least Bikky and Carol got to see something uniquely Japanese."
"Our toll road rest areas back home are nothing like the ones here," Ryo said. Earlier as they approached the rest area, Ryo blurted out that he did remember that particular one and he had gone there several times with Eddie and his Army buddies at times to look at the customized cars. He had also stopped there coming back from picking up or dropping friends off at the airport. Akira added that she had pictures of Ryo as a boy in the rest area. Dee had made her promise to take out the family pictures, especially of Ryo during his time in Japan with his parents.
"Bikky certainly did get a kick out of the actual rest area, didn't he?" Dee said with a chuckle. "We certainly don't have those back in the States."
"I take it that you used one of those at some point, Dei? I know Ryo did," Akira said. She looked up and smiled as Nobu, Bikky and Carol stopped by them.
"I did," Dee said. "Not this one because it's so close to home, but at a few others, yes. I still have the stamps that I had collected too. Sometimes I'd make us stop just so I could get a stamp."
Ryo slapped his forehead. "I forgot about that! Okay, one last thing we do before we hit the road again to Kamakura."
"Stamps?" Bikky asked. "This place is really cool. I wish we could stay longer."
"We'll be back, Biks," Dee assured him. "And there is a helluva lot of really cool things you'll be seeing during our time here. Including other rest areas when we take our trip."
"Before we leave, I'm going to take you two to get one of Japan's unique souvenirs," Ryo said. He looked at Dee. "Wanna get a new one?" he asked. "I know I do."
"We'll all go," Akira said. "You can show them the chibis and say you want one for each of them too. You can put it in their baby books."
"Oh, I like that idea," Ryo said, standing up. "Well chibis. How are you liking Japan so far?"
Nobu laughed as he looked in the strollers. "I think they find this all boring. They've been sleeping for most of the time we were here."
"At least someone in this family has jet lag," Akira commented with a small smile as she took Ryo's offered hand and stood up.
Ryo led the group toward the lobby where there was a concierge desk. At the desk, he spoke to the woman in Japanese. With a smile the woman bowed and took out papers with the rest area's name in Japanese and English. She picked up a stamp and started to stamp enough of the papers for everyone in the group, including the twins. She came around the counter and with a bow, handed Bikky and Carol stamped papers, then Akira and Nobu. Dee and Ryo was next, and then she knelt before the strollers and after exclaiming how adorable the babies were, set the stamps in an inside pocket. Darin was up by then and waving his hands at her and smiled, making cooing sounds.
"Really?" Ryo said, rolling his eyes. "Your son is a big flirt, Dee."
Dee's mouth dropped open a moment and uttered, "Nani?" before he caught a glimpse of Darin with the information counter representative and started to laugh. "Okay, now I think Darin's impressed with Japan."
It made Nobu and Akira laugh. Ryo rolled his eyes again and then joined in as Bikky and Carol also laughed.
"The baby boy looks very Japanese," the woman said in English, "while the little girl looks somewhat Japanese, but they are both beautiful babies."
"Darin looking Japanese is all his fault," Dee replied to her in Japanese, with a proud smile, indicating Ryo. "This is his family. We are here on vacation to visit with them." He pointed to Akira and Nobu.
"Oh, you speak Japanese!" she exclaimed.
Dee grinned as he nodded. "I went to Yokohama University," he replied still in Japanese.
Ryo folded his arms and leaned toward his uncle. "And it's all Dee's fault that Darin is going to be a big flirt," he said. He tried to keep a straight face, but the moment the woman hid her face behind her hand while blushing and Dee gave Ryo a shocked look, he started to laugh. "That's my Dee. If he didn't flirt, I wouldn't know my husband."
"Oh! They are your babies," she realized.
"Hai," Ryo replied, taking Dee's hand. "They are."
"And they're twins! Twins to Carriers are very special in Japan, but I understand that they are very rare outside of Japan," she said. "I also see why they are so beautiful."
Akira started to laugh. "We have to stop telling these two that!" She made Nobu start to laugh again.
Sleepily, Ryoko opened her eyes and glanced around.
"Look who's up," Bikky said.
Akira looked at Dee and Ryo. "May I?" Her eyes went to the twins and then the woman.
"If it pleases you, Obāsan," Ryo said.
In Japanese, she said to the woman, "These ones here are my great-grandchildren by my grandson, Ryo," she pointed to Ryo, "and his husband, Dei. This is Darin," she gestured to Darin, "and Ryoko," as she gestured to Ryoko.
"I am very pleased to meet them and your lovely family," the woman said. She bowed to the group and in English, said, "I hope you enjoy your time in Japan."
"We plan on it, but thank you," Dee replied, with a bow. "Well little man, time to get back into the van," he said as he placed his hands on the handle of Darin's stroller. "Say bye bye to the pretty lady."
Darin looked at the woman with a smile and let out a happy squeal, making everyone laugh.
"Maybe in 18 years we'll take you back here, little Mister," Ryo as he bowed to the woman and started to push the stroller with Ryoko in it.
"You're telling me," Dee laughed. He also bowed as he started to push Darin's stroller toward the door. Nobu and Akira also bowed, making the poor woman bow back again as she did with Dee and Ryo.
Bikky and Carol were watching the adults and then Carol nudged Bikky before bowing to the woman. "Domo arigato gozaimasu for your kindness," she said.
"Um yeah," said Bikky. "Domo arigato." He followed Carol's example and also bowed before joining the rest of the family as they left the rest area.
Bikky looked to Carol. "I hardly understood a word they said."
In English, Akira said, "That is why we speak English with you around. Until you learn Japanese."
"He's starting," Ryo replied. "You started him with reading hiragana. He's been reading those books you bought for him but while he can read the books, he hardly understands what he's reading."
"I know a few words, but you didn't use enough of them for me to understand," Bikky added.
"Bikky's new school offers Japanese, so Bikky's going to sign up for it. He has to take a language anyway," Dee explained.
"And I already know enough of Spanish that that class would be boring," Bikky said.
"That's true," Ryo said. "We also got him kanji flashcards after you left, but that's a little slow going except for the numbers."
"Oh yeah, I can count in Japanese," Bikky said as they walked across the plaza toward the parking area. "That's okay that you all spoke in Japanese to the Japanese lady. Besides, it was Dad who started it. She started to speak English to us and then you got her back to Japanese."
Carol laughed. "You threw her off, Dee," she said. "That was awesome."
Dee laughed. "You should have seen back in my uniform days when I had to arrest a bunch of drunk and disorderly Japanese businessmen. They kept talking about me in Japanese. I let them talk a while before I let them know that I understood every word they said."
"Oh that's funny!" Carol exclaimed.
"The weird thing with him," Ryo said about Dee, "is that around other Japanese, sometimes they are shocked that he knows Japanese and other times they expect him to speak it."
"He's not holding his camera," Nobu commented. "That why she was surprised."
"Huh?" Dee asked, confused. "Are you picking on me taking photos again?"
"Oh, I caught Dei taking some pictures on his cell phone," Akira commented. "But Ryo was too."
"Our first outing in Japan with our family?" Dee asked. "Hell yeah, we're gonna take pictures of the kids."
Ryo nodded his head in agreement. "I have to agree with Dee. This is all stuff we want to look back. Our cell phones may not be of much use as phones, but at least we can still take quick pictures when we don't have the camera handy."
As they walked along the shops going toward the van, Carol looked at the stamp. "This is neat. My first Japanese souvenir. Do they do this at all rest areas?"
"Yes, on the toll road parking areas, they do," Ryo said. "Even the Japanese make a habit of collecting the stamps. Each parking area's stamp and design on the paper they stamp is different."
"I think it's cool," Bikky said. "I'm glad you remembered, especially since this is our first stop in Japan. I have something to remember it by."
"I'm going to put my stamps in a scrapbook," Carol said, "along with anything else I can collect and put in a scrapbook."
"You're making room for photos too, I hope," Nobu asked as he stopped by their car.
"Of course," Carol replied. "Dee and Ryo were sweet enough to buy me a new camera."
"These rest areas are called PAs here in Japan," Nobu explained.
"PA?" Carol asked. "What's that for?"
"Parking area," Dee replied. "Yes, the initials come from English words. I noticed a few things like that."
"Oh," Carol said. "Well, I'm going to make a list of them as we come across something. Starting with PA."
"I'm just going to collect the stamps from them," Bikky said.
"You can get stamps at many of the castles too," Akira said.
"Oh neat!" Bikky exclaimed. "I can't wait until we see a castle."
"Hopefully tomorrow you'll see your first castle," Akira said with a smile."
When they got to the van, Dee lifted Darin from the stroller to place him in the car seat. Nobu started to fold the stroller to place in the back, along with the luggage they got off the plane with. "Come on, little Romeo, time to buckle you in."
Everyone started to laugh at Dee's comment.
"He really is your son," Ryo commented from the other side of the van while he buckled Ryoko in her car seat."
Once they were settled in the van, Dee explained, "We're not sure what type of phones we'll end up with. We're hoping smartphones, but just in case they had no camera or they do but very low quality pictures, Ryo and I thought both Bikky and Carol should have good digital cameras to take pictures of whatever they want when we're out and about. We left Bikky's cellphone at home because he's not really going to be talking to his friends all the time from here so he doesn't need their numbers. Besides, cell phone cameras are good for quick shots you might miss otherwise, but there's nothing like a good camera to best the best photos."
"That is a very good idea," Akira agreed. "Do you and Ryo each have your own cameras too?"
Ryo shook his head. "We have just the camera and digital recorder we've been using while you stayed with us. We figured we can switch off between them."
"That is wise too."
Ryo made sure that Bikky and Carol put their stamps in a safe place in one of their bags, while he took possession of the ones for the twins, placing them in a folder he kept in his bag.
Sitting behind Nobu, Dee took out the camera he had with them and was taking pictures.
"What do you plan to take pictures of now, Dee?" Carol asked.
Ryo started laughing. "Give Dee a camera and he ends up taking more photos than the Japanese."
"Now no one would look surprised if he spoke Japanese," Nobu teased, making Akira and Ryo laugh.
"I wish we had digital back when I was in college," Dee commented. "I didn't take half the pictures I wanted to because of film. Not only the cost to buy film but to process it. One of those things is the Yokohama Bay Bridge while going over it."
"You never had your camera to take even one picture?" Akira asked.
"Every time I went over the bridge, I was driving. This is the first time ever that I will be a passenger going over the bridge, meaning I'm free to finally take pictures.
With a wicked grin, Nobu looked back at Dee. "I can make you drive, Dee."
"Maybe later," Dee said and gulped.
Nobu laughed. "Just kidding. Take all the pictures you want as we cross. Take enough and we'll make you honorary Japanese." He winked at Dee, while everyone else laughed.
"Sheesh," Dee commented, blushing slightly as Nobu started to pull the van out of the parking space.
OoOoOoO
Their stop to get cell phones took longer than expected. Dee and Ryo took a while before deciding on phones for their family, seeming to check all the features on each phone and comparing them. They finally settled on very nice smartphones that were much more advanced than the phones currently in their pockets. It did not come as a surprise to them, both of them experiencing cell phones in Japan around ten years earlier and coming back to New York to feel like they had taken ten steps back with mobile phones. As they walked from the public parking building, Dee had said that his very first experience with cell phones was in Japan, never having seen one until his first night in Japan and mistakenly thinking the lone man walking behind him, talking away in Japanese, was crazy only to discover he was talking on a phone. Ryo had laughed and admitted he did encounter cell phones in the U.S. because both Elena and Rick used them for business but they were large and clunky, unlike the phones his Japanese family had. Knowing that Japan was far more technologically advanced in cell phones did not stop Ryo's dismay over having to go back to bricks after being used to the phone he had used during his time stationed at Camp Zama. Akira had taken him shortly after his arrival to Japan and put him on her plan so he was able to contact her and his family while he was there. Dee admitted to going into backward culture shock upon returning to New York and when he finally got his first cell phone was handed a brick.
Inside the shop, they had decided to take advantage of the technology while they had access to it and ended up buying the best smartphones there was to offer with the best data package available for prepaid phones, not worrying about the costs. They were also thankful that the shop clerk gave them batteries that were already charged so they could start using their phones immediately instead of waiting for when they got to Akira's house and able to charge the phones for a while.
Unlike their stop at the parking area and the concierge's reaction to Dee when he started to speak in Japanese, the man behind the counter in the store directed most of his conversation toward Dee, and seemed more surprised when Ryo started speaking Japanese. Dee seemed amused about it especially since Ryo was raised from the start to speak English and Japanese while Dee's first languages were English and Spanish, picking up Japanese later during his childhood.
As they walked out of the store with their purchases in colorful shopping bags with the shop's name in Japanese, they found the rest of their family sitting in the plaza near the store. The area had many shops and restaurants along the stone paved sidewalks, edged along the curbs with green shrubs and decorative railings. The sidewalks were wider than usual but Akira was explaining to Bikky and Carol that they were in a modern neighborhood and seemed to be more upscale judging by some of the boutiques and restaurants that were along both sides of the wide street that had two lanes for each direction of traffic. Carol was fascinated by what she called a bridge a couple of blocks away, so they had walked past the parking structure where they had parked the van to show Carol that it was used for crossing the street. Unlike the intersections before reaching that one, where the shrubs and railings stopped at the corners allowing for crossing the street, at that particular intersection it was difficult to simply cross the main street and pedestrians had to go up the stairs and cross over the bridge to the other side of the road. Dee and Ryo stood off to the side with Akira and Nobu, along with the twins and watched for a while as Bikky and Carol amused themselves crossing the street several times before they were called back to go back to the van.
Their progress was also slowed because Bikky and Carol had to stop and look at all the contents of the different vending machines they passed between stores. They were particularly shocked when they encountered a vending machine that sold alcohol.
Ryo let out a sigh, forgetting about that until that moment and said low to Dee, "We're going to have to give Bikky the alcohol talk again, you know."
Dee nodded and then looked at Carol then back to Ryo. "You know what? I think we have two kids to give the talk to. Carol may be 18 but that's still underage here even if it's easier for kids to get it here. I know they haven't really shown signs that they're interested in drinking, but they are both at that age, and so open to try everything here. Because you can just drop money in a machine to get alcohol, it could become tempting."
"Yeah, I know. We need to sit them both down and have a talk," Ryo agreed. "I think it's also a good idea to let them know how dry Japanese alcohol can be."
Dee chuckled. "Oh yeah. I can impart a few stories of waking up with the Sahara Desert in my brain the next day."
"Oh, me too," Ryo said with a laugh.
Inside the van, Dee and Ryo showed Bikky and Carol the phones they would be using while in Japan. Bikky was warned once again that his phone was not be used calling his friends back in New York.
True to his word, Nobu had stopped so they could go into a 7-11. Even hearing about them, Bikky and Carol still went crazy going through the store, looking at all the various bento boxes and packaged food. It could have been embarrassing for the adults with them if they were standing off to the side as Ryo tested his new phone's video feature to capture it all to show at a later time when they were back in New York. Dee had joined Bikky and Carol and managed to contain some of the frantic rushing around the store to look at everything, but showing them what was his favorite things to pick up from a 7-11 in Japan and answering questions.
There was even an aisle just for all the different instant noodles, plenty Bikky and Carol had never seen before, including at Mitsuwa. Most of the food available in the store was familiar to Bikky and Carol because of Mitsuwa and other Asian stores in New York, but it was the novelty of it being in a 7-11 that fascinated the teens. They still wanted to get almost everything only because it was in a 7-11.
Akira reminded them of the call she had received from her daughter-in-law after they got the cell phones and how they were going to be having lunch not too long after they arrived at the house. Bikky and Carol ended up walking out of the store each with an onigiri and something to drink as Akira promised them that they would have plenty of opportunity to try different things from the 7-11s along with all the other convenience stores in Japan.
Dee also could not resist getting a snack and walked out with a banana crème and chocolate bun that he exclaimed he had not had since he left Japan and had been one of his favorite snacks.
Note: The Unexpected is obviously set in an alternate world - there are pregnant men, after all. Which means some points in history is also alternate. It was somewhat noticeable in the previous stories (different NYC mayor and some things available before they were in real life). That's going to be more noticeable in Japan. As much as Japan is Japan, it's also different in many ways, so if you come across something and think, "Nah, that's not right", you probably are right in real world, but again, this is alternate universe. Music may come out in different years, bands formed, etc. Also, I should mention, I have been to Japan. I spent three years in Japan. That's why I got into manga and anime in the first place, and also listen to a lot of Japanese music. Anyway, back to the main point, there are also changes in Japanese history for this and there are reasons for the changes.
One of the bands that will be getting a bit of a "makeover" is AKB48 and its sister groups. I'm considering changing the initials and numbers for this universe, so when you come across something like TKY52, yup that's AKB48 in disguise. SKE48, HKT48, etc will also show up in a similiar disguise. I still might use some actual song titles, or alter them a bit. Those are the songs that I have on a playlist for inspiration while writing this. Other songs might also show up, most likely by the same groups/artists but the years they came out might be a bit different. I might be willing to share the playlist, aka The Unexpected - Brand New World soundtrack. LOL! Also, I got the title for TUV from "Brand New World" by dempagumi inc. Brand New World fits the story in so many levels, like "The Unexpected" did for the first story, but I'm not going to tell you them here. *grins*
Please let me know what you think. I have to admit knowing someone is hopefully enjoying it makes me want to get the next chapter to my beta, and write more to finish this, faster. Thanks for reading! :)