Try to remember

20 years later…

"When your grandpa passed away, your Mum didn't say anything," said Mrs Sakuragi. "She just went on studying and took up 7 part-time jobs, making $700 a month. $700 was quite something in those days." She paused, before continuing, "I know, she very much wanted to go to France at that time. But she never mentioned it, not a word."

Kiori patted her grandmother on the shoulder, before walking into the house.

"Pity my Mum didn't go to Paris, or else she would have reunited with your Dad. Wouldn't that be nice?" she asked Kioshi, who was sitting at the dining table, folding some paper money.

"But you can also say it's a pity my Dad went to Paris. If they hadn't parted, wouldn't it be even better?" he said.

Kiori looked thoughtful. "If that's the case, then wouldn't you become my brother?"

"I guess."

Kiori scrunched up her face in mock disgust. "Eew. Who wants to be your sister?"

"Who wants to be your brother?" Kioshi shot back. "If that's the case, that's tragic."

Kiori sighed. "If, if, how can there be so many if's?" She went outside to join her grandmother, who was still burning paper money.

Mrs Sakuragi pulled her aside, and said in a softer voice, "Baby, that young man's not bad. Good guys are hard to come by."

"Granny, it won't work," said Kiori, blushing a little.

"Why not?" Mrs Sakuragi asked.

Kiori sneaked a look at Kioshi, before replying, "Because he's Kaede's son."

"So? What's wrong with that?"

"Granny, he says won't have girlfriends until 30…" said Kiori, trailing off at the end.

Mrs Sakuragi laughed. "That's sensible. A man won't mature until 30. Take your Mum's case. If she'd met Kaede later, wouldn't it be nice?" Her expression changed a little. "But these things are hard to say. Sometimes it's too early, sometimes too late. Who knows?"

Kiori nodded sadly. True… how can there be so many if's…

Unknown to them, Kioshi had been listening to their conversation from inside the house.

-Flashback-

5 years before…

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you don't grasp the time to learn the English language, you'll lose out in all aspects. You are all top executives of large organizations. I'm sure you understand this and I need not say more. Today, we practice some tongue-twisters to improve your fluency in English. Who would like to try first?"

Hana put up her hand, eager to be the first one to try. A few other students in the class also put up their hands, but the lecturer picked a man who was sitting at the front row in the corner of the class, who looked like he was about to fall asleep any moment soon.

Reluctantly, the man stood up, and looked at the board, where there were a few tongue-twisters written on it.

"I'll read it once, and you will repeat after me, is that alright?" asked the lecturer.

The man shrugged, and the lecturer began. "She sells seashells down by the seashore."

"See sells see sells down by the see sore."

Some of the students snickered at his mispronunciation, while the lecturer smiled encouragingly, before going on to the next one. "A big black bug bit a big black bear, made the big black bear bleed blood."

"A big bad bug bid a big bad bear, made the big bad bear bid bud."

More snickers followed, including Hana's. Man, this man is bad. The lecturer should have picked this Tensai.

"No, that's wrong. It's 'A big black bug bit a big black bear, made the big black bear bleed blood'," corrected the lecturer patiently, emphasising on each world clearly.

"A big bad bug bid a big bad bear, made the big bad bear bid bud."

"Never mind. Let's go on to the next one. Betty bought a bit of butter but the butter Betty bought was bitter so Betty bought a better butter to make the bitter butter better."

The whole room fell silent, as everybody waited for the man to repeat the tongue-twister. However, instead of repeating it, the man said something else.

"Do'aho."

Hana froze at the word, while the rest of the class, including the lecturer, laughed. It can't be… It can't be him…

As she watched, the man whipped his head around to give the rest of the students a quick glance, his handsome face expressionless. His blue eyes met with Hana's brown ones, and at that moment, it was as if time had suddenly stood still between the two people.

His eyes widened a fraction, before he nodded his head a little in greeting. Hana curved her lips up in a small smile.

Later, Kaede and Hana sat opposite each other in a pub. For a while, no one said anything, until Kaede lifted his glass of wine and said, "We are the best."

Hana raised her own glass, and they clinked the glasses together, before taking a sip of the wine.

Another moment of silence befell them, before Kaede spoke, "Have you been seeing the old classmates? I heard that Shoyo Hall will soon be torn down."

"Yeah, but Matsui and her gang had all emigrated. Two-thirds of my classmates are gone. Even Mum has gone to Vancouver," said Hana. She smiled to herself. "She even took an English name called Nancy. Sounds like a dance hostess. She flies between here and there, free as the wind."

"Well, all the emigrated Shohoku-ians have come back. There's no place like Kanagawa. There are so many opportunities here." He paused, looked down at his glass, and asked, "Is Akira in Vancouver?"

"No, he's in Toronto," Hana replied. "He says there's more business over there. He works as an immigration lawyer there. He's doing fine." Like Kaede, she paused for a moment, before asking, "How about your wife?"

"Haruko's in New York with our son. Both of them don't like Kanagawa. Having got the passport, they didn't want to come back." Changing the subject, he asked, "And you? How about you?"

"I live at my Mum's place. My daughter's keeping me company in Kanagawa. I want her to have a good grounding in Japanese. But I've also got an advertising company in Shanghai. So I'm always travelling between CanadaJapan and China." Hana stopped to take a sip of her drink, and then continued, "And you? Have you seen any old friends?"

Kaede set his glass on the table and answered, "Sometimes. I see the university guys often. And the revolutionary ones… less."

"Why?"

"Like Mao Zedong said, 'Revolution is not giving dinner parties'. Now I'm often giving dinner parties for my clients. Revolution… I guess I'm a revolutionary renegade."

"After all, revolution comrades are mostly momentary hotheads. Friends at university, however, are slow water that runs deep," said Hana.

Just then, the pub singer finished singing his song, and he announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome my old friend, Rukawa Kaede, to sing for us."

Kaede shook his head. "No, Ichiro, you sing."

"No way. Didn't you sing this song every time you're here? Everybody, let's give a big hand for a lovely beautiful song… 'Try to Remember'."

The crowd in the pub started clapping, while Kaede looked at Hana, who began to clap as well, smiling at him to go.

A while later, he perched himself on a high stool with a guitar in his hands, and after strumming the first few chords, he began to sing.

Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh so mellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow

Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender and callow fellow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow…

Try to remember when life was so tender
That no one wept except the willow
Try to remember when life was so tender
That dreams were kept beside the pillow

Try to remember when life was so tender
That love was an ember about to billow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow…

Deep in December it's nice to remember
Although you know the snow will follow
Deep in December it's nice to remember
Without a hurt the heart is hollow

Deep in December it's nice to remember
The fire of September that made us mellow
Deep in December our hearts should remember
Then follow, follow… follow…

---

Later that night, at Hana's home…

"Hello, this is Mrs Sendoh. Is Akira there?" said Hana into the phone.

"Mrs Sendoh, Mr Sendoh has gone to a meeting in Kingston," the secretary on the other side of the line informed.

Disappointment written all over her face, Hana hung up and started pacing around the room, her long wavy red hair framing her face and falling down her back. With one hand holding the phone and the other Kaede's name card containing his number, she sat down beside the window, contemplating on whether to call him or not.

Should I call him? Maybe I should. But why would I want to call him? Maybe I shouldn't.

At the same time, a car stopped right across the road outside Hana's first floor apartment. Kaede winded down the window and rested his head on his folded arms, looking up at Hana's house. He could see her clearly from where he was, and was contented in doing just that.

After all these years, she is still as beautiful as ever.

In the house, Hana finally decided to call, and punched in the numbers. A little hesitantly, she put the receiver to her ear and listened as the call went through and the phone on the other side of the line began to ring.

Outside the house, Kaede's phone started ringing. Reluctantly, for he didn't want to take his eyes off Hana, Kaede picked it up and answered. "Hello?"

At the sound of his voice, Hana quickly hung up.

What on Earth am I doing, calling the kitsune? I must be crazy…

With that thought firmly planted into her mind, Hana got up from the window side and got ready to retire for the night.

Meanwhile, Kaede turned off his hand phone and looked back up, only to discover that Hana was gone from his sight and the lights in the house turned off.

Once more, he was reluctant to leave, but nevertheless, he began to wind up his window when from the corner of his eye, he saw the lights come on again in the house. Looking up, he saw Hana turning on the table light placed on the table near the window, before she disappeared from sight.

And on the same table, illuminated by the light, was the hand sculpture he had given to Hana 20 years ago before he left for France

His eyes lingered on the sculpture for a long moment, but it only took him a second to make up his mind. Picking up his hand phone, he dialled Hana's number and waited for her to answer the call.

"Hello, Hana?" It's me. Are you interested in learning to fly with me?"

Tbc...