Chapter VII. Good bye Lae
Sendoh,
It's me. I'm sorry for not telling you right away. I think that it's better this way. It hurts me to see you sad. I'll be in Tokyo for dad was forced to work there. Mom said hospitals would be great there for my health.
Promise me that even if I'm not there you'd still grant your promise? I promise that I'll be the best writer ever! Wait for me. I'll come back it's just that I don't know when. Wish you'll be thinner this time. And I'll be healthier.
Don't forget about me. I'll write you letters. Please write back. Okay?
I'll miss you brother. This is not the last good bye. I'll be back before you know it. Friends forever.
Sendoh put the letter close to his heart and cried like little boy losing his mommy. He cried out. "Lae-chan! I promise!"
Back to reality…
"Lae-chan………..Lae! Lae!" cried Sendoh.
"Sendoh! Were you even listening to me?" The furious coach Taoka asked.
"No coach. Sorry I just remembered something." explained Sendoh.
"Nani?! Why you little…"
"Coach, I'll be right back!" He waved goodbye to the angry Taoka.
Sendoh ran as fast as he could at the audience area. Girls surrounded him but still he could see the sight of Lae. His eyes filled with tears and wiped them or else he wouldn't look cool.
"Lae! Lae! It's me! Lae!" he tried to compel himself and tried to be seen.
"Sendoh-kun?!" Lae wondered and saw Sendoh, she waved back.
"What is this girl doing?!" fans gossiped and all eyes on her they were making the face which said 'Don't come near our Sendoh, or you'll be hurt."
Sendoh ran for her and hugged her tight. Before she could say anything the bell rang.
"Later Lae! I've missed you." Sendoh ran back to the court and he knew coach was still going to scold him.
Sendoh had a regained a new identity when he went back to court. He passed by and evaded Rukawa easily. Sendoh did a good job during the practice game and Ryonan won leading over 12 points but it wasn't all Sendoh's. It was mostly Tagokeshi who made perfect shots in. Together with Fukuda and Sendoh, the three of them made a pretty good team. Coach Taoka was proud of Tagokeshi's achievement.
"Nice one Tagokeshi!" Coach Taoka held a high five to Tagokeshi who was being a braggart again.
"What's happening to Sendoh?" asked Tagokeshi.
Sendoh then threw his arms around Lae. And they both blushed. Hikoichi kept scribbling notes and asked Sendoh who the girl was. Team Ryonan was like, "Woah! Kirei.." Sendoh's fans were so jealous about the girl and Haruko…she was awed and embarrassed about what she said to Lae.
"I brought you lemons oniichan!" Lae held a plastic full of lemons.
"Eeww. What is that girl thinking?" asked a fan.
"Oniichan?! So tall." asked Hikoichi.
"No. She's a child hood friend Hikoichi move away." Sendoh pushed away Hikoichi like he never did before.
"How are you Sendoh-kun? I've missed you!" she couldn't stop hugging him tight."You sure are not fat anymore. I can put my arms around you."
"I've fulfilled my promise Lae. You? You stopped sending me letters."
"I'm sorry Sendoh. The hospital confined me for months and it seemed like forever. I couldn't have recognized you. You look so great." She looked down for a while.
"Look who's talking. You're not skinny anymore." Sendoh wasn't angry. He was just, overwhelmingly happy.
She pinched his nose and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"And you still didn't change Sendoh-kun."
"So how's your asthma?" asked Sendoh.
"I think I've recovered and I'm staying here for good! It was supposed to be my first day at school when I heard you guys had a game." answered Lae while she put a hand on the back of her head.
"You still remembered your promise?" Sendoh set his pinky in a 'swear' motion.
"Yes. That's why I'm here." Lae smiled sheepishly.
"I've missed you Lae. I've missed you."
"Hey, that Rukawa guy…never let him beat you Sendoh-kun." said Lae as she patted Sendoh on his shoulders.
"Yosh! We beat Shohoku this time! Good work Tagokeshi-san!" said Coach Taoka proudly.
"Sendoh-san did a good work too!" added Hikoichi.
"Haii, demo look at him..not even listening to Coach," mumbled Tagokeshi.
"What a bother." sighed Coach Takoa. "Let him have his fun. That's what he needs to concentrate."
They were so engrossed in each other and kept talking and talking. Sendoh introduced Lae to the team.
"Mina, this is Lae my child hood friend."
"More of..child hood sweet heart..neh? Sendoh-san…" teased Koshino.
"Iie…she's like my sister..Shut up Koshino!" Sendoh said blushing.
"Um! Yogata mina… I thought you were goners. My name is Salae Nimawan."
"Salute!" chorused Ryonan.
"My, my coach Taoka such spirited players you got."
"Trained by the best."
"Lae-san how tall are you?" asked Hikoichi.
"Ah. 176 cm"
"So tall." Even taller than me. I wonder why she is so close to Sendoh-san.
"Mina don't you want to see Sendoh's chubby pictures? I couldn't even put my arms around him." She was about to get her wallet from her pocket.
"Honto? Let us see! Haha Sendoh-san…" everybody was delighted and scheming.
"Soyo!" Lae continued.
"Ehehehe mina. Mate I guess me and Lae have catching up to do."
"Geez Sendoh-san."
"Sumang. We've got to go."
Sendoh carried Lae on his arms and dashed as fast as he could.
"I missed having piggy back rides…"
"You want to go out tomorrow? I mean it's getting late."
"Oh…sure…but I think I have forgotten something. Come and see mom you guys haven't seen each other for like…forever! Come have dinner with us…and sleepover"
"at the rooftop.." they chorused.
"Sure. But tomorrow after school, you'll be mine princess? Okay?" asked Sendoh.
"Okay." answered Lae while she blushed secretly.
Sendoh has never visited Lae's house for such a long time now. He had forgotten what it looked like so he twisted his head around trying to evoke things.
"I'm home mom! Sendoh's here too." said Lae. "Oh and don't tell her about how I skipped class today or she'll be furious." She punched an elbow to Sendoh.
"Ahem. Auntie…Lae's been…" Lae gave him the 'don't tell mom or I'll show you're team mates your fat picture' look. "a good girl today." Lae's mom rushed with dirty laundry and kissed Sendoh.
"My, my, you've grown so tall Sendoh-kun. You're not the chubby little boy anymore who runs around the house wearing undies. When we were in Tokyo, we saw that you were featured in a news paper. Good for you my dear. Lae was so excited to hear about it. She even kisses the..."
"Moom! I can hear you from the kitchen!" Lae shouted.
"Heehee…Auntie…Yes.. I read that, actually during junior high a school from Tokyo recruited me, as soon as I heard I was going to Tokyo, I left immediately, I wrote a certain girl a letter but, she didn't reply to me, I had a hard time trying to find her there."
"Ahum...Yes mom he's the…oh shit! I forgot…" Lae told Sendoh about what happened to her while she was watching a game.
"I've challenged a girl named Haruko Akagi to a girl's basketball game on Saturday! I've totally forgot!"
"Aka…gi…kun? The big gorilla?" Sendoh was distressed.
"Iie! Earth to Sendoh, I said girl's basketball game..why did you say…"
"Big gorilla?!" They chorused again.
"I've challenged Takenori Akagi's sister!? Okay I'm dead meat." She said while shrugging her shoulders and fell down like a melting water from the sofa.
Lae tried to bear in mind what happened earlier at the gym today…
