Showdown
Shino Hayakawa looked at the clock again. It was almost six-thirty. "Where is that daughter of mine?" She said. "They were supposed to be back nearly two hours ago."
The girls were finishing the decorations for the party before Hikaru arrived. They had set it up for her boyfriend Seishiro Nasume to bring her there for dinner so they could surprise her.
"I wouldn't worry Ms. Hayakawa." Koharu said. The girl from the western fishing village was hanging streamers from the tables. Short dark hair framed a face roughened by the sea. Small, but strong, she was the team's best batter. "They're with the coach, so I don't think they're in trouble. They probably just got caught in traffic, that's all."
Yoko was in the back room, setting up the karaoke machine. She had the TV on listening to the news.
"A dramatic scene occurred this afternoon on the freeway. Footage from a passerby's video camera captured the event as a stranded motorist was assisted by a group of young people in what can only be described as an incredible act of selflessness. The motorist, an elderly man, had a mechanical failure of his vehicle, and was stranded, blocking a lane of the highway. Here we see a van pull up behind him, and this young man get out. After conversing with the car owner, he returns to the van, and these girls get out."
Yoko was twirling her blonde hair in her fingers, watching mildly interested, when she suddenly lunged at the TV screen. It was Ryo and the others! "Hey! You guys! Get in here! They're on TV!"
Ryo's mom, and the rest of the team ran in and crowded around the TV.
The announcer continued, "There was tension when an argument between two of the girls caused the young man to be struck instead."
They watched as Seira stood yelling at Izumi, then turned and yelled at the young man before punching him.
"To the young man's credit, he refused to strike back. The girl then seemed to calm down enough for them to continue. In an incredible feat of strength, these three young people picked up the back of the car and carried it off the road. Without stopping for gratitude, they climbed back into their van and drove away."
Shino turned off the TV and looked at the girls. "I guess now we know why they're late."
"But who's that guy," Yoko asked. "And why did Seira punch him?
"Maybe he's Amy Watson's boyfriend. I noticed her standing there with the girls." Yuki suggested. Quiet and unassuming, it was easy to forget she was there. Long black hair held back with barrettes hung straight to her waist. She had a pretty face with piercing blue eyes.
"You know Seira, it doesn't take much to set her off." Koharu stated. "The guy has guts though. He saw it coming, and took it."
"He looked pretty big." Yoko added. "She's lucky he didn't hit her back."
Just then, the door to the restaurant opened.
"I'm home, mom!" Ryo called. "Sorry we're so late."
Shino walked through the doorway to greet her daughter, "Welcome home, dear. We were getting worried. I'm glad your safe." Noticing the rest of the group behind her she said, "Welcome everyone, I'm glad you could…" She stopped short when Corey ducked under the doorjamb and stood up. "Oh my…" was all she could manage.
"Mom," Ryo said motioning to the two Americans, "this is Amy Watson, and her brother Corey. You guys, this is my mom."
Regaining her composure, Shino bowed, saying, "Welcome, forgive my reaction, your size took me by surprise."
"That's alright ma'am, I get that reaction a lot when I come over here." Corey reassured her.
Amy bowed, saying, "It's very nice to meet you. Your daughter has treated me well. You should be proud of her."
"Oh, thank you for your kind words. Please come in, you all must be hungry."
Koharu standing at the end of the bar said, "Did you guys know you were on TV?"
"What?" they all said together.
"That's right." Yoko continued. "There was a camera there when you moved that car. Seira, they even caught you punching out Mr. Watson. You made the six o'clock news!"
"Oh great," Seira said burying her face in her hands, "that means Mr. Mita and the Parent's Association probably saw it too. It's been nice knowing you guys."
"Don't worry about things before they happen Seira." Corey said reassuringly. "No one was wearing uniforms, so they shouldn't be able to tie that incident to the school."
"He's right, Seira" Ryo said, "and even if you do get expelled, we won't stop being your friends."
"Seira," Yoko said with a note of alarm in her voice, "what does she mean by expelled? What did you do now?"
"Well you see, I kind of got into a fight this morning, and got suspended." She said simply.
"Let's just drop it." Kido said sitting at his regular stool. "I'm sure Seira doesn't want to hear from you all about what a complete and utter fool she was."
"You had to get in that final dig, didn't you? God! You're such a loser," Seira said glaring at the coach.
They all took seats around the counter. The stools and the counter were short, so Amy sat with her knees against the counter, while Corey had to straddle the stool with his feet out behind him. When the food arrived, the girls watched as the two Americans handled chopsticks like old pros.
"Now that's a surprise." Koharu said from the end of the counter, "I never thought Americans could use chopsticks so well, but you two look like you've been using them all your life."
"My mom is Japanese," Amy said between bites, "so we've been using them since we were small. Ms. Hayakawa, this is so good. My mom prefers beef and pork dishes, so this is the first time I've had oden. Will you teach me sometime how to make it?
"Of course," Shino answered, "I'm so glad you like it."
The door opened, and Ms. Himuro entered, followed by Nene who was carrying an elaborate cake.
"Welcome, you two." Ryo said walking toward them. "You're cutting it close, Nene, Hikaru will be here any time."
Nene, looking hurt, said, "Ryo, I am an artist, I will not be rushed. Hikaru deserves a special cake, so I made sure every flower and ribbon was perfect."
"It looks wonderful dear. Set it on the end of the counter." Shino said.
Ms. Himuro walked up to the counter and said, "Good evening, you must be Amy Watson. I'm Keiko Himuro, Chairperson of Kisuragi Girls' High."
Amy quickly stood up and bowing, said, " It's a great pleasure to meet you Ms. Himuro. I'm glad to finally see what the person I talked to on the phone looks like."
"My," Ms. Himuro said looking up to meet Amy's gaze, "you're certainly tall. You'll be an intimidating presence on the mound."
"Thank you ma'am, I'll try my best." She replied. She turned, and resting a hand on Corey's shoulder, added, "Ms. Himuro, I'd like you to meet my brother, Corey."
Corey stood up expecting the usual response to his size. Instead, aside from a momentary widening of the eyes, Ms. Himuro showed no reaction. "It's nice to meet you Ms. Himuro. I want to thank you for giving my sister this opportunity."
Ms Himuro, smiling, said, "If she performs here like she did in the states, it will be us who are thanking her, at Koshien."
Hearing that the girls cheered.
Amy blushed, and bowing again, said, "Thank you everyone for giving me so warm a welcome."
Glancing at the clock, Ryo gasped, and then said, "It's time for everyone to hide! Hikaru and Seishiro will be here any moment!"
As everyone hid, Shino lit a candle and placed it on a small table that was covered in a linen tablecloth, and placed against the wall near the door. She then lit small candles that illuminated a path to the table when she turned off the lights. "There, one romantic table for two, and from the sound of it just in time."
"Are you sure?" Hikaru's voice said from outside. "It says there closed."
"I'm sure." Seishiro said as he opened the door. "The sign's there because Ms. Hayakawa's letting us have the whole restaurant to ourselves."
"Welcome you two, happy Valentines Day." Shino said from behind the counter.
"Hey Ms. Hayakawa, are you sure about this?" Hikaru asked. "You have to be losing a lot of money closing down like this."
"Oh, it's just for tonight. Besides, Seishiro is like family, how could I say no?" Shino said smiling.
"The place looks great." Seishiro said. "It really feels romantic."
They sat down as Shino brought them two cups of tea. Taking their order, she returned to the bar.
"Where's Ryo?" asked Hikaru when Shino brought their bowls, "I thought they would have been back with the new girl."
"They were here earlier." Shino said, "I don't know where they might be hiding."
Taking their cue, the lights came on, and the girls jumped up from behind the counter, from in the other room, and even in from outside, shouting, "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY HIKARU!"
Startled, Hikaru leapt up bumping the table. She knocked over the candle, igniting the tablecloth. The girls started screaming, but Seishiro calmly poured his bowl of oden over it, extinguishing the flame.
"Whew," he said scratching his head, "that almost was a disaster. Maybe next time we'll do without the candles."
"I'd just as soon do without the surprise, thank you." Hikaru said still clutching her heart. "I thought it was going to be my last birthday."
Ryo stepped up, her face full of concern, saying, "Are you alright, Hikaru? We didn't mean to scare you."
"Don't worry about it." Hikaru said grinning. "I guess I'm just a big scaredy cat." Then looking around the room, she said, "Thanks for remembering my birthday you guys." She then noticed Amy across the room, and forgetting everything else, shot over and taking Amy's hands in her own, started enthusiastically shaking them. "You must be Amy. It's great to meet you. I'm Hikaru Yoshimoto. Welcome to the team."
"I'm afraid that statement is a little premature." Ms. Himuro said. "We have yet to see her play. Since we missed the official tryout, I've arranged a little test for after tonight's festivities."
"A test?" Ryo asked. "What kind of test?"
At that moment, the door opened, and in walked Hiroki Takasugi. Leaning a baseball bat against the counter, he said "Sorry I'm late. I hope you saved me some cake." Light brown hair framed blue eyes on a handsome face. He was the crush of most of Kisuragi Girls' High. He had eyes for only one girl though, the only pitcher who had beaten him.
Ryo ran over and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, "Hiroki, you made it. I thought you couldn't come because of an assignment. "
"Happy Valentine's Day, Tofu." He said using the nickname he had given her.
Ryo's smile vanished, "Don't call me that. How many times do I have to say it before it sinks into your fat head?"
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead saying, "Sorry Ryo, that's the last time you'll hear it, for tonight anyway."
"Oooh, Takasugi, sometimes you make me so mad!" she said turning away from him.
"So, you're Takasugi." Amy said walking up to him. "I'm Amy Watson, It's nice to meet you. I've heard Ryo mention your name."
"Good things I hope." Hiroki said flashing his brilliant smile.
"Let's just say it raised a couple of interesting points."
Ryo caught her meaning and blushed. Turning around, she saw Amy wink.
"I'll leave you two alone. It was nice meeting you. Maybe you'll let me pitch against you some time soon." Amy said as she turned away.
"Sooner than you think Miss Watson." He said
Spinning around, she said, "What does that mean?"
He smiled, saying "I'm your test tonight. The same test Ryo had. You have to try and strike me out!"
The room got dead silent. All eyes were on Amy as she looked at Hiroki and said, "Is that all? The way Ms. Himuro was talking, I thought it was going to be hard."
The girls gasped. Amy could talk smack!
Hiroki gaped at her, than chuckled, "Joke all you want. I am the best batter in Japanese high school baseball. We'll see how cocky you are when I knock you fastball over the center field fence."
"I have an advantage." Amy said with a sly grin. "You don't have any data on my pitching, so you don't have my pattern.
"It doesn't matter what you throw," Hiroki continued, his expression becoming serious, "I'm still going to hit it."
"My God, you are so arrogant!" Amy said glaring. "The only way you hit Ryo's lightning ball was because she was exhausted, and wasn't up to her normal speed. I don't need a lightning ball to beat you, and I'll prove it."
Corey had been listening, and decided to intervene. "Mr. Takasugi, my sister can be a little competitive. Don't take this personally, but when someone throws a challenge at her, she doesn't lose. I know you're a great batter, but Amy can and will beat you."
"And you are?" Hiroki said rudely, his face going red.
"Oh, forgive me." He said bowing mockingly. "My name is Corey Watson, Amy's brother."
"Hiroki," Ryo said putting her hand on his shoulder. "They're our guests. Please be nice."
Hearing Ryo's plea, Hiroki shook his head, "No, I'm done talking! These two think they can come here and disrespect me like this? Let's go to the ball field. Now!" He spun, grabbed his bat, and headed for the door. The rest of the team, as well as Ms. Himuro and Coach Kido, filed out after him. Only Nene and Shino remained in the room.
"But we haven't even cut the cake yet," Nene lamented.
"I'm afraid the party's over." Shino said, and then added softly, "I just hope this doesn't end badly."
The field near Ryo's house was home to a sandlot league team called The Wildcats. They were in the middle of early spring training, when the group walked up. Before going to Kisuragi Girls', Ryo was going to be their starting pitcher. She approached and called out. "Capitan, we hate to interrupt, but we'd like to use the field for a little bit."
"Ryo!" He cried taking off his catcher's mask. Seeing the group behind her he said, "Sure thing. Hey you guys, Ryo needs the field, so let's take a break."
As the Wildcats cleared the field, Amy threw warm-up with Corey. When they were done, Corey approached the Capitan, "Excuse me sir, May I borrow your mask and chest guard? I didn't bring mine with me from the states."
"I don't mind." He said, taking off his gear, and handing it to Corey. "Here you go."
"Hey," Seira said walking up to Corey, "Mao's our catcher, she should be behind the plate."
"I've been catching Amy's pitching since the beginning. I can anticipate where the ball's going to go better than Mao can." He said adjusting his mask. "Once Mao practices some with Amy, I'm sure she'll do fine. Tonight, though, Amy has to throw her best, so I'm the logical choice for catcher."
"It's okay Seira." Mao said. "Corey's right, I've never caught for Amy, and it could even be dangerous for me. So I don't mind.
Seira scowled, but remained silent as Amy made her way to the mound, and Corey to behind the plate. Coach Kido umpired as Hiroki stepped into the batter's box.
"Play ball." Kido yelled, and then ducked behind Corey.
Amy leaned over, staring at the catcher's mitt, focusing all her concentration. Standing up, she smiled, wound up, and threw a fastball.
Hiroki jumped back as the pitch missed the inside edge of the plate by half a meter.
"What's this?" He yelled. "Did I make you that mad you're trying to hit me?"
"I'm sorry," Amy called back, "I guess I'm feeling the effects of jet lag."
Kido stood up and asked, "Do you want to quit? If you're not up to this, we can do it tomorrow."
"I'll be alright, sir." She replied. "Let's keep going."
"Ok, the count's 1 and 0, let's play ball!"
Amy wound up and threw again, the pitch on nearly the same path. Again Hiroki stepped back. But this time, Amy had thrown a slider that turned at the last instant and caught the inside edge.
"STRIKE!" Kido yelled.
Hiroki was dumbstruck. He had never seen a curve move so late in a pitch. "That was a pretty good pitch. You aren't feeling jet lag at all are you?"
"Oh, I'm sure it'll catch up with me." Amy teased back. "I think it's the thought of beating you that's keeping me going."
"It's going to be more of a challenge than I thought." Hiroki said to himself.
Amy's third pitch was another fastball, but it missed outside. Her fourth was the same.
'I think I got her speed down,' Hiroki thought. 'Let's see if I can rattle her.' "Hey," he yelled, "if you can't find the edges better than that, why not throw one down the middle, and let me put you out of your misery."
Amy had been playing with Hiroki. The fastballs she had throw were about 130 kph, which is what he was used to from Ryo. "Why don't you take that bat of yours and STICK IT?" Amy said as she hurled a fastball at her true top speed, right down the middle.
"What?" was all Hiroki could manage to say before he swung. He was too late. The ball flew foul down the right field line.
"FOUL!" Kido yelled. "The count is full at 3 and 2!"
"My God," Hiroki said astounded, "What a cannon!"
"Full count bat boy." Amy taunted. "If you liked that last pitch, this ones going to blow you away."
Hiroki gritted his teeth. He hadn't struck out since sixth grade. He was not going to let some upstart American girl do it now. "Just throw the damn ball!" He snarled.
He was expecting another fastball; he was surprised when the pitch came lazily down the middle. He swung, at a ball that was no longer there. Amy had thrown a perfect sinker that had dropped below Hiroki's bat. The Mighty Takasugi had struck out.
"BATTER OUT!" Kido yelled. "Amy Watson wins."
The girls, after a moment of stunned silence, erupted in cheers and rushed the mound. Hiroki watched as the team took turns hugging Amy and slapping her on the back.
"Hey, you ok?" Corey asked Hiroki.
"You going to rub my face in it now?" Hiroki asked, looking at Corey with suspicious eyes.
"No man. I don't dog a guy that's given it his all. The only reason I gave you crap in the restaurant was because you were being rude first."
Hiroki looked at him, smiled, and then said, "You did warn me that I'd lose. I guess I can't hold it against a guy that was only telling me the truth. You know, that sister of yours has a hell of a fastball. It totally caught me off guard. She's pretty devious too. I think the boys' school is going to have their hands full with that team this year."
Ms. Himuro had been watching from her car, and satisfied, drove away. Kido watched her leave, and then made his way to the mound where the girls were still standing. Ten pair of expectant eyes watched as he approached. "Well, Miss Watson, You've proved you can pitch. Now the problem will be getting the Parent's Association to agree to let you play."
"What!" Hikaru exclaimed. "Why do we need those snob's permission to bring in a new player?"
"Because," Kido answered, "coming from a foreign country, the idea of Amy attending Kisuragi Girls might not set too well with some of the more narrow minded members. Izumi was right about them being resistive to her playing with us."
"We got to figure out a way to convince them." Ryo said. "I don't want to let such a talented pitcher get away coach."
"Glad to see there's no jealousy Hayakawa." Kido said with a grin. "Ok girls, how can we get the Parents Association to let Amy play?"
"Their main concern is how the student is perceived by the outside world." Izumi said, her look intense. "We have to prove she is cultured and sophisticated enough to adequately represent Kisuragi Girls' in public."
"We haven't had to make any appearances like that." Seira said questioning her, "Why would Amy?"
"Because," Kido answered, "as an American playing in Japan, she's going to garner a lot of media attention. That will also include press conferences."
Amy spoke up, "I speak fluent Japanese, so I think I can do a press conference without offending anyone. Mr. Kido, I have an idea. How would the Parent's Association feel about me performing a traditional tea ceremony?"
"You can do that?" Koharu asked her eyebrows arched in surprise. "My mom always wanted to teach me, but I never had the patience, so I kept blowing it off. Now she's dead so it's too late."
"Koharu." Ryo said putting her arm around the smaller girl.
"My mom insisted I study Japanese culture and history." Amy added. "I learned flower arranging, and I can even play the koto a little."
"If you can do all that," Kido said grinning hugely, "it should go a long way towards convincing them."
"All right," Hikaru said, fist in the air, "we got to go all out to get them to agree. Amy is going to be our second pitcher."
The girls cheered in agreement, as they headed back to Shino's restaurant to finish celebrating, and to plan Amy's debut.
The boardroom of Kisuragi Girl's High was expansive. The table in the middle was a 10-meter long oval with an open center containing a large topiary. The board members were seated at the table, waiting for Ms. Himuro.
"She's late again." One man said. "Mita, do you know what this is about?'
"I believe she wishes to discuss a new recruit for the baseball team. From what I hear from my daughter, she's quite a pitcher. Kanako was so excited when she got home last night, she could hardly sit still." Mr. Mita replied.
"That's fine." Another member said. "What I want to know is why she can't get to these meetings, that she schedules, on time?"
As if in response, the door opened, and Ms. Himuro entered. "Good morning gentleman. My apologies for being late." She moved to her seat at the head of the table and sat down. "I suppose you have heard from Mr. Mita about the new prospect for the baseball team. I had the opportunity to see her pitch last night, and I must say, she was amazing. I had her go up against Hiroki Takasugi."
At the mention of Hiroki, the members began murmuring.
"Ms. Himuro, do you expect us to believe this girl defeated the best batter in high school baseball?"
"I wouldn't be here if she hadn't." Ms. Himuro stated. "The choice is clear to offer this girl a full scholarship."
"If she's as talented as you say," he continued, "then why are we here?"
"Because her recruitment will cause quite a stir in the media, and I felt you all should be forewarned."
"What's so special about this girl? Hayakawa is a remarkable pitcher, and other than the that incident about her father, she's brought nothing but positive exposure to the school."
"Amy Watson is an American." She said plainly. "This will be the first time this school has accepted a foreign student. She will be in a very large and bright spotlight."
"Does the girl realize this? If she enters this unaware, it may cause her a great deal of stress."
"I believe she is aware of the ramifications of going to school here. I also believe she can handle the pressure. She is a remarkably mature girl." Ms Himuro responded. "Gentleman, this girl will be on the vanguard for the girl's baseball team. If we can successfully integrate an American of Japanese parentage, it will open the door for any talented girl of similar lineage from any country."
"I reviewed her transcripts." Mr. Mita said; his hands folded in front of him. "She appears quite intelligent. She excelled in math and languages. She speaks Spanish as well as English and Japanese. I wouldn't be adverse to our offering her an academic scholarship."
"So," Ms. Himuro said, looking around the table, "are we agreed that Amy Watson should be admitted to Kisuragi Girl's for the next scholastic year?"
The board members nodded their assent. Ms Himuro breathed a sigh of relief. 'One hurdle past,' She thought, 'now to get by the Parent's Association.'
Seira sat on the bench outside the glass office building of the therapist. When she had returned home last night from Hikaru's birthday party, there was a message from Mr. Mita on the answering machine.
"Miss Morimura, I'm sorry I missed you. I'm calling to let you know I've arranged for you to meet Dr. Suzuki at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I know it's short notice, but it is the only opening he has until next week. I wish you the best. Please don't do anything to embarrass the school. Have a good evening."
Taking a deep breath, she stood up. She wasn't sure what to wear so she tried to compromise. She'd outgrown all of her dress clothes, so she wore her school uniform blouse tucked into her best black jeans. She was going to wear her leather jacket over the top, but decided against it. Checking her appearance in the mirrored window, she entered the building. Crossing the marble floor to a bank of elevators, she saw a directory board indicating Dr. Suzuki's office was on the seventh floor. She pushed the call button, and waited. When the elevator came, she stepped towards the opening doors, but stopped short when she saw who was getting off. "Corey! What are you doing here?"
"Oh, good morning Seira. I was visiting my grandfather. His office is in this building. We missed each other last night. He was gone to a dinner party when Amy and I got home, and by the time he got home, we were in bed. I was so tired, I slept for ten hours last night."
"Yeah? Well, crossing eight time zones will do that." Seira said trying to make small talk.
"So Seira, why are you here?" Corey inquired. "Are you sick? These are all medical professionals in this building."
"Mr. Mita made an appointment for me. He thinks it'll help for me to talk to someone about my temper."
"He's right, it can really help to talk about your feelings. Look I hate to leave you like this, but I need to meet Amy at school by nine thirty. I hope your doctor can help. See you later."
Seira watched him walk away, suddenly feeling very lonely. Letting out a sigh, she turned and entered the elevator. Pushing the button for the seventh floor, she leaned against the back wall. When the doors opened, she entered a central reception area for the offices on that floor. The receptionist smiled as she walked up to the counter. "Good morning Miss, how may I assist you today?"
"Good morning, I have an appointment with Dr. Suzuki."
She looked through her register. "Oh you must be Miss Morimura. Please have a seat, and I will inform the doctor you are here."
Seira sat down, and nervously rubbed her hands on her jeans. She was confident when she told Mr. Mita to make the appointment, but now she wasn't sure she wanted to tell a complete stranger about her problems. She tried sniffing her underarm discretely, making sure her deodorant was still working.
"Miss Morimura." The receptionist said. "Dr. Suzuki is ready for you."
Seira's head snapped up as she turned bright red. She quickly stood up and followed the receptionist who was smiling politely, acting as if she hadn't seen anything. They stopped at a large mahogany door with a brass plaque bearing the name Suzuki mounted on it. "Here we are Miss." She said as she opened the door. "Please don't be nervous, Dr. Suzuki is quite easy going. I think you'll like him."
Seira entered the room and was struck by how informal it was. Deep carpeting covered the floor. The furniture was large, overstuffed easy chairs facing a desk that looked like a shipping crate with a wooden door across the top. Dr. Suzuki was nothing like Seira imagined either. He was older, near sixty, slender, and a little taller than average. He wore blue jeans with a polo shirt, and his gray hair was pulled into a ponytail. 'Wow,' Seira thought, 'a hippie shrink.'
"Welcome Miss Morimura." He said in a relaxed voice. "Please, come in and have a seat."
Seira crossed the room and sitting down, was engulfed by the soft, conforming cushions.
"What the hell is this?" Panicking, she struggled to get out. This elicited a chuckle from the doctor.
"Caught you by surprise didn't it?" He said, sitting down. "Don't feel bad, everyone reacts the same way. Just relax and let the chair cradle you. They're quite comfortable once you get used to them."
Seira eased back down, and once settled, found she agreed with him. "I have to tell you, this place isn't what I was expecting."
"I counsel mostly young people, and have found they don't respond too well to the traditional leather couch approach. I decided to try and make an environment they would feel comfortable and relaxed in. I'm sure you were expecting me to be this sour old man, in a three piece suit, staring over the top of my glasses, ready to lay a big guilt trip on you."
"Well, yeah," Seira said grinning, "I thought you'd be more like Mr. Mita before I walked in here. I like your look though, very man next door."
Exactly," he remarked. "Don't appear threatening, and the kids will open up, I hope. Now, Miss Morimura, my that's a mouthful, may I call you Seira?"
"Sure," she replied, "I can't stand formality, it just sounds so stuffy."
"Good, down to earth, you're a girl after my own heart. Just like my own daughter. She went to Kisuragi too you know. Now she's living abroad, and I never see her. She's given me a couple of wonderful grandkids though. But that's enough about that. Seira, Mr. Mita informs me that you get angry easily. That surprises me. Most kids with anger issues barely speak to me on the first visit, and then it's mostly telling me to get stuffed. The little we've talked; you seem to be a friendly outgoing young woman. Why don't you tell me what the problem is?"
Seira looked down gathering her thoughts. When she looked up, she said quietly, "I'm not sure myself. I just seem to lose it when someone puts me down, or does something that irritates me. I blow up and usually attack them physically. My mom left last year, so I'm pretty sure that's part of it. I just seem to be out of control."
"That's right, Mr. Mita said your parents had divorced. Was it an amiable separation?"
"Only if you can call constant arguments amiable. As soon as my dad got home, they would start picking at each other. It got to the point that I hated being in the house."
"That sounds like it was rough. So did you spend nights at a friend's house?"
"I didn't want to put any of them out, so I just started walking the streets. I met a couple other girls like me and we started hanging out. Bars, nightclubs, fast food joints, anyplace that wouldn't kick us out."
"That's pretty dangerous for a young girl. You were what, fifteen?"
"I had my fifteenth birthday in an underground bar. The owner gave me a beer to celebrate."
"Have you done a lot of drinking, Seira?"
"I've gotten drunk a couple times, but I didn't like it. It's too dangerous out there to lose your edge. I've been in a few fights too."
"You're fortunate you were able to get out. A lot of girls living on the street, either end up dead, or getting raped by some guy. That didn't happen, did it?"
"No, we were pretty careful about who we spent time with. We usually just talked to the businessmen who were unwinding from work. They were happy just to have someone to complain to, and maybe get a hug from."
"It sounds like you don't miss that life much. What happened?"
"It was the night the coach approached me about joining the team. A group of thugs had been hassling us for a while, and I smacked a couple of them down. Later that night they followed us into an alley carrying bats and pipes. If it hadn't been for the coach, I might not be here. I decided I'd had enough of street life."
"How is your relationship with your coach?"
"Oh! Don't get me started. He can be such a sleaseball, but I guess he cares about us girls, even though he tries not to show it. He's kind of lazy, and he drinks too much."
"I see. How about the rest of the team?"
"Their great. Every one of us has had problems during the year, and we've stuck by each other through it all. That's why I'm hoping you can help me, because I'm always blowing up over some stupid comment, or accusation. I don't want to hurt them anymore."
"Wonderful." He said. "You're already halfway there Seira. You've completely passed the denial stage and have already accepted you need help. Now we need to isolate those events in your life that have triggered this aggression, and help you put them in the proper perspective. If we can do that, I'm confident we can get you back to your old self."
"That sound's great." She said smiling. "What do we do next doctor?"
"Kenji, please." He said shaking his head. "I don't like titles any more than you do. The only reason it's on my business card is so I can charge more money." He winked as he said the last.
Seira laughed. She liked this old man.
"Now there's a good sound." Kenji said closing his eyes and smiling. "Do you laugh much Seira?"
"Sometimes, when I'm with my teammates." She admitted.
"Laughter really is good for you, you know. Oh yes. There's been clinical research to prove it. Don't take life too seriously Seira. You're too young to worry about what other's think. Hell I'm not young anymore, and I still don't worry about it." He paused for a moment, looking intently at her. "What's your biggest fear, Seira?"
His sudden seriousness caught her off guard. She squirmed in her seat; at least she tried to in that mircofiber cocoon. "Gee, I never really thought about it. Growing up, I was always trying to get my mom's approval. So I guess it would be that, not being good enough."
"I see." He said leaning back in his chair, and resting his chin on his hands. "Was your mother hard to please?"
"Yeah, it seems no matter what awards, and achievements I earned, it never seemed to matter. Do you know I was a track star when I was younger? I hold the junior high record for the hundred-meter dash, and the javelin."
"Those are impressive accomplishments. Your mother didn't acknowledge them?"
"Not really, she did come to my events though. But I think it was so the other adults wouldn't talk bad about her. I remember driving home with her after winning an event, and she barely said a word. If I tried to talk about it, she would tell me to be quiet." Seira's eyes had started to mist over, recalling the events of the past.
"How about your father? Was he supportive?"
"He tried to be, but he was always gone for business. When he was home, mom would argue so much with him, I hardly saw him"
"Did either of them ever tell you they loved you or hug you?"
"Dad doesn't like to show affection much, even now with just the two of us. Mom always said she couldn't stop what she was doing. I guess she just didn't want to hug me."
"Seira, don't blame yourself. It sounds as if your mother was an unwilling parent."
"NO!" Seira cried. Then angrily, continued in a rush, "My mom loves me. She took care of me all that time. She just got fed up with dad being gone so much. Maybe if I'd been a better daughter, and tried harder to do what she wanted," She paused when the realization of what she had just said sank in, then added quietly, "she wouldn't have left."
Kenji walked around the desk. Sitting on the edge, he said, "Seira, you don't know how many kids I see coming from a divorce situation blaming themselves for the breakup. Your parents were to blame Seira, not you. If your mother was as un-nurturing as you've described, it's no wonder you feel inadequate. You've got to forgive yourself, and forgive her. Only after you do that can you truly begin to heal."
Not sure if she believed him, she looked up and said, "How do I do that?"
"I want you to write your mother a letter. Tell her all the things she did to hurt you in the past. Then close the letter by telling her you forgive her, and what you wish for in the future. Do you have the card Mr. Mita gave you?"
She pulled it out of the pocket of her blouse, and handed it to him.
"I'm writing my cell phone number on here. If you need to talk, call me. You're a good girl Seira. I can see that, and Mr. Mita recognized that. Don't let self-doubt and loathing ruin your life. You have achieved some remarkable goals, don't stop now."
Seira stood up, and looked at him, saying, "I'm glad I got to meet you. Kenji" Then, looking embarrassed, she asked, "Could I hug you?"
Kenji laughed and took her into a firm, but gentle embrace. Seira could tell this man had hugged his daughter many times.
Pulling away, Seira said sadly, "Too bad you weren't my dad, I might have turned out different."
"I think you've turned out ok, in spite of what you went through. Let me know how your letter works out."
"Thank you, Kenji. I'll write it today. My mom lives in Sendai now, so it'll be a couple days until she gets it. I guess I'd better get going. Goodbye, Dr. Kenji, I hope I'll see you again." She strode from the room, turning and blowing him a kiss as she opened the door and passed through.
"Goodbye my dear, and please take care of yourself." He said softly, sitting down and putting his feet on the desk.