Friday afternoon, March 11th – 5km Over Sendai
Shinako much preferred trains or boats, to airplanes. Sometimes air travel was unavoidable. Unless you had a lot of time on your hands for travel, a trip to a faraway place like Okinawa, or Australia would have to be by plane. But the alternatives there were slow moving boats and the distances were vast. So, to her way of thinking, this flight from Osaka to Sendai was needless. Sure, it cost about the same, and it did the trip in less time than a bullet train, but flying was always such a hassle. And… staying on the ground just seemed safer.
However, Obāsama wanted Noto in Sendai as soon as possible, and that meant flying. And, since his protector and good luck charm, Hisako, was out of the country for a modeling gig, that meant Shinako would have to go along to assist him. At least, that was the excuse that Obāsama told Noto for the reason she was also sending Shinako. In truth, Shinako would be watching and listening in on everything that Noto did… and reporting it back to Obāsama. It was true that Noto would some day lead the Hisamitsu family – either to greatness or to ruin. But that day hadn't come yet and the old lady that had been managing the affairs of the family for most of her adult life understandably wanted to know if she was yielding her position to someone worthy of the job. Of course, Noto was no idiot either. He knew why Shinako was there… or at least he should. His nonchalance at the arrangement had worried Shinako that he may not be taking this endeavor seriously enough… or he was more naive than she thought.
"Noto-sama, you do know why Obāsama sent me along with you… don't you?" she asked her younger cousin resting passively in the seat next to hers.
"Of course. You are here to assist me with the Sendai politicos. Mayor, City Council, Assemblymen… whoever we have to shake hands with to convince them that we are still in the game for that seawall project." Noto murmured without opening his eyes.
"Noto-sama…" Shinako sighed and wished that Noto had figured this out already and that she didn't have to spell it out for him, "I am also here as a spy."
"No you're not." Noto said without any reaction to what she had just told him.
"I beg your pardon, Noto-sama – but I am. I will be watching everything you do and reporting it back to Obāsama." Shinako said firmly, and yet also apologetically.
"I understand what you are here to do. But that does not make you a spy. A spy works for the enemy, and Obāsama is not my enemy." Noto replied casually. "A more correct metaphor would be that you have come along to be my proctor."
"Proctor?" Shinako wondered how she fit into that role.
"I am learning how to interact with other people in the interest of the family business. I am learning from people like Yamada Yukiko, Obāsama, and even from you. Obāsama has sent me to Sendai to put to practice that which I have learned. This is a test, is it not?" Noto asked.
"Yes." Shinako agreed.
"You are here to proctor the test. A proctor monitors the examination. She insures there is no cheating and that all the conditions of the examination are conducted appropriately. When it is done, she reports the failure or success of the student to the the sensei." Noto explained.
"So, you don't see me as a spy?" Shinako still felt that Noto was being a little naive. Perhaps he needed another lecture on the way things worked in the real world.
"I do not." Noto opened his eyes and looked into hers as his tone suddenly shifted from casual to confrontational, "And I have to say that I find it disturbing and a great deal disappointing that you do."
"What?" Shinako was unused to being addressed that way from her younger cousin.
"We have a long road ahead of us. There will be missteps and pitfalls along the way. I understood that you were someone that I would be able to count on… one of the few people I could put my trust in. But how can I believe that, if you honestly believe that Obāsama and I are somehow at odds. How can I rely on you if you can only see things in terms of us-and-them… and never all-of-us. And how could I trust a person that would accept a request to spy on her family and her friends?" Noto demanded.
Shinako was speechless. She had never wanted be a spy in the first place, but she had accepted that undesirable task as part of her duty as Obāsama's troubleshooter long ago. And, she certainly hadn't wanted to spy on Noto. Other than Obāsama, he had been the first family member that had ever really befriended her. And now he was telling her that he was… disappointed in her? He is disappointed in me? I am the elder cousin here! I am Obāsama's troubleshooter! What gives him the right to evaluate me? He's the one on trial here, not me! I am here to evaluate him!
Evaluate… evaluate?
A proctor evaluates. But spies do too! They look for weaknesses and report them back to the enemy… Oh no! Could… could Noto be right? Is there something wrong with my way of thinking after all?
The plane had been on final approach to the airport in Sendai for several minutes. Their seats were raised and cell phones were off as requested. So it came as a surprise when the big passenger plane suddenly lurched and trembled as the two jet engines on the wings thundered to full power. Shinako grabbed onto Noto as the airplane also went into a steep bank.
"This is why I hate flying!" Shinako whimpered as she clung to Noto.
"I don't know. It looks like this was a good day to be in the air after all." Noto said as he looked past his scared cousin at the disastrous view down below.
"Huh?" Shinako's curiosity got the better of her and she turned to see what was so fascinating that Noto couldn't look away from the window. At first, she couldn't understand what it was that she was seeing. A ponderously large amount of water was spilling onto the runways and grounds surrounding the airport. Small vehicles and containers were being washed away from where they had been parked or abandoned. And then the plane was back up into the clouds over the flooding city. She looked back at her younger cousin in confusion at what she had just witnessed through the window. He seemed deep in thought and she felt remiss to interrupt his thinking, but she wanted some answers. What did I just see down there? Why didn't we land? Is there something wrong with the plane? Are we going to crash? She was about to blurt out her questions when the speakers above their heads came to life with an announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the pilot. First of all, I would like to tell you that there is nothing wrong with the airplane and your safety is assured. However, as some of you may have seen out the windows, a tragedy is unfolding on the ground below us. From what I am being told, a magnitude eight-point-four earthquake occurred off the coast of Sendai a short time ago and caused a tsunami that is now hitting the east coast of Japan. All air traffic to Sendai, and some of the other coastal airports, is being diverted to the nearest safe destination. We will be landing in Yamagata shortly. I apologize for this inconvenience but in this time of crisis, I would ask that you cast your hopes for the many people affected by this disaster." The overhead speaker crackled once after the pilot finished speaking, then went silent. There was a stunned silence from everyone on the plane as well.
.
Friday afternoon, March 11th – Under Mount Amatsukayama, South of Sendai
For the second time in as many days, the Shinkansen unexpectedly slowed down and come to a stop near Sendai. As before, it happened immediately after everyone's cell phones suddenly blared the warning for an imminent earthquake. This time, the train was in one of the long tunnels that ran under the higher elevations between Sendai and Fukushima, on its way back to Tokyo. Several people had become startled when the train suddenly went very dark, with only the battery powered emergency lights on. Umeko checked her phone to see what the announced intensity of the quake would be and where the epicenter was. From long experience, she knew about what to expect on the trains after doing a rough calculation in her head. She was about to tell everyone her usual spiel, Expect some shaking – then there will be a slight delay as the tracks are checked for safety. Then, the Shinkansen will be on it's way again. In other words – the usual announcement. But the rumbling and swaying started before she could make her announcement. And it kept going and going. The train rocked and swayed on it's tracks much more fiercely than her predictions called for.
Taking her seat and putting on her safety belt as the manual instructed, she felt the tremors that shook the mighty train like a toy. They were a lot more vigorous, and lasted a lot longer than she had expected. Checking her phone again she had a doubt about the announcement, Those numbers couldn't be right! Either the epicenter was a lot closer, or there is no way that was only an eight-point-four! It… it would have to be at least a nine… Thinking about what it would mean if the epicenter really was at sea, east of Sendai with an earthquake of that magnitude… she hoped they got the epicenter wrong.
"Senpai, what do we do? That earthquake was a lot worse than…" her juniors kept their voices low the way they had been trained, but Umeko could feel the tension and fear emanating from them.
"Calm now. We are the hand-picked elite from all the Green Cars, right? Now, take a deep breath and remember your training. Even if this were a magnitude nine earthquake, we would still follow the same protocols, right? Now, tell me what you remember." Umeko hoped they couldn't detect the fear she felt even as she gave her supporting speech.
"Make sure the passengers are as comfortable as possible." the first girl said.
"Check for injuries and try to maintain calm and order." the second girl said.
"Very good. Now, one of you has a bit more medical training than the minimum first aid, right?" Umeko asked them after she could see that they were calming down.
"Yes… I am studying to be a nurse." the second girl answered.
"Excellent. I want you to check on the health of the passengers now. When you are done, I would like for you to make your way forward to the other cars and render aid where necessary. You don't have to do it. Your contract says that you only have to work on the Super-Green car, so I am not making it an order. But, I do think it would make a good image for the company as well as the staff of the Super-Green car if you do it." Umeko said.
"I… I'll do it!" the second girl turned and immediately set about her task.
"There's a reason you are the senpai." the first girl said with a smile as they watched the future nurse start seeing to the passengers. Then she turned back to Umeko and asked, "What about me?"
"I want you to see to their comfort. I am going to be glued to the emergency phone until someone can tell me what to really expect, so I'm going to need you to look after all the passengers as if you were three people. Don't let them think that we short staffed them in the middle of an emergency. Got it?" Umeko tried to put as much bravado into this speech as she had put into the last, but this girl was a bit more experienced.
"So, you don't think this was an eight-point-four either?" the first girl asked.
"No… in fact… I'm pretty sure it wasn't." Umeko could read the other girl's thoughts since she was worried about the same thing. Depending on where you were, there were specific things to worry about when an earthquake happened. If you lived in a big city, you would be concerned about a building falling on you. If you were on the coast, you would be more anxious about the tsunami that followed the earthquake. But if you were in a train that was stopped underneath a mountain, your biggest fear would be for a possible tunnel collapse.
"Okay then… I hope you hear some good news on that phone." the girl said grimly, but she was all smiles before she turned around and faced the passengers.
"Umeko reached for the phone and wished that she could dial her little sister to make sure she was okay… no wait, Suzume's in Australia now with Ryuuji-sama and Onee-chan and… all the others. So, she should be safe. She's safe… in… another country. The tears started to slide down her cheeks while she listened in on the emergency line for someone to pick up. The stress of constantly worrying about her little sister so far away in some foreign country, suddenly replaced with the assurance that she would be okay because she was so far away… Okay FINE! Her internal voice screamed at the fates, or the gods, or whoever must be pulling the strings in her life. Fine! Fine! Fine! Fine! FINE! I won't fight it any more. If she want's to go to the ends of the Earth, she can go. As long as she goes with… them.
.
Friday afternoon, March 11th – Osaka, Japan
In the middle of the skyscraper-rich Kita Ward of Osaka, lies an old hospital that looks all but swallowed up by the giant buildings that surround. The old three story, red brick building with it's walkway arches, symmetric windows, and domed cupola looked quaint and out of place amidst the elevated streets and railways that flanked it across the front and left, and the tall buildings that reached up to the clouds on the other sides. But the professional building that was to be Maya's destination was in one of the taller and more modern buildings near the old hospital. It still wasn't one of the tallest buildings around, but at fifteen floors, it towered over the old hospital's main entrance.
A change in plans meant that Shinako wouldn't be accompanying Maya to the appointment though. She wanted to, but she also had her other responsibilities. So, today it would be Obāsama herself that would take the young woman into Japan's third most populous city. Not having lived in Tokyo like so many of her friends, Maya was a little intimidated by the big cities. But she felt comforted that Obāsama was with her.
The waiting room at the doctor's office that Shinako had found, was designed to present a warm and comforting atmosphere. Attention had been paid to colors, shapes, and textures for the furnishings, lighting, and even the walls. Even the background music had been selected to promote a feeling of comfort. It was the kind of conclusion that came from years of research by the behavioral sciences and, at least for Maya, it was working. She was sitting on an overstuffed couch next to Obāsama and staring at a wall painting of a copse of trees on a sunny hillside. Her sleep starved brain wandered into the half-dream world where she walked among those trees and breathed the sweet pine and gentle lavender aromas on the cool mountain air. The leaves of the tall trees mixed with the pure sunlight to make a dappled pattern of light and shadow on the forest floor where she was walking.
"What a wonderful place." Maya murmured. In her relaxed state, she had leaned over and her head was resting on Obāsama's shoulder. Her eyes were closed and she was finally getting some much needed rest. Unfortunately, her timing was awful.
"Hisamitsu… Shinako?" the doctor asked the elder woman seated next to the sleeping girl.
"No. She had to attend to something else at the last minute. I am her Obāsan. The young lady that we want you to see is young Maya here." Obāsama gestured to the sleeping girl leaning against her.
"Hisamitsu Obāsan… You are the Obāsama of the Hisamitsu family?" the doctor sounded a bit surprised.
"Yes." Obāsama was used to other business-people recognizing her, but she hadn't expected it from someone in the medical profession. "Have we met before?"
"No. My son is going to university with your grandson and his wife. They are good friends and he talks about them all the time." the doctor told her.
"In that case, I am sure that your son is a fine young man. My grandson has impressed me with the caliber and mettle of the friends he has made." Obāsama said in a way that commended the man's son while also showing pride in her own grandson.
"Your grandson has also regaled my boy with stories about his impressive Obāsama as well." the doctor returned the complement.
"Hmpf… it seems I'll have to talk to Noto about telling wild tales." Obāsama sounded concerned.
"No no no. Every story that has been relayed to me spoke of a refined woman of elegance and grace. Someone who has the determination and will to be the matriarch of her family's businesses , and yet the compassion to inspire your grandson to be the best father he can be. Truly, it is a pleasure to meet you." the doctor said earnestly.
"In that case doctor, I am sure that you will do your best. For you see, the young lady I want you to help is my grand-daughter-in-law. The very same young lady that is your son's friend at university. I believe she is suffering terribly from postpartum depression. I've tried to help her but…" Obāsama's veneer of calmness started to crack. The weeks of watching poor Maya deteriorate and being powerless to help… had taken it's toll. The fear of losing another grandchild to the cold embrace of death haunted her day and night. She had tried her best to make things better for Maya, but now she had to admit, "Nothing… nothing I do seems to help at all."
"Obāsama, I will do my best for your grand-daughter. Please, entrust her into my care." the doctor offered the distraught lady.
Obāsama was about to reply when everyone's cell phone suddenly went off with a warning tone. The clamor woke Maya from her slumber and she took a moment to realize where she was before reaching for her own phone to silence it and read the warning message. She didn't get to it before she heard Obāsama gasp.
"Sendai!" Obāsama's heart tightened with fear. She had just sent Noto and Shinako there. Trying to think fast as everyone got up to move outside, she tried to remember the flight details.
"Noto?" Maya's voice sounded panicked as she read the message on her phone.
"He'll be okay. His plane is probably still in the air – and that's one place that an earthquake can't affect you." Obāsama said with a confidence she wished she could feel. She knew that it would be a close thing for him to still be in the air. His landing time was very close to the time of the announcement. If his flight was even slightly ahead of schedule… Still, an airport is probably one of the safest places to be during an earthquake. There would be no falling buildings or rock-slides near an airport. Yes… I must assume that Noto and Shinako are okay. Besides, even an eight-point-four shouldn't…
Everyone's thoughts were interrupted when the shaking started. The epicenter of the quake was about seven hundred kilometers away, so the distance should greatly attenuate the severity of the tremors felt in Osaka. With a reported magnitude of eight-point-four, the people in Osaka weren't expecting much, but the emergency flash messages had been sent, so people followed the safety drills that they had been practicing since grade school and moved to safer places. The elderly would remember a time before warnings of intensity and precise locations. Their experience would tell them that, given the distance and intensity, they would all go outside, feel a few moments of tremors, watch some power lines sway, then go back inside and get back to what they were doing. But this time, that was not to be.
Even in Osaka, the tremors felt more powerful than they should have been and they lasted much longer than anyone had expected. Not just power-lines, but the skyscrapers of Osaka swayed a bit as well. Certainly, it was nothing as pronounced as the swaying of the tall buildings in Tokyo, which was much closer to the epicenter – but it was a lot more than anyone had expected.
Maya and Obāsama held onto each other as the ground beneath their feet rumbled. As the shaking continued minute after minute, Maya was amazed at the duration, while Obāsama was deeply concerned.
"So, this is what an eight-point-four is like?" Maya wondered aloud. It was the first time she had been so close to an earthquake of that magnitude. Sure, there had been the Hokkaido earthquake from eight years before. It had registered eight-point-three but it had been early in the morning and Maya, like so many others, had slept through the whole thing.
"No… this isn't an eight-point-four." Obāsama said grimly.
"Huh?" Maya thought for a moment that she should fish her phone out and read the message again, but Obāsama was still clinging to her.
"I hope I'm wrong, but I think those tremors came from something a lot more serious than an eight-point-four." Obāsama voiced her concern, then shook herself and relaxed her grip on Maya. Forcing a smile, she turned back to her grand-daughter-in-law and said, "Well, there will probably be some aftershocks, but for the moment… let's see if that nice doctor can see you now."
"What? We need check on Noto and the children!" Maya was pulling her phone out of her bag now, but Obāsama stopped her.
"Not now. I appreciate your concerns for your friends and family, but cell phones will be useless for a while." the calm old woman explained, "For now, we must do what we can and hope that our friends are well."
Maya didn't want to believe Obāsama, but the 'No Service' icon on her phone forced her to accept it. She looked up at the scattered clouds in the blue sky and did what the old woman had suggested – the only thing she could do. She hoped for the best for Noto, her children, her friends, and for anyone caught up in the disastrous aftermath of a big earthquake.
.
Not too far away from the hospital where Obāsama and Maya were, their friends and all the children were about to enter one of the many shrines in the area. A large vermilion Torii gate marked the entrance to the Shinto shrine that had been the focus of their visit. Just as some shrines were supposed to have particular favor for relationships, or studies, or success in business, this one had a reputation for conveying good fortune to infants.
There were four baby strollers, all being pushed by people that the children would grow up to know as dear family and friends. From the way Taiga and Minori dotted on the babies, the children might reach their teens before discovering that Obasan Taiga and Obasan Minori aren't actually blood relatives. To hear the two of them talk, it was clear that they planned to be very involved aunties.
"I want to be there for their first day of school." Taiga stated as if setting a goal to work for. She was pushing the stroller with Ryuuji and Ami's little Tatsuya. That had been a strategic compromise since the child's grandfather, grandmother, and great-grandmother were all on this little trip. The Takasu Obāsan and Kawashima Obāsan didn't mind too much since they got to push the strollers with the tiny Hisamitsu children who would grow up to be childhood friends with their little Tatsuya.
"Ha, even before their first day of school will be their Shichi-go-san! That'll be in just two and a half years, right?" Minori cheered.
"More like three and a half." Kawashima Anna said after some thought.
"Huh? For the girls, their first one should be when they are three years old, right?" Minori asked the question that she and Taiga were both wondering.
"Their birthdays are on November 30th though. They won't technically be three years old yet when the holiday comes around in two and a half years." Takasu Obāsan reminded them.
"Aww, that sucks. They'll miss the holiday by two weeks?" Taiga grouched, "They'll be the oldest girls there."
"Maybe, but Ami had the opposite problem. She was born the day before Shichi-go-san, so she was the youngest girl there. She was so tiny and she had no idea what was going on. At least this way, the Hisamitsu girls may be able to enjoy it more." Anna told them.
"Yeah, I guess." Taiga pouted, "But that means we have to wait longer for a holiday with them."
"What are you talking about? You've already had an important holiday with the girls." Takasu Obāsan said with a slightly jealous smile. She had looked through the photo album that Obāsama was already starting for her great grand-daughters. And in it, some of the most recent photo's were of the two sets of dolls proudly displayed in the formal living room.
"Eh?" both Taiga and Minori didn't remember any holiday they had spent with Noto and Maya's daughters.
"Hinamatsuri was just a week ago. Didn't you notice all the dolls on display?" Anna asked the two younger women of the group.
Minori and Taiga looked at each other and gaped.
"Girl's Day! How could we forget?" Taiga couldn't believe she had forgotten that day. But then, it was around that time that she was having so much fun finding out how much she and Midnight Star could remember of their dressage lessons. And, she had been showing Minori and Maya how to ride English style – the way that she rode.
"Heh heh heh," Minori made an embarrassed laugh and admitted, "I don't think I ever did a Girl's Day… at least I don't remember any. I was always a tomboy, I guess."
"Well, there really isn't much to it at their age. You put the dolls up, get a couple of pictures, then take them down." Ojiisan observed until he saw both his wife and Kawashima Anna glaring at him. "What?"
"It's an important day for girls!" his wife chided.
"That was rather insensitive, Ojiisan." Anna added.
"But… they're still just babies! They have no idea if they are having a party or not." Ojiisan futilely tried to justify his position. He noticed that the girl's started walking faster to put some distance between them and him. He was about to start walking faster to catch up with them when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"I don't think it's about the babies." The Major told the older man.
"Huh?" Ojiisan asked the American while the women got further away.
"There was a saying in my family… and there is probably something similar in Japanese. When mama's not happy, nobody's happy." The Major said.
"Yeah, we have an idiom like that." Ojiisan replied but still didn't see how that related to Girl's Day.
"Think about it. On that holiday, mother's get to dress up their daughters in clothes that the little girls are unfamiliar with. They set out dolls that their daughter's don't get to see or play with all the rest of the year. The food and drinks are more appropriate for adults than children. And the symbolism is for their daughter's to have luck in marriage and future children of their own." The Major said quietly as if they were talking about state secrets.
"Yeah… well… so it's not a very well thought out holiday. But I still don't need to hear a foreigner criticize it." Ojiisan let a little of his cultural pride out in his response.
"I'm not criticizing it. I'm saying that the ones that truly benefit from that holiday aren't necessarily the little girls." The Major said with a conspirator's grin.
"Oh… AH!" Ojiisan suddenly realized his gaffe. And it was a faux pas he had been carrying with him ever since his daughter was born. Thinking of how many years that had gone by without him ever understanding his wife's feelings, he could just imagine her fury when he apologized now. "Oh no. I never realized… She's never going to let me live this down."
"I wouldn't worry too much about it. I have a feeling…" The Major was about to cheer up the old man with his observation that good wives will forgive their husband's shortcomings – and he thought that Takasu Obasan was a pretty good wife. But that thought was interrupted when dozens of cell phones around them all started blaring warning signals. Like everyone else around them, the two men reached for their phones and read the message.
"Sendai? Isn't that were Noto and Shinako took off for this morning?" Ojiisan asked as he put his phone away and looked up to see the four baby carriages coming back toward him and the Major. Some people were afraid of thunder, but it was earthquakes that got to his wife. He tried not to smile as he thought of how she was so upset with him just a few seconds ago.
"It is. At this distance, it will be some time before the tremors get here. And, as much energy as there is in an eight-point-four, I wouldn't think much would happen this far away. Still, it would be better to be in the open." The Major decided. He looked up and saw all the girl's returning as well.
"I hope it's only an eight-point-four." Ojiisan said softly. He knew something about the alerts that wasn't common knowledge. And it wasn't comforting.
"What do you mean?" The Major asked.
"That initial message is a snapshot from a sensor. The intensity may actually go up from there… after the moment that the message is sent. So, try to think of it as a warning message that the earthquake is at least an eight-point-four." Ojiisan finished just as his wife and the others got back to them.
As soon as the strollers were stopped, Minori pulled out her phone again and tried to call Maya. She wanted to let her know that her children were okay. But it was too late – the cell traffic was already snarled with anxious calls and in a few moments, all those calls would be restricted so that emergency services would be able to use the towers. As she was lowering the phone, Minori felt a trembling Taiga attach herself to her side.
"I… really… hate… earthquakes." Taiga said as she hid her face in Minori's chest.
"I know." Minori patted Taiga's head to try and comfort her, "It's far away. We'll be okay here in Osaka."
"I… I hope the horses aren't scared." Taiga said as the first tremors started to move the ground underneath their feet.
.
Friday afternoon, March 11th – Melbourne, Australia
Ryuuji was, once again, standing out by the doorway to the dressing area. The girls had done well with their earlier performances and were getting set up for the afternoon show. Fortunately, the lobby area where he waited with many other men, was fitted out with things to keep them all entertained. There were charging stations for cell phones and tablets, outlets for laptops, and big screen televisions with a variety of programs showing.
Since the television programs were all in English, Ryuuji mostly tuned them out. Yuri-sensei had told him to watch those programs to better develop his English language skills, but the entertainment and sports programs all seemed to have an accent or dialect that was difficult for him, and the news programs were boring. So, instead of watching the broadcasts, he was reading over the schedule for the evening program. He was concerned about a part of the show that focused on adult oriented clothing. The problem he had with it was that he didn't know what that meant. Would it be business attire… or sexy lingerie? In any event, he didn't think it would be appropriate for Aiko-chan and possibly not for Suzume either. Aiko-chan was a good girl and would do as she was told if he decided that she wasn't old enough for something like that. Suzume, on the other hand…
Suzume was already displeased that she didn't get to do everything that Ami and Hisako did. Sometimes she got fairly frustrated with Ryuuji when she though he was treating her like a kid. But, more often it was her sister that she was grievously upset with. Ryuuji thought that Umeko was being a bit overprotective too, but he would never say that. The last thing he needed was to have the elder sister upset with him for siding with an underage girl against her guardian's wishes. Ami's uncle at the talent management company had already told him what the result would be, if that ever happened. Umeko could claim breach of contract and pull her sister home in a heartbeat. But, more importantly, Suzume might hold that grudge against her sister for the rest of her life.
Things were good between them at the moment. The last phone call they had with each other had ended unexpectedly well. Umeko had said only positive things and none of the dire warnings that were so characteristic of her, when Suzume was away from home. Ryuuji vowed to himself that he would try and keep this good will between the sisters going. So he was often in the unenviable position of enforcing Umeko's wishes even when he thought they were unnecessary. And that brought him back to the problem at hand – should he deny the adult clothing program to Suzume, or discuss it with Umeko first. It was pointless to discuss it with Umeko since he already knew she would instantly forbid it. The only advantage there would be that he could tell Suzume that it was a decision that he and Umeko came to. Doing that would lessen Suzume's ire at him, but it would make things worse between the sisters.
His fingers were hovering over the phone and ready to start the message to Umeko, but he was deciding that he could put this off until he had a better idea of what – exactly – the adult oriented clothing program included. A hand shoved his shoulder, almost making him drop the phone he was about to put away. He turned to see a burly Australian looking at him expectantly.
#Japanese, yeah?# the Australian asked in English.
#Yes, but I can speak some English too.#
#You got problems, mate.# the Aussie said the words sympathetically and pointed up to all the television screens in the lobby.
None of the televisions were on the programs they had been playing only a few minutes before. Now, they were all showing scenes of a land being swamped by a torrential amount of debris laden water. In many of the pictures it didn't even look like water any more. A dark mass simply carried the broken pieces of houses and buildings. Cars and boats bobbed along helplessly in this unrelenting black tide. The crawling mass of destruction simply buried or destroyed just about anything it ran into. Only the sturdiest concrete buildings weren't swept away by the chaos, but even those buildings did not survive unscathed.
Ryuuji was about to ask what this was all about when his eyes settled on one screen that showed pictures of the devastation with the familiar outline of Japan in the lower right hand corner of the screen. He couldn't hear the audio, but he could see the flashing red and white warning areas that stretched all the way from the northeast tip of Hokkaido, down to the Izu Islands south of Tokyo. Ryuuji's first thought was that this must be some special effects from a disaster movie, but it was on every screen… and every channel.
#Please… Can someone turn up the volume on that television?# Ryuuji asked for the screen that was showing the inset map of Japan. He could hear people relaying his request and, a few minutes later an attendant arrived with a remote in his hand. As soon as the volume came up, he could hear the repeated message and the reality set in.
"The meteorological agency is warning that very high tsunami are expected in the following areas: The Pacific Coast of Aomori Prefecture, The coast of Iwate Prefecture, the coast of Miyagi prefecture, the coast of Fukushima prefecture…" the list seemed to go on and on. Ryuuji wondered what could have caused such a tragedy as the list continued to be announced. He cringed when he heard the announcer say, "… the coast of Tokushima prefecture…"
"No!" Ryuuji gasped in panic a moment before his senses came back. He remembered that the Hisamitsu estate was not only far inland, but up in the hills of Tokushima. His family and friends would be safe… but… His eyes watched the dozen screens showing the catastrophic flow of debris and water as it destroyed farms, neighborhoods, and whole towns. Some of the debris was on fire – creating columns of black smoke rising into the overcast sky, as it floated across the landscape. Oil storage facilities were ablaze as if they had been bombed. Then, the camera switched to an airborne shot of the next wave, already on its way in towards the already saturated land.
"Why?" Ryuuji asked aloud, but the answer was on the screens as well. A powerful earthquake off the coast of Sendai, where the the Pacific plate collides with the Okhotsk plate, had propelled billions of tons of destructive flood-water in expanding circles across the immense Pacific Ocean. The vastness and the distance would reduce the effects in far away places like Australia or the Americas. But, to the nearby coastline of Japan… it was devastating.
"Ryuuji… tell me that this is a bad dream." he heard Ami's voice next to him. Looking about, a number of the models had come out to see what was going on. Among them were all of their friends. All of them watching the screens in horror as their little island country seemed to be getting devoured by this terrible natural disaster.
"I can't… I can't reach Onee-chan!" Suzume's shaken voice cried out as she tried again and again to raise her sister's cell phone. But she only got the unable to connect tone every time. Still, she kept trying again and again. "I can't reach her… I can't…"
"You won't be able to reach her now, but I'm sure she's okay." Yuri-sensei looked over at Aiko-chan who was also trying to call her parents. "All of the cell towers that are still working will have been switched over to emergency services by now. Until they have the situation in hand, no-one will be able to dial in or out to a cell phone."
"You… you said onee-chan would be okay. What makes you think that? How can you be sure?" Suzume was desperate to believe in whatever Yuri-sensei said, but she would still rather hear her sister's voice.
"Your sister works on the Shinkansen, right? None of the Shinkansen rail lines are in coastal, or low lying areas. So, they will be safe from a tsunami." Yuri stopped there. It was true that the track was generally in higher elevations than what a tsunami should be able to affect, but the danger for the Shinkansen would be related more to the thing that caused the tsunami. If the earthquake had caused a rock slide or a tunnel collapse… Yuri tried not to think of the sleek train that Umeko was on being crushed under tons of falling rocks.
"What about my family?" a frightened Aiko-chan asked. "Will they be okay?"
Umeki didn't add her voice to the questions but she looked to Yuri-sensei for a hopeful answer too.
"The best thing I can tell you is that all of your family members live in the area around the high school where I used to teach, right? Well, that region is not in a low lying area. And also, they aren't in the area's that seem to be marked for the most dangerous threat. Unless they happened to be visiting Sendai, or suddenly decided to go to the beach in March, they should all be okay." Yuri-sensei tried to inject a little humor into her explanation but with the live video of the horror playing out on all the screens behind her, the joke fell flat. She sighed and in a more comforting tone told them, "I know you want to make sure everyone is okay. But there is just no way for us to know that, until the initial emergency is over and the cell towers come back on-line. Until then, you should just put your cell phones away and hope for the best."
"But… maybe…" Aiko-chan looked at the phone in her hand hopefully.
"No, I'm sorry." Yuri held her phone up for them to see and said, "Until the initial emergency in Japan is over, these cell phones are only good for calling those of us that are here in Australia."
Aiko-chan, Suzume, and Umeki were putting their phones away when Yuri-sensei's phone suddenly started ringing in her hand. The looks she got from many of them were on the accusatory side as if they wanted to ask her if she had been lying to them or was she just stupid.
"Ah!" she cried out in shock as the thing unexpectedly came to life with urgent vibrations and sound. Believing it was a joke, she glared around at the other members of her party that were in the room, but they were looking back at her in surprise as well. Returning her gaze to the phone, it was a number she didn't recognize but she answered it with a curious, "Hello?"
"Hey! It's good to hear your voice. I just wanted to call and let you know…" The Major's voice was cut off by a hysterical Yuri.
"How! How did you call out? I just spent five minutes explaining to everyone that there won't be any cell service for a while." Yuri demanded.
"You are correct. No-one can make voice calls on the cell phones at the moment. I'm calling you on a satellite phone." The Major explained.
"A sat… does that mean that you're on-call now?" Yuri's fear that her husband would soon have to run off to do dangerous things, fought with her pride that he was one of the people that could really help in a situation like this.
"Yes. I'll probably get a recall message soon. But, don't worry about Ryan. I'm with Ryuuji's grandparents, Ami's mother, Taiga, Minori, and two maids from the Hisamitsu house. We have all of the babies with us. We are in Osaka visiting shrines and malls, and we are all okay. All of them tell me that, should I have to go, they will make sure that Ryan is in the best of care. So, tell them all for me, will you?"
"Yes… I will do that. And… be careful, will you?" Yuri begged her husband. She knew he wasn't the sort to foolishly jump headlong into things. But, she wanted to let him know that she definitely wanted him back when this was all over.
"I love you." he said before the connection ended.
Yuri took a deep breath, then told them all what he had told her.
"I wish… I could have talked to my mother." Ami said quietly as she leaned on Ryuuji.
Ryuuji glanced over at Yasuko and wondered if she was wishing the same thing. But his mother was busy comforting Aiko-chan and Umeki at the moment. Yasuko, who was all of the girl's Onee-chan, was pulling them in for hugs and in doing so, turning their faces away from the scenes of destruction and despair on all the television screens in the room.
"Where were Maya and Noto?" Hisako asked. She had noticed that their names weren't in the list of people that were in Osaka with the Major… and yet their children were. She looked at Nanako who was also wearing a puzzled expression. They were both considering asking Yuri-sensei to redial The Major's satellite phone and ask him what was going on with their friends when they were distracted by something new on the televisions.
Deena summarized the message for everyone as camera's focused on an older man in front of a microphone. "The government of Australia is preparing several response teams that… might be leaving in the next several days."
"Might be?" Hisako was stunned. Considering all the devastation that was being broadcast, she didn't understand that qualifier at all. Aghast, she asked, "Why aren't they leaving now?"
"They can't… for a couple of reasons." Deena explained, "First, they have to get the right equipment and the right people together. But more importantly… they need permission."
"Permission? Didn't that man just give permission?" Ami asked.
"Not from our government. They need to get permission from Japan." Deena said.
"What?" Hisako thought this all sounded like lunacy. How could any country absorb that much damage and not accept help?
Deena thought about leaving that question unanswered for a moment. In this time of tragedy, she didn't want to hit her friends with any additional negativity. At the same time, they deserved to know the truth about something so important. And, if there was one facet of Japanese culture that Deena didn't care for, it was the way the government was always trying to ignore the ugly parts of their own history. So, she took a deep breath and faced Hisako.
"About fifteen years ago, Japan got hit with a pretty bad earthquake in the Kobe area. We were all a lot younger back then, but I still remember it. There was… a lot of damage. Soon after it happened, Australia… and a lot of other countries, offered help… but Japan declined. At the time, they said that the language barrier would just get in the way of the relief work. So they did it all themselves. It took a lot longer that way, and a lot of people suffered that might have otherwise been helped. So, the rest of the world could only sit and watch." Deena said sadly. She knew this would come as a shock to them. That information wasn't widely talked about inside Japan.
Ami was the only one of the group that wasn't shocked at what Deena told them. At the time of the Kobe earthquake, her mother was a rising star of film and stage, so she had a lot of foreign contacts, and was accustomed to traveling abroad. She knew first hand how Japan's refusal to accept any help had seemed like a slap in the face to the international community.
"They… they should go anyway!" Hisako objected angrily.
"Hisako-san, please believe me when I tell you that I feel the same way." Deena explained, "But when a foreign nation shows up, uninvited, on the shores of your country… they call that an act of war."
"But…" Hisako wanted somewhere to vent her anger. Her frustration only grew as the live pictures of devastation and suffering streamed into the many televisions in front of her.
"Don't worry, Hisako." Ami sounded fairly confident, "It will be different this time. The government back then got blasted on how poorly they handled that disaster. I don't think today's Diet will make the same mistake."
.
Friday late afternoon, March 11th – Yamagata, Japan
The airport at Yamagata was crowded with more airplanes than it had seen in a long time. Somewhere between lawyers offices, government buildings, and the airport tower, there would be long arguments over whether any of these inbound flights should be logged as Emergency Landings or not. But such trivialities were not the concern of Noto at the moment. For now, the most important thing on Noto's mind was finding a cab. But that appeared to be impossible. Theirs had not been the first airplane to land and the line looked to be several hours long.
"Shinako-san, you can drive a car – can't you?" Noto asked as the sign that pointed the way to the car rental area, caught his eye.
"Yes, Noto-sama." Shinako grabbed her bag, anticipating what Noto had in mind. However, she thought that the car rental avenue would be fairly hopeless as well. With this many people clamoring for ground transportation, there weren't likely to be any rental cars available either.
.
Shinako regretted her prediction since it was unfortunately, dead-on. There was an unmoving line at each car rental place and the employees were doing everything they could to call in additional cars from their remote sites. Shinako wondered if Noto would give up and want to head back to stand in one of the long lines for a bus or a cab. Their lines were significantly longer, but they were moving faster.
However, Noto had another idea. He noticed a group of motorcyclists that had stopped next to the little park that bordered the airplane taxiway. It looked like they were taking the opportunity to get a few pictures of the unusual activity around the airport. Noto had to admit that it was a fairly remarkable sight. The little airport at Yamagata was set up to accept large airplanes, but not many of them. It only had two ramps to service the larger airplanes, but there were several times that many parked in the limited space available on the airport's small tarmac now. But that wasn't what Noto was looking at now. He was noticing something about the collection of parked motorcycles.
"Tourists!" Noto said as he grabbed his bag and took off at a run for the little park.
"Noto-kun!" Shinako called after her younger cousin as she picked up her bags and followed after him. She didn't really want to leave the warm comfort of the airport terminal building and rush out into the cold air under a gray sky that looked like it might start dropping snow at any moment. But, it was her duty to keep up with her cousin. Besides, seeing what his agile mind would come up with next had become… interesting. Shinako knew she couldn't keep up with his pace, but she soon figured out what his urgency was. He needed to get to the cyclists before they sped off on their motorbikes. When she caught up with him, he was indeed talking with the cyclists.
"Shinako-san, do you know how to ride a motorcycle?" Noto asked as she made it to his side.
"No… Noto-sama. That is a skill… I have never learned." Shinako admitted while still panting to catch her breath.
"Me neither." Noto said with a tone of regret, but not defeat.
A few of the cyclists snickered at the young man's deficiency.
"I am guessing that two of you are from the area and the others are visiting." Noto asked the small group.
"Y… yes. How did you know that?" one of the cyclists asked for all of them that seemed puzzled.
"Two of the motorcycles are smaller and older, while the larger bikes look newer and… all the same brand. I'm guessing that they are rentals?" Noto asked.
"That's right. We are supposed to go back today but…" the man gestured at the airport that seemed unusually crowded with large airplanes. The crowding wasn't the problem though. The real problem was that many airplanes were landing, but none were taking off again… at least not yet.
"All right. For now, I need a place to stay for Shi… me and my cousin. Preferably, a place that has a phone that I can use." Noto told the bikers.
"My sister runs a bathhouse with some boarding rooms over it. She normally rents to kids going to the nearby high school, but since it's between school years, she might have some empty rooms available. What's the deal though? Why is everyone freaking out? My phone said it was just an eight-point-four somewhere off-shore." the tall girl standing next to one of the smaller motorcycles asked.
"And why should we give you a ride? You can wait in line for a cab just like everyone else." an older cyclist in a red riding suit asked.
"Our plane circled over the Sendai airport before we landed here. It is covered in water and mud now. There was a tsunami that resulted from that off-shore earthquake. We saw the wave of water flooding the airport, before our plane went back up into the clouds." Noto told them.
"I… I have friends in Sendai!" another cyclist exclaimed.
"If you are religious, you might want to say a prayer for them. From what I saw, the people in Sendai… and probably every coastal town in northern Honshu – have just been hurt pretty bad. They are going to need all the prayers and friends they can get." Noto told them.
"What are you gonna do?" the cyclist next to the other older bike asked Noto after working his way through the shock of the news he had just heard.
"I am Noto of the Hisamitsu family. Within one day of Sendai, I have three teams of heavy construction equipment and workers. I need to get in touch with the regional government, or whoever is running the disaster response, and ask them how we can be of help."
"Climb on." the cyclist in the red riding suit said as he started his bike.
.
A few minutes later, they were at the bath house. As a hotel, it could hardly be called a one star accommodation, but it wasn't really a hotel. The young woman behind the desk looked frantic as Noto stepped up to the counter. With all that was going on, she was definitely out of her element.
"Sis, they need some rooms." the tall girl in the motorcycle riding gear told the frantic girl behind the counter.
"I… I only have one left." the landlady said apologetically.
"That... will... be... fine." Noto said through chattering teeth while rubbing his hands to get feeling back into them. He had discovered quickly that riding a motorcycle in February without the proper gear, can be painful.
"Noto-sama?" Shinako looked at him curiously.
"Let's not turn this into a cliché anime scene. With all the chaos going on around us, sharing a room with between us is hardly something to be overly concerned about." Noto said.
"No, it's not that. I was just noticing that all the cyclists are leaving. What are we going to do for transportation?" Shinako said.
"Ah… well." Noto turned to see that the last of the cyclists were putting their helmets back on and getting ready to leave. Noto considered all of his options and what trials the environment would likely have for him. "I'll know more after I get in contact with the construction teams. But for now… assume that we might need to learn how to ride motorcycles… rapidly."
.
Friday late afternoon, March 11th – Osaka, Japan
Obāsama was waiting for Maya to finish her session with the doctor, when she heard her phone ping. Looking at the screen, she saw the icon that indicated that she could make voice calls again. And, there were several messages awaiting her attention. The first few messages were from Noto's friend Ryuuji and were timestamped soon after the tsunami warning had gone out. Then there were quite a few more messages from Hisako and Nanako, and finally a few from the two maids that she had sent along with The Major to look after her great grandchildren. Of course, the group in Australia would be able to send messages since they were far away from the disaster zone, but she wondered how her maids had been able to send her messages. In any event, she would answer the messages as she had received them. Obāsama smiled that her grandson's friends were so reliable, as she opened each message and began her responses. However, she had only just sent the first few replies when her phone started ringing.
"Hisako-chan?" Obāsama calmly asked as she answered the phone.
"Obāsama! Are you okay? How are Noto and Maya? How are the babies?" Hisako seemed uncharacteristically agitated and panicky. There had been stories about Hisako slapping sense into Ryuuji when he was being an idiot, but this sounded like something different.
"Calmly, Hisako-chan. Even though we may not be blood related, your position in this household reflects the appearance and responsibility of a family member. Remember that you represent the Hisamitsu family in everything you do. Your actions, your words, and your decisions should be tempered with that discernment. Now, take a deep breath and greet me properly." Obāsama counseled the flummoxed model.
Hisako wasn't an idiot. She was thrilled with the chastisement she had just received. She knew that, if things had really gone to hell there, Obāsama wouldn't have taken the time to ask her to reflect and correct. The fact that she did, meant that nothing terrible had happened… at least not to her immediate family.
"G… good afternoon, Obāsama." Hisako said after a deep breath.
"Good afternoon, Hisako-chan." Obāsama replied.
"My apologies for my previous discourtesy." Hisako appealed.
"Not at all. You are very far away, and your concern for your friends here is very pleasing to me." Obāsama countered.
"We got a message from The Major earlier that he and everyone in his party were okay. Interestingly, he didn't mention that Maya, Noto, or Shinako were with him. Unfortunately, we were disconnected before we could ask any questions. So, by any chance, are they with you?" Hisako asked.
"Maya is with me. We are also in Osaka, but we are at a medical facility for a scheduled appointment. Noto and Shinako were on a flight to Sendai, but they assuredly got diverted somewhere else. There have been several news shots of the Sendai airport and there are no airplanes there now. I have not heard from either of them yet, so if you hear anything, please send me a message." Obāsama said.
"I'll do that." Hisako promised, then added, "Ah, from the conversation with The Major, it sounds like he is anticipating a recall from his military – to aid in the disaster response."
"As expected of someone with his abilities." Obāsama commented, "Thank you, Hisako-chan."
"Should we… hurry home?" Hisako offered.
"I don't think you can. Air traffic may be a mess here in Japan for a few days. After that… we'll see." Obāsama would like the comfort of having Hisako and Nanako near by, but she also knew how much the tall girl had been looking forward to this modeling job, and what it would mean to her career. To walk away from that now… the guilt of doing that to dear Hisako would be too much to bear.
"I can be on the earliest flight." Hisako insisted.
"No, Hisako. Just stay there where I know you're safe… for now. In the coming weeks and months, Noto and I may be in need of your support. But there isn't anything for you to do just yet." Obāsama gently declined Hisako's earnest offer.
"Yes, Obāsama. And… thank you." Hisako said before their farewell.
Obāsama would like to have talked longer, but she also needed to contact the maids to find out how her great-grandchildren were doing.
"Was that Hisako?" Maya asked. She had just been released from her consultation and was ready to go.
"It was. She is concerned about us, of course." Obāsama switched gears as she thumbed down to the emails that had come in and began reading them. At the same time, she asked Maya, "How did your visit go?"
"Oh… he gave me some medication because he said I am sleep depraved." Maya said as her weary mind tried to remember everything the doctor had told her.
"I think you mean sleep deprived." Obāsama suggested with a little smile.
"Oh yes… that." Maya was too tired to understand her gaffe. Trying to relay what the doctor told her before she forgot everything, she continued, "I can't breastfeed while I'm on this medication, so… I guess I've blown that."
"You haven't blown anything." Obāsama said sternly. Then, trying to change the mood of the conversation, she asked Maya, "When are you supposed to take that medication?"
"As soon as I get to a place where I can sleep for eight hours." Maya repeated the doctor's instructions to the older woman.
"Well, we're in luck. According to these emails, Kawashima-san has secured a couple of rooms at a hotel on the assumption that the trains and ferries might be down for a while." Obāsama relayed after reading one of the accumulated emails.
"Ami?" Maya sounded confused. Although thoughtful, it seemed very unlikely that Ami would rent a couple of rooms in Osaka when she was in Australia.
"Anna." Obāsama clarified.
"Oh… yeah." Maya had forgotten that Ami's mother was with them. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs and slapped her cheeks.
"Let's get moving." Obāsama said as she stood up and collected her coat and purse from the next chair. "If we can't get a taxi, it will be a long walk to that hotel. But, once we're there, you can finally get that sleep you need. How does that sound?"
"It sounds wonderful." Maya gave a lopsided smile. She desperately hoped for a peaceful dreamless sleep. And yet, even as she clutched the bottle of medication in her hand, she already started thinking about the weakness in the plan. Even if the sleep were to be deep and very restful, the real problem would still be there when she awoke from that nice sleep. The feeling of detachment she had with her own daughters would still plague her on the other side of that sleep.
I have no right to feel sorry for myself when so many other people are facing real hardships now. Maya berated herself when she thought about the calamity that was affecting so many people. But that recriminating thought only made her feel worse about herself. I am… a terrible person.
Leaning on Obāsama, Maya walked along the streets of Osaka in her half-awake state. Her emotional state seemed to deteriorate with every step. I should be more compassionate for the victims of this disaster. I should be able to love my daughters. What's wrong with me? Have I completely lost my humanity? Why can't I care? Why can't I even love… my own… daughters?
The sorrow.
The guilt.
Maybe it will be better if I just… don't wake up.
.
.
Glossary
Aomori – The northernmost city on the main island of Honshu where the bullet train stops, before it dives into the undersea tunnel to connect to the next island (Hokkaido).
Diet – Japan's legislature, composed of a "House of Representatives," and a "House of Councilors."
Hinamatsuri – "Girl's Day" or "Day of the Dolls." It is celebrated March 3rd of every year until the girl is ten years old.
Obāsama - "grandmother" said very respectfully. In the story, this title is specifically used for Hisamitsu Noto's grandmother.
Obāsan - "grandmother" said normally. In the story so far, this title is often used for Ami's mother and Ryuuji's grandmother, but not for Yasuko.
Osaka – A city west of Tokyo on a bay that connects to the Pacific Ocean. It is also close to the smaller island of Shikoku, which is where the prefecture of Tokushima can be found.
Sendai – A city north of Tokyo along the Pacific coast and about halfway to the northern tip of the main island of Honshu. Of
Shichi-go-san – The "7-5-3" festival for seven and three year old girls and for five year old boys. Held on November 15th of every year.