Monday morning, March 21st – Sendai
Shinako checked her phone for messages before pouring the tea into the cups. It was a western style tea set with fairy tale princesses emblazoned on each of the plastic cups – something obviously made for young children. She would have preferred the simplicity and sturdiness of a traditional Japanese tea set, but it was the only tea set available at the only store that she had found open at the time, so it would have to do.
Her phone had no more news that she could relay to Noto, but perhaps that was best. He had been worried about his wife, his family's company, his friend that he had recently rescued, and about all the other people still suffering in all of this catastrophic madness. Shinako saw worry lines forming around his eyes and she wondered if it was really so necessary to put so much pressure on such a young man. But, that was Obāsama's decision and Noto had accepted the responsibility. That being the case, she had resigned herself to supporting both of them the best she could, for the time being. But… she looked forward for her cousin's return home and... return to university life. He was still a young man and deserved to have the relative happiness and freedom of a college student... for a little while. Someday, that period in his life would come to a close and it would be time for years of toil for him. But that time wasn't upon him yet. Shinako stepped back into the shadows after serving the tea and watched her cousin begin a painful conversation with a close friend.
"Haruta..." Noto tried to start the conversation, but didn't want to burden his friend with more bad news.
"Hey Noto... Dude, it's cool." Haruta reached out and bumped Noto's hand with his fist.
"Huh?" Noto was confused. The way Haruta was acting, it was as if their roles were reversed and Haruta was there to comfort Noto.
"Dude, you're way to tense. Ya need to relax man, it's just me." Haruta said with a weak smile.
"Yeah... we do go back a ways, don't we?" Noto replied with a forced chuckle. He wondered if his happy-go-lucky friend really understood the seriousness of his situation. What Noto had to tell him wasn't the kind of thing he thought he would ever have to tell a high school friend.
"I know it's bad." Haruta closed his eyes and hung his head so that his friend wouldn't see any tears that might come unbidden to his eyes. "Don't worry about me so much… I've already seen so much pain, I don't want you to hurt now too."
"Thanks Haruta. I guess… I'll just come out and say it then." Noto took a breath and said, "I haven't been able to find any news on your uncle. However… there were a lot of people that were pulled out to sea when the tsunami receded and… their bodies have been washing ashore. If you think you're up to it, there is a group leaving tomorrow to visit the collection centers and try to… identify who they can.
Haruta kept his face down. He knew how hard it had been for his friend to have to tell him this and he appreciated that. But he just couldn't give up hope on finding his uncle and his wife. Surely, both of them couldn't have perished and left him…
"When you finish with the last of the centers, you'll need to go up to Misawa. Your wife is in the hospital there." Noto told his friend and watched as Haruta's face came up and looked back at him in disbelief.
"You… you found her?" Haruta gasped.
"I don't know what her condition is. All I know is that she had your wife's identification when they found her and that she matches the description. I'm sorry – that isn't much." Noto started to apologize for not being able to do more.
"No way! Dude that's amazing!" Haruta cheered. In fact, he looked like he might start crying, singing, or screaming for joy. Knowing Haruta, it might be all three. "But wait? Why don't I go to Misawa first?"
"Haruta-san," Shinako decided to step in and save Noto from having to do all the dirty work, "the bodies that washed up on the shore weren't all in the best shape and some of the centers where they are being stored have no power for proper refrigeration. You… may not have much time to identify your loved ones."
"Oh… oh yeah." the thought of what awaited at all the collection centers brought Haruta's emotions back down from the clouds.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do more." Noto felt guilty. He was smart enough to know what this guilt came from. It was survivor's guilt, and probably something that Haruta would be going through eventually. He had been in Sendai for a while now but this was the first time he felt the guilt hit him. It wasn't just that he had personally avoided any injury – all of his family and friends had also come away from this catastrophe unscathed as well. Now there was someone he knew that was going through so many trials. So much pain. Even though Haruta was keeping the despair and hopelessness out of his expression and voice, Noto had known him too long not to see the signs that his friend was suffering.
"Baka! You've done enough. If you did any more, I don't know how I would ever repay you." Haruta's comment that had started off boisterous, ended with his eyes getting wet and he had to turn away.
"I suppose you will need to be off soon, to…" Noto turned to pour some tea so that he wasn't looking at his friend's tears. But his sentence suddenly turned difficult – as if he had just stepped into a pitfall trap.
"We all have our tasks and chores. Noto-sama, you too have a list of things you need to finish up before tomorrow." Shinako tried to help the difficult atmosphere with her gentle reminder.
"Yeah… I guess I should be going." Haruta started to look around for his things… then remembered that he didn't have any.
"Haruta-san, I have prepared a backpack for your travels." She gestured to a bright pink backpack adorned with dancing mushrooms and baby dinosaurs. "I apologize about the fashion statement, but there wasn't much else available to choose from."
"No, it's fine. And thanks." Haruta made a polite bow to Noto's elder cousin. He picked up the backpack and discovered that it was surprisingly heavy. At least… it was heavier than he expected a bright pink backpack to be. I guess Shinako-san really stuffed this thing.
"You have my number, and you know where our family estate is. Call me, or just show up. Either is fine." Noto said as he clasped his friend's hand. A startled Haruta glanced at the clasped hands which made Noto let go and explain, "Sorry, I guess I've been picking up a few mannerisms from The Major."
"Hey, it's okay. And, thanks dude." Haruta stepped past Noto and Shinako with the pink backpack over his shoulders.
Noto's fists clenched as he watched his friend leave. He wished they could have had more time, talked about more things that had happened in their lives… He wished they could feel like they did back when they were in high school together… just for a little while. And he wished he could have done more.
"If you'd given him any more help, you would have embarrassed him." Shinako warned.
"I know. But still…" Noto ground his teeth at the thought of what was in store for his friend. Traveling from city to city as he worked his way up the coast – only to arrive in each town to try and find someone he knew amongst the dead there. And finally to reach Misawa to discover what had become of his wife.
"There is no 'but still' for you, Noto-sama. You have done all you should. Now you must leave the rest to those whose responsibility it is." Shinako said softly, but firmly. She needed to get her cousin past this emotional boulder and back on track. They were almost done with their assignments in Sendai and they could soon return to their more peaceful and pleasant Tokushima where family and friends awaited them. It was not for herself, but she wanted to get Noto home again before the sadness became irreversible. This was no place for a young man to stay and become hopeless and jaded.
Maya-chan, I will be bringing your husband home to you soon. I will leave it to you to do everything in your power to restore him to the optimistic and happy young man that he used to be.
.
Monday afternoon, March 21st– South Pacific Atoll
Ryuuji stood under the shade of a towering palm tree and watched the girls perform for the promised video shoot. At the moment, they were doing a lighthearted song based on another of the poems he had written about how happy he would be if he could just speak to Minori. At least, that had been what he had originally written all those poems for. Now, they were all getting re-purposed as lyrics for songs that the girls would sing. Sometimes he wondered if singing love songs her husband had written for another girl might bother Ami, but she didn't really have a jealousy issue with his first, and unrequited love. In fact, she didn't really get all that jealous when the other girls in the troupe teased him. No, the only person that could turn her eyes green with jealousy was… "Taiga."
"Hmm? Now why would Ryu-chan suddenly say her name?" his mother asked. She sounded innocent as usual but Ryuuji could see her raised eyebrow that indicated more than a passing interest.
"I was just thinking that Ami is getting along well with everyone except… Taiga." Ryuuji pointed out.
"They get along well enough. After all, they are in different universities and all. They probably don't have that many chances to talk things out." Yasuko said casually.
"Talk things out..." Ryuuji's brow furrowed as he though over his mother's words. Then he looked up and asked her, "What things do they need to talk out?"
"Huh? Well… things! You know… girl things. How am I supposed to know?" Yasuko sounded flustered and looked away from her son and out at the blue sea on the horizon.
"How are you supposed to know about girl things? You're a girl aren't you? You're their Onee-chan, aren't you? Yasuko, what are you not telling me?" Ryuuji pressed.
"Ryuuji!" Ami's shout came from several meters away.
Ryuuji and Yasuko looked over to see that everyone was watching them now. Ryuuji hadn't realized how loud their conversation had been but it was clear that it had gotten everyone's attention. He was about to apologize for disturbing their session when Ami spoke up.
"We're taking a break. Let's you and me take a walk." Ami picked up a couple of water bottles as she walked past Ryuuji. Her words may have sounded like an offer, but the tone of her voice let him know that it was a demand.
The island they were on was beautiful with big white sandy beaches and palm trees leaning out toward the blue waters of the South Pacific ocean. But, it was also a very small island… really, nothing more than an atoll. The WIGs had carried several pallets of water bottles since there was no fresh water on the island, but that also meant that there would be no-one there to get in the way of their photography and video sessions. However, that also meant that there wasn't very far to go if you wanted to take a walk. As soon as they pressed through a line of bushes and trees, they were on the inside of the atoll and looking at the calm, blue-green water of the lagoon.
Ryuuji fully expected Ami to lash out at him. She had become very close to his mother and he had just been a bit harsh with her. So, he was completely shocked when she abruptly sank to her knees in the soft sand and bowed her head.
"I haven't been honest with you and… I'm sorry." Ami said in a monotone.
"What? What do you mean?" Ryuuji sat down in the sand next to his wife and looked at her blue hair that cascaded down from her head and hid her face from him.
"Do you know when I realized that I loved you?" Ami's voice had more inflection in it now, but it was all wrong. It sounded like she was close to tears.
"Um… the ski trip?" Ryuuji remembered Ami acting weird then and even getting into a fight with Minori over something that had to do with him.
"Heh… the ski trip." Ami raised a hand under her waterfall of blue hair and dabbed at her eyes before continuing, "No, it was a long time before that. Do you remember when I caught you shopping and was teasing you about looking so sinister?"
"Yes." he remembered it well. Her teasing had stung all the more because the store security man had actually been watching him as if he really was a criminal.
"When we left the store, you gave me some of the meat you had bought. You told me I needed to eat a better diet. And… you called me a child." Ami recalled the moment that she stood there stunned under that street light and watched Ryuuji walking away. Walking back to his home where he would make a nice dinner for his mother and… Taiga.
"I'm sorry if I insulted you." Ryuuji started to apologize.
"No." Ami shook her head a little for emphasis, "That was the moment. That was when I realized that you could really see through the mask to the real me… and you weren't repulsed. You criticized me for being childish, but not in a mean way. I was being childish after all… and you called me on it."
"Oh." Ryuuji wasn't sure what to say… or if he should say anything.
"You have no idea how hard it was for me not to run after you then. But I knew… even if I was able to tease you into inviting me over for dinner, Taiga would be there too. And… there would be no place for me." Ami finally looked up at Ryuuji. He could see that her eyes were red from crying, even if there were no tears on her cheeks at the moment.
"I… I didn't know." Ryuuji tried to remember back to that moment and what he really thought of Ami back then. He decided it would be impolite to tell her that he only thought of her then as an annoyance.
"Of course, I talked myself out of it by the next day. I mean, after all, you were just a nobody and someday I might be a star!" Ami had raised her hands to the sky and said the last line as if it had been a happy discovery. But the look of happiness faded as she continued, "I repeated those lines to myself over and over again… but they wouldn't stick. Every time I saw you doing your best. Every time other people called me mature. Every time you did something nice because it was just natural for you… my resolve crumbled a little more and I loved you… a little more. But, you thought you loved Minori, and then you realized you loved Taiga."
"Ami…"
"You didn't love me. I could tell. I knew you were in love with Taiga even before you did. And, I knew that little twerp was in love with you too. Neither one of you would admit it and it was driving me crazy. Even though you loved her, you wouldn't come out and say it. She wouldn't admit that she loved you either. She wouldn't admit it to herself and she wouldn't admit it to you. And… it was driving me crazy because… because… I was doing the same thing!" Ami's voice had been getting louder and louder until she was screaming at the end. Then she turned and looked at Ryuuji.
Ryuuji could see the pain in her eyes. He knew that she was talking about the dark and embarrassing memories that she would rather have forgotten about… but those were the ones that can never really be forgotten. Without a word, he reached for her and pulled her into a hug while he swung his leg around so he was in front of her. Holding her tightly to his chest, he cradled her head against his shoulder and let her cry out her old frustrations.
"By the time we went on the ski trip, I knew it was too late for me. Even if neither of the two of you would admit it, you were in love with each other by then. I gave up. Me. The star gave up because the palm top tiger had beaten her. But I didn't hold a grudge. I even tried to help her. Remember… when she was giving us those chocolates and I wouldn't let her run away? And then later when you made those ridiculous plans to run away and elope? I was helping her the best that I could. Do you remember?" Ami's arms circled around his neck to hold onto him.
"Yes Ami, I remember." Ryuuji said softly while he continued to hold her close.
"But then, she left… and you fell apart. I felt betrayed. Even though I loved you, I had helped her with everything I had. And she did… that. Ryuuji, I watched you dying and there was nothing anyone could do. She was killing you, Ryuuji! Everything… everything that the two of you had gone through… everything that I had gone through… she just threw it away like so much worthless trash!"
"Ami…" Ryuuji felt her tensing up again and worried that she was going to go back to being angry.
"Well I'm not trash, Ryuuji! And you're not either! We didn't deserve to be treated like that and it made me mad. It made me hate her for discarding our friendship and our feelings so callously! If she was going to discard me, then I was going to discard her too. I threw away my support and I threw away our friendship and I decided the one I was going to help now was you. Just you. And if anyone got in the way, I would crush them."
"Ami… I knew you were upset back then, but I thought you were upset with me." Ryuuji recalled how Ami had pushed, pulled, and lifted his spirit, his emotions, and even his body back then. If it hadn't been for Ami and his mother…
"Ryuuji… I have to tell you something now that might hurt a little. I've put this off for a long time because I was worried that it might cause a relapse or something. Then, when you were stronger… I just didn't want to tell you and make you sad. But, that was unfair of me. It is something you need to know." Ami said softly.
"What? What is it?" Ryuuji tried to move so that he could see her face now, but she was holding on around his neck too tight and refused to let go.
"Ryuuji… I wasn't the only one that let Taiga into my heart and then felt betrayal and anger. I'm not the only one that hated her for what she did." Ami summoned the courage to tell him the truth that she had kept from him for so long.
"Ami, I know Minori was upset with her. I heard about how she slapped Taiga in the classroom, and yelled at her." Ryuuji tried to help out his struggling wife, but he was far off the mark.
"No Ryuuji. Someone else who had already accepted Taiga into her family – which made the betrayal all the more painful. Someone who had to watch her son dying before her eyes, no matter how hard she tried to save him. Her son that she loved so much and had sacrificed so much for – only to watch him slowly dying from the torment of Taiga's callous cruelty."
"Yasuko?" Ryuuji was stunned. He had never heard his mother say a vindictive word about Taiga. This was too much to believe.
"Yes Ryuuji, your mother. Some people have forgiven Taiga, but they don't like her as much any more… or at least, not like they used too. Others like her again, but they haven't been able to forgive her for what she did. I'm pretty sure Minori is in that group. But for your mother… it might be a while before she can either like or forgive the person that almost killed her precious son." Ami's grip relaxed and she slid down Ryuuji's body until her head rested in his lap. The effort to let out all of those pent up feelings had been exhausting.
Ryuuji stroked Ami's blue hair and gazed out at the slow ripples on the clear water of the shallow lagoon. He had never suspected that his mother felt that way, but everything Ami said had made sense. Recalling the recent conversation he and his mother had just had about Taiga, and the way that little talk had sparked into coarse words and harsh feelings… he knew that Ami was probably right.
"What should I do?" Ryuuji asked aloud.
"Buy a punching bag, mark it up to look like Taiga and superglue a crappy orange wig on it." Ami suggested with a slight smile.
"You still feel that strongly…" Ryuuji didn't get to finish questioning Ami's feelings.
"Not for me. For your mother." Ami chuckled.
"Oh." Ryuuji thought about how athletic his mother was and added, "We better get a strong punching bag."
Ami's laughter could be heard from where the others were resting and enjoying the sun. Some wondered what could be so funny to invoke such loud peals of laughter. Others just smiled that Ami was able to laugh so thoroughly again.
.
Tuesday evening, March 22nd – Hisamitsu Estate
Taiga stayed in the barn a little longer than everyone else. She and her friends had come back from a nice long ride. The weather was still a bit chilly, but this would be Taiga and Minori's last day at the estate. Early the next morning, they would be getting a ride to the airport to return to Tokyo. Normally, they would have taken the Shinkansen from Okayama, but the trains were still unpredictable around Tokyo since the earthquake. They took solace that the Tokushima airport was closer than Okayama anyway, and they would be traveling there with Maya, in the same car that would be bringing back Noto and Shinako. Unfortunately, their departure time was before the others' arrival time, so they would miss saying farewell to their friends before they left. Missing a chance to greet her returning friend didn't bother her too much since she never really liked saying farewells anyway. But that wasn't what was making Taiga's heart heavy now.
Standing on a stool, she was brushing down the wonderful old horse that had become so dear to her. She had already combed out his black mane and brushed him down once, but there was no reason why she couldn't brush him down again. And besides, he did seem to like it. She had finished her second pass at working over his shoulders and was making long, sweeping brush strokes across his flanks when he snorted and bobbed his head.
"So, do you like that, or is it ticklish?" Taiga asked. She noticed that he didn't stamp his hoof or try to move away and she smiled, "I guess you like it."
After a few dozen more of those long strokes, Midnight Star craned his neck back and tugged on Taiga's sleeve with his lips.
"Oh all right. I know what you want. Jeez what a spoiled brat you've become." Taiga retorted as she climbed down off her step-stool and moved it back toward the horse's head. She had discovered early on that he really liked getting brushes or scratches under his chin, at the top of his neck, and around his ears. And, surprising even the Hisamitsu stable-hands, he had learned how to ask for it.
The old horse made a huffle sound in response to Taiga's grouching, but kept his head in position to receive the much desired scratches.
"All right, you big baby. Here you go." Taiga abandoned the brush and used her fingers to give her equine friend a thorough scratching in all his favorite places. "I'm only doing this for you since I'm leaving tomorrow, so… so…" she had meant to demand that the horse appreciate her efforts, but she couldn't finish the sentence. Tears that she had been able to hold in check up to now came streaming down her face. She used her sleeve to wipe them away, but the stream continued to wet her cheeks in the cool air of the quiet stables.
Midnight Star felt the luxurious scratches slow down and stop. And the arms of the little human were suddenly wrapped around his thick neck. And she was sobbing. He could sense the sadness radiating from her in waves as she held onto him and cried. In the world of horse affection, one could either show affection or receive it – not both. So, at a time like this, there was only one thing for him to do. He stood there for her to lean into and hold onto. He didn't know why the little human was sad, but she was one of the few humans that he liked and if she needed him to stand for her, that was what he would do. Then, when she finished and turned flank to him, it would be his turn to show affection with a little nuzzle.
"I don't want to say goodbye. I hate saying goodbyes!" Taiga whined through her sobs. She held onto him even tighter for a moment but froze up when she heard another voice in the stable.
"Aisaka-san, please believe me that I would let you have him if you had a place for him. Alas, you are returning to college in Tokyo and that is not possible." Obāsama said softly.
"I… appreciate your kind offer." Taiga struggled to be polite to the elder of the Hisamitsu family. Her own parents had disappointed her from time to time and she outright looked down on her father, but Obāsama had only ever acted with dignity and seemed close to royalty, to Taiga. So, her usual behavior wouldn't be at all acceptable with the lady of the estate. "But, you're right. It would be… impossible."
"I have another offer that I would like you to consider. One that does hold possibility for you." Obāsama said from the entrance to Midnight Star's stall.
"Oh?" Taiga peeled herself away from the horse's neck and looked over at the matriarch with tear stained eyes.
"I have come to like you very much. Indeed, I have yet to meet any of my grandson's friends that I have not liked. But there is something fiery, unique, and very special about you. It is sometimes untempered, but I admire the lively spirit within you nonetheless." Obāsama told the now staring girl.
"Uh… thank you." Taiga knew there was a dig in there, but she was still overwhelmed at the complement from such a noble person. However, she was also annoyed that the old woman hadn't got to the 'offer' she had mentioned.
"I would like to extend an invitation to you to come and visit this old house whenever you wish. It doesn't matter if Noto and Maya are here at the time. I want you to know that you can come and stay as long as you like." Obāsama offered.
"I… uh…" Taiga was startled and wondered if she had heard the old woman's words correctly.
"I'm sure you wouldn't enjoy visiting someone as ancient as me, so if all you want to do is ride the horses…" Obāsama had misunderstood Taiga's stuttering for reluctance and was letting her know that she wouldn't be burdened with having to entertain an old woman if she decided to visit.
"No, no! That's not it." Taiga stumbled down off the step-stool and faced the elder Hisamitsu. She was again fighting for words to say what her heart felt at the moment when a little help arrived. From behind her, Midnight Star chose that moment to show his affection by nuzzling her with his massive head. The force of the contact pushed Taiga a few steps closer to Obāsama and close enough for Taiga to see the emotion on the old woman's face. It seemed to Taiga that Obāsama was as nervous about inviting a young person as she was to receive the invitation… or reply to it. In a flash of inspiration, an old lesson seemed to offer some sage advice – when conversation seems impossible, trust in the rules of proper etiquette. Shifting to formal speech, she replied, "Thank you very much, Obāsama. I will accept this invitation as a treasured gift."
Obāsama watched with stunned amusement as the most erratic of Noto's friends made a very graceful and proper bow. Well, I didn't expect that. Will wonders never cease?
.
Wednesday early morning, March 23rd – South Pacific Atoll
Ami woke up and realized that Ryuuji wasn't next to her. His sleeping bag was still in the tent and the mesh panels were properly zipped closed over the entrance, so she thought it possible that he just needed to go relieve himself. Trying not to think too much of it, she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. It should have been easy to get to sleep here. The temperature was perfect, there was a light breeze of sea air that wafted through the open flaps of the tent, and the background noise of waves lapping against the sandy beaches – all these things should have conspired nicely to pull her back into a nice slumber. But sleep didn't come easily. After a few minutes of not finding the sleep she was looking for, she rolled back over… and rolled over again. She tried a physical and mental relaxation trick that usually worked… but not this time. With a groan, she admitted defeat and opened her eyes. It was still dark, but she knew where her cell phone was. Grabbing it angrily, she looked at her cell phone screen. Of course there was no signal, but could at least tell her what time it was. Or… not?
"Huh?" she blinked her eyes and looked again to see if she had made a mistake. No, her phone was telling her that it was a bit after four in the afternoon. "What the..." Ami looked out of the windows and door of the little tent that she shared with Ryuuji and it was certainly too dark outside to be afternoon. With her frustrations only building around her, she gave up on sleep and decided to go find Ryuuji.
The search didn't take long. As soon as she had left the tent, she saw him out on the beach. The moon wasn't full, but there was enough light from it, and the gazillion stars in the sky, to see the features of the little atoll in stark monochrome. The light made Ryuuji's yellow shirt look white and his red shorts looked black. His hair was tussling in the constant breeze coming off the ocean as he gazed up into the sky. For a moment Ami wondered if there might be something wrong, but it was also like Ryuuji to gaze at the faraway stars too. As she came alongside him, she took his arm and asked, "What's up?"
"Mmmmm." Ryuuji made a contented hum as he pulled Ami around so that she was standing in front of him. With her back to him, his arms wrapped around her and he took her hands in his own. "This is a pretty amazing sight, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Ami had to agree. Sure, there were places in Japan's mountain regions where the stars could be seen pretty clearly, but not while wearing nothing but a beach wrap. Feeling the need to explain why she had come after him, she said, "I woke up and you weren't there…"
"Yasuko and Yuri-sensei were out here drinking a little while ago. I helped drag sensei back into her tent, but I wanted to just look at the stars for a while." Ryuuji told her.
"Getting drunk in the middle of the night, huh?" Ami smirked. She knew that Yasuko used to work in a bar but she thought Yuri's days of getting smashed had ended when she finally got married.
"I don't think they meant to get drunk. They were just celebrating about coming out to a South Pacific Island. Remember how excited they were when I first mentioned it?" he looked back up at the sky and took a deep breath of the ocean breeze. Then he smiled and said, "I thought it was odd at the time, but… I think I understand why those two were so excited to come out here. This place is amazing in the day, and at night."
The temperature had dropped from the bright sun of the daytime, but it was still warm enough that Ami didn't need anything more than her beach wrap. Indeed, she only needed that for the modesty. The warm sea air caressed her body and tossed her hair in a gentle, almost sensual way. Tall coconut palms that leaned out over the wide beach swayed gently in that breeze. In the dim moonlight, the tall slender trees were a dark silhouette against the sandy beach that reflected the stark white moonlight. And, while she took all this in, Ryuuji's strong arms surrounded her and his hands held her gently as if he were holding onto a delicate flower. But his eyes were on the heavens and he seemed fascinated with the brilliant starscape that filled the heavens.
"So, do you recognize any of the constellations?" Ami asked as she gave his hands a squeeze.
"Not really." Ryuuji laughed, "I only know a few constellations and they're all in the northern sky."
"They are pretty though." Ami remembered that one of the reasons for coming after Ryuuji was to find out why her phone was being weird, but that didn't work with the mood that they had going at the moment. And, she was rather fond of this mood. Letting go of his hands, she leaned into him and ran her fingers up his arms until her hands were behind his neck and she was looking up at him. His face was a contrast of pale light and shadow with a halo of stars beyond his wind tossed hair. But the best part was that he had taken his eyes away from the heavens and was looking down at her now.
"Just like you." Ryuuji said softly. From experience, he knew that she was ready for a kiss. His high school self would have been completely flustered in this situation, but after a few years of marriage, he had figured out a few things about 'subtle cues' with her. He kissed her and brought his hands up to her ample breasts. The beach wrap fell away and he discovered that he now had a beautiful, naked girl in his arms. "You… uh… lost your wrap."
"Yeah. Looks like I did." Ami smirked.
"You don't seem to be upset about it." Ryuuji asked while his hands trailed down her sides to her hips.
"I suppose," Ami turned around so she was facing him now and pressed her naked body in close to him, "I'll just have to rely on you to keep me warm."
"Warm…" Ryuuji said just before Ami's lips closed over his in a passionate kiss. Whatever was on his mind incinerated instantly when Ami's kiss ignited the inferno inside him. His arms traced down her back to the firm globes of her bottom and he gave her a firm squeeze while he pulled her closer against his body.
"So… what are you thinking?" Ami cooed when they broke off the kiss.
"That place we went earlier. The beach by the lagoon. Um…" Ryuuji knew what he wanted to say but he didn't want it to come out sounding like a kid or an oaf.
"Why Takasu Ryuuji! Do you want to take me to a secluded place and make out for a while?" Ami teased.
"Yes, yes I do!" Ryuuji rejoiced that his wife was so perceptive. But a bit of his senses came back to him despite the mental fog of hormone inspired desire and he quickly added, "But… only if… it's okay."
"It's okay, but only if you carry me like a princess." Ami teased again. She didn't tease too much since she was ready for a little love play with her husband too.
"Of course," Ryuuji swept her up in his arms and looked into her eyes, "You are my princess. How else would I carry you?"
"Oh Ryuuji," Ami leaned her head on his shoulder but struggled to keep from laughing, "you really need to stop watching my mother's old romance movies."
"Huh? But, I thought that was a really good line." Ryuuji smiled as he started walking off toward the lagoon. He had used an over-the-top line from an over-the-top romance movie, and he knew Ami would recognize it.
"It was okay, but I sing your lyrics all the time so I know you can do better." Ami taunted. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his ear while he carried her in his arms.
"All right. There's one I've been thinking about a lot. I think it's pretty good, but I don't know if you'll like it." Ryuuji tried to keep the mood light, but this really was something that he had been thinking about ever since he had watched the scenes of devastation on the day of the tsunami.
"You're not going to suggest a threesome with Yuri-sensei, are you?" Ami giggled when she felt Ryuuji almost trip from her little tease.
"I want to make another baby with you." Ryuuji said stiffly. He knew she had just made a joke that he should react to, but his courage was there and he felt that this was the best time to say it.
"Huh?" Ami's eyes opened wide. At first she thought that she had misheard him, but she was too close to have confused his words. Then she thought he was teasing her back for what she had just said, but his face was too sincere for that. "Say… say that again."
Ryuuji could feel most of Ami's body with his arms or against his chest and it didn't seem like she was upset. He chanced a look down at her face and saw several emotions at play there. Of course there was surprise and shock. But it also seemed like there was love and hope. The light was dim and he couldn't be entirely sure about that, but he was certain that he didn't see anger or disgust.
"I want to make another baby with you." Ryuuji repeated just as he got to the smooth sands of the lagoon's beach.
"Um..." Ami heard the words again and her heart nearly burst. She had wanted to have another child as well, but there were so many reasons not too. We're were still in school. My entertainment career. We're so young. And then there were the doubts that plagued her. Is the honeymoon over? Does Ryuuji still love me the way he used to? Was he really okay with having a baby the first time? Does he think I'm gross since I had a baby? Have I lost my charm? Would he be angry if he found out how much I want another… But she had heard the question clearly. He had said it twice and there was no doubt. Tears came to her eyes as the realization hit her that all of her fears were completely unwarranted. From the earnest way he had just asked her that unexpected question, those fears that had seemed monumental before, turned out to have less substance than the meager wisps of sea breeze that made Ryuuji's hair sway against the starlight. Ami kissed her sinister looking, but caring, sweet, and wonderful husband as he lowered her to the soft warm sand.
"I… guess this means yes?" Ryuuji asked when they broke from the kiss.
"I've been thinking about this for a while..." Ami blushed but it was unseen in the dim moonlight, "I've been wanting to give Tatsuya a little sister."
"…" Ryuuji was about to remind her that there was no guarantee that they would have a girl just because they wanted one, but he knew what she would say, Baka... then we keep trying! Instead he smiled and responded, "I'd like that too."
.
Wednesday afternoon, March 23rd – Tokushima Awaodori Airport
Across the Kiisuido Strait from Tokushima is the city of Wakayama. From a great altitude, Tokushima and Wakayama almost look like mirror images of each other. Wide at the mouth of the rivers that run through them, where they open into the strait opposite each other, the cities narrow as they pass up into the valleys between bordering mountain ranges. Tokushima appears a little larger and Wakayama has a slightly higher population, but in most other respects, they could be thought of as sister cities. Both of them have harbors, expressways, and rail service. However, one striking difference is in airports. Since Wakayama is just down the coast from the sprawling metropolis of Osaka and it's four commercial airports, it doesn't have one of its own. If there were a Shinkansen link from Osaka to Shikoku Island, Tokushima might not have one either. But the ever expanding network of bullet trains had not yet reached the smallest of the mainland islands. Partly because of that, the Tokushima side of the twin cities had it's own airport. It wasn't an intercontinental monster, or even an international beast, but the convenient airport satisfied the area's regional needs. Being a smaller airport, it didn't have the food courts or souvenir shops found in some of the larger airline hubs, but that also meant that it wasn't terribly crowded… and perhaps a little bit friendlier.
Obāsama and Maya had left the estate with Taiga and Minori extra early, to make sure the girls didn't miss their flight due to traffic along the way. The worrisome traffic hadn't materialized, so they had arrived much earlier than expected. Having taken care of the family's businesses for most of her life, Obāsama was used to airports and train stations from all the travel that had been required of her. So, when they discovered that they had some time on their hands, she suggested they get comfortable at one of the few cafe's at the airport. There wasn't much on the cafe's menu, but the seating area did have a nice view of the sea with Tokushima's distant mountain ranges in the background.
The four women sat quietly, some gazing out the windows and others down into the hot cups of tea they had at their little table. The silence was nice at first as each of them had thoughts they wanted to mull over. But, as the minutes dragged on, the lack of conversation started feeling awkward. Maya glanced over at Obāsama to see if she would do something, but the elder only looked back at her and raised an eyebrow.
What did that mean? Maya panicked a little. The family matriarch still scared her a little when it came to social propriety or responsibility. Maya was trying to learn those things as quickly as she could, but she just didn't have that kind of background. Does she want me to show her my social skills? Is this some kind of a test? Or is she telling me that these are my friends so it is my responsibility? I… I have to do something!
"I guess you're looking forward to getting back to Tokyo." Maya asked Taiga and Minori. She knew that both of the girls had enjoyed their stay, but she guessed they might be bored now and ready to return to their homes… Then it hit her that she may have made a huge faux pas. Taiga had become attached to one of the horses in the barn and had spent some time that morning saying goodbye to him. Maya cringed, realizing that her thoughtless question might have been painful for her friend.
"It's always nice to go home, I guess." Minori replied with her characteristic smile as she added, "I don't have any plans though. I was supposed to leave here over a week ago for a baseball camp. But that was in Sendai, so…"
"Ah yes, I remember you had mentioned that. Have you heard from any of your classmates who were also supposed to attend?" Obāsama asked.
"Yes. Fortunately, they are all okay. Only two of them were there when the tsunami hit, and they weren't anywhere close to the flooding." Minori said in a voice that sounded like relief tinged with sadness. She was happy for her friends, but with so many others who had not been so lucky – it was an incomplete happiness.
"How about-" you Taiga? Maya almost asked. But Taiga was staring into her tea emotionlessly, so Maya quickly changed the question to, "… your school? Do you have anything you have to get ready for the coming year?"
"Not really." Minori did want to check on her team and her friends, but there wasn't anything official they needed to do.
"Yes we do." Taiga glanced up from the green swirls in the tea she had been stirring and reminded her pink haired friend, "We need to look into the Tea Ceremony club. Remember?"
"Oh yeah, I guess there's that." Minori agreed.
"I guess I need to find out about it at my University too." Maya added. As far as she knew, none of them had yet told Ami about the friendly competition they had all agreed on with Kawashima Anna. But, with Ami's mother involved, she didn't think it would take too much coercion.
Obāsama was about to comment on the girls being so enthusiastic about Kawashima Anna's interesting challenge, but her attention shifted to the number of people suddenly moving toward all the televisions. There was one located near them, so they turned to see what was going on. They couldn't hear what the announcer was saying, but the message crawl at the bottom of the screen was quite concerning.
TOKYO DRINKING WATER IS FOUND TO BE RADIOACTIVE. UNTIL THE SITUATION IS STABILIZED, THE GOVERNMENT IS RECOMMENDING AN ADVISORY AGAINST TRAVEL TO THE FOLLOWING AREAS: THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FUKUSHIMA PREFECTURE, THE ENTIRETY OF THE IBARAKI PREFECTURE, THE NORTHERN PART OF THE CHIBA PREFECTURE, THE EASTERN PART OF THE SAITAMA PREFECTURE, THE EASTERN PART OF THE KANAGAWA PREFECTURE AROUND YOKOHAMA, AND THE EASTERN HALF OF THE TOKYO PREFECTURE.
The message repeated twice more before anyone at the table could take their eyes away from the screen. The sound of a message ping on Maya's phone finally snapped them out of their trance of disbelief.
"I had no idea that the damage to the power-plant was that bad." Obāsama said in a stricken voice.
"Can the radiation make it… all the way here?" Minori asked aloud.
"No." Maya answered Minori's question but was looking at her cell phone and reading a text from her husband. "Noto says that none of the currents of water or air are flowing in this direction. So, we should be safe here."
"Attention in the terminal. For passengers with tickets to airports in the Tokyo vicinity – or any airports in the advisory zone, please see your airline representative or travel attendant. At this time, all travel to airports in the advisory zone is suspended. Attention in the terminal…" the message repeated but all four of the women at the table had heard it and understood the implications to their plans.
"Well, I can't say that is unhappy news… at least for me." Obāsama said with unexpected cheerfulness.
"Huh?" Maya, Taiga, and Minori looked at her with astonishment.
"Since you cannot return home just yet, you will both be coming back to the estate – will you not?" the old woman asked the two girls sitting next to stuffed suitcases.
"Yeah… I guess you're right. If you'll have us." Taiga replied while Minori just looked at her ticket and wondered when all this chaos would end and she could go back to concentrating on her sport.
"Of course you are welcome. Honestly, I have quite enjoyed having so many lively people in the old estate. It hasn't hosted so many… pleasant people for a very long time. I actually prayed for some play of fate, to extend your visit for as long as possible." the old woman said with a smile.
"Wow, who did you make that prayer to?" Taiga smirked a bit at the absurdity of the thought that had just crossed her mind.
"What?" Obāsama was confused.
"Just sayin… granting a wish that we could stay a little longer is one thing, but..." Taiga's inappropriate humor was cut short though, when she felt her head suddenly pushed down into a forced bow. "Hey!"
"Thank you for your generous hospitality, Obāsama." Minori gave the appropriate thanks while she held Taiga's head down and bowed herself. She shot a menacing glance at her friend until Taiga mumbled a similar thanks.
"I am glad to have you. Now, you two should go see about your tickets. Maya-chan and I will stay here and watch your luggage." Obāsama told them while trying not to laugh at the two girls' antics.
"Thank you, Obāsama." both of the girls said before trotting off to stand in line with everyone else that needed to figure out what to do in the face of the announcement.
.
"I must say, I continue to be impressed by the friends that you and Noto have introduced me to." Obāsama told Maya after the two friends had left.
"Yes." Maya agreed, "Noto is… very impressive."
"I meant both of you." Obāsama said sternly, "I'm sure Shinako has warned you about the internal sparring in our family. You will inevitably hear a slur against Noto that he is not qualified to lead the family. One of the hurtful reasons they will give will be the claim that he showed poor judgment in that… he did not marry well."
"Ah!" Maya recoiled.
"You must toughen yourself against those that will say such things. And to help you with that armor, allow me to say this as clearly as possible: Noto did marry well. I am very pleased with Maya-chan. And, with you as their mother, I believe that there will soon be a generation of Hisamitsu children to be proud of." Obāsama decreed.
"Thank you very much, Obāsama." Maya bowed as she accepted the praise.
"You don't have to be so formal with me." Obāsama chuckled.
"I'm sorry. It's just… you know that I come from a small family. I can't help but feeling a little… nervous around my mother-in-law, I guess." Maya explained.
"Ha! Big family or small, I think any bride would feel nervous around her mother-in-law. I know I did." Obāsama admitted in hopes of helping Maya to relax.
"You, Obāsama? You were intimidated by your mother-in-law?" Maya was stunned. She couldn't imagine the powerful Obāsama being intimidated by anyone.
"Oh yes. That woman was cold as stone, hard as steel, and sharp as a bowling ball." the old woman said with a twisted smile.
Bowling ball?
Maya's jaw dropped, then she laughed quietly and Obāsama laughed along with her. The joke had been totally unexpected, so it was extremely effective.
Amidst the turmoil and confusion all around them in the airport, the two women at the small table in the café laughed away their worries and felt a little better than before.
.
Wednesday afternoon, March 23rd – 20 meters over the Coral Sea
The two WIGs raced across the southern Pacific ocean, only a few meters above the waves and swells. They were still over an hour from their destination in Brisbane when one of the cabin crew came back to find someone still awake. Leaning into each other in their reclined seats, Ami and Ryuuji were fast asleep on one side of the passenger area, with Deena and Aiko-chan asleep on the other side. One row back, Yasuko was reading from one of the Japanese entertainment magazines that had run a feature on Ami and her Australian debut, with Yuri next to her and, like the others, fast asleep. All the rest of their party were on the other WIG craft.
A crew-member approached Yasuko at first, but he didn't speak any Japanese and Yasuko didn't speak any English. She thought about waking Yuri, but remembered that it was actually Deena's job to be the go-between. Signaling the crewman to wait a moment, she got up from her seat and moved up to where Deena and Aiko-chan were sitting.
"Deena-chan. Deena-chan." Yasuko shook the tall blond Australian's shoulder while calling her name. It took a while since Deena's experience in the RAAF had made her adept at being able to sleep on airplanes.
"Huh?" Deena rubbed the sleep out of her eyes when she saw Yasuko kneeling next to her. "Are we there yet?"
"Not yet, Deena-chan. But one of the crew-members needs to talk to you." Yasuko then looked away and blushed with the embarrassment of her inadequacy, "Well… he needs to talk to someone that understands English."
"Onee-chan, it is nothing to be embarrassed about." Deena said compassionately as she got up from her seat.
"Well… if they are going to be doing more travel for their performances, I… I should learn it so I can be more useful." Yasuko admitted a concern that she had been thinking about for a while.
"Have you talked to Yuri about it?" Deena asked while they traded places and Yasuko's thigh became Aiko-chan's lap pillow.
"Yuri-chan?" Yasuko wondered.
"Well, she is one of your best friends, and she is an English teacher. Right?" Deena was stunned when she saw the look of dawning realization on Yasuko's face. Feeling equal measures of exasperation and humor, she thought to herself, Oh Onee-chan, you've been in the same room when Yuri was taking everyone through English exercises. And, you've been by her side since this trip started. Can you really be that dense?
The crew-member watched the blond get out of her seat and stand up. He had seen her several times, but never so close – and he was suddenly made aware of just how tall she was as she towered over him.
Yasuko watched the two talking quietly in the aisle while she petted Aiko-chan's long hair with gentle loving strokes. The little girl was looking more and more like a young woman, but she was still a little girl inside and Yasuko wanted to protect that innocence as long as she could. Seeing her sleeping face, she was reminded of that innocence and of her own conviction to the little girl. She noticed that she no longer heard the conversation going on next to her and looked back up to see only Deena.
Deena was shocked from what she had just been told. She looked over at Ryuuji and Ami, but they were still asleep. And, this was something she didn't want to have to tell them until she had to. But, it could mean a severe change in their plans. What should I do? I know they all want to go home but… Deena turned and saw that Yasuko was watching her with some concern.
"Deena-chan, what is it?" Yasuko asked.
"Onee-chan. They… the crew passed on to me some troubling news from Japan." Deena said as she knelt next to the seated woman. She handed over the sheet that had the message on it but she knew that Yasuko couldn't read the language. "To sum it up, it is an announcement from the Japanese government that radiation has been found in the drinking water of Tokyo."
"Radiation?" Yasuko asked with alarm.
"Yes. Apparently, the problem at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant was worse than anyone expected. And… it's not just Tokyo. The regions around Tokyo are also affected." Deena said.
"But… that's where we live." Yasuko replied in disbelief, "What should we do?"
"For now, they haven't mentioned trying to evacuate the area. But, until they have the drinking water issue under control… I don't think you can go home."
"Oh no." Yasuko glanced down at the sleeping child in her lap and felt the sadness build. Little Aiko-chan had shown a lot of spirit with her performances and her overall attitude. But Yasuko knew that the little girl was getting homesick. And it wasn't just her. All of them were ready to go home. And now… what? "Deena-chan, what should we do?"
"I… I don't know." Deena knew that they were all getting homesick as well. It would be easy enough to arrange for a place for them to stay for a while, but a cure for their homesickness? That was a trick she hadn't yet learned.
"Will you talk to Ryu-chan and Ami-chan when they wake up?" Yasuko asked.
"Yes, of course." Deena answered.
"Oh… well then, it will be okay." Yasuko relaxed back into the seat and closed her eyes.
"What? Onee-chan, how is this okay?" Deena gaped.
"If you three put your heads together, I'm sure you'll figure something out." Yasuko said with so much certainty that it almost pulled Deena into a state of shock.
After several minutes of staring at the blond Japanese woman, Deena finally shook her head and stood back up. The level of trust that had just been placed on her felt like the weight of the world at the moment. Still stunned, she stumbled over to the empty seat next to Yuri and collapsed into it. It was another few minutes before she realized that the high school teacher wasn't sleeping after all.
"She really got you, didn't she?" Yuri chuckled.
"Did you hear everything?" Deena wondered at how she could be laughing after the devastating news.
"Only that she is going to be counting on the three of you - Ryuuji, Ami, and you, to come up with a solution to whatever it is." Yuri smirked, "No pressure."
"The drinking water in and around Tokyo is contaminated with radiation. None of you can go home." Deena said quietly.
Yuri's smirk went away and she sat up in stunned disbelief. She was hoping that the tall Australian was joking, but Deena looked quite serious.
"And it's not the three of us. I'm going to insist that you be part of the conversation too. After all, as a High School teacher, you are the most responsible Japanese adult here, right. I'll be counting on you to lead us all to a solution that will make everyone happy." Deena raised an eyebrow at the now wide awake sensei and returned the phrase, "No pressure."
"No… pressure." Yuri repeated as she now felt the burden being passed to her. Indeed, Deena was leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes even as Yuri shuddered at the anticipation of the task now before her. For a moment, she remembered the class trip that was supposed to go to Okinawa and how disappointed the class had been with her backup plan to go skiing in the mountains instead. Then she thought of something that might get her out from underneath this burden of responsibility, "Hey, I'm just a school teacher – but you're a member of the military and representing your government. Doesn't that make you the most responsible adult here?"
"Australian!" Deena chimed with a smile. She had anticipated this maneuver.
"Huh?" Yuri didn't see how that had anything to do with it.
"The discussion of a bunch of Japanese citizens discussing their return to Japan is a Japanese affair and should be led by a Japanese person. I will certainly help out in as much as me or my government can, but it is a Japanese matter. Don't you agree, sensei?" Deena smiled.
Yuri's mouth was open – ready to launch an objection… but there was no valid objection and she knew it. And, the smug look on Deena's face didn't help her mood. Glaring at the blond Aussie pretending to rest comfortably in her seat, Yuri grumbled, "You don't play fair!"
.
.
Glossary
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster: After the cooling system is swamped by the tsunami on the 11th of March, a series of disasters begins. Several meltdowns and explosions over the next four days prompts an evacuation of everyone in the area, out to 10km. The failed facility is 230km from Tokyo to the south, and 95km from Sendai to the north.
Fukushima Prefecture: A region adjacent to, and North of the Ibaraki Prefecture.
Ibaraki Prefecture: A region adjacent to, and North of Tokyo.
Chiba Prefecture: A region adjacent to, and east of Tokyo.
Saitama Prefecture: A region adjacent to, and west of Tokyo.
Kanagawa Prefecture: A region adjacent to, and south of Tokyo. This region includes the coastal city of Yokohama.