Thomas Kei is no longer a laid-back philosopher, and on the surface, things are going well. Having started a new career managing an entertainment business, it’s only a matter of time before he and his betrothed from Germany are eventually wed. Despite this, he isn’t happy, and he knows it. Realising his unrequited feelings for Naomi are getting in the way of a picture-perfect new life, he plans to say goodbye in his own special way, by surprising her with her 2 best friends, Louise and Toby. Together, they plan to make her birthday special, create some unforgettable memories in Japan, and after all is said and done, it’ll be easier to leave with no regrets… right?
I find it easier to edit my work on here than using my laptop, so I am uploading my teaser chapters here for easier access. The proper version should be out in a month or so!
This is the sequel to Osaka Sunset (Excerpt available in the listings here), which you may or may not have been acquainted with if you are looking at this. But maybe you want to read this book as your introduction to the Osaka-verse, which I am happy to support as every writer loves an audience.
Chapter One: The Plan
Local theatre. An urban treat, usually for culturally inclined millennials, but Thomas Kei, who considered himself a man of sophistication, was experiencing it for the first time. Indeed, he would not even be here tonight, at this contemporary production of “The Mist”, (written by and starring the one and only Tobias Cooper), if it weren’t for the playwright himself. A bored clerk worked the ticketing booth, a particularly young-looking girl with bright burgundy hair and several facial piercings, who barely looked up from her smart phone as the well-dressed man strolled past, waving his ticket casually, and proceeded to slip into a seat in the backrow of the auditorium. Tobias, or just Toby to his friends, was a local writer, actor, and unintentional comedian, already known for his penchant for brilliant delivery on stage. These were also helped by him being flamboyantly gay, which is almost a prerequisite for males in the Arts, if one were to think about it. Still, there was no denying that talent cares not for sexuality, and Toby stole the show time and time again, no matter how straight a character he was meant to be playing- that’s what good acting is about, after all.
Sitting through, Thomas was suitably entertained, though in truth he much preferred a philharmonic production, as well as opera, to local theatre. In any case, he was not here to be amused, and probably didn’t even need to sit through the entire production: it was a courtesy, but he was mainly here for what followed afterwards. Two hours later, Thomas made his way to the dressing rooms backstage, to rendezvous with Toby, the star, and Louise, the stage manager. Amidst the costumes, haphazardly placed props, industrious stage hands, and miscellaneous equipment, he found them, fervently discussing feedback for tonight’s performance. Catching snippets of Toby’s gushing self-doubt, periodically tempered by the girl’s reassurance that he did fine, Tom smiled privately at how it belied the confident characters he portrayed on stage. He tried to wave to them, but maybe working in a hustling-bustling environment had left them desensitised to their surroundings, and he failed to attract their attention. Approaching them, they were still too engrossed to notice his presence, until Thomas invited himself into the conversation.
“Don’t be ridiculous Toby, you were an absolute stud out there! And of course, we have to thank your hard work too, Louise. It’s the unseen contributions which deserve the most credit!”
The boy and girl looked toward the source of the comment, a beaming Asian man in a suit, holding in one hand a single red rose, and a bouquet of congratulatory flowers in the other. He offered Toby the rose, who was visibly overjoyed.
“Hey Tom! Glad you could make it! Oh, for me? You really shouldn’t have, thank you!” However, his appreciation soon turned to indignation, when the bouquet was extended to the girl, who smirked at Toby, coyly remarking at how pretty her flowers were, causing him to playfully cry foul,
“Hey, why is hers bigger than mine!?”
Thomas grinned, and he couldn’t resist following her tune.
“Now now, Toby, don’t be jealous, you know that they say: it’s not the size that counts, it’s how you use it, right?” This caused the young man to turn bright pink, and roll his eyes, embarrassed but also amused. When they had first met, years ago, Toby was a shy boy who could not dream that he would one day overcome his social insecurities. Even after acting had hit him with a massive boost in confidence, that bashful quality remained, which only served to make him rather more endearing. Laughing at their little joke, they discuss the next phase of their evening, namely celebrating with a meal.
It didn’t take long to arrive at their dinner destination, Oiishi Sushi. Toby loved the place because it was a Japanese establishment he trusted to not kill him. Having an allergy to eggs might seem easy to avoid at first glance, until you realised that other culinary components, such as batter and mayonnaise, tend to contain that lethal substance. Arguably more dangerous than eggs were the products that concealed their presence.
Oiishi Sushi was a remarkably cosy restaurant, more so if you factored in how busy the place usually was, but an earlier reservation ensured that they would not be turned away this evening. Traditional Japanese décor hung about the walls, and even included the iconic “Waves of Kanagawa” near the front counter. It was the other two’s first time, so while Toby immediately knew what he wanted, Louise and Thomas took a little longer to order. Which they eventually did, but not before Toby insisted that he would starve to death waiting for them to decide, and definitely return to haunt them should they be the cause of his premature end. Thomas grinned, and teased him a little more,
“Speaking of premature endings, Toby, I heard things about you as I was wandering around backstage…” This comment causes the boy to huff and raised a pointed finger in protest.
“Don’t you even dare Tom, I’m legit too hungry right now!”
They all laughed at his mock-menacing outburst, which held no true venom. Shortly afterwards their drinks arrived (two peach iced teas, and a lemon lime and bitters for the older gentleman) which provided a much-needed sugar boost for the younger ones, whose theatre schedules demanded a very light lunch break (if any). After raising their glasses to one another, Thomas asks them about what’s happened since they last met, after his trip to Japan, about 6 months ago. Toby had been exclusively focused on his work in local theatre, which admittedly didn’t pay all that much (yet!), but he loved every second of it, and due to a modest lifestyle, coupled with a protective mother, he wasn’t a cliched starving artist (yet!). To Thomas’s surprise, Louise was only volunteering as a stage manager, playing a mother hen of sorts to the acting troupe kids, but she was in the midst of finishing a teaching degree. Previously she had been working in a laboratory, but found the work to be unfulfilling, and after a while resumed studying. Owing to her already having a degree, the education qualification was only a year, and she would be finished by the end of this one. Thomas privately mused on the idea of her as a teacher, and was both thankful and sorry for her future students, who stood to ‘benefit’ under her stern, albeit effective guidance; maybe he was getting old, but he was thinking that kids these days were in dire need of proper direction. Another thought alarmed him, as he factored in how her student status would affect his plans, and the whole purpose of meeting with them tonight. But he could not dwell on this curveball, as the other two were now enquiring about his own life, something he rarely divulged, and never without a riddle here and there. Louise opened with a polite, “How have you been?”, but Toby blurted out something that got the ball rolling a lot more quickly,
“We heard you got married! After you came back from Japan. Is that true?”
“Hah, no, I’m not married.”
“Oh.”
“I am engaged, though,” Thomas grinned, much to the amused chagrin of the other two. Never a straight answer from this man. Toby and Louise offered their congratulations, and asked for more details. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, the soon to be married man related the tale of his circumstances, about how his parents had arranged a meeting with a family from Germany after he turned 29, a few months ago, and how he met the girl, now his betrothed.
“She’s a wonderful young lady, lovely temperament, very educated, cultured, speaks several languages, and most importantly, she’s really easy on the eyes. Please stop rolling yours, Louise, I’m glad she’s pretty: what’s wrong with that? Uh- what was I saying? Oh yeah, my mother adores her, her mother adores me, it looks like everyone is going to get along fine.” Louise, who was naturally curious, almost to a fault, asked Thomas a question that wasn’t being answered as he showered praised upon this foreign girl,
“But do you like her, Tom?” This caused their mysterious companion to stop talking, and Toby, fearing that Louise had been too blunt, tried to diffuse the awkwardness.
“Well, he IS marrying her, Louise!” However, Louise seemed to be on to something, for the look on Thomas’s face, while still composed, flickered with an emotion that resonated with her quasi-inquisition. Neutrally, he replied,
“I am very fond of her, Louise. After I got back from Japan, I’ve been able to make a lot of positive life choices. I’m sure she and I will be happy together.” Louise accepted this answer, but then addressed the elephant in the room.
“Have you told Naomi?” He didn’t answer, and as timing would have it, he didn’t need to as their meals had begun to arrive. Everyone was soon more focused on eating than talking. Their respective main dishes were good, but it was the assorted of appetisers that truly made the experience a fine dining moment: Thomas had not only insisted on covering the bill, but also had gone so far as to order more side dishes than necessary, but that only added to the decadence of this dinner. Both of his guests, however, did notice that Tom chewed rather slowly, and frequently sipped tea from his ceramic cup. Although no one dared to say anything, and soon that observation was forgotten as their patron compared their dinner with the food he tasted in Japan, and how it would be a treat if they visited as well.
“Oh no Tom, don’t tell me you’re one of those people who visit a place once, and then think they’re experts all of sudden?” Tom ignored Louise’s sarcastically remark with a wry smile, but Toby had been listening with great enthusiasm, and wistfully exclaimed,
“Oh man, I would love to go to Japan one day, if I can ever afford it! I’ve never even left the country before! What about you- Louise?” The girl begins to answer, but comically start to choke slightly, and sips on more iced tea before resuming the conversation, albeit chokingly,
“Yeah, it’s definitely on the top of my priority travel locations. But I don’t know, even if I did have the money… the language barrier might be a problem… What do you think Tom?” This was the moment he had been waiting for, and he decided to seize it with all the cajoling tact at his disposal,
“On the contrary! Japan is well suited for Western tourists: the public transportation system uses English too, along with Japanese, Korean and Chinese! But English is definitely in use within major urban areas. I suppose most of the locals aren’t too fluent though… Still, don’t take my word for it: how would you two like to go there yourselves? Let’s say, next month?”
It took a moment to register what kind of offer was now on the table. Most people would assume it couldn’t be serious, but one could never really know with Tom. It was Louise who broke the silence,
“Are you joking!? That’s kinda soon, don’t you think Tom? Plus, and maybe I’m wrong about this Toby, but we couldn’t aff-” Before she could continue listing the economic hurdles, he cut her off mid-sentence,
“I’ll take care of everything. If you two agree, I will take you to Japan, next month. Just say yes, and I will cover all the major expenses.”
Stunned silence reigned supreme as Toby and Louise were trying to determine if he was simply playing an elaborate joke, but Thomas smiled and waited expectantly for an answer. None came at for least several moments.
The 24 year old boy and the 25 year old girl were now focused on the 29 year old man sitting across from them. They had not seen him in months, not since he returned from Japan half a year ago, and shared his experiences over a lunch together. Not that they saw him very often, even before Japan. When he invited them out for dinner after the show, they thought nothing of it, but in truth the three had a strange dynamic. While he was very friendly, Thomas was not especially close to them, possibly due to differing interests, and possibly because Thomas could be rather queer at times, almost as if he was trying to mimic what a normal person should be like, but lacked that fundamental, authentic spark. He was more of that affably eccentric character you would hang out with in a group, a true personality, and extremely useful to have around. But on a subconscious level, his larger-than-life personality meant that he just wasn’t someone they were comfortable spending huge amounts of time with; perhaps it made people question themselves, when contrasted in his company, or perhaps people could sense that he refused to be open with them. So why were the three of them chatting and having dinner together now? Simple: it was because they shared a dear mutual friend, who had left for Japan years several ago, and whom Thomas had visited at the start of the year… Naomi…
Realising that he was serious, Louise nonetheless had to confirm if she understood his proposal.
“You can’t be serious! What possible reason could you have to take us there?” Toby was equally intrigued, and Thomas saw that he would need to cajole them a little further.
“I know, I know, it’s sudden. And please forgive me, I- I know it’s a selfish request, but it’s Naomi’s birthday next month, and I wanted to do something special for her.” Louise began to figure out his reasoning, but she needed to hear him say it.
“I get that, but why would you want to do this for her?” Thomas tried to find the right words, then looked away, avoiding her gaze, but Toby attempted to keep the atmosphere light with a gentle reprimand.
“Really, Louise? You have to ask that? It’s okay Tom, we understand.”
The fact that Thomas had feelings for Naomi was an open secret of their group, from back in those nostalgic days when everyone still hung out as a group. Of course, back then, no one really wanted to discuss it either. Maybe the idea that Thomas was capable of such a human emotion clashed with their perception of him, but there was also the fact that no one could imagine the two of them actually dating- especially when she moved away. A few had felt bad for him, as when she left for Japan he simply faded away into the background of their group’s social life… But it was so long ago! Could it be that he still held a flame for her, after all this time? Impossible, but then again, this was Tom. Louise was not the type of person to back down from what she considered to be a valid point, and gave Toby a sharp look,
“Yeah, we know, but we also know she’s not interested. Plus, he’s getting married, isn’t he?” Toby winced, before realising how complicated this request had become.
“Oh yeah… okay Tom, we need an explanation! Why are you doing this?”
He sighed, this romantically complicated man, and saw that there was no course of action but to be ‘entirely’ forthcoming. Or at the very least, appear to be so to these two, on who his entire plan hinged upon. He did go to Japan to see Naomi, to determine if there was anything there after all this time, and fell in love all over again. Yet Fate still did not favour him: the young man, who had known that girl from years ago, was now approaching middle age and realised that he had no business indulging himself any further. Duty compelled Thomas Kei to get on with his life, so he accepted the circumstances with as much grace as he could muster. His parents had arranged a meeting with a suitable girl, whom he did not have any objections to marrying, and he had also begun a new career in management shortly after the betrothal was settled. Not that Louise or Toby had any inkling of his personal journey in the last couple of months: he was a private man, even amongst close friends. In order to win these two over to his side, he now had to explain himself,
“We met up, and we caught up, but we didn’t talk about how I feel. Felt. It’s true that I still care about her, more than I’ve cared about any other girl. But, please, believe me when I say that I’m not trying to change her mind about me.” Seeing that the two were captivated by his sincerity, he continued. “I am going to be married, soon, eventually, and I’m very fond of my wife to be, but Naomi was the girl I chose, not the one my parents chose for me. She, that is, Naomi, also told me that she’s never been in love, so I thought, maybe I can show her what it’s all about. You know? That, when you’re in love with someone, you do crazy things in order to make them happy. I want to surprise her with you two, on her birthday! Please consider my request, I know it would make her happy to see you again, in a way that I never could…”
Toby was swayed by the awkward pleading that had gradually built up in Thomas’s voice. A free trip to Japan was very enticing too.
“Oooh, my inner storyteller can’t resist the narrative! Louise? What do you say? I think we should go! I’ve got a break next month, after the season production is over. Can you fit this in your class time?”
Louise frowned slightly, as she weighed the possibilities. She was very reluctant to be in debt to Tom, whom she had never fully trusted, though generally believed to be a decent guy at heart. Even if he was willing to pay for the trip upfront, he surely would want something in return, he just hadn’t revealed what it was yet. And once they accepted his ‘gift’, they would be obliged to honour his requests or risk appearing ungrateful. While she did want to see Naomi again, in Japan of all places, she wasn’t thrilled with the concept of Tom having any sort of power over her: all the more so in a foreign land where she would be forced to rely on him. She needed to test the waters a little more, to figure out his end game.
“Well, if we’re seeing her on her birthday, I could probably manage my schedule… But, Tom, honestly, I’m not comfortable with the idea of you paying for everyone- this isn’t dinner or a movie, we are literally talking about a lot of money! I don’t know when I could pay you back either, so it just doesn’t feel right.”
“Louise, I told you, it is a no strings attached holiday! I don’t want repayment, I don’t need the money back, I just want your help in creating an unforgettable experience.”
“And I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it! I’d be thinking about the costs the entire time, and that would just ruin the experience for me.”
Thomas hesitated, almost as if mentally grasping for straws, before continuing his line of persuasion.
“Louise, I still owe you one for covering me on that ski trip we took several years ago, remember? Happy Fun Snow Times! That was our special adventure, planned by you, and we all had a great time! What’s the difference now? As far as I’m concerned, this is merely me returning the favour.”
“No, Tom. No, it isn’t. I did cover you back then, but that’s only because I asked you to go on short notice, and you said you wanted to go but didn’t have the funds. You even paid me back the money shortly afterwards, so it’s really not the same thing. Look, I know you want to do this, so how about we go next year, for her birthday? I’ll probably be working as a teacher by then, so money won’t be such an issue.”
Thomas was dejected, but still determined, as he applied extra charm and persuasion into his plea,
“I can’t accept that. It has to be this year. Toby is on board with this, so what’s the big deal?”
Toby, who had been silent during the entire debate, took this opportunity to voice his thoughts.
“Erm, Tom? Why does it have to be this year though?”
Sighing again, the would-be patron of their Japan trip quietly elaborated, almost speaking to himself as much as the other two.
“This year might be the only time we can all go, before Louise is a teacher, and Toby is acting on Broadway… maybe hahah … And, I’ll be married. Married men should not really spend time with beautiful women who are not their wives. I want to do this, now, and then leave everything about it behind me. I want to do one last thing for Naomi, to show her how much she means to me, before I do the right thing and focus on my new life. Is that so hard to understand?”
Louise was conflicted. On the surface, it seemed like a good deal. Hell, one could even go so far as to say it was a fantastic deal! She did miss Naomi, her study buddy back in the day, though the latter studied Law while she herself majored in Chemistry. Seeing her again would be well worth the time, and even if in a country as exciting to visit as Japan, their reunion would galvanise the trip as unforgettable. Yet there was the delicate, almost worrying, issue of Thomas, both his unhealthy fixation on Naomi, as well as the faint idea that they were taking advantage of his feelings for personal gain. All of the complications involving his upcoming marriage and residual feelings for Naomi, and Louise’s own misgivings about Thomas, were clouding her judgement, so she did the most logical thing anyone could do when faced with a difficult decision: procrastinate. With a sigh and not a small amount of reluctance, she delivered her counter-offer,
“Give me a week, Tom. I want to think this over when I’m not tired after a long day of dealing with drama queens- no offense Toby. But if any of you try to bring it up between now and then, it’ll be a ‘no’ on principle. Is that understood, boys?”
The rest of their evening meal was spent in polite and neutral conversations, such as the quality of the desserts, the décor of the establishment, as well as the general weather tomorrow. When they finish Thomas asked for the bill and paid it, as he typically did, before they headed off to their respective cars, bidding each other goodnight. No one had been able to forget the proposition looming over their heads, but no one said a word more about it. No one could think about anything else, either.
Chapter Two: Faustian Bargain
It went well, Thomas thought, as he made his way home. It was hard to gauge how well though, for he had enough experience negotiating with Louise to understand she would be reluctant to accept his offer. On the other hand, Toby had been a much more straightforward case, a little hesitant at first, but ultimately conscripted to his cause. He was thankful for this, as he wanted an ally to help persuade the proud girl. Perhaps one should be thinking as to what was his end game; Thomas liked to think of himself as simple, in a complex way, but in this case, it did not take a cynic to be suspicious of his true intentions. Though he did well enough for himself, he wasn’t particularly rich, at least not enough to randomly give out holidays, and he wasn’t particularly close to the other two either, at least not enough to warrant such an extravagant gift.
A simple man befits a simple reason, and that reason would be who he planned on surprising in Japan; Naomi was the real reason these three were even talking, because Thomas and Louise had clashed over their personalities ever since their first meeting, and Toby, while personable, was closer to her than him. But all of them loved Naomi: her friendship was invaluable even years after she moved away, despite not keeping in touch very often. It was for her sake that he, Thomas Kei, was doing this. At the start of the year, just before his 29th birthday, he took a personal pilgrimage to see her, prompted by a choice of an arranged marriage or joining a secluded priesthood somewhere. It was she who ultimately, albeit unwittingly, convinced him not to withdraw from the world that seemed so lacking without her, to move on rather than be alone. So he did just that, because to do otherwise seemed like an insult to both his feelings as well as her joi de vivre. And at first, he thought he had done the right thing.
After Japan, he had met with the family of a wonderful girl, who slowly caused him to forget about Naomi, and impressed him with the chance for a steady, solid reciprocal relationship. Within two months, with the blessings of both families, they had established the betrothal, an old fashioned system, true, but one which usually resulted in far less divorces than those who wed on more impulsive foundations. He was mostly content, even if he admittedly wasn’t completely happy, but he brushed that feeling aside. If people could fall in love, then why shouldn’t they be able to grow in love as well? His new lady was someone whom he knew he could build a long lasting relationship with, this he was sure of.
So why all of this? Why could he not stop thinking of Naomi, even after his betrothed had come and gone back to Germany, and he had found a proper job to plan for a future that seemed perfect on paper? It bothered him so much! After wracking his soul for what seemed like eternity, he thought he knew why: he never told Naomi that he loved her, not directly, even if it was strongly implied, and it was consuming him. Of course, that all seemed impossible to do now, with his current situation, but as a sop to the unrequited feelings he had held on to this entire time, he wanted to lay the matter to rest once and for all, with actions that spoke louder than words. A man would not do well to be unfaithful to his wife, and he was never one to shirk his duties; no matter how difficult his situations over the years, he was committed to furthering the Greater Good, no matter what cost to himself. Once he was done with this adventure, this final weakness on his part, he would devote himself fully to the future that glimmered in the far distance, a hope for personal salvation. It greatly helped that he was also very fond of the girl to whom he had been betrothed, and had always treated her gently: he did not wish to hurt her, and thus sought to resolve his unresolved feelings before he did something he would regret forever.
Over the course of the following week, Thomas kept himself busy at work, and he was lucky that the business was receiving a lot of it too. He needed to keep his mind off things, to practice patience and perseverance. Most importantly, he had to accept that if Louise said no, he would need to reformulate his approach. In his entire life, if he wanted something, he was rarely deterred by initial set-backs, and once he had made his mind, his sheer determination could be comparable to an unstoppable force. Yet he had met people who could be described as immovable objects, and would dig their heels in if they felt they were being controlled: Louise was the definition of such a person. So, over the years, he learned to employ subtler approaches, signified by his study of The Art of War, and he came to understand that while he could probably win through overwhelming activity, the better approaches were often softer, a passive shaping of the circumstances to suit his end goals. It was his nature to take a compromising stance, but on this matter, he was determined to use every leverage to his advantage. This is what ran through his mind, as he saw the message on his phone, a few days later, before the week was up: it was Louise, telling him that she was very sorry, but she simply couldn’t justify the financial strain, and she wouldn’t feel right letting him pay. He simply stared at his phone, blankly, but unfazed by this set back, only considering his next move.
Of course, Louise could not have known that, but she knew that it wasn’t the response that Tom had sought. Nothing comes free in life, that was the philosophy she had always lived by, until she met Thomas all those years ago, and discovered that he wasn’t just generous to a fault, he was worryingly nice. It slightly creeped her out: not that she saw him as a creep, even with his archaic sense of nobility, but it definitely rubbed her the wrong way.
If she was being honest, she also didn’t like that she couldn’t read him as well as with most guys: he was a notoriously private man. Even when she thought she was getting close, there was some sort of static interference around him that indicated he was hiding so much more. Combined with his offbeat personality, it was infuriating, because she had always prided herself on her intelligence, yet without even trying he seemed to always get the better of her, and she never knew when he was simply joking or being serious. But during that dinner, he was definitely making a serious request. So why was he doing this!?
In the following week, that was the question Louise tried to decipher, as she attended classes, did her homework, tidied up her apartment, and wracked her brain trying to find a plausible way that Thomas was exploiting them with this proposed adventure to Japan. She was aware that he had an unhealthy attraction to Naomi, but that didn’t explain why he would go so far for a girl who had never been remotely interested in him, and it wasn’t as if that would change if they went to Japan. Ah Japan, she had heard exotic stories about the country from other friends who had visited- it was a place she couldn’t begin to fathom, and widely praised as a must-see tourist destination. Plus, if she accepted Tom’s offer, she would also get to see Naomi again… NO! She couldn’t think that way, she mustn’t… in her eyes, Tom was essentially the Devil who gave with one hand and took away with the other, offering her something and making it seem so easy to accept. But she knew, ever since she was young, that in life nothing comes free. Her mother on the other hand, thought differently.
After Louise had told Thomas that she simply had to reject his offer, she couldn’t stop thinking about the opportunity she had just let slip past her fingers. It was unfair too, as she was busy finishing off her teaching degree, and being very prudent with her finances- if he had asked her to go in half a year, she could probably afford it on her own. It gave her no peace of mind, so a few days afterwards, she called her mother, whom she did try to maintain regular conversation with, despite having moved out when she became a legal adult. It helped to calm Louise, as she vented her feelings about the entire situation. Her mother was grounded, and supportive, as they talked about it further.
“Tom- isn’t he the guy who went skiing with you girls a few years ago? I sort of remember him, he sounded like a nice boy. But hey, if you don’t feel comfortable around him, it’s probably better to trust your instincts.”
Louise had to clarify that she didn’t have a problem with him, per se,
“No, it’s not that he makes me feel ‘uncomfortable’ like that. I mean, yeah, he’s weird, but I do think he tries to be a good guy. He wouldn’t do anything to us… I don’t think… we should stop talking about it like this! (Sigh) You know, it’s funny, because we all thought, like, years ago, that he was strongly asexual, before finding out that he was in love with Naomi since forever. Apparently still is! What kind of guy does that, honestly? And he told us he’s getting married soon too! I’m not sure what’s going through his head, but that’s nothing new because he’s always been impossible to work with!”
Her mother demurred for a moment, considering the implications, before responding with noticeable sympathy,
“Well, whatever his reasons, maybe it’s better that he gets it out of his system sooner rather than later.” Louise was in no mood to be placated yet, and continued her impassioned ravings,
“That’s the thing! He’s had years to move on and he still pines after her. I’m pretty sure this is secretly some sort of attempt to win her over, and that’s just wrong. Sick, almost… Naomi is going to feel like she owes him after she finds out he paid for us, and I don’t want that on her, or me, either.”
Then, with the next sentence, her mother completely changed the previous deadlock between Thomas’s obstinate generosity and Louise’s stubborn principles,
“What if I paid for your flight?”
“Huh?” Her mother continued,
“You heard me, Lulu. That way you can go- it sounds like Toby’s okay with the original offer, but now you won’t have to owe him too much. Is that okay, you think?”
Louise was rendered speechless by the new possibilities. If this was the case, she would probably have enough in her savings to cover remaining traveling expenses. It would change the power dynamics, and she would be more willing to accept, but could her mother afford it? That being said, how much would a trip to Japan cost, anyway? She never asked Tom, assuming that it would likely be exorbitant.
“Wow, um, thanks. Um, I- I guess that would be okay… but I don’t actually know how much it costs. What if it’s too much?” Her mother laughed in that annoyingly sagely manner of hers, which indicated that she knew that Louise was almost bought over, and asked,
“Well, what if it isn’t?”
A valid point. Louise conceded, and she resolved to ask Tom tomorrow. It was late now, as her mother and she had chatted for hours without her realising, and she was exhausted, both physically and mentally. She dropped into her double bed and snuggled beneath the flowery patterned quilt her mother had given her as a Christmas gift last year, made of a conveniently lightweight yet warm fabric, probably something like a synthetic blend. It was getting chilly during the evenings, so she was grateful for the comfort that the blanket provided, literally as well as symbolically.
Chapter Three- Compromises
In the morning, feeling less overwhelmed, she prepared herself to send Thomas a message that didn’t make her sound so fickle. As it turned out, she would not need to contact him, however, because he had already sent a message while she was asleep, inviting Toby and herself for dinner again, that very night. He said it was to thank them for their time, and to collect any well wishes or presents they would want him to take to Naomi for her birthday. Following his tune made it much easier to enquire about the hypothetical costs of a Japan trip. Thomas, despite a penchant for being vague more often than necessary, was surprisingly straightforward, and estimated a cost that did not seem very grand at all, though he did ask her to keep in mind that his spending habits were likely very different to hers, and thus he could not give her a precise figure on her traveling expenses.
Still, it was better than she had initially imagined, which her mother agreed after she had explained the update in a text message. So, with her mother’s blessing, she planned on asking him about it later that evening, when they were all together. He had insisted that they could choose the restaurant, and as Toby had picked last time, the decision fell on to Louise. She picked the only IKEA in town of all places. Despite primarily known for dealing with furniture, homewares and household appliances, in addition to Scandinavian continental groceries, IKEA also featured a restaurant. Their Swedish meatballs was something that had always struck her fancy, and she had been meaning on visiting the place soon anyway, owing to a new limited time menu. Plus, IKEA was very affordable, and she was determined that this time she would cover her own meal.
They were able to rendezvous on time, despite a hiccough regarding Toby’s train, and Thomas was coming from work so he was almost delayed due to evening traffic congestion. It occurred to her that no one really knew what he did, and how he made his money. In fact, they rarely got a straight answer regarding his personal life, and he was careful to not disclose anything that was too informative. Yet she had some leverage now: he wanted her to go to Japan, and she could surely make a few enquiries before he changed the subject. It would be interesting to know what he did to afford that care free attitude he took with money, as some drunken conversations in the past with their other friends has suggested that Tom was actually a hitman, which was riduclous, but a lot of fun to conjecture. However, she had to be patient and slip it in at the right time, otherwise he might notice her casual investigation and possibly leave false clues, which would be a waste of her mental preparations. Needless to say, it would irritate her curiosity to no end. She was already beginning to get overly anxious regarding tonight: would his offer still be on the table? Maybe it was the hunger, but she thought that if he had withdrawn his proposal, she was technically to blame for the loss of a holiday, not just for herself, but Toby as well. She assume that it was all or nothing with Tom, and trying to change his mind would place her in a weaker bargaining position. Oh hell, she thought, it was something to worry about later, as right now the smell of meatballs wafted through the cafeteria styled dining hall, and she followed the guys, who were walking much faster than she did. It appeared that they were hungry too.
Louise would be rather disappointed if she thought that she going to be paying for her meal, as Thomas casually covered everything again in that damned well practiced manner of his, but she was far too distracted by the meatballs, which she had decided to try with a lingonberry sauce, complemented by the seafood salad. Toby was being uncharacteristically healthy, choosing a fruit salad, banana bread, pumpkin soup, and a side of fries (okay, maybe the last one didn’t qualify). Thomas picked the chicken schnitzel and chips, as well as a small serve of fish and chips: a classic man’s meal, fried, with not a true vegetable in sight. They all received unlimited IKEA soda, which differed from the standard Coke or Pepsi range, but on this occasion the flavours, such as Pear Cider, Lingonberry, and Arctic Lemon, made their experience extra memorable. Finding a table that was not too far away from the drinks dispenser, Thomas mockingly declared that he would bankrupt the restaurant via his soda consumption. When Toby longingly desired a schnitzel as well, but could not eat one due the crumbing containing egg, he was immediately horrified to see Tom scrape his own (untouched) schnitzel clean, before offering it to him.
“Oh no, Tom, I’m sorry! I should have been clear- I still can’t eat that as the egg enzymes are likely present in the chicken! cross contamination and what not… I’ll get you another one, okay?”
Thomas only nodded apologetically, declined a new one, and simply proceeded to dine on the now separated crumb and fillet. Toby jokingly admitted that he found the sight disturbing, as if his ancestral European genetics were protesting the sight of a naked schnitzel, which they found highly amusing. Mock anguish still incites schadenfreude, after all. The older man pretended to sigh, and responded with,
“Ah Toby, maybe it’s better that you’re not going to Japan: egg is practically in every dish there, especially if you count mayonnaise and crumb coating. Of course, I would have made sure you did not eat anything dangerous; they still have McDonald’s after all!”
Aware of how tasteless and undignified that sounded, Toby still thanked God that option existed, no matter how unseemly. Such a comment reminded Tom of Jake, his brief travelling companion from his last Japan trip, and how every time he had wanted to stop for fast food his young companion would strongly object: after all, they didn’t go all the way to Japan to eat McDonald’s!
This was the moment Louise was waiting for, as she and Toby had finished with their meals, but Tom was eating very slowly, and seemed quite thirsty, frequently refilling his glass. She noticed that though he was still eating, he seemed uninterested in the food, taking a small mouthful in between conversation. Bracing herself, she casually spoke,
“You know Tom, if you still want us to go, and if Toby is okay with it, I think I might be able to afford it after all…” Toby was taken aback, but delighted at the prospect of their adventure resuming. Tom simply smiled,
“That’s wonderful, Louise! I am forever in your debt, if you would acquiesce to the idea. In fact, I did bring some of leaflets and travel information tonight, if you two have some time?” Without waiting for a response, he took out a few sheets of paper from the black laptop case he carried into the restaurant, and passed them around. After a moment, he also took out a very colourful A4 sized booklet, which had many pretty pictures of the popular tourist locations, such as Tokyo, Mt Fuji, Osaka, etc. He said it was from his travel agent.
The glossy booklet featured price listings of cruises and hotels, and that caused Louise to experience a mild shock. Those prices listed were significantly higher than what Thomas had told her, and she didn’t know if her mother would go any higher than what she had quoted, based on his information that morning. Yet, come to think of it, Thomas seemed too calm and organised for this to just be an informal dinner, and he didn’t seem surprised to hear that she had changed her mind. He looked eager yes, but not taken aback in any way. It was impossible, she thought, there was no way he could know she had changed her mind, unless…
“Hey, Tom, I want to know. Have you been speaking to my mother?” Her tone was even, but her gaze remained unwavering as she scrutinised Tom’s face, hunting for even the slightest detection of deceit. His eyes flickered, but it was almost in a bored manner of expression that he replied,
“Actually, she approached me, Louise.”
This caused all of the girl’s calculations to freeze, as she processed what was just told to her.
“What???”
Thomas began to explain to Louise, and Toby, that her mother had sent him a message after that eveing she had spoken with Louise, and essentially asked what Louise had asked about the pricing and conditions of his offer. Nothing he said differed from what he had told her, and to be fair, it wasn’t as if she asked him about whether or not her mother had spoken with him either. Louise couldn’t believe it: he had outmanoeuvred her again. To make matters worse, he used her mother against her! Normally she would have gotten defensive, or possibly even left the table if she was in a bad enough mood, but Toby was looking so excited before, and she let the new information wash over her, resuming the discussion in a neutral tone. Thomas did not fail to notice this, but maintained his poker face,
“Is everything alright Louise? I’m keeping nothing from you: your mother and I simply chatted and she mentioned that she would be willing to help me cover the basics. I tried to tell her that she did not need to do so, that she could just pretend and I would pay for it. You know why? Because it’s meant to be a gift! But she’s a lot like you, or maybe it’s more accurate to say you’re a lot like her? Anyway, we both agreed that she raised a very independent young woman, and I relented- surely that doesn’t surprise you?”
Louise was looking visibly more relaxed, and certainly more accepting of the situation now. Toby was a little confused, but intelligent enough to piece together what transpired, and over the years he was no stranger to their bickering: it didn’t even compare to what he was used to dealing with in dramatic acting circles. There was an awkward silence, for only a brief moment, before Tom sighed, and leaned forwards, elbows on the table, bracing his head by resting the temples on his palms. It was sign of defeat.
“Look, Louise? Toby? I’m begging you both, more Louise that you, Toby, but still hear me out! I really need to do this, and it irks me to know that I simply can’t do it without the both of you. I know Naomi doesn’t- I know she won’t ever like me, but I want to do something to show her that I love her, that it’s not just a crush. For my sake, if not hers. Maybe I should’ve just let it go, but the truth is I can’t ignore how I feel. So here’s my offer: We will head to Tokyo and enjoy ourselves there until the day before Naomi’s birthday, at which time we will experience the shinkansen bullet train to Osaka and pull off the greatest surprise gift in history! I will cover everything: our flights, the accommodation, any transportation, and I vow that you two will never be hungry while we’re there. I’ve even prepared a small gift of 10 000 yen each, for you to spend at your discretion. Louise, I will also accept any contributions without objection, and you two will simply need to make sure you take care of things like passports, as well as bring extra cash for souvenirs or whatever else you might like there. Does this sound reasonable?”
Louise and Toby both agreed, the former rather stoic but gracefully so, and the latter much more enthusiastically.
“You drive a hard bargain, Tom, but I accept!” Toby’s mannerism broke the previously tense atmosphere, and they all shared a small smile, albeit for different reasons.
“But we insist on paying you back, over time, isn’t that right Toby?” Toby began to say something, but what it was will never be known, as Thomas responded immediately, exasperated,
“Fine, fine! But I really don’t want the money back: please try to understand. I do have a favour to ask of you both though… about Naomi.” Thomas looked away, and Louise felt a surge of vindication. She was right, in thinking that it was impossible he would not try to reap something from this. Thomas mulled over his words, before continuing,
“I don’t want Naomi to find out about this. What I mean is, we can tell her that we planned to surprise her, but you will not tell her that I funded it, is that understood?”
It was a request, that wasn’t really a request, for his tone contained a hint of steel beneath the soft voice, and they were both still overcome by what he was offering them. Both agreed, and Louise was dumbfounded. There really wasn’t anything he wanted from them, apparently, and she allowed herself to feel simple, pure, unfettered joy. They were going to Japan! They were going to see Naomi! She couldn’t wait to tell her mother, after a proper scolding for taking the matter out of her hands, but she couldn’t muster any real anger, not while she felt this current elation surge within, from her toes to the very tips of the hair on her head. She was going to Japan!
Thomas finally finished his meal, while outlining how they would need to prepare themselves, though the other two weren’t paying too much attention due to their elation. As the trio were in such a good mood, with energy to spare, they decided to browse the wares of IKEA before returning home, and Toby and Louise ended up playing hide and seek in the process of finding the exit. Upon exiting the store, Louise offered to take Toby home, but Tom requested she allow him to do so. She had been in class all day, and while normally she would fight him for it, Tom mentioned that he lived closer to Toby than she did, so she acquiesced. The younger man found it odd that Tom drove a white panel van: it was a strange vehicle for such a well-dressed man, but he explained that it was a work vehicle that he needed tomorrow morning. When he asked what it was that he did, Tom simply grinned, and stated that it was classified. Oh well, Toby didn’t care enough to ask and had experience dealing with his chauffeur’s cryptic nature. On the ride back the two exchanged easy, casual conversation.
“Dude, look, thanks so much for this! I honestly thought you were joking when you asked us last week, but we’re actually going to Japan! Just the other day I was watching a ‘Super Sentai’ marathon with a bunch of my other friends, and I just kept thinking how jealous they would be if I actually went. Are you sure you’re okay with paying for it?”
Thomas humoured the young man,
“Well I suppose now that you mention it, I’ve always thought you’d do well in certain amateur films… Hah! Relax stud, I got your back. And hopefully you had mine, if Louise didn’t change her mind. Honestly, if she hadn’t made such a fuss I would have been happy to fully cover her as well.”
“Yeah, we know, but you know, it’s Louise. I’m glad she came around though.”
“Are your parents going to be okay with it?”
“I’ll have you know that I am now an adult, and I can go to any country I like! But probably, I mean, I haven’t told my mother yet but she keeps saying that I need to get out more. This probably isn’t the extent of what she meant though!”
Thomas realised that he may have made a social faux pas, as Toby’s parents were separated too.
“Oh yeah, how is your mother these days? And those two little puppies of yours, are they well, still alive and kicking? I remember that Naomi used to think they were the cutest things in the world, next to you.”
“Aww, shut up Tom, you’re embarrassing me! Yeah, she’s doing great Tom, got a new position at work which has better hours. And our dogs are all good too, they still behave like puppies despite technically being grown up, but my younger brother likes that. I think he spoils them on pur- oh, we missed the turn-off!”
With a swerve Thomas performed an illegal U-turn, because he was a rebel, and also because at night he took the stance that road rules in suburbia were more guidelines than the law. After they made it to the young man’s home, he bade Toby goodnight, and mentioned that he would be sending the both of them information soon, once he had spoken to his travel agent and sorted out the fine details. Toby strolled in through the front door, and saw that his mother was fixing up a snack in the kitchen.
“Ahoyhoy!”
“Welcome back! My word, you look like you’re in a good mood… Did you have a nice time with the theatre crowd?”
“Oh no, I was out with Louise and Tom again. And guess what!? Tom wants to take us to Japan! Can I go???”
His mother was shocked to say the least, and needed some more details, such as what it would cost, as well as whether or not he would be alright in a foreign country. Toby explained that aside from documentation fees, Tom would cover them, and also had gone to Japan before so was experienced in navigating the culture. He also mentioned that they would be surprising Naomi, and after some memory-jogging, his mother’s eyes widened in recognition,
“Ah yes, I remember her, she was that really pretty girl! I still recall how much she liked the dogs. A shame you’re not into girls, son, I wouldn’t have minded you two going steady for a while.”
Toby rolled his eyes, as his mother secretly wanted grandkids sooner rather than later, but would have to wait a little longer as her younger son was still in high school, and her oldest one acted like he still was as well. Still in a teasing tone, she continued,
“And I remember Tom too! He’s that friendly guy who used to take you home often, right? But what do you mean by ‘he’s covering you all’?”
“He literally insisted, mum! Said it would be a birthday present for Naomi. Which is great for her, but even better for us! So… do you think I can go?”
His mother laughed, seeing that her son was still such a boy at heart,
“You’re an adult now, kiddo, or you should be. If you think it’s a good idea, then go for it! But we should pay him back later, it’s not right to just accept these kinds of things.”
“Well, okay, but he specifically said he didn’t want the money back, no joke!”
“My goodness! Is he rich, maybe single? I’m kidding! It’s just he seemed like such a laid-back man the last time I met him, and paying for international holidays is kind of- what is it that you kids say?- extra, right?”
Toby explained that no one knew anything regarding his job, but he must be doing well for himself, if he was able to pay for their trip to Japan. Despite what little he knew about Thomas, Toby managed to convey to his mother how the man had stronger feelings for Naomi than mere friendship: that was probably the driving influence behind his offer. His mother nodded, almost as if she now understood what her son’s patron was trying to achieve.
“Well, if he’s okay with it then I can’t say no… we can talk about it more once he sends you the details- I mean, you’ve never left the country before and now you’re going to a place that barely speaks English! But, in the meantime, do you want a sandwich?”
Toby did, as his mother made the best sandwiches in the world, and he happily munched through a specialty of hers: honey-glazed turkey on rye. After chatting a little more about the trip, he went through his wardrobe like a man gleefully possessed: for his debut in Japan, he would need to select the perfect outfits! It may be a cliché, but he was a divo, and looking good would always be a part of his schtick.
Chapter Four: Operation Surprise Naomi
On the ride back home Thomas could hardly contain his excitement over how well the evening had turned out, and when he did arrive home, he was still too excited to sleep. All of his previous planning was leading up to the next phase, which wasn’t actually planning the holiday- he daren’t plan so far ahead without being certain that Louise and Toby could commit, but now that was done, the most delicate part required his attention.
He took a shower, and turned off the hot water for the last minute or so in order to finish with a brisk cold alertness, before turning the water off so that he could drip dry for a moment. It was Winter, and despite not having snow in their part of the country, it was getting chilly nonetheless. A normal person may have been concerned with mild hypothermia, but Thomas had travelled to Mt Fuji in just his regular attire: cold didn’t bother him too much, especially nowadays.
Like a growing number of people these days, Thomas took his phone into the shower with him, the same one that had survived Japan last time, and composed what he was about to type while drying his hands. Opening up Facebook Messenger, it didn’t take long to find Naomi; she was located just beneath the girl he was meant to marry. As he saw the last message he had sent to the latter, a goodnight text, he tried to brush aside the twinge of guilt flickering within his heart, a reminder of his complicated situation. Soon, he thought, soon he could be done with all of this. But first things first, he had to tell Naomi he was seeing her, and her availability would determine whether or not this plan would succeed.
Thomas: Hey, Naomi! Still awake?
It was fortunate that Japan’s time zone was only an hour apart from his, as he was relieved to see her typing back within a minute or so.
Naomi: Yes, but sleepy! ZzZzZ lol
What’s up??
Thomas: Are you going to be in japan for your birthday, next month?
Naomi: Yes!!! I think so
No plans on leaving
Wil you be here??
Thomas: Im planning on visiting, so I do want to meet up
Last time felt so short, lol, so I’m going to get a full weekend this time around.
Still in Osaka? They haven’t transferred you?
Naomi: Nice!! Not yet lol I’ll be in Osaka till I quit.
Or end my contract.
Thomas: Awesome, I’ll book my flight soon, and confirm for you.
Naomi: Haha okay!!
How’s everything going?
Thomas: I’ll tell you when I see you in person, deal?
Naomi: Lol, fine, deal. Nite nite I gotta get up early for work tomorrow!
Thomas: Hahah, same. Goodnight Naomi.
Thomas, subdued after speaking with Naomi, stood for a few minutes more, before realising that room temperature was now almost freezing in his bathroom, so he towelled himself quickly and prepared for bed. Soon, he thought, soon this would all be over…
The trio of Louise, Toby, and Tom, now dubbed “Operation Surprise Naomi”, were fervently occupied with the necessary preparations to surprise Naomi. Toby hadn’t held a valid passport since his age was in single digits, and while there was the option of an express application, they reckoned that there was enough time to get it sorted via the standard forms (though Thomas would have paid for an express application if need be). He had spoken to Jerry, the same man whom he had consulted for his last trip to Japan, and negotiated a reasonable discount as the agent neglected to mention that Mt Fuji was closed off to the public during Winter. When asked if he wanted to go there this time, as it was now Summer over there, Tom declined, fearing that the other two were none too athletic, and as such a demanding adventure would need to wait for a future, fitter, occasion. Jerry chuckled at Thomas’s concerns, smiling through his reddish-brown beard, and agreed that the walking in Japan would be enough exercise.
When Tom warned his travelling companions that a fair amount of locomotion was in store, he was pleasantly surprised to hear that Toby had been taking tumbling classes for the last 2 months, preparing for a role in a play that had never materialised. It seemed that he took a liking to the class, and was actually attending regularly: while he wouldn’t yet be able to run a marathon, he was not in too bad a shape either. Louise had also been getting into an app that counted her steps, like a pedometer but with calorie counting, heart rate monitoring and other health tracking features included, so she told them she would try to increase her daily minimum. She was more preoccupied with planning the itinerary than Thomas, who didn’t have much preference where they would be going, mentioning that as long as they were in Osaka by Naomi’s birthday, he would accompany them wherever they liked. He did give recollections and advice based on his time there, which helped expand the research information of the other two, who were brushing up on the basics of Japanese culture and etiquette.
Being given free reign, Louise almost went overboard, cramming every possible side venture into the week or so they would be in Japan. Toby, who was much less inclined to be rushing around everywhere, wanted to take his time enjoying the experience, rather than checking off different activities for the sake of it. In the end they settled on a compromise: several locations were a definite part of the itinerary but aside from those, they would go with the flow for their adventure. When asked again what Thomas would like to do, he mentioned his penchant for meditating at shrines, of which there was an abundance of in Japan, and which the other two had no interest in, so they did not pursue the matter further. Since everyone was on track, there was no true need to meet in person, and Thomas started a group chat for online messaging.
Thomas has added Toby and Louise to the group “Operation Surprise Naomi”
Thomas: Welcome agents, you have been chosen for a very special mission, and failure is not an option. To begin our debriefing, please confirm your full names so that I may ensure our documentation is in order.
Louise: Hah, we’re secret agents? Only you would come up with this stuff Tom. Louise Meredith Johnston.
Toby: Tobias Aaron Cooper, reporting for duty sir! I think its cool that we’re spies Louise!
Louise: … your middle name is Aaron??
Since when?
Why??? 😛
Toby: OMG Louise, you can’t just ask why people are called Aaron!
Lol
It’s my father’s name btw
Thomas: Tobias Aaron Cooper… has a nice ring to it.
Toby: Thanks!
Thomas: Okay agents, back to business! (I’m just Thomas Kei, no middle name, though I have plenty of different Chinese names).
We’ve got 2 weeks until we fly out, and thanks to Louise’s meticulous planning, the basic structure can be summed up as 8 days that we are out of the country.
Day 1- We fly out that night, please be at the airport on time!
Day 2- To Singapore then Narita airport in Tokyo. We’ll arrive by the evening, maybe 7pm.
Day 3- Explore Tokyo
Day. 4- More exploring, then to Osaka via shinkansen. We’ll get there by the evening as well.
Day 5- Explore Osaka, then we prepare for the big surprise that night, where I will present her with you two!
Days 6-8 Operation Surprise Naomi successful. Itinerary will be whatever we can fit around her schedule, and Day 8 is when we leave Japan, in the evening.
Toby: I hope we get air conditioning…
You ‘mean present her with us’ Tom- she’ll be glad to see you too!
Thomas: I assure you Toby, you and Louise will easily outshine my presence there, but yes, I’m not just ditching you once we meet up with her lol.
Louise: So what else do we need? You said it’s going to be hot there right?
Thomas: Yes, my friend Vik told me it’s pretty humid, I think it’s known as ‘Plum Rains’ in Japanese seasonal terminology. Apparently it does rain there in summer too, so bring appropriate clothes! I have booked us some very nice hotels with washing facilities, which I may still remember how to operate. And yes Toby, we definitely have air conditioning- I’ll also get us a universal adaptor at the airport so you can use your devices
Toby: Awesome! Okay, I have a question
Let’s say we go clubbing, and we meet someone cute.
Can we bring them back to our shared hotel room?
Louise: I’m going to pass a ground rule that there will be no sex in our hotel rooms.
Toby: Tom?
Thomas: If we allow sex, that means we are okay seeing each other naked, right?
Toby: OMG, I need mind bleach!!!!
Fine, no sex, no nudity, that mental image has scarred me for the foreseeable future,
we stay pure and incorruptible on this adventure.
Louise: It might be too late for some of us then, Toby :p
Toby: EXCUSE ME LOUISE??? I’m a child of God!
Thomas: Were you adopted? =D
Toby: Asnjdkicacrtjjmkp!! I’m so done with you two!
Thomas: Hahah! Fine fine we’ll stop picking on you, right Louise?
Louise: I didn’t promise anything
Toby: ANYWAY! Tom, what else to go through?
Thomas: I think it is a good idea to pick up some basic Japanese.
You probably won’t need it, I don’t speak it and I did fine last time, but it’s not really an adventure if we don’t immerse ourselves. So I’ve compiled online learning tools, apps, and videos I found helpful. I’m going to be posting language and culture links daily, but don’t feel obligated! I know you’re busy preparing.
Louise: No, I think it is a good idea too, thanks Tom.
Toby: Yeah, I’ll try to pick up a few phrases too!
Tom: That’s all I ask of you two
Over the next month, the group stayed in regular daily contact, and while the other two didn’t manage to absorb even half of what Thomas posted, they were grateful that he was doing this, trying his best to share tips and introduce them to the cultural differences in Japan. In all fairness, Thomas was happy to keep busy: he could take the extra time because he planned to pack light, just like last time. A few more conversations with Naomi had informed him that she missed several domestic snacks, which he would again bring to her. Of course, he planned to seal them carefully, as he didn’t want to risk the wrath of summer ruining his precious offerings.
But in the final weeks of their preparations, he was not as focused on the trip. Firstly, he had (unbeknownst to the other two) spent the previous week at a private hospital to monitor his gout, which would have been rather depressing if he had not made a new friend at the facility, bonding over Pokemon GO*. His new friend, Nathan, was something of a virtuoso on Pokemon, and if he wasn’t so distracted Tom would have really enjoyed hearing more about what the greater Pokemon lore entailed. Meanwhile, his ‘brother from another mother’, Vik, had notified Tom that he was on holiday leave, and he would be back home soon. This was wonderful, as he probably would not get time to see him and his partner, Maggy, while he was guiding Louise and Toby in Japan. It was undercut when Thomas revealed that he was in Japan during the bulk part of Vik’s return- in a humorous though perhaps cruel twist of fate, these two were essentially exchanging countries for the duration of their respective holidays.
*Elaborated in Redwood: Memoirs of a Pokemon Master (by Tyler Nator and Solomon Li)
Chapter 5- Brother From Another Mother
(The perspective in the next two chapters change from the narrator’s voice to Tom’s first person perspective, because he is a man who masks himself in the company of those he does not trust; that is to say, Tom is not comfortable being open with everyone, and as such, this is one of several chapters styled in first person, usually involving close friends or deep introspection.)
I have been walking a little stiffly, but was able alleviate the worst of the damage from my recent gout attack- I hated it, of course, because as an active athletic man, it was frustratingly annoying- though perhaps I only have himself to blame, what with my refusal to take the medication recommended by doctors. There was a study I read about how our biological age is better determined by how well we respond to stress and inflammation, which was not promising considering that I had suffered most of my gout attacks in the last couple of years. But suffering is the path to cultivating good character, and I was no stranger to self-inflicted misery, so I didn’t think too much of it after becoming almost completely functional again. The bright side of leaving St Anne’s hospital was that I had made a new friend, Nathan, and would get to see one of my oldest ones, Vik, who hadn’t been home in what felt like too long.
I was on my way to visit him: he was staying with his parents as I’d be in Japan for the bulk of his visit, and Vik preferred company when staying in accommodations. It felt odd considering what to say, and how to approach the topic of, well, everything that had happened since Japan. But it was unnecessary, as once I knocked at the door, and was greeted by my dearest friend, there was no need to think or try- everything just seemed natural.
“Xiong Di!” The term ‘sworn brothers’ never made more sense than when it applied to us two.
“Thomas! Gimme a hug, man!”
We embraced, filling the air with such an ambience of warmth and affection, never again to be attained by any mortals before nor afterwards. It was unique case of soul bonding, unbound by gender nor sexuality, free from stigma and without the merest trace of awkwardness- it was the hug of true friends, a pure and powerful force. Maybe a little gay to outsiders, but it mattered not to us, approaching what should be the prime of our lives, and reunited once again.
We made light hearted conversation over a pot of green tea, and simply reminisced about the old days, but when I started asking more pressing questions, Vik dropped a bombshell- he was now single, and his relationship with Maggy had deteriorated to the point where she wouldn’t speak to him. This I found disturbing, and unexpected, to say the least, and there were many questions on my mind as to how a nearly decade-long relationship could have simply gone sour. It didn’t seem fair, perhaps, but we were both adults, and both had learned that Life wasn’t just or unjust, it simply is. After he explained the situation to me, I insisted that we go out for a meal, eventually choosing steaks for dinner; gout or no gout, my friend needed something hearty while discussing matters of the heart, so we made their way to the local pub on foot, allowing us to better savour the other’s company. It was getting busy here but we found ourselves a nice table located adjacent the bar.
“Okay Victor, so, before we eat, let’s try to get a serious conversation in: you and Maggy, who cheated on who, and how are we going to fix this?”
“I wish it were that simple, my friend,” said Vik, as he gave a small, sad, smile, before relating the entirety of what had happened since I last saw them in Zushi. No siren or Casanova had come between the two, and the premise of their break-up seemed almost too uncanny. It turned out that living together in a foreign country had taken a heavy strain on the once happy couple, who were finding it harder and harder to communicate in the months preceding the final separation. It wasn’t a case of micro-aggressions either, for the two never fought, even at the very end, when Vik announced that he was ending the relationship. He was concerned for Maggy, who didn’t always find it easy to express what was going on in her mind, and simply withdrew inside herself upon finding out. They barely spoke a word in the weeks before they would return home: he for a short holiday, and she now permanently. Yet the real crux of the issue was how long they had been together, and the expectation in which all relationships culminated: separate, or get married. Maggy had always assumed they would be the latter, one day, but this recent tragedy essentially meant that she had invested herself in a lengthy, futile, relationship.
“Are you sure you thought this through, Vik? Coz it doesn’t seem like you have!”
My friend pleaded for clemency,
“Believe me, Tommy boy, please, it’s not as if I was trying to waste her time, you know I’m not like that! I tried hard over the years we were together, and I really did consider proposing too- in fact, I was looking for an engagement ring shortly after you left us. But in the process came the second thoughts, the doubting, and the idea that I would be spending the rest of my life with Maggy. I loved her, still do, as friends, but living together in Japan made me realise that I wasn’t in love with her, not anymore. And if we got married, and had kids, then it would mean that we would ALL be trapped in a loveless marriage- I’m not prepared for that, and I don’t think she should have to go through that either! Am I wrong?”
I considered my words slowly, carefully,
“No, I think you did the correct thing. But… I also feel that it wasn’t entirely right by her, just because of the time it took. Hey, look, you’re my xiong di, and I love you. I used to joke that our love was greater than what you and Maggy had, but it would be a tactless thing to mention it now, considering the gravity of this situation. I feel bad for her, I know you do too, but I can identify with being unwanted despite one’s devotion…”
Vik took this moment to lighten the mood with mock vehemence, cursing our ill-fated timing,
“Aww man, I still can’t believe you’re abandoning me for that Naomi woman! First you cut our time short in Japan to see her, and now you’re leaving the country I just arrived in, ditching me to do it again! If I ever see that homewrecker again, I’m gonna give her a piece of my mind- who does she think she is to get between us?!”
“Hah! Come on man, it’s not like that, but even if it was, there’s love in me for two.”
My coy response caused Vik to almost unleash an extremely indignant retort, but the waitress conveniently arrived with two sumptuous plates, cutting him off. A true connoisseur of fine dining, Vik had ordered a porterhouse steak, medium rare, accompanied by a side of roast potatoes and garden salad lightly dressed with a zesty vinaigrette. There was a peppery mushroom sauce gravy to complement his meat, along with a glass of shiraz. I had ordered a blade steak, medium well-done, with a sweet pear sauce, and a side of pumpkin salad that included pine nuts, as well as a bowl of seasoned potato wedges to share. My beverage of choice tonight was a standard coca cola- I said I was driving later, as an excuse, but I did not much care for alcohol anyway, especially after what had happened to that rug in Japan. Vik looked over at his meal, amused,
“Wow, medium well done instead of extra well done- I’m impressed Thomas, maybe one day we’ll get you eating meat that’s unscorched! And of course, the standard fried potatoes to give it that classic look. No alcohol tonight?”
“Hah, wipe that smile off your face, I still say last time was a fluke- sorry about the rug, though. Your dish looks good, I wonder how the meat compares to that famous Kobe beef you tried over there.”
“Kobe beef is good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s overhyped by tourism. I just bought it from a supermarket, and cooked it myself, to save on costs, and I can cook it the way I like it, which is the right way to eat steak!” We smiled, agreeing to disagree over how steaks should be cooked.
With his family’s background in French culture, Vik and I often argued over something being crispy or burnt, as the former’s cuisine was usually lightly fried, in contrast to a lot of Asian cooking with is much more liberal about how long something should stay in the frying pan. It was good for the both of us to banter like this, back and forth, not having to care so much about offending the other. We’re both considered highly intelligent in somewhat differing ways; it was more than enough to transcend potential misunderstandings. Considering how we often clashed on core principles, but never on our fidelity, it was uniquely remarkable. We ate and talked and made jokes, not caring who else heard, more than half of which only we would understand. As the rhythm progressed to personal affairs once more, Vik listened to my plans regarding Naomi’s birthday present.
“You’re still head over heels for her? You know, I saw a picture of you two, you looked happy. I just can’t help thinking that you’re playing with fire, going to Japan again. I mean, I saw a picture of the girl you’re going to marry, she had a really nice smile, the kind that you could build a future on.”
“I will NOT do anything with Naomi that would cause me to be unfaithful to my bride-to-be. Honestly, it is extremely unlikely she and I will even spend much time alone. Like, we’ve hung out before, and I do want it to feel normal, but Toby and Louise just don’t get it when I try to explain the situation: he’s gay, she’s a girl, and I have feelings for her [Naomi], therefore it’s going to be uncomfortable if it’s just the two of us. Naomi doesn’t even know the other two are on their way, which made it hard for me when I insisted on seeing her on her birthday. I don’t want to be a creep, or pressure her into spending time with me, but once the big revelation is out, I hope she can enjoy the gift. Look, I know my duty, and this will help me to bury these unrequited feelings of mine. I feel bad enough as it is, but one way or another, this has to end.”
“I’m just saying, it might not go the way you plan it, so you should prepare yourself. I know you’re pretty good at psychological profiling, but you have to admit it: your feelings are getting in the way.”
“Yes… Yes, I would be lying if I said it’s easy to think about this, it’s like my head has so much background noise, but I’m trying everything I can think of to quieten them. No drugs of course. And, you know, I don’t want to do anything to hurt my betrothed, yet it’s been a month since we even spoke… Once I get back, I’ll make changes. Once I return, I’ll devote myself to her. In my mind, I don’t think that I’m being unfaithful, as such, but what do you think, xiong di?”
It took a while for Vik to come up with what he wanted to say, and how he wanted it said, but eventually, looking over at the pleading in my eyes, he knew he had to say something,
“Well, you did know Naomi first, right? And you’ve never stopped feeling this way about her. It’s weird, from a certain point of view, it’s almost as if your ‘wife’ is the other woman, not Naomi. But I can see you’re trying to do the right thing, Thomas.”
It wasn’t much, but it was enough for me, as I gave a short laugh at the concept. It was time to change the topic.
“So, you and Maggy have no chance of reconciling?”
I may have sounded hopeful, but the response was adamant: they would not be getting back together, it was not a decision he had made lightly, and he hoped that she could forgive him, in time. On that score, he had a favour to ask me: there was money from their joint account that she had been unable to access while they were still in Japan. Vik had brought the cash over, but he couldn’t face Maggy or her family yet. Maybe never? So I readily agreed to play courier, as I owed it to Maggy to see how she was doing.
Finishing our meals, I insist on paying, and was in such a good mood from this cathartic dinner that I tipped all my spare change into their gratuity jar. We enjoy the scenic route on the way back to Vik’s, and before leaving I am entrusted with a stack of Japanese Yen to take to Maggy the next day.
I embrace him as he embraced me, held each other for longer than necessary, staying in each other’s arms to help shoulder the other’s inner turmoil. Even though we would not be seeing each other again in the foreseeable near future, it didn’t really matter: Time and Space held no sway over our camaraderie. #NoHomo.
Later, when we get back to his place, his parents had returned and were eager to spend more time with him; I tactfully left with the envelope full of cash, and sent Maggy a message, asking to meet up for dinner tomorrow. She agreed, though her reply was noticeably stiffer than usual, indicating that she truly was still reeling from the recent break up- or maybe I’m just projecting how I imagined her to be… We’d find out tomorrow.
Chapter 6- Losers in Love
In Tom’s Perspective
Maggy: If it’s too hard to stick to the plan, let’s just cancel.
Don’t leave ppl hanging, ok?
Glancing over, I saw the messages from Maggy- I had told her that I would be late due to work, but she was taking it personally, it seemed. Or maybe she was just hungry, and was suffering from irritability due to low blood sugar. Getting changed quickly, I replied with a message assuring her that I was on my way. Which is somewhat true, and time flows forwards, and we are almost always on our way to something. Sensing that she had been a little testy with me, she was rather demure when I arrived outside her parents’ place to pick her up for dinner.
It didn’t take very long for her to answer the door, and when I saw her again I forgot, and admittedly do forget fairly frequently, that Maggy is a very beautiful woman, with her model-esque proportions and distinctive fashion sense that could be summed up as “Very Upper Middle Class, but Fun”. Maybe it is because I had no interest in her while she was with Vik, but it could also be due to the fact that I felt that she had suffered a serious indignity regarding Vik, and that suffering enhanced her beauty. In which case she seemed especially beautiful tonight… The fact that her parent lived at a mansion by the beachside was also quite impressive, though I am a man of simple taste and not easily swayed by material luxuries. She gives me a bemused smile as I apologise for my tardiness, which was only by half an hour, telling me,
“It’s okay, let’s just get going, I’m starving!”
We make our way to the Italian place located across the pier, enjoying the cool early evening breeze. Unlike Vik, Maggy always knows what she wants to eat, and tonight was no different as we ordered bruschetta and potato wedges for the table. In due course, our main dishes arrived: carbonara almost drowning in a rich white creamy for her, topped with parmesan and ground black pepper, while I had a vegetarian pizza that did not include pineapples, unfortunately, but did come with artichokes!
“Want a slice, Maggy?”
“Hmm? Oh, thanks Tom… want to try some of my pasta?”
“That won’t be necessary: it has bacon. It looks good though, I see they were very liberal with the sauce! Is that how you like it?”
“Yeah, I like it saucy but this is a little overboard.”
“It’s almost like a soup hey?”
“Haha!”
It made me happy to see her laugh for the first time this evening, and so genuinely too- Maggy has a weird smile at times, which I think comes out when she lets her guard down around others, so I guess she was feeling more comfortable now. At that moment, her initial inner tensions eased somewhat, and we were able to have a real conversation. She mentioned how much she missed home, and her friends, and hearing English wherever she went.
“Oh, and you too Tom, I’m glad to see you tonight.”
“Yeah, it’s always a pleasure to be out with a beautiful woman.
Speaking of which, I have something for you, Maggy.”
She looks inquisitively as I reach into my jacket pocket, and extract a tawny envelope, which contained wads of cash. I somewhat regretted doing so at that very moment, as her mood visibly diminished, signifying that she realised what I was offering her.
“Oh… so you saw -him- recently?”
“Last night, in fact.” She remained silent, and to avoid any further awkwardness I continued to elaborate,
“I figured that I should give this to you sooner rather than later. You know, as I’ll be in Japan soon. Ironic that it’s around the time you two came back, hey?”
Maggy stays quiet, lost in her thoughts, as the elephant in the room is finally being addressed. She queries how much I know, and I told her enough to know that she didn’t do anything wrong, and that even though I was Vik’s friend, she would still have my support during this time, if she even needed or wanted it. Trying to lighten the situation, I recounted how many years ago she had joked with us, while we were at the beach, that in the event of a separation she would be taking his friends, which we all readily agreed to, not able to imagine such a scenario. Well, here it was, and I wasn’t prepared to stop socialising with either of them anytime soon. I manage to get a small smile out of her, but the conversation soon turned to topics of closure,
“Hey, come one Maggy, we can look at this as a blessing in disguise. You’re still young, you’re still hot: there’s plenty of time to find someone better suited for you.”
“Stop it, Tom. I know you’re trying to help, but I need more time to process this. I mean, you should be able to understand considering your history with Na-”
It is now my turn to have my demeanour visibly soured, but it was more of an impression in my ambient energy as opposed to any grimace. Trying to do a Me, and ease the tension, she amended her train of though,
“Oh gosh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like… that.”
I knew that Maggy was suffering, so I tried not to let it get to me, but it was a sore topic nonetheless, and she knew it. Trying to make me feel better, she mentioned how it was a shame that Naomi never wanted to give me a chance, which I brush off as simply a matter of circumstance.
“I was rarely myself around her- most people don’t know me even if they spend time with me, and it’s like we ever had much time alone. Plus, she’s out of my league- I just settled for dating those Instagram models I find online. Well, not anymore of course, not with my betrothal coming up.”
“Oh yeah, is that soon? You only met her like, a couple of months ago right?”
“My bride to be? Right after I returned from Japan, pretty much. That was about half a year ago now, I suppose.”
Maggy mused over my situation, and I see that she has some reservations over what I am doing, but doesn’t say anything. Her attention turns to leafing through the bundle of note I gave her, from Vik, and I remembered another reason I wanted to see her,
“So Maggy, you won’t be needing Yen anytime soon, I guess? If so, I’d like to swap you, dollars for yen, what do you say?”
She seemed somewhat surprised, but agrees readily, as we would avoid those exorbitant exchange fees, and as such both of us would make a profit (technically speaking, we both simply avoid more losses, but that’s a moot point). Quickly calculating the rates, she hands me several thousand dollars’ worth of yen, and I transfer the corresponding amount to her account. As long as one of us wasn’t secretly a Nigerian prince, it worked out perfectly. Maybe it was my imagination, but the money had seemed to burden her, and she appeared more enthused after concluding our business deal.
Finally, she seemed ready to talk about her and Vik, and how it had really come as a surprise when he had just told her, on an otherwise perfectly innocuous weekend, that he no longer wanted a relationship, and that he understood how she was only in Japan for him, so he wanted to her to be free to return home. Maggy had requested that they go for counselling or take a break, but he had flatly told her, without meaning to be cruel, that he no longer saw a future with her. Of course he did: once my best friend makes up his mind, it is difficult to change it. We are both the types of men to come to the ideal conclusions, and act out on them. Devastated, Maggy returned home, and even though she didn’t say anything, there was still the lingering awkwardness, a quiet humiliation that is associated with what would normally just be two adults coming to a logical conclusion.
I try to gently shake her from the growing melancholy, not so much due to my personal discomfort, for I am very familiar in these waters, but because I believe that grieving is something that takes time, and is most dignified when alone. Tonight, my purpose was to just be here, be myself, and help her find herself in due time.
“I’m sorry it happened. You know, I always thought that we would be together forever- you’ve known Vik for almost as long as I have, and I had grown accustomed to thinking of us as ‘Team Panda’. Maybe this is Fate- I did name us after a creature that’s going extinct, after all. Hah.”
“Hah. That’s funny, Tom. You’ve always been funny, and I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I just need a lot more time to get through this.”
“Would you maybe speak to him again? He told me he wanted to make sure you’re okay, as much as possible, and that he’d very much want to continue a friendship out of all this. Maybe it’s too soon, though, because it might come across as a little insulting…”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s just that being offered a friendship when you were pursuing something more could seem a little condescending, maybe? At the very least, it is insensitive, in your particular case.”
She mulls over my words, and asks me something that catches me off guard,
“Do you think it’s insulting that Naomi only wants to be friends with you?”
“Ha. Hahah. Oh Maggy, don’t be ridiculous. Let’s be honest here: I’m barely friends with her. I was just a guy who was there, in her social group, and while I am more than a little fond of her, she’s never been interested in getting to know me. You know, there was this one time, when we went to the movies, and it was meant to be a group event but everyone else bailed. I could tell she wasn’t so keen on sticking around, but she did it anyway, because she has class, and didn’t want to hurt my feelings by leaving. We had hot chocolate, watched a vampire movie, one of the many going around at the time, and talked about our families on the ride back home. It was nice, especially for me, but it was a one-time thing, the closest we ever came to dating, and we just went back to normal afterwards.”
“Tom.”
I look to her, as she prepared what she wanted to say, and it seems a significant while passed before she finally said to me,
“I think if you gave Naomi a chance to know the real you, the guy I’m sitting with here and now, instead of that mask you normally wear around your other groups… then she might have given you a chance. Just saying.”
I nodded, in a non-committal way of course, before we are offered some enticing desserts by the waiter, and I immediately switch back to my normal personality, full of foppish wise-cracks. We make small talk while waiting for dessert, and I was happy to see that despite everything, Maggy still had her sweet tooth and relished the assortment of desserts I insisted on getting for her. She didn’t finish them all, perhaps because ladies in public never did by themselves, but we get the remainder to go, and I get her back home before it gets too late; some of us had to go back to work in the morning. Still, with such a large sum of cash, I was excited to show off this childishly iconic example of wealth, and took a photo to send to “Operation Surprise Naomi”.
Thomas: I want you to know that we will be well provided for over there. I just exchanged a bunch of money into Japanese Yen, and I couldn’t resist fanning myself with the notes. Here, behold!
Thomas sent a picture of notes worth hundreds of thousands of Japanese Yen, fanned out to highlight such seemingly extravagant wealth. (Louise and Toby approved of the image).
Thomas: It will be more than adequate for meals, accommodation, and transportation. I know you two are bringing some cash too, you can save it for souvenirs.
Toby: OMG we rich!!
Louise: Nice…
Where have you been Tom?
Haven’t heard from you in a bit
Thomas: Look, don’t ask- If you know nothing, the police won’t bother you.
This money didn’t come by cheap… hahahah!
Toby: Hah!
Yeah, Louise, I’d rather not ask where the money came from either.
Louise: FINE! But only coz we’re leaving in a few days.
Everyone ready??
The other two continued chatting but Thomas excused himself to sleep. He was going to be working tomorrow, and everyday, until it was time to leave the country, as a way to help steady the nervous energy that had been accumulating inside him the closer they had gotten to this date. In a few days, they would be going to resolve something he had been nursing for far longer than was healthy, and while he could not say that he was sick of how he felt, it would definitely be a relief to excorcise these feelings. Hopefully…
Chapter Seven: The Airport
“I’m telling you Tobias, it’s going to get cold on the flight! Put on your sweater, okay?”
“Muuu-um! I’m a grown-ass man. I don’t need you to baby me, especially when I’m about to travel overseas for the first time!”
“You mean you’re a groan ass-man! Okay, okay, fine- it’s just my maternal instincts niggling, do what you like son.”
“Thanks. And, thank you, for driving me all the way to the airport too.”
“Oh don’t mention it, sir, unless you think I’m infringing on your independence.”
His mother was teasing him as she normally did when she felt rather nervous. In fact, both of his parents did that, and perhaps they were the reason Toby had so much anxiety- they practically said as much to the other, during the messy parts of the divorce, but he was glad that it was all behind them now, and being separated improved their civility towards each other and their progeny. They (not his father, just he and his mother) were at the airport earlier than the others it seemed, as Louise wasn’t due for another ten minutes or so. Tom didn’t say when he would be arriving, which was typical of him, but it reassured him that he remembered their flight was today. For someone who had been regularly communicating with them for the last two months, he had been awfully quiet in the last week or so, until they got a message from him, but neither Toby nor Louise thought much of it. Tom was well known for being a mystery, and they just accepted it as one might accept a cat that comes and goes at their leisure.
Toby thought about it again, and the entire adventure still seemed especially surreal at this moment, as he gazed around the shiny and ever-illuminated surroundings of the terminal. Honestly, it was something out of one of those anime plots he adored, or plays that he wrote, and certainly wouldn’t have been able to afford as this point in his life as a blossoming playwright. To think that a man would spend so much money, and invest so much of himself, for a girl who didn’t regard him as much more than a friend… well, Thomas Kei was possibly one of the most outrageous friends they would ever have, and the best part of it was that in all the years of his generosity, he had never used it to compensate for anything about himself, unless one were to include his enigmatic motif. It made Toby curious, as he had never had any prolonged encounters with Tom, barring the occasional car ride home: what would he discover about the man as they spent the next week or so together? Eating, sleeping, and practically living with each other. And, more importantly, was he ready to see that side of him? Did Thomas even need to use a bathroom? Chuckling to himself, he decided that at this point, he honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Thomas simply recycled everything, and as such, those bodily functions were unnecessary for his advanced physiology.
Unlike Toby, Louise had spent prolonged time with Tom, years ago, when they went skiing along with a group of friends, Naomi included. He behaved himself, for the most part, and it certainly surprised her to discover that he was poignantly domesticated, in the sense that he fussed over them in the way a concerned parent would. In her mind, it somewhat detracted from the image she had of him as an unabashedly carefree trickster, who always seemed to ruffle her feathers; it was probably that smile of his, as no sane person should be that confident and composed, not as often as he appeared anyway. But it was odd that he displayed such a familiarity with things such as housekeeping, because such a powerful personality doesn’t normally adopt servile behaviours, especially as she could tell that it wasn’t an act. For instance, each night after the first night they arrived at the lodge, he spent in the common room, outside their dorm, drying their garments by the fireplace, which all the girls appreciated (they were all girls except for him, as it was meant to be a girls’ trip until one of them cancelled last minute). She always assumed that he grew up with maids and butlers, or at the very least doting parents, to have such a nonchalant attitude, which admittedly might just largely be her own projections… but it wasn’t her fault, as he didn’t give people much to go on. The trip had also revealed discovered that few people expected of Tom: he was a snorer! It was something she gleefully held on to, when his cool demeanour occasionally pissed her off, but so far, since they had met to discuss the trip, he had been very polite and hospitable, albeit distant, when interacting with them.
Ah, there he was now, dressed immaculately in a three-piece suit and tie, with a small luggage case and laptop carrier bag, in contrast to their considerably larger luggage cases.
“Look who finally showed up,” she said, as he waved to them. If she was trying to throw shade he didn’t seem to notice, and just smiled that coy smile of his.
“Forgive me, did I keep you all waiting Louise? I blame Jim for not breaking the speed limit- but he’s reliable so I will continue to employ his chauffer services in future. It’s so fortunate that we have about two hours before our flight leaves, and the check-in line doesn’t seem so bad… Anyhow, Toby, looking good, that sweater suits you! And Mrs Cooper, such a delight to see you again!”
Actually, while Louise was concerned about the potential surge of passengers, their check-in station was almost deserted, with only one family waiting ahead of them in line. However, not a moment after they had joined said line, it swelled exponentially, almost as if the other passengers had been waiting for Tom to arrive before making a move. Tom gave Louise a smug look and offhandedly remarked,
“A wizard is neither late nor early, he arrives when he is meant to.”
Overall, the process was quite smooth, with a mild panic attack from Toby when he momentarily thought he had misplaced his passport, which his mother had been carrying for him. Before long though, they were checked in and made their way to the lounges for their airline. Mrs Cooper, or Cindy as she insisted on being called, especially since she was technically no longer ‘Mrs Cooper’, bid her son a heartfelt farewell, and urged them all to have a safe trip. After she left, Louise mentioned to Toby,
“I notice she didn’t say, ‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!’, did she, Toby?”
“That’s because she knew I wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face; my mum was pretty wild when she was my age, or so my grandparents used to tell me and my brother.”
“My brother and I.”
“Oh, now you sound like my grandparents Tom, but knowing you, you’re probably actually older or something!” Since Tom was a lot younger looking than his age, their group had always joked that he secretly practiced occult rituals to stay so sprightly.
“Hahah, maybe. Actually, the correct usage is ‘my brother and me’: I was just trying to sound like those oldies who are overly invested in correcting your millennial generation’s street slang. If you wanted to use ‘I’, then you could say ‘my brother and I were told by our grandparents’. Makes sense?”
“…No. Not in the slightest.”
The other two laughed at his mock-petulance, and Louise tried to clarify that specific instance of grammar, but Tom didn’t go into details about subject versus object in a sentence, and brushed it off as a case of those who had to learn English properly were the only ones who could speak it correctly. Building on the topic of linguistics, he mentioned that his Japanese was nowhere near the level of being grammatically correct, but he should have enough under his belt to help them get around. The other two gave sheepish looks when asked if they had managed to absorb anything from the videos, but he didn’t seem too concerned, and reminded them that it was common to have tourists in Japan, so they would manage. Without meaning to, he had struck a nerve with Louise, who took his mannerisms to be rather condescending. But this early into the trip, it didn’t seem like a good idea to bicker.
However, as they were waiting at their airline gate, making do with the mildly uncomfortable seats, Louise watched keenly as Thomas casually walked past her, behind her, to where they were charging their phones and other devices, and she noticed him slip something into his pocket, in addition to his own phone. Something with a black cover- her phone!
She had to give him credit, as he didn’t seem perturbed or guilty in the slightest; she glared at him while he shamelessly starting using both devices, typing away on each, slowly at first, then fervently, as if possessed. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for him to be overcome by manic energy, she supposed, but there was still the fact that he was USING HER PHONE WITHOUT ANY REGARD FOR ITS OWNER SITTING ACROSS FROM HIM! Since he wasn’t paying attention to her glares any further, she cleared her throat, and when he looked up, she sternly reproached him,
“Tom.”
Oddly, he gave her his attention straight away, looking at her expectantly, but grew increasingly dumbfounded as he waited for her to say something. She repeated herself,
“Tom.”
“Yes, Louise?”
“Tom.”
“Uhuh, yep?”
“Tom!”
“Louise?”
“THOMAS KEI!”
“What!? Do you… need something?” He looked around, playing innocent, pretending that he wasn’t violating her privacy by going through her phone.
“Tom.”
Something seemed to snap inside him, as his ready-to-please manner turned hard and irate, and at that moment Louise would have been intimidated, if she were not so filled with righteous indignation. In a visibly annoyed, though still somewhat polite tone, he asked her,
“What_ do you _want from_me?”
They locked eyes, neither willing to back down. Finally, stiffly, she said to him,
“Do we need to set up boundaries? Because I won’t tolerate theft or violations of privacy.”
He continued to stare at her, confused, so in her frustration she continued to berate him,
“Whose phone is that in your left hand!?”
He looked at her, blankly, while slow realisation filled his eyes, and he revealed the front of both devices in his hands. Neither of which were her phone.
Aghast, she spun around to their charging station, and saw her own phone there, where she had left it! As it was a relatively new one, she had yet to become accustomed to its nuanced design, and she plainly saw that the device she thought was hers, in Tom’s possession, didn’t actually look very much like her own, but shared a similarly-sized black casing. Embarrassed, she averted her gaze, and hoped that Tom would just let it slide, as he usually did when she became sharp with him, but she felt his cold stare lingering on her while she avoided his gaze. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, and trying to bring herself to apologise to the man (without much success), he stood up, silently, and walked away.
Once she felt safe enough to confirm that he had vacated the immediate vicinity, she jostled Toby, who had been napping, and missed the entire exchange. After explaining it, he sleepily asked her why she would suspect Tom of stealing her phone, to which she hissed back with,
“Well, how was I supposed to know he has two phones?!”
Toby wasn’t awake enough for an immediate retort, having been roused from a pretty decent nap considering the circumstances, and stifled a yawn before he offered a logical explanation,
“Maybe one’s for work? It’s pretty common to do that these days. Anyway, as long as you apologised, I’m sure he didn’t take it too badly. He never holds grudges.”
“Uh…”
See her hesitation, Toby’s expression contorted with alarm, and he was horrified to discover that after the way she treated him, Louise didn’t apologise to Tom immediately, or at all! Offending their patron was one thing, but they had just begun the adventure and already were off to a rough start. Louise admitted, to herself, that she just couldn’t bring herself to lower her position with an apology. In fact, Tom had never made her apologise in the entirety of their history together, and there were more than a few instances in the past when her vitriol had caused her to malign many others, especially Tom. Maybe she had just learned to take it for granted, but he had always side-stepped every social faux-pas, and immediately tried to ease tensions with a combination of topic changes and unctuousness. She had once judged him a weak man, unable to assert himself, but she had seen rare occasions when he reminded everybody that nice and weak were fundamentally a question of autonomy.
There was another part of her, a sour and mean-spirited part, that was already forming a defensive interpretation of the situation, to absolve her of fault, but despite logic unravelling it all, she clung to any defence available to her, no matter how flimsy. Tom had been polite, attentive, and eager to employ diplomacy all the while she had thought him a thief. To say it was insulting was an understatement, but she quickly assured herself that he would brush it off, and if he didn’t then she would simply remind him that she was doing him a favour by agreeing to the trip, after all. That seemed fair, right? The two could only sit in trepidation as they awaited his return; at least he would return, they reasoned, as Naomi was too much of investment for him to cancel the trip now.
When he did return, presumably from the bathroom, his demeanour had visibly cooled, and the slickness of his hair indicated he had wetted and combed it with his fingers. Weakly, Louise tried to mutter a bare-bones “Sorry” but he brushed it off, and laughed heartily while commenting that Toby was now awake, and had managed to drop his passport on the floor beneath his chair. This greatly eased tensions as they witnessed the young man enter a flurry of panicked checks to determine if he still had all of his important documents and belongings. In due time, which was surprising for airlines, the three were boarding their flight, along with plenty of other passengers. After the shuffling and staggeredness which normally accompanies the start of plane rides, in addition to the mesmerising, comical, yet effectively informative stewardesses highlighting all the safety protocols, they were taking off into the night sky, abound for distant lands untraveled (except for Tom, who had been there once before).
Chapter Eight- Singaporean Intermission
“Are you enjoying your fruit salad, Toby?”
“Surprisingly yes, thank you for asking Tom!”
It was a magnificent platter of sliced apples, pears, oranges, kiwi fruit, and other samples of Mother Nature’s bounty. As it turned out, Jerry, Tom’s travel agent, had offered him a discount to make amends for not disclosing that Mt Fuji had been closed when Tom visited last time: it was deemed too dangerous in winter for tourists to traverse the mountain. However, on this occasion, he had made another mistake, and that was not ensuring that the in-flight meals were free of egg contamination, which meant that Toby couldn’t risk eating anything on the menu; after quickly discussing options with the stewardess, they arranged for Toby to be served with a fruit platter, which didn’t sound promising at first, but more than impressed the three of them upon arrival. All the same, Toby still looked longingly over at Louise’s crumbed pork and gravied vegetables, and to a lesser degree, Tom’s chicken and noodles.
“Once again, I apologise for the mix-up. I’m just glad that they had this for you, and I promise that once we’re in Singapore I’ll get you real food.”
“Nah, don’t mention it Tom, I’m just glad to be eating more fruit anyway!”
“Good, because they say you are what you eat, after all.”
“Huh? Oh! Yeah I get it, hah, very funny mister!”
“Hahah. I’m sorry Toby, it was a cheap shot, but I took it only because I knew you could. Take it, that is.”
He may not be particularly close to them, especially Louise, but Thomas fussed over their needs and tried his best to make everyone comfortable, even if he did have a weird sense of humour which, while technically witty, didn’t always resonate with the younger Louise and even slightly younger Toby. However, this trip could serve as a way to bridge the distance that had always been there and, despite the rough start, things were going swimmingly as they explored the entertainment options available, such as the screens in front of them. It is no secret that the modern age was one of screens, as personal devices became more advanced, and drew ever more attention away from the ‘real world’ in favour of digital platforms. A furtive Thomas marvelled at the movie selections offered, boasting plenty of internally acclaimed debuts and classics, as well as a few box office hits which were only just premiering back home! Noting his enthusiasm, Louise commented that he should slow down before he over-stimulated himself, to which he revealed,
“Now now Louise, this is a luxury I seldom get to enjoy! I don’t have a Netflix account or other streaming services, so I make do with pirated content off YouTube. It’s just nice to enjoy full length content in HD.”
“Why don’t you get one? They’re not too expensive.”
“Yeah Tom, how did you ‘Netflix and chill’ if you don’t have an account?”, Toby inquired.
Tom gave a smirk, and replied with how he always used theirs, but anyway, if he were hanging out with a girl, then they were usually busy with other things. Louise rolled her eyes, but Toby grinned knowingly, while she continued to press for an answer as to why he didn’t bother getting a streaming service of his own. Tom thought about it briefly, and replied, almost as if to himself,
“On principle, I guess. I’m from the days when people watched public television, so it jars me to pay for it, especially when I get by off YouTube clips. But I suppose it’s more to do with the fact that I really don’t have the time to justify an account- my parents didn’t approve of just sitting around watching television when I could be getting stuff done.”
They didn’t know what to make of it, and inferred that his answer was just to do with typical strict Asian parenting, which reminded them of the fact that they were now technically in Asia, or at the least Asian airspace. Their destination, Singapore, only required that they wait two hours at the airport, before connecting back to transit. Tom watched a Chinese film involving characters from “The Journey to The West”, one of the four great literary classics of Chinese literature, normally ripe with symbolisms and cultural imagery, but this was a more slap-stick adaptation peppered with heartfelt moments, which seemed to be an evolution of the trend for these kinds of films. After getting halfway through, and witnessing the male protagonists getting pregnant due to water from an enchanted stream, he wondered what sort of fever dream he had stumbled into. Toby chose that moment to look over and just stared at the scene of pregnant men unfolding, then at Tom, before pointedly returning his gaze to his laptop. Deciding he needed to say something, to lessen the awkwardness, Tom asked the young playwright,
“Is that the new script?”
Toby eagerly discussed the general plot of his latest script, which he was excited about as it would also be his chance to take on a more prominent role in directing, if it was selected by the very important and obviously qualified committee members in charge of the theatre program. In no uncertain manner did Toby express how he felt stifled by the so called ‘constructive input’ his work had to ensure during the selection process.
“Honestly, Tom, I wonder why I put up with it sometimes, but then it’s showtime, and when I hear the applause of the crowd, I can’t help but convince myself to stay committed. Plus, I’ve built a great working relationship with almost all of the actors and stage crew. Sorry, I must sound like a whiny brat, when I talk about how much I dislike my work undergoing the scrutiny of people who can’t appreciate my art, but they say that all great art requires some sort of sacrifice, right?” Tom concurred,
“Naturally! Why, I have great respect for those who understand the nature of such difficulties, and are willing to work, nay, suffer, for their passions. I hope that your life isn’t overly hard- you said you still live with your mother, and she seems like she doesn’t mind taking care of you, if my memory serves me correctly.”
“Oh, no, I mean, yeah, you remembered right! She’s great, and I love her to bits, especially since she always makes sure I have something to munch on during rehearsals. She makes the best sandwiches in the world, Tom, I’ll have her make you one sometime when we get back! It’s the least I can do, considering what you’ve done for us.”
Tom played coy, questioning what Toby meant, but he had enough class not to make Toby spell-out how he was spending an exorbitant amount of money on them, quickly reminding the young man that technically, and practically, they were doing him a favour by agreeing to come, as he truly needed them for his plan to have the desired effect. Since they had built some rapport during the conversation, Toby felt bold enough to ask Tom about how often he kept in touch with Naomi, and Tom almost answered, but noticed that Louise had shifted somewhat in her window seat, indicating that she was more alert than she appeared, wrapped up in the complimentary blanket given by the airline. Whatever he was about to say was pulled back into the great enigma of his inner walls, and he only mentioned vaguely that it was,
“Enough, and not enough, if that makes any sense. Hah.”
Feeling that it would not be prudent to continue, Toby merely agreed, and the two went back to their respective tasks, as Toby mulled over his script, and Tom flicked through the selection of movies on his screen.
They arrived in Singapore not long after, and found a section of unclaimed seats at their boarding gate where they could roost until the flight to Tokyo in about two hours. While Toby and Louise seemed content to wait there, Tom chose to walk around the city-like airport, which had been undergoing some renovations the last time he was here. People could simply see pictures of Singapore’s Changi airport in lieu of being there- but it was a whole other experience to be there, and walk through the various entertainments housed here, which could roughly be divided into Dining, Shopping, Picturesque-Spots, and Amusement Pass-Times. Spotting an arcade sector, filled with children and young men, he thought back to how he and his ‘protoge’ Jake had chanced to travel together last time, and how they had played a few games together at that very same arcade- Jake always won, of course, as Tom was no video gamer, but in the right company, winning and losing did not matter so much.
Speaking of which, he had another purpose in wandering the airport, aside from nostalgia: electrical adapters. He didn’t know where he had placed his previous one, but fortunately there were plenty of stores that sold him what he needed. Also, thanks to the fact that he had brought a multi-outlet charger, they would only require a single Japanese adapter on the journey, and could avoid having more unnecessary paperweights than needed upon their return home.
He soon made his way back to the other two, who had gotten bored of sitting around, and were waiting for him to return so that they could explore the airport. Tom didn’t mind waiting alone, and insisted that they go and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells, and reminded them that he had already gotten them an adapter to use for charging their devices, thus they wouldn’t need to get any unless they really wanted their own. It seemed only a short while before the two returned, without having purchased anything, but it made sense to not spend any money on souvenirs until they actually reached their destination. Toby decided to settle back into another nap, while Louise and Tom discussed the fact that they would soon be in Japan, and her enthusiasm was so infectious that Tom’s placid smile became more genuine as she described how everything seemed so surreal, and he was reminded of the first time he had set foot outside of the Tokyo airport, when he was overtaken by a strange sense of delirium. When Louise asked him about what it would be like to go back, he could only tell her,
“It’s like describing colour to the blind. Once our eyes are opened, they can never be closed again, for even if one becomes blind, they’ll never forget the light.”
Not quite understanding, Louise simply nodded in agreement, and they chatted about the weather as well as any new Netflix series she was currently watching. Soon, it was time to board, and they gently roused Toby, who had decided to take his nap on the carpeted floor of the airport, draped with Tom’s distinctive black trench coat as the airport maintained rather effective air-conditioning. Returning his coat, Toby stifled a yawn, and followed them to the departure queue in a zombified manner. It wasn’t until they were nestled in their on-board seating that he seemed properly alert, and resumed work on his script, while the other two scrolled the entertainment screens in front of them. To his delight, Tom discovered that the game Tetris was available, and he spent the next few hours establishing not one but several high scores. Louise had taken some interest in what the guys were doing, but eventually decided to try and nap for as much of the flight as possible.
The three didn’t say much to each other, except to comment on the in-flight meal; Toby once again had limited options but seemed to enjoy his teriyaki chicken and soba, while Tom and Louise selected a rice option with unagi (eel) and beef respectively. Despite what people said about airline food, and the fact that flavour did indeed change under pressure, Tom had never experienced a problem with airline food in the limited number of times he had eaten the fare. When he mentioned the fact that pressure affected flavour, Louise asked him to clarify, and he referenced how it was a studied effect of many researchers of taste, and also applied to those who lived underwater, citing some cases where marine biologists tried to replicate the lifestyle of Captain Nemo and his submarine.
“The book by Jules Verne described how the food was distinct from land fare, and Nemo himself declared that the sea provided him with everything he required, even tobacco in the form of seaweed, but we are reminded once again that Verne was a visionary, not a soothsayer, and can be forgiven for such mis-details. Have any of you read the classic?”
Neither had, although Toby was familiar with the major plot points owing to having worked on a play that drew heavily on ‘20000 Leagues Under the Sea’. They returned to their meals, and continued to pass the time quietly, until the pilot announced that they would soon be arriving in Tokyo, and thanked them for choosing to fly with their airlines. A sense of anticipation began to build in all three, even Tom, as their “Operation: Surprise Naomi” was about to hit the next phase!
Chapter Nine- Guess What? We’re in Japan
Perhaps it was a combination of flight disorientation, sleep deprivation, latent wanderlust, or a combination of all three, but to arrive in Tokyo, was truly an indescribable wonder for the trio; while Toby and Louise drank in the very realisation that they were in Japan at last, Tom’s effervescence treaded more upon nostalgia than pure excitement. He mused to himself that Narita Airport was the same, and yet not the same, without Jake by his side, or Vik and Maggy waiting to greet him. Even the air was different, although they were still inside the temperature-controlled airport while taking care of check out procedures, and once again Tom’s luggage, which was oddly filled with abundant gifts of chocolates and snacks, was strangely devoid of a usual traveller’s odds and ends. In contrast, Toby was fully equipped with a suitcase and travelling backpack no doubt filled with suggestions from his mother, while Louise, who was very practical and organised in general, had two luggage bags in addition to a back pack. It didn’t take long for them to become visibly enthused, almost giddy, with Louise repeatedly asking the other two,
“Hey, guess what?”
“What?”
“We’re in Japan!”
“Hahahah!” It was a routine that couldn’t get old either. Or maybe it could. Time would tell.
As the initial excitement began to wear off, the other two became more focused on the practical logistics, ensuring that they had all their gear, with Toby adding a more comical ambience on their way through to Disembarkments when he nearly had a fit over his seemingly misplaced spectacles,
“Hang on, where are my glasses?!”
“… On your head!”
“Oh, right… thanks, Louise!”
They all relaxed a little more after this incident: the landing had been executed smoothly, and the three of them were processed accordingly by airport authorities, before taking a quick detour to the Tourist Information concierge, where they all received complimentary maps and advice on the best way to their hotel in Kamata. It was pretty straightforward from there, with Tom buying their tickets, which was made easier by the fact that the machines had English text available, and they followed him as he directed them to their lodgings. While he was the least fatigued, Tom felt as if he suffered more from the warm climate, not stifling, but considerably more humid than he preferred.
On the train, the trio didn’t speak too much, as they were noticeably aware of how much quieter the passengers were in Japan, and as a result they had made it to their district without discussing much. Louise looked at their reflections during the commute, and while Tom could have passed for a salaryman making his way home, she and Toby looked so much like the backpackers she used to watch on public transport when she frequented the city: how the hell did Tom manage to come to Japan carrying so little?! He even carried most of their luggage for him, that was how light he travelled! But the oddest thing about coming here, if her imagination wasn’t playing tricks on her, was how Tom’s features had somehow assimilated with the locals, and at times she felt as if she didn’t know the blank-faced man sitting next to her. Well, no more than she normally did, because for as long as she could remember, the two of them were never particularly close owing to a clash of style.
In her opinion, she was appropriately opinionated, and prided herself on her brains as well as a refusal to take abuse from anyone, a trait that others had told her made her seem quite aggressive, almost bitchy, at time. She didn’t care- life was tough, and if people couldn’t hack her personality, then so be it, she was better off without them anyway; but something about Tom always unsettled her. Maybe it was the fact that he spouted ridiculousness yet never badmouthed anyone, and in addition to that aloof air that screamed smugness and arrogance (to her, as well as a few others in their group), he was always the first to offer assistance and never forgot to make sure that everyone was taken care of. He was a nice man, a kind man, a strange one even in this day and age, and she had never gotten over the fact that he had never lost his temper, even when she was deliberately trying to provoke him. It wasn’t normal! And each time he had always just looked calmly into the eyes of his would-be aggressors, and in micro fraction of an instance, they became subdued, and Tom would then laugh it off in an attempt to clear the tension. This was a feeling she hated because she didn’t like feeling powerless, and the fact that Tom was so stoic it reminded her that trying to manipulate people’s emotions was ultimately a juvenile thing at best, or worse, a potential sign of sociopathy…
“Are you doing okay, Louise?”
Tom’s question snapped her out of her inner monologue, and she realised that she had been caught staring at his reflection while musing over her misgiving about the man, but seeing him smile and genuinely trying to see if she was okay made her somewhat ashamed of her suspicious nature. Merely nodding, she returned a small smile, and their respective gazes shifted to other aspects of their surroundings, such as Toby, who had been napping on Tom’s broad shoulders almost as soon as the train had taken off.
However, it was soon time to rouse the drowsy lad, who seemed almost childishly sullen to be awoken, but after rubbing his face and eyes for a moment, his disposition improved, and he became alert enough to stand in preparation for their stop. Toby didn’t notice it while he had been napping on Tom’s unusually comfortable shoulders (his muscles were not hardened like the body builders he had dated, and instead rather were supple and almost springy, which made for a surprisingly nice make-shift pillow), but the automated transit voice called out the destination stops in multiple languages, and the English was fairly intelligible as well. What a magnificently advanced and hospitable country! A place he had always dreamed of visiting, what with their culture, and especially their food… it was now almost 7pm, and his internal clock was telling him that dinner was due soon, but at the same time, he was undeniably fatigued from the trip, and thus decided to not say anything for the time being.
Food was also on Tom’s mind, not for himself of course, what with the weather sapping away what little appetite he had, but he was attentively adherent to the rules of hospitality, and he was overly anxious to ensure that Toby and Louise were suitably taken care of. Quickly glancing over at the two, and seeing their condition, he determined that it was better to go and check in at the hotel first. As they followed the direction given by Google Maps, Tom was glad that the hotel was only a mere several minutes away from their train stop. It was also very interesting to compare the difference in architecture here, compared to back home, and even though he had seen it before, Tom appreciated it just as much as Louise and Toby.
Upon arriving at the hotel, they were processed quickly once Tom provided his details, and confirmed the online booking. At last, all three could breathe away any residual tension they had been holding to themselves about being in a foreign land, and as soon as they had settled on which beds they wanted, Tom insisted that they relax, shower, and watch some local television: he would be back shortly with dinner provisions, as the other two expressed no desire to leave the room for the night. However, on his way out, he stopped inside the foyer restroom, and took a moment to unwind, away from the other two, as he did not want them to hear him as he took deep breaths and tried to dispel the faintness that he had felt since stepping out of the air-conditioned airport. The Tokyo heat wasn’t unbearable, and most would describe it as warmly washing over them, almost pleasant, but unbeknownst to the other two, Tom had spent the prior week hospitalised at a private facility called St Anne’s. Although he hadn’t said anything to anyone, he had only just recovered in time for this trip, and his condition was far from perfect, but there was almost no force on Earth that could have prevented him from coming here, to do what he knew needed to be done, and he would persevere for a while longer, until it was all settled.
Konbinni! These Japanese convenience stores were of a different class in Japan, as he had discovered on his last trip, and Tom almost felt like jumping into a song a dance routine about how delightfully convenient he found these outlets. With their neat little aisles and random assortment of ready-to-go meals, not to mention the assorted literature available in display racks; some would have definitely made Toby blush, but Tom it found funny, especially as here the adolescent boys read such content without much shame. Cultural differences aside, it was probably a good thing, as Japan had been undergoing a declining birth rate for quite some time, something that caused Tom to reflect on his own parents’ decision to have so many children. Still, he wasn’t distracted from nostalgia for long, as he had a mission, and set out to complete it with all the single-mindedness of a mother bird looking for worms to feed her nestlings.
It was comforting to be greeted upon entry to each konbinni, and he was actually pleased to be accumulating so many of those Japanese coins as he visited Family Mart, Lawsons, 7/11, even McDonalds! He grabbed an assortment of dishes, snacks, and drinks from each, whatever caught his eye, all so aesthetically placed in compact plastic bags (paper ones for the McDonalds), and quickly made his way back to the hotel room where Toby was lying down in his bed, watching a television drama about high schoolers, and Louise had just stepped out of the shower, her hair wrapped up in a complimentary hotel towel. Both were ecstatic to see him return, and even more so when they saw the variety of food he had brought for them.
“Food!”, they both exclaimed, and Tom unveiled what he had gotten. It wasn’t long before they were all munching happily on the various items, though Toby noticed that Tom mainly nibbled on French fries and drank cola, which may not have been so healthy, but he wasn’t going to critique the man who had gone out to get them dinner while they recuperated in the hotel room. Besides, he was more concerned with how delicious everything tasted!
“Mmmm! I never knew plain rice balls could taste so good! Thanks Tom!”
“Don’t mention it Toby! Try some of the other stuff too, I’ve been asking for things without mayonnaise and eggs, just to ensure you don’t die on the first night here, which would rather defeat the purpose, no?”
“Oh yes, I suppose my death would be an inconvenience to the plan, as well as my own future plans!”
Despite his sarcasm, he was happy. All three were happy. Exhausted, but happy, and relaxed, and now they could truly appreciate the fact that they were on holiday. It may not have been a fancy Japanese welcome dinner, but it was definitely all very Japanese nonetheless, and as the old saying goes: hunger is the best spice. Content and full, sipping on watermelon soda, and nibbling on various chocolates and biscuits, Tom cleared his throat and made put on a pompous air, before saying,
“Well team, ‘Operation Surprise Naomi’ is underway, and while we haven’t gotten to the critical moment just yet, I want to thank you both for doing this. As a token of my gratitude, here is a welcome gift of 10 000 yen to spend as you like. Don’t get too excited Toby, it’s not actually that much once you convert it back to our local dollars.”
All of it was too much for the young man, who, in the last twenty-four hours, had left his home country for the first time, traversed a foreign city, dined on iconic local snacks, and was now receiving an envelope of cash apparently for just being there. He hugged Tom, and thanked him for being in his life, before Louise joked that he was getting melodramatic again, which made him more self-conscious. In contrast, Tom seemed pleased that the two were in such a good mood, especially Toby, and excused himself to shower before bed. After a while, Louise noticed that he was actually taking a bath, and by the time he emerged from the bathroom, the two were already in a deep slumber. Tom was starting to feel the day’s efforts catch up to him, so he too lay down on his bed, and drifted off to sleep, his mind still planning out the rest of this extremely vital trip even as his consciousness faded, but the last thing on his mind was that he would enjoy the buffet breakfast tomorrow morning…
Chapter Ten- Tokyo Crash Course
There was something that a spiritual man like Thomas Kei would never grow tired of in Japan, or so he though- the abundance of temples and shrines. He awoke earlier than the other two, at around 6am, and got dressed to go out, deciding that he had had enough of his typical black formal wear, and now transformed into denim jeans, a batman t-shirt, and sneakers. Ensuring that he was as undisruptive as possible, even though the other two had proven themselves to not be light sleepers, he was still overly cautious to tiptoe out of the hotel room, and make his way to the main lobby. To his surprise, breakfast was already being served by the time he got out at 6:30am, which impressed him, and he was tempted to just stay there until Louise and Toby awoke to join him. However, food was one of the earliest obstacles he overcame when undergoing spiritual training, and unlike many people his own age, he believed that it was important to experience discomfort to escape suffering, instead of anaesthetising one’s self with pleasure, so he left the hotel with no reservations.
It was cool, pleasantly so, and despite the latent humidity, he enjoyed being out and about on the still quiet streets. Nothing was open yet, except for konbinni. And certain shrines. He was a little dismayed to discover that the shrines were not all open at this time, and thus walked about the neighbourhood for a while before finding one that did not have closed gates. Or perhaps he had just been out walking for so long that they had already begun to open for “business”? Seeing one with an open courtyard that reminded him of a playground he once attended, he tentatively stepped inside the shrine grounds. His presence was mostly unnoticed by the occasional staff, who were busy sweeping, or lighting incense and candles, and he could hear a low murmuring coming from inside the building that was probably a priest conducting morning rites and prayers. Sitting on the stone bench, which was remarkably white, especially in the early morning light, he began to meditate, and lose himself in the unassuming ambience.
Solosopher & Solosophy 