The Broken Hearts Honeymoon
Page 25
Lucas nudges his wife and raises his eyebrows towards me. ‘Flo, ix-nay on the arriage-nay talk.’
I laugh. ‘No, really, it’s fine, I’m in a much better place than I was when you all last saw me. No need to treat “wedding” like a dirty word. In fact,’ I throw in, because why not. I may have only known these people for a total of six days but they feel like old friends, now that we’re all sat together in our cotton kimono loungewear, slurping on tea. ‘You aren’t the only ones who have been doing some kissing on this trip.’
Cue the communal squeal. Even Cliff, Mr Cool Cowboy, joins in with a whoop.
‘Tell. Us. Everything.’ Lucas demands.
‘What can I say, I’m a sucker for a boy serenading me …’ I tell them about my tipsy karaoke night in Hiroshima and how Riku and I tasted sake after sake, and then sang to each other, and we got cosy and his lips were soft and I, the alluring foreign stranger, had to walk away after the last song. Or, at least, the morning after the last song …
‘What song did he sing? What song did you sing? What did he look like?’ Lucas wants to know all the details. ‘Do you have a photo of him?’
I show them the snap I took of the two of us cheersing over our sake cups. I don’t show him the one Moko took and sent me later on, of us kissing under the lights of the karaoke.
‘He’s cute,’ says Kaori.
‘He’s young,’ says Flo. ‘Not in a creepy way, just like, nice one.’
‘He is a little younger than me,’ I concur. ‘But he was allllll maaaaaan.’
I look back at the picture of the two of us. Ah, Riku. You were fun and kind and happy not to attach any strings. You don’t know how much of a breath of fresh air you were, right when I needed it. Or maybe you did, which makes you an even better lasting memory.
‘So the love stones in Kyoto worked after all?’ Kaori cheered, and we laughed. But maybe she had a point. Not about Riku, as fine as he is, but I have fallen in love with Japan. And I have got to know somebody else in the past month that I’m pretty fond of: me.
My last day in Japan is exactly how I could have hoped it would be: good food, interesting company, some alone time, outstanding vistas, and a whole lot of relaxing (plus more good food, mmmmm).
It’s early afternoon and all of us are back at the ryokan, whiling away a couple of hours before Mrs Ito puts on her wonderful kaiseki meal for us. If it’s anything like yesterday’s, I know it’s going to be a delicious and plentiful feast of sticky soba noodles, fat strawberries, bamboo shoots tenderised to perfection, local pork, salty soy broths, miso-flavoured pumpkin, fresh salted fish, sweetly marinated tofu sponges, and so much more.
I have one last video I want to put together while I’m feeling like this, and that’s my submission video for the junior travel writer job. I haven’t heard back from Amanda, and I hope I didn’t ruin my relationship with her, but I can’t keep living in fear of the maybes again.
I’ve already been tinkering, finding my favourite clips, my favourite soundbites, my favourite things I’ve done and I know how I want to weave them together into my five-minute story of my time in Japan. And if I don’t get the job, at least I’ve got a memento.
When I’m done, I feel proud of myself, not just for the video, but for me, for the things I’ve done and the person I’ve let myself become. As I said in the closing seconds of my hopefully job-winning vlog, I was an adventurer. It was adventure all along that was telling me to move forward, dive in, snorkel with my eyes open, climb the mountain, feel the sunset, kiss the stranger in the foreign land and find my happy today, tomorrow and every day.
I’ll send it off properly at home, when I can add my CV and write a proper cover letter from my computer, but for now I’ll upload my submission to IGTV, add it to the pool of #AdventureAwaitsJob-tagged clips and see what happens. Just before I do, I see another sweet comment from Thomas on one of my pictures. He’s been really engaged with my content over the past couple of weeks, and I with his – I look forward to seeing his latest creative works and make sure to always like and comment back.
My heart flutters a little when I think about seeing him soon.
Some people are packing their bags ready to go straight to the airport tomorrow, some are relaxing, but Kaori, Flo and I are enjoying the women’s onsen. And we’re nakedddd but that’s because of the rules, not because we’re all smashed on sake or anything.
Let me tell you a little about the outdoor onsen quickly, in case you’re wondering why we’re in the buff. Onsens use natural hot spring water and you have to go in clean, which means having a scrub-a-dub-dub before you get in. Same as spa etiquette really, or like the indoor shower/bath situation at the temple. Only here, nothing should touch the water except your sparkling clean birthday suit. No swimsuit. You can bring a small towel with you, which is really just a big flannel, and generally people keep it on top of their head while they’re in the water, rather than getting it mixed up with other people’s on the side, but when there’s only three of you – like now – it’s not really a problem, so we scamper into the water and plop our towels a good distance apart from each other.
Flo floats past me. ‘I don’t want to go home,’ she sighs. ‘That means it’s really over.’
Kaori, a vision of loveliness sitting with her back to the mountains, the loose tendrils of her tied-up hair tickling her face in the breeze, says, ‘No, it’s just beginning, your new life with your husband. And Japan will have you back anytime. And you, Charlotte, of course.’
‘Thank you. And you should let me know if you ever come to England and I’ll be your tour guide.’
‘If your magazine sends you to Australia, Charlotte, look me up,’ Flo adds.
I laugh. ‘That would be nice, but I’ll be on an internship, so no more big adventures for me for a while.’
Kaori turns to me and asks, ‘Do you feel sad that you didn’t get to experience Japan as a honeymooner?’
I slide through the water to the other side of the hot spring and rest my arms on the cool stone. Mount Fuji rises up ahead of me, her pink gown of flowers beneath her, and I think about the question.
‘I don’t view it like that,’ I say, breathing in the clean air, along with everything I’ve learnt and seen, and then breathing out any doubt. ‘I did go on a honeymoon over the past month. I just went with myself.’
It turns out, my ikigai was pretty clear all along. My life’s purpose – at least for now, in this point in my life – is to be me. To get to know who I am.
To be happy with me, myself, and ikigai.
The End
Or the beginning …
From: Amanda
To: Charlotte
Date: 5 May, 15.00
Hi Charlotte,
I hope you’re well and sorry for the late reply. I want to tell you that we’ve all been really enjoying following your adventures in Japan through the vlogs on your Instagram channel. You have a natural warmth with your audience, a fearless way of showing your true self, great goals you worked towards and shared, and clearly, from the places you’ve gone and the things you’ve seen (and shown us) a passion for adventure. Very impressive. So to answer your question, yes, you very much can apply for the Junior Travel Writer role even though you’ll have only just begun the internship. In fact, I strongly encourage it!
Congratulations on finding your ikigai, can’t wait to hear more about it, and safe return travels.
Best wishes,
Amanda Sakerson
Editor, Adventure Awaits
From: ArielMBCortez
To: Charlotte
Date: 7 May, 9.42
Hey Charlotte,
I think you might remember me! I certainly remember you, from way back when you came to my talk at Stanfords bookshop, what, ten years ago?
As you may know, I don’t work at Adventure Awaits any more, but I’m still so close with the team there. One of the editors, Amanda, sent me a link to your video in Instagra
m where you talked about your inspiration for heading to Japan and how my article had a little something to do with it. I am so pleased! And I ended up watching all the rest of your videos while I was there too, and I have to say, you’re now my inspiration, because it makes me want to go back to Japan!
I hear you’ll be starting at the magazine soon and I wanted to congratulate you on following your dream, and catching those adventures.
Best of luck with everything,
Ariel (Cortez)
From: Thomas
To: Charlotte
Date: 1st June, 11.05
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lunch? On me ☺
xx
Acknowledgements
Hey readers, I hope you’ve enjoyed an adventure overseas within the pages of The Broken Hearts Honeymoon. My first and foremost dollop of gratitude needs to go to the country that inspired this whole story: Japan. The setting, the people, the ikigai and the wabi-sabi: thank you.
Huge thank you to Sonny Marr at Penguin Random House for taking me on and guiding the novel from start to finish. Your enthusiasm and sparkle are limitless! And to the rest of the team at Arrow, and Justine – a big, big thank you to you too.
Thank you, always, to Hannah Ferguson, my lovely literary agent. I couldn’t do this without ya, you gorgeous-haired superwoman! And arigato to the Harman & Swainson crew too!
A big thank you to my favourite author and fabulous friend, Belinda Jones, for cheerleading and championing this project. You inspired me to travel and write from day one and still do. And to Holly Martin, whose talent, dedication and fantastic sense of humour keep me motivated daily. Big love to you both!
Phil, Kodi, Mum, Dad, family and friends: as always, thank you for your support, your help, your patience, and your excitement, even as I regaled you with Japan facts daily over the past few months, and practised my Japanese on you. Chloe, thank you for helping my IGTV-clueless self!
Finally, thanks to the fictional Charlotte, for not going on honeymoon completely alone, but letting me, and you guys, join her for the ride.
Sayonara, sunshines,
Lucy x
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
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Copyright © Lisa Dickenson 2020
Cover image credit: Illustration: Carrie May. Design: Emma Grey Gelder.
Lucy Dickens has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
First published in Great Britain in 2020 by Arrow Books
www.penguin.co.uk
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 9781473582361