by Simon Archer
“Absolutely!” Krysta said. “I’m excited that you all are getting to go on an adventure and can’t wait to hear about it when you get back!” I tilted my head and started nodding slowly.
“I don’t know if I’d call it an ‘adventure’ really,” I told her. “It will definitely be interesting, though.” Kennedi laid her hand on mine, and I looked over to her.
“Well, the three of us were just talking about that,” she started. “We thought that we should ensure this trip does include a little adventure, so we have an idea. We know you love to hike and be outside in general, so we were thinking about Mount Kita-dake!” She was grinning from ear-to-ear.
“Mount Kita?” I took a second to check my memory for any information on the mountain. I wasn’t familiar with it. “What do you want to do on this Mount Kita?” Ellie turned around and looked at me.
“It is the second tallest mountain, after Mt. Fuji, and is one of Japan’s one-hundred famous mountains. It sits at an elevation of ten-thousand-four-hundred-seventy-six feet,” she said. “We are booking you a guided hike from a place called Hirogawara trailhead, up to the summit!” I’d never seen Ellie so excited about anything not having to do with food. It had been much too long since my last good hike. I did a quick calculation in my head and, depending on terrain, would probably only be a two or three-day hike.
“That sounds like my kind of good time!” I told the girls.
All three of them clapped their hands together and started wiggling in place with excitement. I looked down at the island counter, then shook my head and smiled. I just didn’t understand the female tendency to squeal, wiggle, jump, or clap excessively when they were excited. Just because I didn’t understand it didn’t mean I didn’t find it adorable, though.
I heard footsteps behind me and turned around. Theo was standing in the doorway, leaning against the door jamb. “A few of y’all look pretty excited in here,” he chuckled. “What’s going on?”
“The girls have decided that I needed to go hiking while we are on our trip,” I told him. “They’ve arranged for me to go to Mount Kita.” Theo raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly.
“That’s a pretty hike, that one,” Theo said. I was a little shocked.
“A pretty hike… Have you done it before?” I couldn’t picture Theo in Japan, nevermind climbing anything. Theo laughed and nodded again.
“Yeah, I’ve done it. It was a long time ago. I was even younger than you are now,” he said.
“What on earth were you doing in Japan?” The Theo I knew was a relative home-body, and Japan wasn’t anywhere near home!
“I did a stint with the Peace Corp back in the day. It was right before I met Beverly,” he said. “I wasn’t there long, but I did get the hike in before I left.”
“That’s incredible!” I was overly excited to know he had been there. “Can I pick your brain about it later today? I want to hear all about it!” He laughed and nodded yet again.
“Of course. I may even have a couple of old pictures around here somewhere.” Theo stood up straight, abandoning his door-jam, and walked to the refrigerator and opened it. I was still in shock. Theo and the Peace Corp went together perfectly, but Theo out of the country was just hard to picture.
“Well, I had better get some food in me.” I changed the subject. I wanted to hear more but had a lot to accomplish first. “I have to get moving.” Krysta hopped up and walked to the counter by the kitchen sink. She picked up a bag that had been sitting there, turned, and walked it back to me. I opened it and looked inside. There was a familiar cylindrical shape, wrapped in tin foil. My mouth instantly started watering. It was a breakfast burrito. I took the burrito out of the bag, peeled off the upper third of the tin foil, and took a huge bite. It was filled with Ellie’s signature ‘Smoke Soaked’ potatoes, paprika-scrambled eggs, and a thick green chili and pork sauce. It tasted like the entire southwest wrapped in a little package just for me. I glanced up, and Ellie was watching for my reaction.
“This is beyond excellent, Ellie,” I said after I’d swallowed. I went to take another bite and paused. “There really should be a whole new set of words made up to describe how good the food you make is!”
“Aww, thank you, Clark.” She smiled at me and turned back to her work at the cooler. It only took me a few minutes to make quick work of the burrito. When I was done with it, I instantly wanted another, but not because I was hungry. I wanted another one because they were so damn good! I stood up to throw my tin foil away, and Kennedi and Krysta stood up as well.
“Are you ready to get to VSG?” Kennedi said, looping her arm through mine. I patted her hand.
“Yep, let’s go,” I said. I turned to Theo, who had posted up next to the refrigerator with a glass of orange juice. “You here for the day?” He raised his orange juice as if making a toast.
“Yeah, it’s a house-project day,” he said.
“Alright then, have fun, and I’ll see you tonight!” I piped back. Ellie closed the cooler and locked it. I turned to leave, and the three girls followed me.
The original plan had been to drop Ellie off at Belavi and then go back to VSG. I decided I needed to pick up a couple of things from the Army Surplus, so instead, I dropped Ellie off, dropped Kennedi and Krysta off at VSG, and headed to the surplus alone.
When I pulled into the Army Surplus parking lot, I looked around for a specific, old, beat-up Honda. I parked my 4Runner and got out. I took another moment to double-check that the car wasn’t there and did not see it still. I walked to the store entrance and went in. I knew what I wanted to pick up and had been in there several times before so it didn’t take me long to find my items. In under ten minutes, I was standing at the checkout line, placing my products on the counter. Then I heard a familiar voice behind me.
“A CamelBak, water filter straws, and carabiners… That’s a far cry off from whips, boots, and cargo shorts,” a woman’s voice said.
I turned to face the voice and saw Ms. Sally standing there. Sally had been an integral part of my success when I was fighting on the Platform. As far as I knew, she was the only woman to ever compete on the Platform, and I was fortunate enough to have had her as my trainer. I had met her right there in the Army Surplus, where she recognized the items I was buying as things needed for the fight. Although she was a hard woman, she did have a big heart, and Kennedi and I had grown close with her. We didn’t see her much, but occasionally we would convince her to come out to the house for dinner. She’d been friends with Theo and Bev for years, so it was always a good time when we all got together. It was her Honda I had been looking for in the parking lot.
“Life is just a tiny bit different than it was the last time I bought cargo shorts,” I replied as I put my thumb and forefinger just an inch away from each other.
“Yeah, yeah,” Sally said sarcastically. “Went off and got yourself all successful and forgot about the little people, ya did!” She stood there, her short frame solidly in place, with her hands on her hips. I waved the back of my hand at her like I was shooing a bug away.
“Those pesky little people were just so dramatic, and high maintenance, and clingy. I didn’t feel like dealing any more!” I was starting to have trouble keeping a straight face at this point because I had just listed three characteristics that were as far opposite from Sally’s personality as possible. She was stern, fiercely independent, and one-hundred percent no bullshit. She would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it though.
Sally kept a perfectly serious expression on her face and said, “Well, if you got rid of them, who do you whine to about all your problems now?” I threw my head back and stuck my nose up in the air.
“The only ‘whine’ I have in my life is that which is sitting in my wine cellar, I’ll have you know.” Again, I was struggling not to laugh. Sally knew that I lived in a barn and, even if I didn’t, would never keep a wine cellar. Sally rolled her eyes at me.
“In that case, you should start drinking more of i
t!” she spat out. “Maybe then you’d relax enough for that wine cellar stick to fall out of your ass!” I immediately looked at the floor and started to fake crying.
“But I like my stick!” I wailed. “Why are you trying to take it away from me?” My struggle to keep a straight face ended just then as I broke out laughing. Sally’s face instantly lit up, and she started laughing as well.
“How the hell are ya, Clark?” she said. I walked over to her and bent down to give her a hug.
“I’m doing well,” I told her. “I have a bit of a trip coming up that I’m preparing for.”
“Where are you going?” Sally inquired.
“Mount Kita,” I said. “It’s the second tallest mountain in Japan.”
“I know where it is,” Sally started. “I’ve done that one before.” I stared at her for a moment.
“Am I the only one in this damn town who hasn’t climbed that particular mountain?” I was almost as shocked that Sally had been to Mt. Kita as I was when I learned that Theo had been there.
Sally chuckled and said, “I doubt it. Let me guess, Theo told you he climbed it as well, yes?” I started nodding my head.
“Yeah, he did,” I said. “How do you know that?”
“Oh, it came up in conversation years ago,” Sally answered. She slapped me on the arm and smiled. “You are going to love it. It’s easier than some you’ve likely done, but the view of Mt. Fuji from the top wipes away any disappointment you may have in the climb itself.
“What makes it so easy?” Not many people referred to anything in the Japanese Alps as easy.
“They’ve added assistance to the trails,” Sally told me. “Ladders, pull ropes, grating, and such. There’s not too much of it, but it really is unnecessary to anyone who knows what they’re doing.”
“Ah, I see,” I said. “Regardless, it’ll be great to get out. With setting up VSG and such, I haven’t been keeping up with my outdoor recreational habits as much as I should.”
Sally shot me a look that challenged whether or not I was an intelligent human and said, “Are you going to Japan just to hike the mountain?”
I rolled my eyes at her and said, “No, I am not going halfway around the world to climb an assisted mountain. Charlie and I have a business meeting, so I’m taking advantage.” Sally’s expression changed from ‘you’re an idiot to fly that far to hike’ to ‘aha!’
“You must be seeing Mr. Isamu Sato,” she said matter-of-factly. That was another thing about Sally… She seemed to know everything about everything. There were times that she’d be privy to information that I would never in a million years think she’d have knowledge of. It was a total mystery as to where she acquired her intel.
“It is possible that we may bump into him,” I responded. “What do you know about Sato?”
“Not a lot other than the buzz that he is not necessarily a big Omnicorp fan right now,” Sally said. She raised an eyebrow at me. “Who all is going with you, other than Charlie?” She stepped forward and pulled on my arm to turn me around. The checker had been waiting for me to stop gabbing and pay him.
“Kennedi and Ellie are going,” I told her as I pulled my wallet out and handed the checker a credit card.
“It’s smart to have them,” Sally agreed. “Especially Kennedi. That one is good for business.” Sally was referring to Kennedi’s special ability to tell whether people were telling the truth or not. She was literally a walking lie-detector. I had tried to pull a fast one on her to hide a surprise once, and she busted me instantly.
“Yeah, she is good to have around, period,” I said. The checker handed me my credit card and a bag with my purchases in it. Sally and I started walking towards the door of the store together. “She would love to see you soon. How about you swing by our little house-raising shindig we will be having once we return from Japan?”
Sally contemplated the invite for a few seconds, shrugged her shoulders, and said, “Sure, I think I could squeeze you in.” She winked at me as I opened the door for her, and we both exited the store.
“Sounds great,” I said. “Hey, what are you driving? I looked for your Honda when I pulled in and didn’t see it.” I started scanning the parking lot once again.
“I upgraded to a newer one.” Sally pointed at a red Honda Civic parked two spaces down from mine. It was the exact same car she used to have. Only this one was about five years newer.
“Stuck on a body style, or what?” I joked with her. She rolled her eyes at me.
“Hey! I got a different color, didn’t I?” she exclaimed.
“I guess that is progress.” We both laughed. She turned to go back into the store.
“I came here to pick up my check. I guess I’d better actually do that instead of getting distracted by snooty businessmen!” Sally feigned irritation, relapsing into our banter at the beginning of our conversation.
“Yes, run along, peasant! Hmph!” I said, doing my best to sound arrogant. She smiled at me, waved, and then turned and walked back into the store. I walked to my 4Runner and climbed in. The temperature inside was already searing even though I’d only been gone for a short time. I started the engine and set the air conditioner on full blast before pulling out of the parking lot.
As I drove to VGS, I ran through the list of things I needed to accomplish before catching the plane to Japan. We would be leaving at three o’clock tomorrow morning so whatever needed done, had to be done today. Of course, the biggest task was to get packed up, but Kennedi would be doing most of that.
After I went over things at VGS with Macy one more time since she would be running the store in my absence, and I would need to send a materials order to my construction supplier so that everything would be ready for the house-raising when we got back. Otherwise, I needed to make a bank drop and then would be ready to head home.
I felt the mild buzz of excitement start to settle in. I’d always loved traveling but usually ended up at my destination more by chance than by design. This trip felt like it would be different. Depending on how things went, my life when I returned might be quite different. I knew I had a decision to make soon about whether to add building cat girls to the list of services VGS offered.
I was still undecided. I was just debating the pros and cons of building cat girls with myself when I pulled up to the parking garage at VGS. I turned into a parking space, turned the engine off, and sat for a moment. This would be the last moment I had to myself for the next several days. I took a deep breath and enjoyed the surrounding silence. There were no other cars driving in the parking lot. Then it felt like a switch flipped in my mind, and it was go-time.
I strolled towards the door that led into my office, determined to make this next adventure one of the best yet.
17
Approximately fifteen hours later, Charlie, Kennedi, Ellie, and I were boarding a plane to Tokyo, Japan. I had stayed up to catch the flight because I knew we’d be in the air overnight, so I would be able to sleep. Isamu had made arrangements so that we would be arriving at six in the evening. We were going to be met by a driver and taken directly to our hotel. Then we would meet with Isamu the following morning. It wouldn’t be until after we’d concluded business with Isamu that we’d go on the Mt. Kita hike. After that, we’d be heading home. When I listed the itinerary in my mind, it sounded so simple. As I took my seat on the plane, however, the trip felt unpredictable and complex. I was anxious to get it started, so I could see how it would turn out, so I closed my eyes shortly after take-off and drifted off to sleep to pass the time.
After another fifteen hours, the four of us deboarded the plane at Narita International Airport. Ellie was walking with Charlie, and I had Kennedi on my arm. I was watching Kennedi intently. When she experienced something new, it was always refreshing for me as well, but in this case, it was new for both of us. We had a shared excitement that seemed to buzz between us. Her ears would perk up, turn forward, back, to the side, then forward again. Her tail was all over the place. One moment
she would have it wrapped around my waist. The next, it would be snaking up my back and over my shoulder. I couldn’t help but smile.
Ellie was much calmer as she walked with Charlie. She had more of a down-to-business personality than Kennedi did, although, by the way that her ears were turning more than normal, I could tell she found the new environment stimulating. The airport had a very streamlined look about it and was a fury of activity. It was also very organized.
The floor had clearly marked paths, so you knew where to go, and there were multiple customer service concierges waiting to help you get there. The arrival and departure boards were perfectly in line with each other, and it seemed every fixture in the airport was either chrome or metal. The only other color I saw was light blue. It was splashed here and there on signs, used to mark paths on the floor, and part of concierge uniforms. The entire place looked spotlessly clean as well. All those things combined, and it felt like we’d just stepped into the highest tech airport I’d ever been in.
It didn’t take long for us to locate the driver who had been sent to pick us up. Isamu had made sure the man could speak English, and he helped us locate the baggage claim rather quickly. After our stop at the baggage claim, we found ourselves climbing into a white stretch limo. There were cherry blossom trees tooled into the black leather seats that we sat down on. Kennedi and I took our seats on one side of the car while Charlie and Ellie sat across from us. There were window drapes that looked like they could be made of several layers of red silk. Next to Kennedi and me, there was a fully stocked bar. It had whiskeys, vodkas, gins, and wines. I recognized a few of the brands but most of the bottles I’d never seen an equivalent to in the States. Once we were all in and seated, I reached over to the bar and poured wine for Ellie and Kennedi, and an unknown brand of whiskey for Charlie and myself. I passed out the drinks and held my glass up just as the limo started to move.
“Here is to phase one of this adventure!” I toasted. The girls were quick to raise their glasses.
