Temper Dread: Book Two of the TEMPER Saga

by Lila Mina

“Always! Let’s go to our favorite place. I need a double dose of their fried apple and honey rings.”

  “Oh, what a lovely idea! Let me grab my things, I’ll be downstairs in a minute.”

  True to her word, Lana was on the ground floor of their building in a blink. She engulfed Gabriella in a warm hug.

  “Cara mia, how long has it been already since we had fun together?” Lana wondered aloud as they walked out under the blistering midday sun. The asphalt under their shoes was so hot it burned through their thin pump soles. With her business slacks and conservative white blouse, Lana was covered in perspiration right away.

  “Terribly long… three, four weeks maybe? I got buried under our department Q2 report all past month and barely saw the light of day.”

  “We’ve got a lot of catch up to do, but let’s eat first please!”

  “Of course!” Gabriella exclaimed with a laugh. “Gorging on greasy food is always a priority.”

  They headed for the nearby Sichuan restaurant which had seen many of their quick lunches and late-hour dinners over the past three years. The friends sighed with relief when the cool air inside greeted them. The head cook gave them a big smile, and they sat at their usual spot, a small table for two by the window which provided the best angle to indulge in people watching.

  “Here you go! Take your time please,” the waitress said, putting generous plates of steamed dumplings, sautéed spicy beef and fried rice in front of them, not forgetting the apple rings they craved. Both women gulped everything down too quickly for their own good in reverent silence.

  Lana sighed with satisfaction as she licked her fingers glistening with honey. “Ah, just what I needed. After the izakaya party of yesterday, my skin will hate me, but hey, a girl needs to have her priorities straight,” she chuckled, emptying her glass of chilled water for the third time in a row. Cool air or not, it was well over 28°C in the restaurant. Much better than the 35°C outside, but still...

  “Call me when you become the saint of temperance and balance, for food or… anything else. It will be a miraculous day,” Gabriella snorted, and both friends cackled in agreement.

  “I realize I haven’t been so available for you recently, cara mia, while you’ve been such an amazing support,” Lana said with an apologetic smile, grabbing the brunette’s hand. “So, what’s new on your end?”

  Gabriella smiled and patted her friend’s hand. “Nothing as thrilling and unusual as you, but I have to tell you. Despite my impossible schedule, I met someone, can you believe it?”

  Lana beamed at the happiness shining in her eyes. “Oh, how wonderful!” She clapped hands in excitement. “Spit it out! Who is it? How serious is this?”

  Her friend burst out laughing. “I knew you’d be excited! Well, it’s not so serious for now, but I have to say it’s nice. Scratch that, it’s amazing! His name is Yoshiro, and he lives three blocks from me, near the shopping street running to the station, on the south side? He owns a motorcycle repair shop, and this is where I met him.”

  “Oh, wait, don’t tell me. I can see what happened from here. You walked by, there was this shiny bike you had to touch, then this Apollo came out from under the hood of a car, and you fell on your knees!” Gabriella threw a chopstick at Lana with a shriek.

  “Ah, come on! Why so cheesy? Well, okay, it was something like this. There were three beautiful bikes just outside his shop, and what do I love more than a man’s powerful chest and chiseled abs?”

  “Custom bikes!” both friends said together before laughing again.

  “Guilty as charged! So here I was, drooling over a customized Yamaha, a real blue and steel beauty, when Yoshiro showed up. Right away, I started firing off my usual round of questions, and he was so happy he ended up inviting me for a drink. You bet I accepted. I could see the guy had a powerful chest and chiseled abs to go along with his bikes.” The two women giggled.

  “This was three weeks ago. Everything’s going well, except for one big thing, which doesn’t matter for now, but could become a problem.”

  Lana quirked an eyebrow. “What is it? He’s married?”

  “Nah, that’s your kink, right?” Gabriella snickered. “But his family desperately wants him to tie the knot, and they keep introducing him to sweet, suitable and proper young ladies who have been vouched for, screened, and background checked up to at least four generations. Needless to say, none of them are Italian or love bikes, and they’re all under twenty-five. So, I think we’re heading for a big clash. Yoshiro seems unable and unwilling to confront his parents and tell them about us. We’ve been very hush-hush, he’s gone out of his way to bring me to places where nobody knows him.”

  “Oh gosh, is he ashamed of you? How old is he?”

  “Our age, he just turned forty! No, he isn’t ashamed, but do I need to spill out for you what family duty means in this country?”

  Lana made a face. “Of course not. Wow, this doesn’t cool you down?”

  “No, because I’m enjoying myself way too much, but also because it’s my hope Yoshiro will open his eyes, find his manly courage and introduce me.”

  “Are you seriously thinking of marrying him? That would be quick and unexpected.”

  “No! Well, I hope he learns how to draw a limit, and at least tell them the kind of woman he’d like to have in his life… Anyway. I’ll keep you posted. For now, it’s a lot of fun, and we’re even planning a road trip in August! I can’t wait!”

  Lana smiled at her friend’s happiness. “It’s so good to see you like this Gabriella, you deserve this so much. I hope Yoshiro doesn’t blow it.”

  The brunette winked. “You and me both! Your guy could teach him a few lessons about getting what you want even when you’re not supposed to, don’t you think? Anyway, the other thing I’m considering these days is starting a martial art. I’ve got a mighty urge to hit people at the office — go figure — that should be channeled into something constructive. Kendo is at the top of my list, but I don’t know where to start, and I lack the courage to show up at a dojo to try.”

  “Kendo is awesome! But hey, guess what? Yuki sama is a third dan in this budo. Why not ask her to show you a few basic moves? I’m sure she’d be happy to.”

  “Oh, really? It’s a good idea. Would you mind asking her for me? Although… seeing her in full attire and go all samurai on me might not be such a good idea. It’s hard to stay focused around her,” Gabriella said with a faint blush.

  Lana smirked. “Oh, look who’s having a serious crush! I can’t blame you. She’s distracting and not afraid to get what she wants. But don’t let it stop you. Come over next Sunday, we’ll have some tea and then she can show us her… moves,” Lana snickered, making Gabriella giggle, but then the brunette turned serious.

  “Speaking of the diabolical couple. What about you? How are things? The other day, at the all-department meeting, you seemed so tired.”

  “What? Oh! That one. Yeah, it was right after Richard had put me on forced leave, and we had words about our damned Dos Santos deal. I’m getting more and more frustrated with him. When it comes to dealing with Michelle and the like, he’s always glad to push me on the front line and let me show the teeth he lacks. But then, as soon as someone barks a bit too loud, he folds down and is happy to blame it on me. I don’t know how much longer I’ll tolerate it. There’s a sexist undercurrent to it that drives me crazy. And on top of all of this office bullshit, the previous night had been busy.”

  Her friend rolled her eyes. “Seriously? But what does your man eat? Is he sniffing drugs or overdosing on special Chinese medicine? I don’t know, ginseng or powdered rhino horn?”

  Lana burst out laughing and couldn’t stop until her sides hurt. “Oh, cara mia, thank you so much for being you, it’s so good for my mental health! No… no, I don’t think he does, but there are two of us so…”

  “Exactly! He should take it easy unless you want him to die in your arms or something,” Gabriella winked.

  “Yeah, well, I wo
n’t be the one pointing this out, I’d like to keep my head attached to my neck, thank you very much.” Lana sighed and turned serious. “In any case, it was a difficult night, for all of us, so I was a bit… tired.”

  Gabriella dropped her goofy act. “Hey, you wanna talk about it? So much drama would drive me crazy after a while!”

  Lana winced, unsure of what she could tell her dearest friend and confidant without wading into matters which were way too personal. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing I can’t or won’t handle. We push things far now and then, but I do have the last word. I sense he’s got serious reasons for trying to be so utterly in control of himself, and sometimes even he gets overwhelmed. Also, for better or worse, I’ve inserted myself into a freaking marriage, between two people who have a cargo load of backstory I’ve just begun to scratch and understand. They are open and… yeah, shameless when it comes to bedroom stuff, but it’s Fort Knox for the rest. I often get to figure things out after I’ve triggered the booby trap.”

  “Hm… Lana… sorry to be so blunt, but is there any room for you over there, other than for… you know...?”

  Lana watched the passing crowd outside the window. “I think so. It turns out I bring things both were missing and can’t find in each other for a universe of reasons. And each of them gives me something I deeply need in return. So, I believe we can make this work in the long run, provided we keep this fragile balance and nobody busts us,” she said with a small grimace.

  Gabriella was pensive and nodded slowly. “Well, I’ll trust your judgment cara mia. But I’ve got my eyes on you, and you seem tired again today. I know it’s sizzling hot, but still...”

  Lana groaned and stretched her arms. “I’m exhausted and I have no clue why. I’ve felt dizzy since this morning. I’d fall asleep under the table if you let me.”

  “Go home then! It’s a holiday, and what’s the point of staying behind your desk if you can’t keep your eyes open?”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I’ve done most of what I came to do anyway. I could use a nap.”

  “See? Come on, nobody will say anything because everyone is busy doing nothing except eating ice cream under the A/C unit. But please see a doctor if you don’t feel better tomorrow!”

  “Si, Mamma.”

  Gabriella picked up her shopping bags, and they went to the cashier in front of the door. “I’ll leave you here, cara mia, I’ve still errands to run. Call me if there’s anything, okay?” Gabriella hugged her friend in front the restaurant.

  “Likewise! And I haven’t forgotten about your kendo trial lesson, so I will definitely ask Yuki sama to set up a demo,” Lana winked.

  Gabriella pretended to groan in despair before waving goodbye. Chuckling, Lana put on her earphones and headed back to the train station with her favorite electro-jazz playlist in her ears.

  3 No Child Game

  The train was only moderately packed, and Lana found a seat right away. Once she had checked her emails, her eyes wandered over her fellow passengers. The car was quiet, something she still hadn’t got used to after years of commuting in noisy public transportation in Montreal. She welcomed it with pleasure as it created a break, a transition between her work and personal spaces.

  Trains were a complex affair in Japan, particularly in Tokyo. People were forced to coexist and share their precious privacy with throngs of complete strangers for long periods of time, in anathema to local social and cultural rules.

  To overcome such a nervous and emotional toll, everyone locked themselves up in their own world, going online, playing games, reading books, often falling asleep or in a half-sleep, half-meditative state that surprised visitors. Commuters liked to pretend they were not stuck in a steel box along with thousands of others, traveling alongside millions, crisscrossing the body of the restless Beast which was Tokyo. Silence was key to this affair, and disruption a severe breach of etiquette.

  After three years in the city, Lana had yet to adopt those avoidance practices. People watching was one of her secret pleasures and trains were perfect for indulging in it. Today, she was lucky.

  Right in front of her, sitting on the other side of the car, a twenty-something woman wearing a sharp dark blue business suit carried a shopping bag from an upscale department store with ‘Fuckin’ sales max 50% off’ in large, bold letters. She bit her cheek to stifle her bubbling mirth. Written in hopeless English, French or Italian to make bags or shirts look cool, these slogans were priceless. She took a pic to upload it to one of her favorite Facebook pages that collected those treasures.

  Further down on her right, three elegant older ladies in shimmering kimono were going to a formal event or maybe to see a kabuki play. Their heads bowed together, they were quietly sharing the latest gossip; how long had they known each other? Forty, fifty years? On her left, five teenagers coming home after a baseball game snored loudly, sprawled on their seats, their pristine white uniforms now dirty. Yes, trains carried the essence of Japan, its soul with its millions of facets.

  An object touching her right foot broke her quiet contemplation. A plastic ball, red and white, had come to a rolling stop by her shoe. Lana picked it up. It was one of those bikkurapon–surprise-balls–children bought for 200 yen at the ubiquitous vending machines near the cashiers in supermarkets. It was hard to see what was inside, but that was the whole point. Usually, they contained stickers or erasers adorned with popular anime characters.

  Lana took a peek on her right to identify its point of origin. From what she could see, there were no kids there. She quirked an eyebrow and put the ball in her bag. It was possible the toy had been rolling around the carriage for a while now. She would throw it out later. No need for a granny to twist her ankle on it.

  She rested her head on the window behind her and closed her eyes, enjoying her favorite song. It was so tempting to fall asleep. But her station was four stops away now, and it would be annoying to miss it.

  Her eyes shot open when something else hit her foot. Another bikkurapon, this time green and white. Lana picked it up, and this time she leaned forward, looking harder on her right.

  Ah, there. Gotcha.

  Two short legs covered in pink and purple knee-high socks were swinging from the seat right next to the farthest exit of the carriage, on the same side as Lana. She couldn’t see their owner, but she seemed young, bored, and unsupervised by the sleeping adult on her left.

  Right then, the girl leaned forward and stared in Lana’s direction. Her face was covered by a white and soft pink mask to protect her against air pollution and viruses. Low bangs of unruffled black hair hid her brow and eyes. Lana raised her hand and showed her the green ball, asking silently if this belonged to her. The girl kept staring at her, her legs moving in quick rhythm, but didn’t show any sign of recognition or acknowledgment.

  Lana placed the green ball in her bag next to its red sibling. Eyes once again shut, she enjoyed the last stretch of her trip uninterrupted, softly rubbing her sternum. To her annoyance, her heartburn was flaring again.

  When the loudspeakers announced her station, she walked to the doors next to the girl to give her one last chance to get her toys back.

  “Are those yours?” Lana said, holding out the two balls. The girl gazed back at her from behind her bangs and didn’t bother replying or making any move. Lana shrugged and stepped outside.

  Whatever.

  Just as she was going to head toward the escalators leading to the main concourse, a banging sound from the inside of the train made her glance back. What she saw made her blood turn to ice. Shocked, Lana dropped the two balls that rolled away toward the tracks, but she couldn’t care less about them.

  The girl had moved to sit on her knees and bang the windows as if in a tantrum. She had taken her mask off and revealed the most horribly scarred face Lana had ever seen. She had no mouth, only a huge hole splitting the bottom half of her face from ear to ear, in a mock version of a smile, revealing irregular teeth and a black tongue.

  Lana
was too stunned to look away, but a part of her wondered at the lack of reaction of the people around the girl, they seemed oblivious to her behavior. The doors closed, and the train took off, leaving Lana shivering and almost nauseous as she stood motionless among the crowd pressing toward the exit.

  Right then, a commuter pushed her from behind, and she lost her balance. There were no security barriers on the platforms of the old station. For a terrifying instant, unable to grab anything, Lana saw herself falling on the tracks but at the last possible moment, a hand seized her elbow and steadied her. She straightened up and faced her rescuer.

  “Ah… thank you… thank you very much,” she stammered.

  The tall man holding her arm was also wearing a white mask, but his eyes smiled. “Please be mindful of what is around you and watch where you are going. Those are yours, I believe,” he added, putting the two balls she had dropped into her hand.

  Lana stared at them, confused. “Well, not really, I just found them on the --” Lana looked up and blinked. The man had already disappeared back into the crowd. The wave of commuters rushed toward the exit and before she knew it, she was alone on the platform, except for a couple of people waiting for the train running to downtown.

  In a daze, Lana walked out of the station. The incident and the afternoon’s relentless heat had drained her of all remaining energy. Walking home like she usually did seemed an impossible task. She hailed a taxi instead. As the driver navigated through the small residential streets of the upscale neighborhood, her fingers played mindlessly with the two plastic balls, once again in her bag.

  Staring outside, she wondered if her fatigue could be a bad case of natsubate, the infamous summer lethargy that plagued so many every year. It would be a first for her, but a double dose of those homemade pickled plums Yuki made and stored in the pantry would do the trick to boost her up. Umeboshi were sour and salty but beat an aspirin and an apple.

  There was an unknown car outside the gate, and Honda’s was in the garage. She came across an unfamiliar pair of shoes in the genkan. They had a visitor.