by Ben Stevens
I say ‘Sorry I not understand.’
She say ‘I mean for to see inside temple.’
I say ‘Yes.’ I say ‘I show you around.’
She say ‘Are you sure?’
I say ‘Yes.’
She say ‘That very kind.’
I say ‘All visitor very welcome.’ But in fact I not normal show people around. They just OK to go in temple hall. But I in happy frame of the mind and work is almost finish. So I show pretty western woman some other part of temple.
Woman take off shoe before enter temple hall. I not have to ask. She see big gold statue of the Buddha. I mean statue is colour gold. Not real gold.
Woman say ‘Wow this is amaze.’ She say ‘Can I take photo?’
I say ‘Yes.’ I like for to practice my English with the English speak foreign person. I say ‘This hall was build 1954.’ I say ‘Hall before was destroy by big fire.’
Woman say ‘How old actual temple?’
I say ‘Temple here from middle sixteen century.’ I say ‘But often fire and weather like storm damage building.’ I say ‘So different part is build many time.’
Woman again say ‘Wow.’ She take many photo. She have nice smell perfume.
We walk to back of hall. There is door at side and then corridor. We walk past man and woman toilet and I show big room with slide door make of paper with pattern.
Inside is tatami mat and six long table and long cushion that is call zabuton for to sit. There is five door make of wood and glass at back.
I say ‘This room is call shoin.’ I say ‘In old day this important room.’ I say ‘Use for to copy important paper of Buddhism from India and China in to Japanese.’ I say ‘Then monk and priest sometime have to learn for to speak and write the other language like Chinese and Indian.’
Woman again say ‘This is amaze.’
She see old wood statue of the Buddha at one end of room. It big statue nearly tall as me.
I say ‘That statue most old object in temple.’ I say ‘Is think it come from China in seventeen century.’
Last year was water leak in shoin. My father have to ask builder man for to fix some of ceiling. It take three men to move the Buddha statue. Very heavy. Priest say before is most value object in temple. Not just most old. Very precious.
Woman say ‘What about more small statue?’ She say ‘The statue with many arm?’
There twenty of these statue on some black shelf around the Buddha statue.
I say ‘They help the Buddha and also people.’ I say ‘That is why they have the many arm.’
The woman nod her head. She say ‘Make sense.’ She say ‘So what room use for these day?’
I say ‘Usual just use for meet place.’ I say ‘Like temple woman club every week.’
Woman look out of door make of glass and wood. These door also old. Glass very thin. Easy break.
Woman see big pond with the koi in. This pond have big rock around edge. I mean rock are in the water. Can hear sound of run water that come out of bamboo pipe that is above pond. This water is come down from top of mountain.
Woman say ‘This all so beautiful.’ She say ‘So Japanese.’
I careful slide open one door. Some glass break last week because of typhoon. I have to fix.
Outside is thing like platform make of wood. Then many small white stone and also some rock. Then koi pond with some tree and bush around.
There are some old Japanese style sandal on big long stone that is in front of wood platform.
I to woman say ‘Please put on and can see pond.’
She say ‘Oh thank you.’
We put on sandal and walk on white stone to pond. She take picture of koi in water.
Then she say ‘Oh that fish have no tail.’
I say ‘I know.’ I say ‘Big white bird take it one day.’
She say ‘How can it live?’ She say ‘I mean koi with no tail.’
I say ‘Because koi tough fish.’
She nod head. She look up at sky and then back at pond. She say ‘So peaceful here.’
We walk back to shoin and take off sandal. I close slide door and then we leave shoin and walk back toward temple hall.
Woman put on her shoe outside.
She say ‘Thank you very much.’ She say ‘You very kind.’
I say ‘It OK.’ I say ‘No problem.’ I say ‘What country?’
She say ‘Am I from?’
I say ‘Yes.’
She say ‘England.’
I say ‘I want go very much some day.’ I say ‘Want for to visit London.’
She say ‘I live in London.’ She say ‘Well Wimbledon.’ She say ‘Close enough.’
I know Wimbledon. Because of the tennis. I say this.
Woman put hand inside small backpack she carry. She pull out pen and some paper. She quick write something and give to me.
She say ‘This my email.’ She say ‘If ever come to London please contact me.’ She say ‘If I free I show you some good place.’
I very surprise. Woman very kind.
I give bow and say ‘Thank you very much.’
She say ‘I Jo by the way.’
I say ‘Very sorry not understand.’
She say ‘My name.’ She say ‘It Jo.’
I say ‘My name Hiro.’ I say ‘Very please to meet you.’
She say ‘Like wise.’
I think this mean I am also please to meet you. She hold out hand. I shake hand.
She say ‘Well I not know how long I stay here.’ She say ‘I just travel with no definite plan.’ She say ‘But may be see you again.’ She say ‘Thank again Hiro.’
She walk away. I want to ask what she do in Japan. Not my business but still I interest. She look very confident woman. Also pretty.
Then I look over to top of one hundred stone stair. Sakura is stand there. She see me talk to western woman. I mean Jo.
Sakura not have happy face. She look very angry. In fact she look mad.
I not tell English woman Jo why temple hall burn down in 1954. If visitor ask I just say accident with candle.
Real reason because one monk at temple become mad. He hear voice inside head tell him to set hall on fire. He say this voice belong to ghost of pig who can talk and is call Baba.
This what he tell police after. They send monk to house for mad people. Because he mad but not bad he not put in prison.
But this not good story to tell visitor after show the gold statue of the Buddha in temple hall and other nice thing. Better just say that candle fall over. That bad accident but lucky no one die.
It also lucky it exact six clock when I see Sakura. Because this is time when I finish work.
She in loud voice say ‘What you do?’
She mean with English woman Jo. She stand with her hand on hip. Her eye look scary like crazy woman who have the make up.
I say ‘Nothing please come to my house.’
I want us to go before anyone from temple see hear this argue. But Sakura not move.
She say ‘What was other night?’ She say ‘Nothing to you?’
She mean when we go to what is call the love hotel.
I feel my face become red. I again say ‘Please come to my house.’
There is door at end of long corridor next to temple hall that open outside. It open now and Yamashita san come outside. He wear black monk robe. He have on special Japanese shoe call geta because he now walk outside.
He light the cigarette and see me and Sakura. He cough and smile and say ‘Hello.’
Sakura shake her head and look away.
I very embarrass. I sudden feel angry to Sakura.
I say ‘You come with me now!’ I surprise when Sakura look down at ground and nod head.
I say good bye to Yamashita san and walk around to back of temple. Sakura follow me. We walk up mountain path past many tomb. Most tomb that typhoon damage is now fix. Japanese people work very fast in the group.
On path up mountain I see old man who alw
ay visit his wife at family tomb.
He say ‘Hiro kun look at that tree.’
He point at big tree which have branch that look like it may be break. But branch very high up. May be forty feet.
I still feel bit angry and want to say ‘I very sorry but I not able to grow wing and fly up there with chain saw.’ But the old man just want for to help.
I say ‘Thank you Ojiisan.’ I say ‘I look at it soon.’
Then old man see Sakura. He put his elbow in my stomach and say ‘Very pretty!’
He think he talk quietly and she not hear see but what he do very obvious. He give big smile and show his horse teeth.
I say sentence which mean I sorry to be rude but I in hurry and walk past him. I look back to make sure Sakura follow. I see old man look at her with eye that say he wish he was more young.
I arrive at my house. I please now that I clean the other day. House still not very clean however. Many dirty plate in sink. It need woman for to take care of it. There have not be woman at this house for I think twenty year now. I think it was more clean when my mother live here but that so long ago.
The tatami mat are old and become yellow. The paper in the door that slide open and close inside have many hole in them. It bit dark inside even though outside still light.
I turn on light and take off shoe in what is call genkan. Genkan place by front door of house or apartment that usual have the tile floor. It alway little lower than floor of rest of house or apartment.
I step up in to hall and wait for Sakura to take off her shoe. I see she is cry. There is black make up run from her eye.
She look more beautiful than ever before. I want to hold her.
I say ‘What is matter?’
She look at me and I feel like my heart stop. Never feel like this before. I have feel like I will do any thing for Sakura.
She say ‘I sorry I like that outside temple Hiro.’ She say ‘I very very sorry.’ She say ‘I just I just’
Her voice sudden stop because she cry too much. This time I put my hand on her shoulder. Then she put her head on my chest. She smell very nice.
In very quiet voice I almost not able to hear she say ‘I not happy at my home or my job Hiro.’ She say ‘You only good thing in my life now but when I see you with gaijin woman’
Again her voice sudden stop. Like she want for to say more but is not able to. This word gaijin is not very nice word for the foreign person. More polite is gaikokujin. But it still mean person who is from outside Japan. Person who not belong.
I say ‘I just show her around temple.’ I say ‘I just tell her hope you have the nice time in Japan.’
Then Sakura move her head away from my chest. Her eye look at mine and they again angry. She say ‘You have her phone number!’
I think now if Sakura see western woman Jo give me paper with email address on I am finish. But then I think Sakura not see. That she reach top of hundred stone stair after I put piece of paper in pocket of my work shirt.
I think Sakura just make what is call the wild guess.
I look hard in Sakura eye. I hold her shoulder more tight with my hand.
I say ‘No I not have her phone number.’ I say ‘I not want it.’ This not lie anyway.
Sakura nod and put her head back on my chest.
In same quiet voice as before she say ‘OK I believe.’ She say ‘You go have shower.’
Later Sakura tell me why she so unhappy in life. We lie on my futon and she talk. Her father often bully her. He say that she lazy and should have work more hard at school. He say that she have bad job. She say she not like izakaya job and pay not very good.
Sakura mother not really talk. Just sleep and sometime do house work and have to take lot of medicine because unhappy in her mind.
Sakura again cry as she tell me all this. She say ‘Hiro what shall I do?’
I not know but not want to say this.
So I say ‘Let me think some time.’
Sakura say ‘I want for to leave home very much but I not able to afford apartment.’
She mean to rent. Very expensive to buy apartment.
Sakura say ‘I wish we live together in apartment.’ She say ‘That make me very happy.’
I say ‘You not like this house?’ I mean as joke.
She kiss me. She say ‘Is nice house but are you never scare?’
I ask what she mean but I think I know. She say she mean because house is surround by tomb. She say she feel very scare to come here when is dark.
I think of my father when she say this. I tell her I not scare. That I not child and not believe in ghost.
She hold me tight and say ‘Hiro kun.’
But I understand why Sakura think she scare to live in this house. She young woman and even my father think same way. I just very sensible person. Not think or worry about thing like ghost.
I think instead how to help Sakura. I mean so she can get away from father who bully her. I not say this of course. Japanese people often understand each other without need of word.
I know she want my help. I think now how I can give her my help.
Rice very important to Japanese people. In old time if rice not grow in field people die. I mean because not have any thing for to eat.
In Japan there is actual god of rice. It name is Inari. There many thing like shrine to Inari in Japan. Sometime Inari can be see by the lucky person. I mean lucky because for to see Inari is very good luck and person after live long and good live.
It is say Inari sometime take shape of beautiful young woman who have the fox face. Because fox animal is Inari servant. (Some people in old time believe Inari appear just as the fox. Also believe that pray to Inari cure the sex disease.) Other time Inari take shape of old man who carry some bundle of rice.
So this explain why in Japan rice come with nearly every meal. My English teacher Wendy Williams say she very surprise when she first come to Japan. She order steak and chip at restaurant and this meal also come with rice.
I tell her person can live just on the rice. That why so important.
She laugh and say ‘Impossible honey.’ She say ‘Nutritional value of white rice zilch.’
This last sentence very hard to understand. Take long time for Wendy to explain what she mean. She write for me exact on paper what she say.
I not agree but not say this. Sometime foreign person just not understand certain thing about Japan. All people in world same but sometime Japanese person different.
There is festival at start of autumn call akihigan. (Aki mean autumn in Japanese.) There is big service at temple and many people bring gift of white rice to temple. This festival also happen in spring but is then call haruhigan. (Because haru mean spring in Japanese.)
Yamashita san tell me one time why festival start. But story very complicate. Lot of Buddhist history. I not really understand. I just know have to put out many chair for service in temple hall and carry many tray full of rice to put by the Buddha statue.
When service finish I and two woman who work in temple office empty packet of rice in to big plastic container. When is other big event at temple this rice is cook for to make obento for temple visitor. This obento have just white rice and red Japanese plum in middle. Look like Japanese flag.
I not say this to anyone but I think is less rice than in other year before. Less people also at big service in temple hall. It sometime in newspaper that Buddhism not so important to Japanese young people any more.
This may be also why priest alway look worry. Government give money to Buddhist temple but temple also need money gift from visitor. Big temple like where I work need lot of money for to stay open. But also in newspaper that more temple have to close. Sometime monk even have to have second job like the teacher.
This selfish thing but I not worry for my job. Because this temple alway need the janitor.
Because I want to help Sakura with her family problem I start look at price of small apartment. I mean how much rent is every month. Ther
e is also deposit which is sometime three or four month rent.
I think I can help Sakura with money until we live together. Is just problem that she not want for to live at house that come with temple job. But may be she get use to house if come here often to see me. But I not want force her to live there.
Because I very busy with preparation for akihigan festival I not see Sakura for four day. Just talk couple of time on phone. But she not like for to talk much on phone. Alway heavy mouth.
Then I decide to go to izakaya where she work. It is nine clock in evening when I enter and is quite busy. I not like to see Bad Boy sit at counter and talk to Sakura.
She is laugh at something he say when she see me. She look surprise. Bad Boy also look at me and laugh. Bad Boy dress all in black with shave head. He have big ring on finger. Ring in shape of skull.
He start to say something but Sakura quickly shake head and he stop. He drink nearly whole glass of beer and put money on counter and stand up.
He walk toward me like he want hit my shoulder with his shoulder. But I move out of way quick and he just leave izakaya.
I sit at bar and look at menu. Sakura look at me with strange face that look embarrass and also angry. She try to hide what she is feel but not success.
I still look at menu when I quiet say ‘What was that?’
Sakura say ‘Why you spy on me?’ She also talk quiet because of her boss is near.
The two cook in white T shirt with towel around head shout welcome as other customer enter. Is lot of steam and cigarette smoke in air.
I say ‘I not spy on you.’ I say ‘Just want drink and something to eat.’
She start to pour beer. She say ‘Please not be angry Hiro san.’ She say ‘I have to talk to him and be happy because he customer.’
This make sense.
I say ‘I want talk to you.’ I say ‘When can we meet?’
She pass me beer. Her beautiful eye look hopeful.
She say ‘What do you want talk about?’
I say ‘May be I can find you some where of own to live.’
I do this because want to show Sakura that I serious about her. That she not just some girl. That I not that kind of man.
She give very small smile and look like she start to cry.
