by Ben Stevens
I think alcohol have make me say too much. Then I think OK to tell Wendy a little about my problem. It is not embarrass thing. It can happen to any person and anyway she is friend.
Wendy say ‘What you mean?’
So I say I soon lose job and house that come with job.
Wendy pat my leg again and say ‘Oh poor you.’ She say ‘Listen Hiro if you need some where to stay you can stay at my apartment.’ Wendy say ‘I have spare room so no problem.’
I polite say thank you but I not think Wendy want me to stay if she is not drunk. I think Wendy is person who like her own space very much. At least most of the time.
I now say ‘Wendy can I ask you question?’
She say ‘Fire away Hiro honey’ and finish her drink.
I think she mean is OK to ask question.
Then she say ‘One second honey’ and stand up and leave table.
She soon come back with two more gin and tonic. I now feel like I almost am see double. So I think this is definite my last drink.
When Wendy is again sit down I say ‘Wendy why you come to Japan?’
Wendy sigh and have small drink. She sudden look little serious. Her nice blue eye look strange like she is lost in memory.
She again sigh and say ‘Well there is a bit of a story there Hiro honey.’ She say ‘I not want bore you.’
I say ‘It not bore me.’ I say ‘I want to hear story.’
The way Wendy tell story very difficult for to understand. She start to say ‘Jump back four year.’ She say ‘I am teach at a kindergarten on west side of Manhattan New York City.’ She say ‘I am also engage to be marry to a wonderful man and no one is more happy in life than me.’
Here I have to describe most what she say. I not able to write in all her exact word. But man Wendy is engage to be marry to is success doctor call Mike. Mike specialise in help people with eye problem. He of course very clever and also very handsome.
He and Wendy share nice apartment close to both their work place. Both Mike and Wendy are age thirty four. They have also just find out Wendy is pregnant. In weekend when not work Mike start make spare room in apartment in to the nursery. I think that this is sound like something from the American romance film.
But then one day Mike complain that he sometime have bad head ache. He go see doctor who send him to have some check at hospital.
I think I can see tear in Wendy eye when she say ‘Brain cancer.’ She say ‘Mike thirty four and live very healthy life and they say he have cancer.’
Wendy say Mike immediate start have lot of treatment but cancer still soon spread to other part of body. He die after only six month. All stress of Mike cancer illness also make Wendy lose baby.
Wendy say afterward she just big mess. Not stop cry and not able to work. Doctor give her pill because she alway feel depress but pill just make her like zombie creature.
Wendy say she know she never meet man like Mike again.
She say ‘Sometime you just meet someone honey and you know bang like that they are the only one for you.’ She say ‘That sort of thing really only happen one time in person life.’
Final Wendy say family and friend help her try and lead the normal life again. But New York City now just have nothing but memory of her before life with Mike.
Then Wendy one day talk with one friend who have job to find English teacher for Japanese school. (This friend live in New York City but is able to speak perfect Japanese on phone.)
This friend offer Wendy job to teach English in Japan if Wendy want what she call the change of scene.
Wendy say ‘Next thing I know honey I on twelve hour flight to Narita then have to catch other plane to here.’
She teach at Aoyama high school and also teach some private student like me at her apartment.
Wendy smile at me. She have very nice smile. Very red lip and good teeth. She not have wet eye now. She is calm.
She say ‘Sorry honey if I get bit emotion there.’ She say ‘Three and a half year on and still is raw memory.’
I say ‘Is OK.’ Then I quick say ‘Sorry I not mean OK I mean’
Wendy stop me talk by pat my leg again. She say ‘It OK honey I know what you mean.’
She sigh. She say ‘It is life and sometime it good and sometime it shit.’ She quiet say ‘And that was definite shit’ before she finish drink.
Then sudden Sakura is stood on opposite side of table. I just see her when she throw half glass of beer at me. It splash in my face and little bit get on Wendy also.
Sakura in horrible scream voice say ‘YOU NOT JUST SIT THERE AND IGNORE ME!’ She say ‘I KNOW YOU HAVE SEX TIME WITH THIS GAIJIN WOMAN WHILE YOU STILL WITH ME!’ She say ‘DO NOT THINK I FORGET HOW YOU RUIN MY LIFE!’
Lucky Wendy not able to speak Japanese very well. So she not able to understand what Sakura is say. But I think man behind bar call Frank understand. Because I say before I have hear him speak the perfect Japanese with other Japanese customer who come in his bar.
Frank walk quick now to my table. He give me towel for to wipe my face.
In calm voice he to Sakura in Japanese say ‘OK you have to leave right now.’
Sakura try give him the hard look but it no use. Frank look very tough like the boxer.
So Sakura leave bar. She is soon follow by her friend Midori. I look around to see young nice look foreign man in suit.
He is sit and look very very surprise. His eye meet my eye like question.
I to him say ‘If you want girlfriend with severe mental problem then she just perfect!’
I try make joke but I think I just a little shock by what happen. Also drunk.
But Wendy laugh and say ‘Very good Hiro honey!’ She also say ‘I take it that your ex girlfriend.’ She say ‘What a nice young lady.’
This last thing Wendy say is of course call the sarcasm. Wendy not really seem concern by what happen. She just use some tissue for to wipe little beer off her jacket.
The nice look young man in suit now look very drunk. Also I think he angry because two beautiful woman have just sudden leave him.
He to me say ‘What the fuck’ and start try to stand up.
But I not worry and anyway Frank see and say ‘Just sit down buddy or you are out.’
Man sit back down and stare at table. Then he vomit all over table.
Wendy to me say ‘Time to go honey.’
We stand up and walk to door. Other customer are just ignore vomit man and carry on talk.
Wendy look at Frank and say ‘Sorry you have to deal with that Frank.’
Frank make the shrug and say ‘It go with territory Wendy.’ He say ‘See you guy.’
It now two clock in morning. Night air very cold. But is like refresh feel after heat of bar. Shianbashi still busy.
Wendy stand in front of me and say ‘So what we do now honey?’
I quiet say ‘I not know.’
I am just look in Wendy blue eye. Is like I am hypnotise. There is wind and it blow her blond hair across her face. Behind her all many colour light of Shianbashi just like the blur.
I wonder why it have take me some month for to right now realise how beautiful Wendy is. I mean in body and also mind. There not many people like her. And tonight I just not want to leave her. I not want be on own. I mean just for tonight. I know that Wendy is feel same thing too.
So I am very happy but also not surprise when she say ‘How about coffee at my place?’
I say ‘Yes please.’
We start walk.
Sometime I try imagine what my mother is do now.
I say before I not even know if she alive or dead. But of course I hope she still alive. So she leave my father when she still in early twenty. Just think one day I have make the big mistake and call taxi and leave with suitcase.
I think woman who is attractive and still young want to go to the big city. May be Tokyo. My mother want start life again where no one know her. Both her parent die before I born so she have no family.
So I imagine she
go to big city like Tokyo. She have dream like Sakura that she become famous. As singer or person who act in film. So she go to popular club or bar often. Hope to meet someone who can assist her with dream.
She not really worry that she have the young son in small city many mile away. Because this son just part of mistake she make when she marry my father.
Perhap she tell her self she come and see me one day after she become famous. But she not really believe this. She is not bad person but still have very hard heart. Just want do thing for her self.
However she not become famous. Just meet man like may be musician who seem excite and start the relationship with him. But soon normal life again take over and she have to find work.
Because she is attractive woman she easy find work in the mizu shobai. This mean like the water business. It is how Japanese call any business that operate at night and is centre around alcohol. So for example most place in Shianbashi are involve in the mizu shobai.
My mother work behind bar. Customer call her by name that mean big sister. My mother get more old. She still attractive but get slightly hard face that woman who work in mizu shobai develop. Because often have to deal with loud drunk man who do baka thing they think is funny. Also have to work different business hour to most people. I mean my mother start work when most people are go to bed.
After time I think my mother open own small bar or club. Because she have develop good business brain and see this is way she can make the more money. She hire some more young and attractive woman for to work for her.
Customer and other staff now call her Mama san. This like very respect title in the mizu shobai. She occasion remember me but not now think for to see me again. I not think she have other child. Sometime certain woman just not want child.
My mother now let other more young woman do most work in bar. But she still make sure she sit and talk with important customer. Customer who spend most money and have important job. They buy her drink and she laugh at thing they say and she say kampai often. This make sure important customer keep come back and also bring the rich friend or business partner.
My mother is now not very happy in life but also not sad. Just accept what have become her fate and not think about lost dream. I say before she is not bad person and I think she treat her staff well if they do proper work. So she have loyal staff who is respect her and who are pay OK.
She spend lot of money on her hair and buy many cream for to put on her face. But still now there is line. She stop smoke long ago but still have expensive lighter for to light cigarette of important customer when she sit with them in bar.
She live on her own in small but nice apartment near her bar. She not have boyfriend for some year now. She have become tire of see man because she work in mizu shobai. All man to her have become the same.
She not have any pet or the hobby. Just read magazine and watch TV in her spare time.
This what I think my mother life is like now.
I worry I have not describe temple well. I mean I write about certain part of it but I think I not give good whole descript.
So I start now from gate at bottom of hundred stone stair. This is gate I say before have the two big door that are two time tall as me. That I tie open with the rope when is typhoon come.
But normal these two door are close each evening and open each morning by monk or me. (They have bolt that go in the ground when open.)
Around gate is area before stone stair that is flat and also pave with the stone. On one side there is small grass area and couple of small tree. Some stone stair lead up to other flat stone pave area that also have some bush and statue of what is call Ojizo sama.
Ojizo sama look bit like child version of the Buddha. Their job is to protect the child who die before is born. Some people say they also protect the traveller.
In winter one of my job is to put on Ojizo sama statue red hat and also thing that look like red neck scarf. This is because there is Japanese legend about old man and his wife who live many year before.
Every Japanese person know this legend from when they young child. The story go like this.
Old man job is to sell straw hat he and his wife make. They not have much food or money and is soon become new year.
So old man go out one evening to village for to try and sell some hat. These hat are colour red. But no one in village want to buy hat old man and his wife make.
There is lot of snow and is very cold. Old man walk slow back home. He feel very depress. But then he see six Ojizo statue. They are cover in snow.
Old man feel sorry for statue and put six hat on each statue. These are all hat he has. He go home and his wife is please. Because she see he now carry no hat.
She say ‘You clever man have sell all hat!’ She say ‘Where is money so we can buy the food?’
Old man have to tell his wife what he do. Say he put all hat on Ojizo sama statue because he feel sorry for them. He of course think his wife be angry for to hear this.
But she say ‘You have done good thing you kind man.’
Then old man and his wife go to bed. But is difficult for to sleep because they now very hungry. Then early in morning old man hear noise outside.
He get up and open door. Is still dark and the snow is fall. But he think he can see six mystery figure who wear red straw hat move quick away.
Then old man look down at his feet. There is two big sack full of food. This legend explain why red hat is put on Ojiso sama statue.
On both side of stone stair are flower bed some tree and bush and then many many tomb. There is many narrow path and small stair that go through all the area that contain the tomb.
This area is call bochi. I check this word in Japanese English dictionary and see it mean like cemetery. Bochi below temple is on several level. It spread out and join bochi of other temple that is situate on Oteramachi. (Remember this word mean like temple town.)
Tomb can be very small and old or can be big and make from marble and cost lot of money. On edge of bochi that is below temple there is some high wall make from big grey stone. This wall was construct in sixteen century same time as temple build.
Last of stone stair that lead up from area that have Ojizo sama statue to temple also have what is call the middle gate. This is wood building that also have two big door in middle but these are never close.
On both side of door there is statue of fierce look creature that is behind glass window. These creature have green and blue face sharp teeth and scary eye. They also have thing like sword and spear.
They look like demon but are in fact like Buddhist warrior that protect temple from the evil spirit. Often foreign visitor to temple take photo of these warrior statue.
At top of stone stair there is car park outside temple hall. Also of course tree and bush that I cut. Also small grass area around big stone statue.
(Is hard to describe what these type of statue look like. They just tall with some square and round shape. Not design to look like any thing for example animal.)
On edge of car park by stone wall that is on one side of stone stair there is the temple bell. This very big and weigh several ton. It is inside open wood building with roof that slope and is make from grey tile call kawara.
Every evening at six clock monk use big wood log that hang from chain to ring this bell. Some other temple in Oteramachi also do same thing. So if live near to temple then six clock not good time for to try and sleep.
Temple hall have several door and window make from paper and wood that slide open and close. Also metal shutter on outside that is close in evening so person like thief not able to enter.
Because inside temple hall there is thing like big wood box with gap that person throw coin in before pray in front of the big gold colour Buddha statue. I help priest take money from this box may be every two week. Other time it is alway keep lock.
Person alway able to enter temple hall without have to ask in day. Each morning monk have short service inside temple hall and
Okaasan serve the rice breakfast to the Buddha statue.
Beside temple hall there is long corridor that have lot of big glass window. I mean on side opposite temple hall corridor just really all glass.
Person enter this corridor by use door on outside. This door alway not lock in day. This door have small roof over it and wood shelf for person shoe. (Because person have to take off shoe before enter.)
Enter corridor and before all big glass window is inside entrance on left that lead to temple hall. On right side opposite is short corridor. This lead to other corridor that go to area that have temple office and temple big kitchen. Also stair that go up to dojo that is above office and kitchen.
On other side of long corridor that have the lot of glass is narrow garden. It is in shape of rectangle and have two small tree and old statue of tanuki.
Tanuki is name of real creature. It look a little like the fox. But tanuki is also name of Japanese myth creature that like to drink alcohol and also like woman very much.
The statue in narrow garden is of this myth creature. It colour light brown and white. Statue have straw hat and carry bottle of sake in one hand. Because of it like the alcohol.
Statue also have big belly and very big testicle. Because Japanese myth say that tanuki like to hit it testicle like drum. It can even use big testicle sack like the parachute if this become necessary.
There are many story of tanuki but I think these story baka even when I child. They not like Ojizo sama story.
At end of long corridor that have lot of glass window is entrance use by monk to back of temple hall. On right is again short corridor that have woman and man toilet on one side and that lead to room that is call shoin. (Outside of shoin is big koi pond and surround area that I think I have already describe OK.)
Behind temple hall is other big room that have seven long row of thing that are like many narrow tomb. I mean these tomb all look same and are for person who not able to buy or want tomb outside temple. This room also have alter and gold colour statue of the Buddha in middle.
It alway very quiet place. Person visit dead relative tomb pray and often put thing that dead relative like when alive on shelf at top of tomb. These may be thing like flower candy cigarette and can of beer. Sometime toy if tomb contain ash of child. Some tomb have photo of dead person on shelf.
