by Ben Stevens
In quiet voice she say ‘Hiro I pregnant.’
I just give shrug. I not surprise for to hear this.
I say Bad Boy real name. I say ‘I sure he be good father.’
(Of course I not mean this thing. Because I think Bad Boy not be good any thing. Even the proper gangster may be just laugh at him.)
Sakura keep look at carpet in room. In same quiet voice she say ‘He not father.’
This also not really surprise me. At least I sure baby father is not me. Sometime at least I am the careful man.
There is some silence. Then I say ‘Sakura I sorry but I very tire and need rest.’
Sakura nod head and walk slow to door of room.
When she open it I sudden say ‘Sakura.’
She look at me with thing like hope in her eye. But I not say what she is think.
I just say ‘Sakura please to take care of your self.’
Again she try the special look. But I just want her leave. I just say this last thing for to show her I not hate her or baka thing like that. But still I not really want to see her again.
She go and close door. I fall sleep for while.
My uncle is very cry.
He stand by my bed and make the deep bow. He keep say he sorry and then say thank you for save his son. He seem less fat and also little more old than when I see him on new year eve. Real tear come from his narrow eye.
I feel little embarrass because my uncle bring his wife and also son Shintaro with him. Wife is also bow very low and cry. She is wear plain clothe and not make up. She also look very different than how I see her before.
Uncle make Shintaro bow and say thank you. But Shintaro look at me with strange eye. I think may be he remember that I slap his face and shout at him in toilet. Also may be because way I look now scare the child. But at least Shintaro is fine except from some very small scratch on his face and hand.
My uncle say ‘You save my son life.’
He is talk very fast and in the low voice. He look at floor because is still give deep bow when he talk.
He say ‘I very bad person to you and try to cheat you and still you risk your life to save my son.’
I want just to definite know the one thing. I mean it not matter now but still I want for to know.
So I say ‘You try to cheat me before because of what happen to your dog?’
My uncle slow nod the head. He quiet say ‘I sorry Hiro.’
I say ‘It OK’ because not know what else for to say.
My uncle now shake the head. His tie hang down straight toward floor because he keep bow.
He say ‘It not OK.’ He say ‘What happen is sign I have to change my bad life.’ He say ‘So I start for to change for good way I live my life.’ He say ‘Please to believe this.’
I am very surprise and also suspicious to hear this. I think I not really believe.
But when I close look at my uncle face I start to think may be he actual say true thing. Because there is no shark smile now. I think shark smile is may be now gone for ever.
Because this is man who very nearly lose only child in fire. Something like this I think make person change way they live their life. Also his wife is keep nod head like she agree with what her rich husband say. But I wonder what thing my uncle think to do for to change his life.
My uncle stand straight for to put hand inside his suit jacket and produce the white envelope. He again bow and hold envelope toward me with both hand.
He say ‘I start by give you this.’
I know what it is. I say ‘I not want your money uncle.’
I surprise when his wife speak. She is still look at floor and bow.
In quiet voice she say ‘Please Hiro san take it.’ After few moment she again say ‘Please.’
Uncle is also look at me. His eye mean same thing as what his wife say.
I use both hand for to take envelope and hold it up in front of my face.
I say ‘Thank you.’
Uncle say ‘No thank you.’ He say ‘That just start.’ He say ‘From now on we family.’ He say ‘Please you come visit us whenever you want.’ He say ‘Any thing you need’
I stop him talk but not in the rude way. I just say ‘Uncle it fine for me that we family.’ I say ‘That it self is the good thing.’
Uncle nod head. I put envelope of money on table beside bed. I try to talk of other thing but uncle and wife just keep say thank you and bow. Shintaro start to look little bore. Final they leave.
I think to look in envelope before I again sleep. There is lot of money. Much more even than what uncle lend me before. I put envelope in draw that is in table next to my bed. I think what to do with money later.
Doctor say I die. Say my head sink under water of big koi pond and my lung fill with water and I drown. Say my heart actual stop for to beat.
But Yamashita san make fire man who is fight fire inside temple quick find my body. So also is find statue of the Buddha in pond. I am pull out of pond and very skill ambulance man is able to make my heart beat again.
Then I am drive very fast in ambulance to hospital. (It lucky that big vehicle only have trouble to drive up narrow slope to temple. When drive down is usual no problem.)
But I am not conscious and on the special machine for to help me live for five day before wake up.
Doctor tell me that it in fact good thing that water in pond was so cold. Because this slow damage to my body and brain when my heart stop beat. Doctor tell me my heart is OK now. (But I still have small machine strap to my chest above area of heart. This give alarm if is sudden problem.)
Doctor also say he think I not have the brain damage. But still have to give me some more test while I in hospital.
I have to wear thing like thin clear plastic mask on one side of my face. It is where fire burn me and is to prevent big scar to form. Nurse come two time every day for to remove mask and rub special cream on burn skin before replace mask.
One time when nurse do this I say ‘Do you think is chance I again be the handsome man like before?’
Nurse think I not make the joke. That I serious. Because she give sympathy face to me.
She say ‘I sorry Matsumoto san.’ She say ‘This mask and cream very effect treatment.’ She say ‘But still will be some small scar on your face for rest of life.’
Also is some bandage on both my arm and hand. Nurse also rub cream on burn on arm. There is bandage and plaster on some area of my chest and stomach where I get cut by glass after break toilet window.
As I before suspect my right wrist is break and now is in the plaster. Doctor say I have damage some muscle in my back when I try to carry the Buddha statue.
Before I have small pipe go in vein in my right arm. This carry medicine from small plastic bag that hang from plastic frame that is beside my bed. I press button when want medicine. Because it stop me from feel the pain.
But medicine make my mind feel very strange. Also I think is make me very constipate. So I tell nurse I want to stop use. Pain is bad sometime but I learn for to ignore it.
I am cough a lot but doctor say damage to my lung from all smoke is only little and soon get better. Doctor say is actual good thing I am cough a lot. Doctor say this show lung are quick clear them self.
I in same room in hospital my father die.
This just what is call the coincidence. It just room that was available after I wake up in other place in hospital that is for very ill person. But temple is pay for this room like when my father here.
Often I look at comfort chair where father ask for to be sit when he know he soon die. It next to big window that look west across city. Nice view when is the sunny day. I still feel very weak but nurse now help me sit up on bed and I try little walk in room.
I never sit in the comfort chair.
When Hanako come for to visit me I am able to pay her all money I am owe. I mean because of money gift my uncle give me before.
Hanako not want to take it. She shake head and look irritate.
She say ‘This not matter now.’
But I say it OK. I what is call insist.
Final Hanako give shrug say thank you and take money. She put in handbag she carry.
She is as usual dress very smart. She say she is fly to Shanghai in the China for business in the evening. She say she return in two day and visit me again.
I think I am to stay in hospital for at least one more week. Hanako say we go out for dinner when I am again well.
She stand up for to leave. Then sudden I see what look like tear in her eye and she do the very unusual thing.
Because she say ‘I so happy you OK.’
Then she lean down and quick kiss side of my face that not have clear plastic mask on it. Then is again normal Hanako. She have the serious business face.
She say ‘I see you soon Hiro’ and leave room.
There is TV in my hospital room. I get very big surprise first time I watch it. Is news and information program that is show all across Japan in early evening.
I watch it and then sudden there is Yamashita san be interview outside remain of temple hall. Just look like pile of burn wood now with lot of tape that is use by person like builder man wrap around outside. But part of temple that have place like temple office big kitchen some other room and dojo above look OK.
There is many person like journalist ask Yamashita san the question. Some of these question about me.
Yamashita san first say he is give permission for to speak from temple priest. Then he say that I now OK and have wake up in hospital. But that I take some time for to proper recover because of my injury.
He say ‘Please to not disturb Matsumoto san while he get better.’
Yamashita san also say to thank many people in all different part of
country who are send gift of money to temple for to help again build temple hall.
Then program show man and woman presenter in studio. They have big thing like map that show how inside of temple look. (I mean before some of it like hall and shoin burn.)
Man presenter show with stick route I take for to help my cousin Shintaro get out of toilet and then after to get to shoin room. All the time music is play in background that sound like something from action movie.
Then program show scene that have actor who is pretend to be me rescue boy actor who is pretend to be my cousin from inside toilet. There is pretend fire and smoke and person who is pretend to be me keep cough. He not wear any clothe on top of his body and he have very good arm and chest muscle like the athlete.
He help boy actor who is pretend to be Shintaro climb out of toilet window.
Actor who is pretend to be me say ‘I not care if I die you have to live!’
Then actor fall on floor and roll around with very pain look on face. Program quick show woman presenter who is wipe her eye because she cry.
I very relieve when there is commercial break. Think that is finish of baka news about me. But program again start and it now talk about the Buddha statue that I pull out of burn shoin room.
Because expert on old time China see it and have identify it as one of two statue Chinese emperor call Zhu send to Japan as gift in fifteen century. So this make it even more old and valuable than we think in temple before.
Presenter say how much it is weigh. People in studio shake head and make amaze face when is talk about how I pull statue on my own. They all say word that is mean I not believe!
Then presenter say statue have be send to special museum for the repair work because of damage by fire. It be send back to temple when work is finish.
There is also show some quick interview with person who is just walk in street. All person say what happen was thing like miracle. Say thing like this make them feel very proud for to be Japanese and Buddhist. Say because I help Shintaro climb out of toilet window and pull the Buddha statue out of shoin room that is reason why I again live after I die.
I think it because very skill ambulance man reach me quick but no one else seem to agree. Even doctor one time look at me in the strange way and say he never experience thing like this before in his job.
I am get many letter and card. Often there is money inside. Two woman who write letter say they want to marry me. One include her photo and she look OK but still I think not to reply. I think they have very different idea about me than what is true.
When movie company in Tokyo send me letter about idea of turn what happen in to the movie I stop read card and letter. Ask nurse for to stop bring me these thing. She say is already one room in hospital full of mail write to me and not room for any more.
I think I give money I receive to temple for to help build work on new temple. I not want to keep it for my self. Because I not person that person who write many letter and card and send me this money think I am.
Yamashita san visit. He is today not wear his black monk robe. Is instead just wear jean and shirt with jacket.
He bring me present of English language book because he know I study the English. He say what I do very brave and other thing like that. He say he please to see me look better. He say priest want to visit later. I say OK.
We talk little more then he tell me secret. Because he is become sixty in two month time he is plan to retire this year.
He say ‘You know I have good friend who live in Hawaii and each year I go for visit.’ He cough. He say ‘This year I go again but this time may be I stay there for very long time.’
He look even more happy than usual when he say this. He say not even priest know his plan yet and ask me not to tell anyone.
I sorry to see Yamashita san leave. I know him my whole life. He alway good to me. I hope he be happy with good friend who is live in the Hawaii.
Wendy say ‘You famous honey.’ She is carry newspaper with report of temple fire and photo of me on front page.
I not know from where newspaper get photo of me. It was take may be two year ago at time when I have some bad spot on face. I wish they find and use other photo.
When Wendy first see me I think she start cry. She gentle take my hand and is not able to speak.
But then she give slight shake of head and say thing that I famous. Is again normal character. But no sweet smell and I think something have change in her. But I not yet able to think what. Just seem like she is bit more determine in some way.
Wendy point at name of temple in headline of newspaper report. It have three kanji or Chinese character.
Wendy slow say ‘Big sound temple.’
I very impress she know these kanji. I mean they simple kanji but before I not think she even able to read hiragana.
Wendy see my reaction and give laugh. She say ‘Sometime I still study honey.’
I say ‘Yes that is what each kanji mean when are read separate.’
She ask thing like what happen night of fire. I tell her. She say thing like I brave but I shake head. I not say this but I not want hear anyone else tell me thing like I brave. I think it just lucky I very thin and just able to fit through square shape gap in concrete wall.
Then Wendy look out of big window that face west for a few moment.
She quiet say ‘I hope you well in couple of week and can come to my party at Zigzag.’
I say ‘Thank you I think I OK by then.’ I say ‘Is your birthday party or something like that?’
Wendy say ‘No Hiro honey not my birthday.’ She say ‘I am say good bye to everyone because I am return to America.’
I very surprise and sad to hear this. I think Wendy stay in Japan for long time. But I understand she want to return home. Japan very different place for the foreign person.
Wendy still stare out of window that face west.
She quiet say ‘Time to go back and face thing.’
Then she give small laugh and again look back at me.
She say ‘Anyway enough of that.’
I not know what this mean but she give me card with her America email write on it.
She say ‘Give me two or three month for to
get settle then come visit me in New York City.’ She say ‘I give you bed so you not have to pay for hotel and I show you around.’ She say ‘That is genuine offer Hiro honey please take me up on it.’
Sudden I know what I use rest of money uncle give me for. I use this to buy plane ticket to America. It one thing I do for my self. I have few month for to get use to my new job then try to take one week holiday and go visit Wendy in New York City.
I also use time before I go for to study English more hard. But I not think I try find other English teacher after Wendy leave. Because I not want to. Just now continue study on own.
Priest visit with Okaasan. They bring me gift of fruit. They both give bow and say in very polite Japanese thank you to me for what I do. This is like special prepare speech and I quiet and just listen. Then I also say thank you.
Then priest tell me he have already contact big company about start build new temple hall and other part of temple damage by fire. (Lucky part of temple where priest and Okaasan live not damage by fire.)
Priest say is still money be send to temple from person who live all over Japan. Even from some foreign country.
Priest look little amaze when he say this. It strange thing but he not look so stress like before. Just like this terrible thing have happen but now is make other problem that happen before look small. Just have to accept what happen but be grateful no one die. (I mean I die but I OK again now.)
Just concentrate now on again build temple hall and other part of damage temple. This is thing that I think priest now feel.
Priest say insure company also pay money because accept fire start because of fault with stove that make it explode.
Priest also tell me very surprise thing. Because he quiet say ‘Your uncle Matsumoto san have give temple a big money contribute for new build work.’ Priest say ‘Your uncle ask me to keep this secret but I think it is OK for you to know.’
When I hear this I know my uncle really mean what he say about change his life. That it not just word but also action.
I happy that temple look like it recover from fire. I think money that is send and give to temple is help priest very much.
