Max stood awkwardly at the entrance, but I headed right inside. When the first cat rushed up to me, I thought we had to have a special connection. I crouched down and scratched her neck. When the next two cats came bounding up to me, I felt honored by their attention.
“Look, Max, I think they like me.”
“They sure do seem to.” He edged his way further in.
When there were five cats all around me, it was sweet. However, the next ten made it rather uncomfortable.
“Max, I think I may have a problem.”
“No, we can’t take them home, Sammy.”
“That’s not what I mean. There are so many of them.” I tried to stand up, but more cats flocked toward me. One began to chew on my purse. “Do they like me or do they want to eat me?”
“Wow, Sammy, I think you might be a cat whisperer. Let me get a picture of this.” Max pulled out his phone to take a picture.
I tried to smile for the camera but little cat paws were poking me in strange places as they climbed all over me.
“Max, I’m serious—I don’t think they’re supposed to be this friendly.”
“Here, I’ll try to distract a few.” Max picked up a fishing pole toy and teased the cats with a little stuffed fish.
I waited for a few of them to be tantalized into chasing it. But none budged. A few more walked over to join their friends. I started to panic even more. From between all of the tails in my face I noticed that they were all very interested in my purse.
“It’s not working, Max.”
“Let me get the owner.” He ducked back through the door and a moment later the same woman we’d paid earlier appeared.
She gasped at the sight of all of the cats around me. “What did you do?” She hurried over and began to shoo them away. “Do you have fish in your pockets?”
“No!” I stared at her with wide eyes. “Why would I have fish in my pockets?”
“They want something in your purse.” She grabbed my purse and dumped it out all over the floor. Luckily there wasn’t too much inside. When she saw the herbal remedy that Yuki gave me she snatched it up just before the cats could pounce on it. “This! This is what the cats are after!” She laughed and shook the bottle in front of my face. “They think your purse is a treat.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Wait a minute. Max?” I looked over at him. “Is it possible that I’ve been taking catnip?”
“Uh, I had no idea.” He frowned. “Yuki said it was safe.”
“It’s not catnip, but the cats do seem to like this herb.” The woman nodded. “It is safe for you—but not in here. You have to take it outside or the cats will not leave you alone.”
I took the bottle from her and we headed back outside.
“Sammy, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s not a big deal. If it’s safe, it’s safe. I’m not sure if I’m going to take any more, though.”
“We could just toss it and go back in to pet the cats,” said Max.
“No, I think I’ll keep it just in case. But why don’t we go to our next stop? I think I’ve had enough of cats today.”
“Great, the Golden Pavilion?”
“Absolutely. I can’t wait to see it.”
Chapter 17
When we boarded the bus, Max bought an all-day pass for both of us. We settled into seats in the middle of the bus. The windows were large enough for us to both see through. When the bus began to roll I rested my head on his shoulder. For the next half hour we pointed out different sights to one another and took notes of shops we might want to explore.
When the bus rolled to a halt the crowd was in a hurry to get off. Max snagged my hand and we waited for most of the other people to clear before we left the bus as well.
As soon as I stepped back outside, I was startled by the brilliant shine of the golden leaf on the top of the building. Max and I joined the crowd that walked toward the entrance.
As we walked through the gardens I snapped pictures of flowers I’d never seen before.
“I’d love to recreate something like this at home—on a smaller scale, of course.”
“Gardening?” He smiled at me. “I didn’t think that was something you enjoyed.”
“I could learn to. I really think it would be nice to look for a new house—somewhere with a little more space.”
“I’m open to that. We can take our time finding it too. I think it’ll be a great way to start fresh.”
“Of course that involves packing and unpacking.” I grinned. “That might take a while.”
“We’ll just do a little bit at a time. We’ll be fine.”
As we reached the end of a path I noticed that some of the gardens were blocked off by gates.
“I guess we can’t get into that part of the garden.”‘
“I wonder why they have it blocked off.”
“To keep the tourists out. I guess it makes sense that there would be some sacred space.”
“We can’t actually go inside the temple either. So I guess we’ll just have to take a look around.”
“I wonder what it’s like to dedicate your life to something so completely?” I caught sight of a few monks walking past. “You’d have to sacrifice so much.”
“Maybe to them it isn’t a sacrifice. I guess it all depends on what you feel is important in your life.”
“Still, there’s something about that amount of dedication that really impresses me. Even if I don’t want to do it myself, I can admire someone who has given so much of their lives to their beliefs.”
“You’re no monk, but your beliefs are a big part of your life too, Sammy.”
“That’s true. Although I’d like to be more careful about what I’m putting into my body. It’s so easy to slip and start piling in things with no benefit.”
“Yes, it is.” He paused outside of what appeared to be a small courtyard. “It looks like there’s a few places to shop if you want to check them out.”
“Absolutely. We need souvenirs.” We walked through the various stalls and selected a few things to take with us.
After another hour of walking I found a bench for us to rest on. “Let’s take a little break.”
“Okay. Good idea. That was quite a bit of walking.”
“Yes it was, but it was great to see it.”
“I got something for you.” He held out a small paper bag.
Chapter 18
“What’s this?” I smiled as I took the small bag from Max.
“An early anniversary present.”
“No fair, it’s too soon!”
“Please open it. I want you to have it now.”
“Okay, if you insist. Thank you.” I laughed as I opened the bag.
When I pulled out a small black box from inside, my laughter quieted. With a gentle grip I lifted the lid off the box. Inside was a thin silver bracelet. At first it seemed beautiful and plain—until I lifted it from the box. Then I noticed that a tiny phoenix dangled from the delicate chain. It was similar to the phoenix that perched on top of the Golden Pavilion.
“Max, it’s stunning.” I held it up to the sunlight and let it sparkle, just as I’d seen the one on the roof of the pavilion sparkle. The more I studied it, the more certain I was that I would never want to take it off.
“When I saw it, I thought of you. No matter what difficulties you face in life, you always look for a fresh start. You never let anything stop you from trying again.”
I kissed him, then looked into his eyes. “It’s perfect, Max—just perfect. And I think I need that reminder. Sometimes I get so worried about what will happen next when it doesn’t really matter. Whatever it is, it will be exactly where I want to be.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He opened the clasp and slid the bracelet around my wrist. His fingertips grazed my skin as he closed the clasp again.
I couldn’t resist kissing him again.
“Careful now,” he murmured. “We’re in a sacred space.”
“There’s
nothing more sacred to me than you.” I kissed him once more, but drew back when the same monks I’d spotted earlier walked past.
Max laughed and hugged me. “Don’t worry, I don’t think we’re going to get into trouble.”
“Probably not.” I tried to ignore the heat in my cheeks.
“Look at that ,Sammy.” He pointed to some machines not far from us. “We can put in a few coins and find out our fortune. Want to try one?”
“Sure.” I fished out some change for him and handed it over.
He dropped the coins inside, then retrieved the folded piece of paper. As he unwrapped it I hoped it would be a good fortune and not put a damper on our experience.
“Be true, be whole, be well. The future is one step ahead.” He grinned as he looked over at me. “Not very specific, is it?”
“No, but it’s fitting, I think.” I smiled and took a step forward. “I’m in the future.”
“No, you’re in the present.”
I took another step. “Now I’m in the future.”
“No, you’re still in the present.” Max laughed.
I looked over my shoulder at him. “What are you doing back there in the past?”
“I’m still in the present too.”
“Not present enough.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him close to me. As we kissed, I knew a slip of paper could never tell my future. The warmth of the love that blossomed between us was what created the next step in our lives.
Even though Max was not a very emotional person, when he pulled away from me, I noticed a flush in his cheeks and a hint of tears in his eyes.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” I touched his cheek. “You look so sad.”
“Not sad.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t be happier. You and I, in this place, with these experiences—it’s priceless to me.”
“You’re right, it is.” I kissed him again. Warmth lingered through my entire body as I gently pulled away. I took a moment to study his face, every subtle feature that made him the Max I knew.
As we moved toward the temple again I was rejuvenated by the clear sky and the sparkle of the golden roof in the sunlight.
Our next stop was Gion.
We walked through many vendor stalls and passed a few temples where we stopped to take pictures. Then we reached the Kabuki Theater. This was what I’d been eager to see.
“I can’t wait to see a show, Max. They look amazing on video. I can’t imagine what it’s like to see one in person.”
“Good thing I got us tickets for the first show, then.” He grinned. “But first, let’s have some lunch. I don’t know how long the show is going to be and I’m hungry. Are you?”
“Yes! There’s a restaurant over there.”
Max nodded and we walked toward the restaurant. As soon as I got the menu I began to search for the healthiest thing on it. I was not going to risk getting sick again. Clearly my body wanted healthy, healthy, healthy. I ordered a noodle soup with a side of vegetables.
Max ordered the same.
“We’re in this together, remember?” He handed the menus back to the waitress. “I need to get back on track too.”
“It’s going to be important to get into the habit now, because when we get back home it’ll be easy to get too relaxed and start eating the wrong things.”
“And easy to not be as active as we’ve been while on the book tour.”
“We should make a plan to visit a different place around the state once a week so that we get out there and explore. There are plenty of places back home that we’ve never visited. We don’t have to wait for the next book tour to do it.”
“That’s true, it would be nice to take some time to wander before we settle into the family life. Let’s make sure we put a reminder on our schedule for that.”
The waitress brought out our noodle soup.
As I used the chopsticks and spoon to eat the dish I thought back to the amount of times that I’d watched every single thing I ate. Back then, it seemed like a punishment to forgo the fatty, sweet foods. Now I chose to eat healthier because I wanted to nurture and nourish my body.
At the moment, though, it was proving rather difficult for me when my noodles kept slipping right back into the soup. Max didn’t seem to have a problem grabbing the noodles with the chopsticks and scooping up the liquid at the same time. I, however, hadn’t managed to get a single bite into my mouth.
I shifted in my chair, drew the bowl closer, and even leaned over a little. But every time the noodle got close to my mouth, it splashed right back into the bowl.
Max glanced over at me. “You don’t like it? It doesn’t look like you’ve eaten anything.”
“No, it’s good. I’m just taking my time.” Did I really want to admit to not being able to handle the noodles with the chopsticks? I decided to try scooping some up with my spoon. Every time I dipped the spoon under the noodles, they floated away.
After another few minutes of chasing my noodles around the waitress walked up to me.
“I noticed you are having some trouble. Maybe this will help?” She handed me a slotted spoon that resembled a spork, but larger.
It could have been my imagination, but it seemed to me that every other person in the restaurant watched as I took the spoon from her. With my head down I used it to take a bite of my food. She smiled and walked away. Maybe I should have been embarrassed, but I was so hungry at that point that I didn’t care.
Chapter 19
After we finished our food we headed straight for the theater. The streets were crowded, but nothing like they would be when the sun went down. Our afternoon matinee was the perfect time to attend a show. It was shorter than other shows, but it still provided the same dramatic punch.
As soon as we sat down in the theater, my heart started pumping. The lights dimmed and the music began. It wasn’t the soothing music that I was expecting. It had a sharp momentous feel to it that drew me right into the anticipation of what would happen next.
Moments later the first actor entered the stage. To say that he was in costume was an understatement. He was in such elaborate attire that he appeared larger than life. It was something that might be accomplished in the movies with special effects, but in this case it had been created by a breathtaking costume. The music grew harsh as he paraded across the stage. I didn’t need to speak Japanese to know that he was the bad guy.
I grabbed Max’s hand and looked over at him to see his reaction. I thought he might be nodding off or engaged in looking around the theater. Instead, he looked as enraptured as I felt.
In silence we watched as the story played out before us. Two men, one woman. One powerful, one not. It was a classic story, but seeing it acted with such enthusiasm and vivid scenery was enough to make me wonder if I’d been transported into a different world.
By the time the show ended I was on my feet to applaud. Max joined me, as did the rest of the crowd that surrounded us. I didn’t even realize that I was the first person to stand up until Max mentioned it to me.
“You started that standing ovation, you know.” He smiled as he led me out of the seats and toward the aisle. “I’m glad you did. They deserved it.”
“Yes, they did! That looked like so much fun, I might have to change careers! Oh, Max! Do you think we could create a kabuki play of Zara?”
“Now that would be interesting!” He laughed.
We were almost to the door when an employee of the theater walked up to us. “Please follow me.” He pointed to a small alcove just inside the theater.
“Is something wrong?” I frowned. Had I done something to gain the attention of security? Perhaps standing up first was considered offensive.
“Please wait here.” He smiled and held up his hands to signal that we should stay where we were.
“Max, should we stay? What if we’re in trouble?”
“I’m sure we’re not. We should just wait and see what’s up.”
We didn’t have to wait long before one of the ac
tresses appeared.
“Thank you so much for waiting.” Still in full make-up, she narrowed her eyes at me and stepped closer. “Hm. Yes, I thought I was right. I thought it was you.”
“If I did anything to disrupt the show, I’m sorry.”
“Disrupt the show?” She shook her head and smiled, the expression exaggerated by dark red lipstick. “Not at all. I spotted you in the audience and thought it was you, but no one else believed me. Will you come backstage so I can prove that I was right?”
“I’d love to.” I took Max’s hand and she led us down a long hall to an entrance behind the stage.
All of the characters from the play were there, some in full costume, others already changed into street clothes.
“It is Samantha!” She twirled around in her wide skirt and stomped her thick-heeled boots. “Anyone want to doubt me now?”
The other actors turned to look at her, then me.
I looked back at them and prepared myself for laughter. Did they know me for my book or for my underwear incident?
They responded with a smattering of applause. A few of them walked up to shake my hand, while others smiled and nodded at me. I found myself in a room full of people—some of whom looked like they belonged in an art film, while others were half-dressed and still others looked like anyone I could meet on the street.
“Many of us are fans of your work.” The woman turned back to me. “We didn’t have a chance to attend the book signing, because our shows are heavily booked, but I hoped that you might venture to Kyoto.”
“I’m so glad you are enjoying my books. I can’t tell you enough how much I enjoyed your show. When I write, I’m transported from one world to another, but it’s nothing in comparison to the journey you all took me on today. I forgot who I was and where I was, because I was so caught up in the show.”
“That’s something we strive for. It’s not just about flash and entertainment. It’s always about reaching our audience beyond the barriers of what they think is normal. It lets the message of the play sink in.”
“It worked for me. In fact, I’d love to have your autographs, if it’s not too much trouble.”
Sammy in Japan (Single Wide Female Travels #8) Page 6