Takashi couldn’t believe it himself. Not Kenji. Nothing like this ever happened to Kenji. He pulled himself together. ‘I’m on my way. Don’t worry, Masaya. I’ll get a taxi to Shin-Kawasaki station and take the train from there. I’ll be with you soon. I’ll call you when I get to Yokohama station. Pick me up there,’ he told him.
Takashi couldn’t believe it, first his grandmother and now one of his best friends. He decided he’d go to Yokohama City Hospital and afterwards, he’d continue on out to see his parents in Yokosuka.
Reaching Shin-Kawasaki station, Takashi made a beeline for the platform. The mark of fear was set on the foreheads of each stranger around him because of the earthquakes. He kept telling himself that Kenji was going to be fine. He would be there for him and he knew that Kenji also had a close family. Over and over again, he repeated in his mind that Kenji would be all right.
The train ride to Yokohama seemed to take forever. On the way, a group of four children and their mothers climbed into Takashi’s carriage. He guessed that the kids were all aged between five and seven. They were chatting away incessantly about the musical clock that they were going to visit outside the SOGO department store in Yokohama. It brought back memories for Takashi of when he was about five years old and his own mother had brought him and his brother to Yokohama for some shopping and to see this same mechanical clock that played a musical pantomime on the hour. They, too, had laughed and clapped at this small amusement. It occurred to him now that nothing that innocent could move him to that extent anymore.
An hour and a half later, Masaya and Takashi walked through the doors of the hospital, striding forward with obvious urgency. They needed to see their friend.
They asked for directions and arrived outside Kenji’s room. Takashi looked at Masaya’s frazzled face and he saw a fear in his eyes that he’d never seen before.
Takashi pushed the door open. The curtains were partly drawn and the light was dim. There was a strong stench of anaesthetic. Kenji’s father was sitting by his son’s side. He lifted a heavy head. His face was grey and his eyes spoke of sorrow. Takashi thought then and there that Kenji had really been seriously hurt and may be on his deathbed.
Kenji’s father signalled to them to sit on the other side of the bed. Takashi looked at Kenji’s face. It was bruised and battered. Masaya nodded at Kenji’s right leg and Takashi saw it move a little. He let out a huge sigh of relief. Kenji was sleeping. Takashi went over to sit down next to Masaya and the three of them sat next to Kenji in silence for at least fifteen minutes before a doctor entered the room and checked the drip running from Kenji’s right arm. A few minutes later, the doctor went to leave and Takashi followed him to the door. Outside the room, Takashi pressed him for information.
‘Your friend has three broken ribs,’ the doctor said. ‘He’s also broken his left leg in two places. Many of the scars on his face will heal, but his cuts are very deep and it will take some time.’
‘So he’s going to be okay?’ Takashi asked with obvious relief.
‘He certainly will, but he’s a very lucky young man to be alive,’ the doctor said. ‘We’re still worried about his left leg. He may not be able to walk on it again for some time.’ The doctor gave Takashi a short bow, turned abruptly and walked away quickly, as if he had no more time for questions.
Takashi returned to the room and nodded at Masaya. ‘He’s going to be okay, but his left leg is badly damaged,’ he said.
Kenji’s father looked at them. ‘I can’t believe this has happened. Look at my son. Why did I ever let him buy that motorbike? If only I’d known. Why? Why?’
It was soon time for Masaya and Takashi to leave. They paid their respects to Kenji’s father and left. At the hospital exit, they saw a girl walking from the car park who looked a lot like Yuriko.
‘Hey Masaya, does that look like Yuriko to you?’ asked Takashi.
‘It couldn’t be. How would Yuriko know anything about Kenji’s accident? Anyway, that girl’s got a fuller figure than Yuriko,’ said Masaya.
‘I saw her in Omotesando and she’s put on a bit of weight, but I don’t think it’s her,’ Takashi said to Masaya. Takashi stopped walking and crouched down with his hands over his eyes.
‘What’s the matter? Are you all right?’ Masaya asked Takashi.
‘I know it’s an awful shock knowing Kenji’s had this terrible accident, but I heard some even worse news this morning,’ he said to Masaya. ‘My grandmother passed away yesterday.’
‘I’m so sorry to hear that,’ Masaya said to him.
‘Thanks Masaya. Let’s go,’ Takashi said. He didn’t feel it was appropriate to mention the inheritance. ‘I need to get to my parents’ house in Yokosuka,’ he said to him.
They headed to the station and went their separate ways. Takashi was well and truly exhausted.
When Takashi reached the family home in Yokosuka, his mother had prepared him a delicious meal of croquettes, salad and rice and miso soup. After eating, he shared a few words with his father before taking a bath. Takashi really enjoyed the relaxing Japanese ofuro bath at his parents’ house, as he only had a shower in his apartment. He sat down with his knees against his chest for a full half hour, allowing the hot water to envelop his whole body and the steam to waft over his head, after this, he prepared for bed. His mother had freshened up his room for him and he went to sleep early.
Takashi and his mother and father shared few words over the next twenty-four hours. Another death in the family had left a solemn mark on their house once again.
His father had contacted the Buddhist priest from the family temple and the undertakers. It was decided that Takashi’s father would be the chief mourner for the funeral in two days’ time.
Takashi stayed with his family for the wake and the funeral. He and his father wore conservative black suits on the day of the funeral. Many friends and family related to Takashi’s grandmother attended to offer their condolences and offer a contribution. After the cremation, his grandmother’s remains were placed in a kotsutsubo jar and rites would be held at her altar every seventh day until the forty-ninth day. Finally, his grandmother’s ashes would be laid to rest at the family plot.
Takashi stayed with his family for a few days in Yokosuka to attend the funeral services before returning to his apartment in Kawasaki. He felt like he’d aged three years in the last few days, and the numerous small earthquakes that rocked the ground every now and again made him even more nervous. He hated those aftershocks that never gave anyone peace of mind.
That evening, as Takashi returned to his apartment, it was just starting to get dark. There was no wind, and not one leaf stirred in the bushes surrounding his building. He climbed the stairs slowly and with much effort; jiggling his keys to create a noise in the strange silence that surrounded him, before placing the largest of them in the lock of his front door. Takashi stepped inside and was just about to take off his shoes when another, much stronger, earthquake gripped him and he froze. The room in front of him started to sway, rocking back and forth as it had the other night. This evening however, it seemed even more severe.
Takashi pulled his door open again and immediately heard screams from his surrounding neighbours. Several people ran past him, heading for the stairs. Their faces were white with fear, and a couple of them yelled at Takashi to get out. Takashi tried to step out onto the landing that moved like an ocean. He grabbed the railing, but he was unable to move at all. Thirty seconds later, he felt confident enough to make it to the stairs. Gripping the rail as he moved forwards, he could see a group of people gathering at the bottom of the staircase. Water began to seep out through the cracks in the concrete path, causing liquefaction below their feet. The group collectively jumped onto the road as the ground moved even more violently.
Takashi waited at the edge of the landing, frozen against the railing, waiting for a break in this sea of movement. Two minutes later, he thought he saw his chance. Alone at the top of the stairs, he looked down at the g
roup squatting on the road. The sight of them in a wide open space encouraged him to join them. Takashi gingerly placed a foot on the first stair, but the railing began to shake again. He glanced at the others and saw that a couple of them were pointing at the roof above him. He heard the building’s caretaker scream at him to be careful. Looking up, Takashi saw the bicycle stem that had been thrown up on the guttering several months beforehand shoot out. It struck him square between the eyes and he fell back onto the landing. A sharp pain, like a needle penetrating his forehead, caused him to cry out as he started to black out. He screamed out and his howl reverberated in his head, sounding like a distant echo projected from somebody else’s mouth.
He tried to keep his eyes open, but he was fighting to stay conscious. His mouth was dry and the feeling of losing control disturbed him. He fought to regain some kind of normality and he tried again to see what was happening around him. To his surprise, he thought he could see Masaya and Kenji standing at the bottom of the stairs, calling out to him. He wondered why they were there, and tried to remember what he’d been doing before he fell, but it hurt too much to think about anything. Takashi wasn’t quite sure if he was conscious or not. His friends looked real enough. He saw his own arm stretch out before him as he reached out to them but Masaya and Kenji faded back away from him, laughing at him as they disappeared. The image of his friends was replaced by a whirlpool of green, red and blue lights rotating in front of him, and Takashi gave into the heavy feeling of unconsciousness. He lay back and stopped struggling against the pain. After that, he could remember nothing.
CHAPTER 19
Kindness will creep where it cannot go
Haruka was putting on her shoes on Sunday afternoon at the front door of her house when her father walked past.
‘We were lucky nothing happened to us during the earthquakes, don’t you think, Haruka?’ he said to her.
‘You’re right, Father. Have you seen the news? What did they say about it on the TV?’ she asked.
‘They said the first earthquake measured 6.2 on the Richter scale and the second one measured 6.5,’ her father replied. ‘I hope we don’t have any more this winter. I’m too old to be worrying about earthquakes.’
‘I might be younger than you but they scare me just as much,’ said Haruka.
‘I’m going next door – I’ll see you later.’
‘To see your friend Yuriko?’ he asked her.
‘Yes. I’ll be back at about five to help mother prepare the dinner.’
‘I’ll let your mother know.’
‘Thanks,’ Haruka said to him. She hurried over to Yuriko’s and walked up the long drive to the entrance of her house.
Mrs Makimoto opened the door.
‘Are you here to see Yuriko?’ she asked Haruka.
‘Yes – is she at home?’ Haruka asked.
‘Yes, Yuriko’s in her room. She’s just come back from the hospital.’
‘From the hospital! Is she alright?’ Haruka asked.
‘Yuriko’s fine. Her friend was in a car accident.’
Haruka followed Mrs Makimoto into the house. ‘Who was in the accident, Mrs Makimoto?’ she asked her.
‘Don’t you know?’
‘No,’ Haruka replied.
Haruka turned to head upstairs to Yuriko’s room.
‘I’m sure Yuriko will explain,’ Mrs Makimoto said to her.
‘Of course. Thank you, Mrs Makimoto,’ Haruka replied.
Haruka reached the top of the stairs and knocked lightly on Yuriko’s bedroom door. ‘Come in,’ said Yuriko.
‘Hi Yuriko.’
‘Hi Haruka, did you have a nice time in Kyoto?’ asked Yuriko.
‘No, not at all. Mrs Kurokawa was horrible to us, and it turns out that Jun is engaged to someone else. Why didn’t you tell me about this?’
‘This is news to me, Haruka. You know I’ve tried to ask Jun several times about how he feels about you, and he always changes the subject,’ said Yuriko. ‘And I’m sorry my auntie was so rude. She either really likes someone or she’s perfectly vile towards them. My father can’t stand her, so he rarely goes to Kyoto.’
‘Well, that’s the end of my relationship with Jun,’ Haruka said.
‘And what about your job in Kyoto?’ asked Yuriko.
‘That’s fallen through as well. The manager who was leaving to go to live in the US with her boyfriend has decided to stay in Kyoto, so the position is no longer available.’
‘Well, that’s probably best, because you may have run into Jun if you’d been living in Kyoto – and anyway, I never liked the thought of you leaving. I would have missed you too much,’ said Yuriko.
‘Thanks,’ Haruka said. ‘I would have missed, you too. Your mother told me that you’ve just come back from the hospital. Who’s been in a car accident?’ she asked.
‘It wasn’t a car accident. It was a motorcycle accident. Kenji fell off his new bike during the earthquake.’
Haruka sat down on the edge of the bed next to Yuriko. ‘Takashi’s friend Kenji?’ she asked Yuriko.
‘Yes,’ she replied.
‘Oh no, that’s terrible. Is he going to be alright?’ Haruka asked, looking at Yuriko. Haruka was concerned about Kenji but also bewildered to hear about what had happened when she was in Kyoto. Kenji had been in an accident and Yuriko was sitting next to her looking very different. Yuriko’s hair that she’d previously worn long and lanky had now been cut into a short, sleek bob. Her makeup was no longer caked on, but applied carefully and lightly, revealing a much more even and natural skin tone, just as Haruka had taught her. Yuriko’s eyes looked bright and larger without the heavy, dark eye shadow she used to wear. Even her figure seemed fuller and much less gaunt.
‘I’m worried about him,’ said Yuriko. ‘He’s broken a few ribs as well as his left leg, and he has a lot of cuts and bruises on his face. His motorcycle helmet spun off him when he fell. I feel so guilty, Haruka. Kenji was on his way to visit me when he had the accident.’ Yuriko suddenly clasped her hand over her mouth, as if she was trying to take back the words that she’d just uttered.
‘He was on his way to visit you? Why was he visiting you, Yuriko?’ Haruka asked, looking at her friend sideways.
Yuriko took her hand away from her mouth. ‘I didn’t tell you before you went to Kyoto. Kenji and I didn’t want anyone to know,’ she started telling Haruka. ‘We went out to dinner a couple of times after he drove me home from Masaya’s tavern, but I didn’t say anything because Kenji wasn’t looking for a relationship and I didn’t want anyone to misinterpret our friendship.’
‘What about Akiko?’ Haruka asked.
‘Kenji told me he’d never really liked her that much in the first place, but she kept coming to his restaurant in Ginza and he’d felt obliged to meet up with her.’
‘Do you want to date Kenji, Yuriko?’ said Haruka, drilling her friend.
‘Yes, more than anything,’ Yuriko replied.
Haruka smiled at Yuriko. How could I have been so oblivious to what had been happening to one of my best friends and Kenji? Haruka thought to herself.
‘I feel like I’ve known Kenji for years,’ said Yuriko. ‘He told me that he feels the same way about me. I’m going to go to the hospital every day to look after him until he’s well again. He told me that I make him feel better when I visit him.’
‘That’s wonderful, Yuriko. I’m so happy for you,’ Haruka said.
Yuriko looked at her friend with concern. ‘Have you spoken to Takashi?’ she asked.
‘No, he won’t answer the phone. I really want to see him and tell him how much I care about him,’ Haruka replied.
‘What are you going to do, Haruka?’
‘I could drive to his home in Kawasaki to see him, but I’ve never driven through Tokyo before, only around the Kanagawa Prefecture. I’m a bit scared of driving through those busy streets, especially after the tremors we’ve been experiencing.’
‘I need to confess something to you,’
Yuriko said. ‘When I saw Takashi in Omotesando, I told him that you were planning a wedding with Jun in Kyoto, and he said that he’d given up on you.’
‘Oh no,’ Haruka groaned.
Yuriko placed a comforting hand on Haruka’s shoulder. ‘I think it’s time you move on and find someone else. This relationship between you and Takashi is too messy and complicated,’ she said.
It took a few minutes for Haruka to take this in. Her friend might be right, but this is not what she wanted to hear. Just the thought of not seeing Takashi again made her feel uncomfortable. Haruka rubbed her palms together and twisted her fingers. Her head felt like pins and needles, and her cheeks were burning up.
‘Are you alright, Haruka?’ Yuriko asked her.
‘Not really … I don’t know what to do.’
‘You need to take deep breaths.’
‘I don’t think I can forget about Takashi,’ Haruka said to Yuriko, trying to breathe normally again.
‘You’ll be okay. Life has a funny way of working out. Look at me – I was so upset about Ry, and then I met Kenji.’
Yuriko stood up and studied her image in the Bordeaux mirror on the facing wall whilst combing her hair through her fingers.
Haruka looked up at her. She was feeling a bit better. ‘Your hair looks really pretty, Yuriko,’ she said.
‘Thanks. I had it cut last Friday morning.’
‘And your skin looks better, too.’
‘That’s because I’ve stopped taking the weight loss pills. They were making me feel ill.’
‘I told you they were no good,’ said Haruka. ‘Why don’t you keep your hair like that from now on? It really suits you. Are you looking forward to starting your job at the interior design company next week?’
‘I certainly am,’ Yuriko replied.
Haruka stood up. ‘Good to hear. I’m sorry, I have to go home now and help to prepare the dinner,’ she said. ‘Thanks again for meeting up with Takashi in Omotesando.’
‘No problem, Haruka. I’m sorry it didn’t work out with Jun. Well, you’re right, it is just about dinner time and I wouldn’t mind something to eat, as well. I’m famished. I think I’ll make tempura for the family tonight,’ said Yuriko.
Tokyo Hearts: A Japanese Love Story Page 18