His phone rang three times and headed to voicemail when it clicked through. “Erin? Is everything all right?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Actually, I’m still at the Mori’s. I overslept.”
His sigh of relief came through the phone. “Good. So, what’s up?”
“Well, I had a strange encounter with a momonga at the Hakone Open-Air Museum.”
“You saw a momonga in Hakone…in broad daylight?”
I laughed. “That was Fudo’s reaction, too. But that’s not the best part. It jumped in my lap and with its tiny claws spelled out the kanji for sun on my jeans.”
“That is incredible. Wait… did you say you were with Fudo?”
Did I sense a tinge of jealousy in the tone of his voice? “Fudo took me to the museum as part of my independent art study class.”
“Right… Why didn’t you call me right away?”
That was a very good question. “Sorry, the whole thing was so freaky I think I just tried to push it out of my mind.”
“You saw it again didn’t you?”
Kenzo knew me too well. “In a dream I had this morning. The momonga was crawling all over my face. You know, like cats do to wake you up.”
“I’ve never had a pet, so I’ll have to take your word for it.”
“So, why do you think it spelled out sun? I mean a squirrel shouldn’t be able to write kanji, but I know all bets are off in the paranormal world. The whole thing felt like I had been teleported into an episode of Supernatural.”
Kenzo scribbled something in the background. “Interesting. It seems the momonga is a messenger for the Sun Goddess. It was introducing itself and letting you know who sent it.”
“What do I do if I see the squirrel again?”
“Talk to it like you do with your ghost. Try to find out what the Sun Goddess wants from you.”
The irony of my strange life hit me like a thunderbolt. I didn’t really need to take a Japanese Mythology class when I was on the Sun Goddess’s radar.
Mythology Joke
January 15th 9:10AM
Tiptoeing into class, knowing I was ten minutes late, I snuck to the back row of seats. Settling into my chair, I almost laughed when I got a good look at our teacher as he turned around and faced the class. Wearing a grey suit to highlight his stark white long hair and flowing beard, he reminded me of an Asian version of Gandalf, minus the flowing robes. He had a pleasant facial expression. A cross between and smile and pure happiness. He wore an interesting sun-shaped necklace instead of a tie. I instantly liked him.
The teacher loudly cleared his throat. “As I was saying, this course is going to cover the many aspects of Japanese mythology. There is quite the cast of colorful characters in Japanese folklore. Without further ado, I would like to introduce my top three favorites.” He clicked on a device he held in his hand and someone I knew all too well flashed on the white screen-the Sun Goddess. The painting of her didn’t really do her justice. “This is the Sun Goddess, otherwise known as Amaterasu. She is the star of our list. The Japanese believe she is the creator of Japan and of the imperial family itself. The large red sun on the Japanese flag is a representation of her. There is so much more to say about her, but this first class is just an overview.
He clicked the device and a picture of a human-sized red fox with multiple tails filled the screen. “I will move on to number two on the list. Kitsune, the fox. In fox mythology, they were known to imitate women so they were quite accomplished shape shifters. The more powerful their magic became the more tails they grew. In this illustration you can see the fox has nine tails. They are called golden heaven foxes and are over a thousand years old, and very powerful indeed.”
I bit my lip to keep from shouting out, “My ghost is really a Kitsune. That’s why I saw the woman with the fox tails!”
Oblivious to my revelation, Mr. Tanaka clicked over to the final image. “This is a Tanuki. As you can see it is a cross between a racoon and a dog. They are very popular and can be seen as fat and pudgy figurines outside of shops for good luck. An amusing side note, the source of their power is their scrotum.”
The guys in the class burst out laughing and started grabbing their crotches.
Mr. Tanaka clapped his hands. “That’s enough, class.”
The bell rang saving the teacher from further crude gestures from the guys. I gave him a weak smile as I exited the room. Bet that was the last time he tried a joke in our class.
Fingers Crossed
January 15th-12:00PM
Despite my mind being blown about my ghosts’ real identity, I sped across the courtyard knowing I couldn’t wait any longer to find out if I could get Mr. Shinji’s permission to move. I raced over to the administration building, my fingers crossed that Mr. Shinji would be in his office. Knocking on his door jam, I stuck my head in to find him working his way through a stack of papers on his desk. “Excuse me, Mr. Shinji, can we have our meeting a bit early?”
He nodded and said in Japanese, “Erin, you look like you had a wild night.”
I smiled knowing I couldn’t tell him I raced all the way. “I had a late night with some Japanese friends studying.”
Mr. Shinji laughed. “You don’t fool me. Remember, I once was your age.”
I didn’t know which way to take his statement. He obviously thought I was a bit of a bad girl. “Mr. Shinji, I wanted to let you know I found a place to live in Tokyo—Ogikubo to be exact. With your okay, I’d like to move out this coming weekend.”
Mr. Shinji raised an eyebrow. “Are you moving in with one of your Japanese friends? The academy will only allow you to have a female roommate.”
“I totally understand. Actually, I am moving in with Kenzo Sawada’s cousin, Ren.”
Mr. Shinji looked relieved. “I’ve met Ren. She’s far more responsible than her cousin.” I stuffed back a laugh as he continued. “That is very nice of Ren to let you move in with her. Do you know each other? I have never seen you together on campus.”
“Kenzo told me Ren was looking for a new roommate. Her old one had to move back home.” I leaned forward in the leather chair with my fingers crossed behind my back. “Sir, will you give me permission? After all, you did promise me as much after the Hashika debacle.”
Mr. Shinji nodded. “You have my permission. Do you want me to notify the Moris?”
I thought about it for a second. As much fun as it would be to drop the moving bomb on Okasan, I knew all she would do is gloat that she got her way. I better not give her the satisfaction, and have Mr. Shinji tell her.
“Thank you, Mr. Shinji. I’d be grateful if you would inform Okasan that I am moving. I think she is going to take the news particularly hard.”
He nodded. “I will call her after we are through.”
And just like that, it was a done deal. I pinched myself knowing that moving out of the host family from hell had become a reality. I wanted to jump up in the air and scream, “I’m free!” But I kept my composure, as I had to wait for Mr. Shinji’s critique of my Japanese.
In English, Mr. Shinji said, “You have really improved, Erin. Your accent is especially good. However, you still need to improve on your speed. But overall, I am impressed. Whomever is helping you learn Japanese is doing a wonderful job.”
A broad smile of triumph spread across my face. Mr. Shinji thought my Japanese had improved light-years. I honestly couldn’t tell anymore, with all the paranormal drama swirling around in my head. One thing I knew for sure, my brain definitely had mastered flipping the switch back and forth between English and Japanese. I’d only get better from here. Of course, in four months I would be gone—back to America. Maybe I could make some Japanese friends in the States so I wouldn’t lose my hard-earned skill.
I was so excited I had Mr. Shinji’s permission to move, when the bell rang, I leapt out of my chair and raced down the stairs and out into the courtyard to find Gina and Setsuko. Now that I’d be living in Tokyo proper, I could see them more often.
&nbs
p; Racing for the lounge, I flung open the door and the first person I ran into was Adam. I couldn’t wait to tell him my news. “Hey, guess what? I’m free from the host family from hell! My two-hour torture ride to Booneville will be a thing of the past. The extra good news is that we are going to be neighbors. I’m moving to Ogikubo!”
Adam seemed overwhelmed by my news. “You’re kidding. How did you manage to swing that?”
“It’s all thanks to Kenzo. I’m moving in with his cousin, Ren. She’s renting the bottom floor of a big house.”
Adams eyebrows darted up. “Wow, that’s awesome. I am really happy for you. I know how much you hated living out in Takao. I’m sure you won’t miss your host family much by the crazy stories you’ve told me.”
“Well, Aki was nice enough, but she was never around much. She quickly tired of being my translator.”
“She must not have to do much now anyway. I heard you are getting pretty good at Japanese.”
Setsuko bragging about her teacher prowess, I bet. “I am much better than when I first came and only knew five words.”
He laughed. “Well, like they say, it doesn’t hurt to learn from the locals.”
I gazed over at Kenzo and the Harem. “My teacher has half of the girls at the academy lusting after him.”
“You never know, Erin. They say love strikes when you’re not looking.”
If Adam only knew my real connection to Kenzo. The girls arrived saving me from further conversations about my nonexistent love life.
Gina looped her arm around Adam’s. “Erin, a little bee buzzed by and told me that you’re moving out of your host family’s house. I am so jealous. Now I’ll have the longest commute in the school.”
The academy gossip text chain strikes again. I did feel bad about Gina’s commute. So not the honor I would bestow on anybody, least of all on someone I liked as much as Gina.
Setsuko put on her best cheerleader smile. “I think it’s amazing that you get to move out.”
Gina said, “Do you need help moving? I am sure Adam wouldn’t mind if I volunteered him.”
Setsuko, never one to be left out, chimed in, “I would help, but I have weak wrists.”
Gina and I laughed. It was just like Setsuko to try to get out of doing any real work. Since her taking command of my birthday party, she seemed never to volunteer for anything again. She became like a fancy doll a kid would look at on the shelf, but never dare play with. Gina and I were the dolls whose clothes were dirty and torn because the kid loved us so much.
“Thanks guys, for all the support. It means a lot.”
Setsuko huffed. “I can’t believe you found someplace to stay that wasn’t another host family. I am actually jealous. Well, unless you have a roommate that snores.”
Ren didn’t look like the type.
“We’ve got to run.” Adam motioned for Gina to follow him. “See you around Ogikubo.”
I doubted I would be seeing any more of Adam than I did now. There must be at least five hundred thousand people that live in Ogikubo. I might get lucky and run across him at the train station, but his time was dedicated to Gina—and food.
Setsuko eyed the happy couple as they waltzed out of the lounge holding hands. “So, you never said who is going to be your roommate. Do I know her?”
I swallowed hard. “Ah…you met her once.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Tell me it isn’t Kenzo’s cousin.”
“Yep.” Admitting it felt like ripping off a Band-Aid.
She threw her hands on her hips. “I can’t support the move knowing it’s Ren. You know I have a bad feeling about her.”
“Relax. I’ll be fine.”
Setsuko turned on her Mary Jane heels. “Don’t come to me when the shit hits the fan.”
On the whole train ride home, I thought about how my commuting life would change dramatically in just three days. No more two-hour train rides. Seda was only a half hour trip from Ogikubo.
Walking the triathlon, I had a huge grin of satisfaction on my face now it would be one of my last. I kicked off my shoes, put on my slippers, and walked around to see who might be home. At the moment, only Okasan. I wondered if Mr. Shinji really did call her. Somehow, I doubted it. He probably felt it was really my job.
Racing up the stairs, I threw open the door to my room and surveyed how much stuff I needed to pack. Thank goodness I hadn’t bought too many books or souvenirs yet. Hopefully, I would meet Ren at the house and get the keys on Friday or the next day at the latest. I’d figured it would probably take about three trips to move everything. I wasn’t going to accept Adam and Gina’s offer to help. It was just asking too much with the long distance on the train back and forth.
I heard the front door creak open. It sounded like Aki’s voice. Now all I needed was for Otosan and Hiroshi to come home and I could make the big announcement. Of all the Moris, I would miss Aki the most. She had been there for me when I got sick, and the only one in the family to really give a crap if I lived or not.
Digging through my closet try to organize my stuff, I heard Aki knock on my door. “Erin, what are you doing?”
“Hi Aki. I was just going through my things.”
“Are you going somewhere? Do you have another school field trip?”
It seemed like a logical conclusion to make. “Actually, I am moving to Ogikubo with a friend of mine. You’ve been great, but I want to live in the city for the last couple of months before I go back home to America.”
The corners of her mouth turned down. “I will miss you. I know I am not home often, but I liked you being here.”
Wow, what a really nice thing for Aki to say. I know was a pain in her side sometimes. The door downstairs opened, and I could hear Hiroshi and Fudo talking.
Aki glanced out the door. “You want me to tell Hiroshi?”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll let him know. Thanks.” Closing the closet door, I decided to break the news right away. I sped downstairs and almost ran right into Fudo. My hair caught on his jacket zipper.
He smiled and rescued the few strands of my hair from his zipper. “You seem in a good mood.”
“I am. I have some big news for you. I am moving to Ogikubo.”
Hiroshi’s mouth dropped open, while Fudo’s face turned a shade lighter. I guess they thought I was stuck in Booneville forever. Hiroshi ran his fingers through his slicked back hair. Surprisingly, his Elvis jumpsuit uniform and been exchanged for a bright blue jogging suit. Not a rhinestone in sight. “You leave here? Not now—I need you.”
This was news to me. Hiroshi seemed to be avoiding me lately. Probably because I never delivered on his date with Setsuko. “What do you need?”
“I go to America soon.”
My eyes moved toward Fudo. “What is he talking about?”
“Hiroshi is going with two friends to California and he thought you could fly there and show him around Disneyland.”
My turn to have my mouth drop open. What kind of nerve did Hiroshi have appointing me his tour guide?
Fudo shrugged his shoulders. “I told him it wasn’t a good idea, but you know Hiroshi. He is number one.”
Hiroshi gave Fudo a dirty look. I should be the one fuming. “Sorry, no can do. I am staying in Japan and won’t be home when you are in California.”
Hiroshi puffed out his chest. “Fine then, I stay with your friends in California.”
He just crossed a major line. I said in my best Japanese, “You are unbelievable, Hiroshi. To think that you could stay with my friends and that I would fly to California and take you to Disneyland is crazy.”
Fudo beamed. “Why Erin, your Japanese is very good. Your accent is almost perfect.”
Hiroshi’s cheeks flushed red with anger. “How long have you known what I have been saying?”
Spoken like a person who should be worried. “Long enough.”
Fudo laughed. “Good for you, Erin.”
Hiroshi hit Fudo in the arm. “You are a bad friend.”
Fudo punched him back. “I always go with the winner.”
“Thank you, Fudo for defending me. I’m really going to miss seeing you.”
Hiroshi made a disgusted noise with his mouth. “Do my parents know?”
“No. I will tell them tonight. Don’t say anything, okay?”
Hiroshi nodded and stormed into his room. Fudo followed reluctantly behind him. He gave me a wink before he shut the door. Fudo was such a nice guy. I had no idea what he had in common with Hiroshi except for one thing, they were both mahjong addicts.
I didn’t trust Hiroshi’s word, so I figured I better go in the kitchen and tell Okasan myself. She stood putting some rice in the cooker. The aroma of yakitori chicken roasting made my stomach growl. I definitely would miss one thing about my host mother—her cooking. “Okasan. I am moving out. I told Aki and Hiroshi first, sorry.” It was not very Japanese of me to tell Okasan’s kids first. Elders were always number one in Japan.
Okasan slammed the lid of the cooker. “I know, Shinjisan told me.”
So, Mr. Shinji actually took the time to call her. “I have enjoyed my stay in your home, but I want to move closer to the city.”
Okasan nodded as she began to pull the dishes out of the cupboard for dinner. “I know you have not been happy here. It is best that you go.”
I took it as my cue to get out of the kitchen and let her finish dinner. Back up in my room, I pulled out my roller bag and flashed back on my first day at the Moris’. I had come a long way. From five words of Japanese to too many to count. I battled the train system, and Hashika. I learned that the paranormal world I’d seen on endless episodes of Supernatural, actually existed in Japan. Everything from fox-ghosts, messenger squirrels, the Sun Goddess, to Death itself, had entered my world. Along with a rocker tour guide who just happened to be an agent for the PSIA. Talk about life changing.
Final Showdown Page 3