As I tossed clothes into my roller bag, a misty cloud formed when I breathed in the air. A mass of white vapor filled the space before me. The barely visible ghost floated next to the roller bag. If the fox felt more comfortable appearing to me as a ghost, I wasn’t going to question its motives. It would reveal itself when it was ready. I said in Japanese, “So you have come to say good-bye.”
The ghost remained a white blob floating in the air. “I am glad you are leaving this place. You should be safe with the agent.”
How did it know about Ren? I stared at the top of the mist as if it had a face. “Are you going with me to Ogikubo?”
“My home is in Kyoto. I will see you there… soon.”
The room temperature grew twenty degrees hotter as the mist slowly dissipated. My mind lingered on the ghost’s parting words. What would draw me to Kyoto? Then it hit me. The battle between good and evil was going to take place in the ancient capital of Japan.
Chapter 4
Bye-Bye Host Family
January 27th 5:00PM
Despite a slight hiccup in the big moving plans due to Ren having to leave on a secret assignment, my time at the Moris’ was almost at an end. My room stood empty after two trips to Adam’s, where my stuff would be stored until tomorrow. Okasan had asked me to have dinner with them before I left for good. I admit the fragrance of yakisoba drifting through the house made the offer hard to refuse. I had to give her credit for such a nice parting gesture. Hiroshi stayed holed up in his room with the mahjong gang, surprisingly minus Fudo. Maybe he had a hot date with his girlfriend. I hoped I’d see him at my next art lesson with his father. Hiroshi, however, I would never see again—hopefully. Knowing he still was ticked at me from our little altercation about his trip to America, I doubted he would say good-bye. Crossing my fingers, I hoped I would never see him again—not even as Elvis in Ueno park.
Taking advantage of the quiet house, I decided to make my last phone call to Tori from the Moris. Sitting in the all too familiar phone nook, I punched in Tori’s number and crossed my fingers she would pick up. The phone rang and rang than went over to voice mail. “Hey, Tori. Just wanted to give you the good news I’m…”
The phone clicked over. “So, Erin. What’s the good news?”
“Believe it or not I’m moving out of the Moris’!”
“Wow, that’s awesome and about time. That Okasan is a real B word. “
I laughed. “Actually, she’s been better lately. Still, when Kenzo hooked me up with his cousin who was looking for a roommate, I went for it. I’m moving to Ogikubo!”
“That is amazing. You’ll finally be in Tokyo!” The sound of a car starting up filled the receiver. “Hey, I’ve got to run. I’m late for an appointment.”
“No worries. Talk later.”
The receiver clicked off just as Okasan called out that dinner was ready. Otosan came straight home tonight instead of his usual trip after work to the local bar to drink with his buddies. It would be the first time we had all been together in over a month. After my Hashika disaster, we had all gone our separate ways like most families do. Okasan placed a big red ceramic bowl of yakisoba in the middle of the dining table. As was the custom, Aki served Otosan first. Even when Okasan called Hiroshi to dinner, he continued to boycott my departure. Fine by me. There was no love lost between us.
Otosan turned to me after finishing his overflowing bowl of yakisoba and said in Japanese, “We are sorry you are leaving, Erin.” He pulled a box out from under the table. “I wanted to give you this gift to remember me by.”
Guess the news about my new-found ability to speak Japanese reached the head of the family. He handed me a navy-blue box with gold flecks running through it. I took off the lid and spied a lovely gold lacquered calligraphy set nestled on a dark blue silk pad.
Otosan beamed. “I thought because you are an artist you would enjoy the set. May you make many beautiful drawings with it.”
I bowed to Otosan. “Thank you very much. Whenever I use it, I will think of you.” Although we never saw much of each other, Otosan seemed to be the only one in the family that might actually miss me besides Aki.
Okasan handed me another package. I opened the box and inside lay a red and white summer kimono with little red cranes dancing around the hem. Okasan touched the fabric. “It is a fine silk. I had it made for you.”
“Thank you, Okasan. It is such a nice parting gesture.” Maybe she felt guilty about the whole Hashika incident and how she treated me. Or it could be because we hadn’t gotten on each other’s nerves for the last two weeks? Whatever the reason, I bowed to her and graciously accepted her lovely gift.
With a huge satisfied grin, Aki handed me a small package. “I know you will enjoy these.”
I tore through the gold wrapping paper and opened the package. Inside, stacked one on top of the other, were four boxes of Little Pockys. “Thanks, Aki, these should get me through the first day in my new home.”
She laughed and I had to admit I felt touched. All the gifts were so thoughtful. Yet, they made me feel a bit guilty for leaving. Aki helped me carry my gifts up to my room and I added them to my final box. She gave a parting smile and then closed my door for the last time. Gazing around my room I hoped my ghost would make a final appearance, but as usual, its shyness kept it away. Or maybe the ghost already took up residence in Kyoto.
Riding on the train to Ogikubo I looked out the window and flashed on the memory of the Moris waving good-bye to me when I left the house. It felt so odd. I thought I wouldn’t see them say good-bye until I returned to America. That reminded me, I better make a quick call to my mom and let her know I’m moving. I hoped Kenzo wouldn’t be mad that I used the emergency PSIA phone. As the phone rang, I crossed my fingers that it would go straight to voicemail. Just before it was going to switch over, I heard my mom’s bird-like voice. “Honey, I was beginning to think you were kidnapped by Japanese pirates.”
Perfect timing. She only joked when she was in a good mood. “Sorry, it’s been a bit crazy since Christmas. But I have big news. I’m moving out of the Moris’ and in with one of my girlfriends.”
“I don’t blame you. That Okasan was a difficult person. Are you moving closer to Tokyo?”
“Yes, Ogikubo; it’s only fifteen minutes away from the academy.”
“That’s fantastic, honey.”
I could hear the familiar voice of my mom’s secretary in the background. “Sounds like you have to go. I’ll email you my new phone number.”
“Wonderful. Enjoy your new place.”
Before I could say good-bye, the phone clicked off. How strange things turned out. My life in Japan would soon enter a new phase—the freedom phase. I got off the train, lugging the big box in my arms. It felt strange to be moving into a place I had never saw before, well, except in a picture Ren showed me on her phone. Studying the map Ren drew me, I stopped to rest my arms and enjoy the beautiful night. Except for a low hum of the city in the background, my new neighborhood seemed almost as quiet as the streets of Takao. Grand homes lined the sides of the streets punctuated by tiny walled gardens. Even though Ogikubo sat in Tokyo proper, the neighborhood felt like the suburbs. The houses kept growing in size the closer I came to my new home. Blocks of two-story homes gave way for even grander three-story ones. My new home made me feel like I had suddenly married up.
When I mentioned my new address to Adam, he teased me. “I guess I can call you my celebrity friend, now. Did you know Satoshi Ohno lives a block from you?” News to me. Satoshi Ohno Go was a singer, actor, movie star and former teen heartthrob. I better keep my eye out, there might be other rich people who lived nearby.
As I rounded the corner, my eyes took in the giant gleaming white three-story cube that would be my home. Huge lights aimed down from a structure on the roof illuminating the house almost as well as the sun. The house exemplified modern architecture right up to its angled roofline. I wished my hands were free so I could pinch myself. Funny, I never pic
tured living on what must be millionaire row. Following Ren’s instructions, I walked down the concrete path edged in moss that skirted the side of the house. I put down my box and knocked on what would be the front door to my new home.
Ren greeted me with a huge smile. “Welcome.” She reached down and grabbed the box and led me into a nice sized entryway with a travertine marble floor. Ren pointed to a cute pair of white and pink polka-dotted slippers sitting in front of a sleek wooden shoe shelf. “These are for you.”
I tossed off my Sketchers sneakers and donned my slippers. One thing for sure, I wouldn’t get my slippers confused with the ones Ren had on. Her black slippers screamed “look at me,” with a large cartoon ghost emblem sewn on the front. A fun homage to where she worked.
“Sorry, I need to pee. Where’s the bathroom?”
Ren pointed to the second door. “We have two bathrooms. This one is for guests, but it’s close to your room so you can claim it.”
How different things were right off the bat. Not only was there not a urinal in sight, but we each had our own bathroom. Opening the door to the stark white space, I took a deep breath as I stared at a toilet that looked like the Starship Enterprise with its grey color and round lid. The spaceship theme continued with a control panel like keypad right above it dotted with brightly colored buttons. Barely able to hold it any longer, I tried to lift the lid of the toilet, but it wouldn’t budge. Luckily, there were small little illustrations under the buttons, and I took a guess which one to push to lift the lid. On the off chance I read the characters wrong, I crossed my fingers and then pushed the red button. The lid flew open and a tiny nozzle spritzed a jasmine scent into the air. Wonderful. My nose twitched as I fought off the urge to sneeze. Then I pushed what I thought was the flush button and a little arm popped up from the back of the toilet and proceeded to squirt water in my eye. I let out a scream as I wiped the water off my face. What a nice welcome to my new home.
Ren knocked on the door. “Erin, are you, all right?”
How embarrassing. I laughed as I opened the door. “Guess I hit the wrong button.”
She handed me a towel to dry off my face. “Sorry, I should have explained how to use the buttons. But you looked like you really had to go.”
“I did.” Scanning the control panel with distrust, Ren gave me the lowdown on all the button’s functions. After she finished, I said, “Leave it to the Japanese to invent a toilet that washes your butt, personal areas, and gives you a blow dry.”
Ren pointed to a high-tech white plastic box against the wall. “This is a Sound Princess. When you push the center button, it makes endless flushing noises to mask any unspeakable sounds you might make.”
“Why didn’t they just put a nice sound system in here? Then instead of flushing sounds I could listen to a fun band like the Imagine Dragons.”
Ren gave me a knowing smile. “You know the Japanese have two major obsessions, cleanliness and avoiding embarrassment. Don’t you think it is interesting how they should both be addressed by a toilet that looks like it just landed from outer space?”
“Truth.”
She laughed. “Why don’t I give you a tour of the rest of your new home?”
Staring at the spaceship toilet, I said, “I can’t wait.”
Once safely out of the bathroom, Ren led me to the next door on the right. “This is your crash pad.”
Three times the size of my bedroom at the Moris’, the space had a queen size bed with a gorgeous carved wood headboard. On the long wall, finally getting the pride of place it rightfully deserved hung the Golden Pavilion painting. I slid open the closet door to face a space the size of my bedroom at the Moris’. All my clothes were hung up according to their placement on the color wheel. The shoes were set on the rack by size. Ren must be a fan of Marie Kondo.
She returned with the last box and placed it by the foot of the bed. “Adam brought over everything this morning. I wanted you to feel right at home. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Are you kidding? That was so nice of you.” I flashed on my ratty underwear and T-shirts. “Umm where did you put my…?”
Ren laughed and pointed to a box over in the corner by a small dresser. “I didn’t unpack your person items.” She walked back to the door. “Before you start settling in, let me give you the rest of the tour.”
She led me back into the living room. I had to admit the décor was a bit of a letdown. Instead of cutting-edge contemporary furniture to match the style of the home, the living room sat completely furnished in tradition Japanese furniture.
As if Ren could read my mind she said, “I know what you are thinking. Why have traditional Japanese style furnishings in such a contemporary house? This is where Mr. Fukuda’s parents stay when they come to visit from Nara. He wanted them to feel comfortable.”
That made sense. And on closer inspection, I noticed unlike the Moris’ simple wood furniture, the sofa and chairs were hand carved and very expensive. Befitting the division head of the paranormal unit at the PSIA.
I followed Ren’s gaze across the large room to a very impressive western kitchen, complete with stone countertops. “Wow, it looks like the appliances are from American and Europe.”
As if they were her own, she beamed. “Yes, that’s a Wolf range and a Moen dishwasher.”
Imported appliances, like cars, had to cost a fortune. It seemed Mr. Fukuda was a bit of a show off, not that I blame him. Next on the tour, a room with a wonderful view of a beautiful, traditional garden. The space, though quite small, had the desired calming effect. Ren led me to another room next door. “This was intended for the occasional overnight guest, but I have taken up residence.”
The bedroom, twice the size of Hiroshi’s, held a full-sized bed with a grey fabric upholstered headboard up against the far wall. Tucked under a large rectangular window on the opposing wall stood a gleaming chrome desk covered by piles of papers and folders. Scattered on the wood floor in a random pattern lay even more folders. I didn’t expect the rooms messy state from someone as pulled together as Ren. She must have gained the bad habit when she attended Yale.
Two steps down, we entered a huge family room with a laundry space across the back wall. My eyes grew wide when I spied an American sized washer and dryer. Compared to the toy washer at the Moris’, the large capacity washer felt like I just entered laundry Heaven. No more wet clothes hanging all over my room like a Dali painting.
Ren surveyed the room. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I remember I am actually living here. My entire apartment in Shibuya could fit in the kitchen.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Wait until you see the two floors where the Fukudas live. They are going to blow your mind.”
Ren led me to the small door at the back of the house. She pushed a button and the door slid back to reveal an elevator. Talk about living the high life. We stepped in and took the quick ride to the second floor. When we stepped into the living room, I felt like I entered an episode of Lottery Millionaires. The décor screamed the fact someone with tons of money lived here. A bank of twelve-foot windows ran completely across the whole living room. The ultra-modern furniture could have been pulled off the pages of a cutting-edge decorating magazine. Minimalist contemporary artwork hung on the stark white walls. My gawking was interrupted by an impeccably dressed petite woman who came up to great us.
Ren bowed deeply. “Erin, this is Mrs. Fukuda. She was nice enough to let us stay here.” I bowed and shook Mrs. Fukuda’s hand.
She said in a delicately accented English, “My husband told me your safety is paramount and that you needed shelter. I hope you will enjoy staying at my home.”
Goosebumps formed on my arms as her words echoed in my ears—your safety is paramount. Kenzo and Ren are obviously hiding something from me. But did I want to know what it was?
Mrs. Fukuda continued, “We are busy people so we will not see you very often. I hope you will not be offended.”
“Of course not. Thank you for le
tting me stay in your beautiful home. And may I say your English is quite good.”
Mrs. Fukuda bowed her head a bit embarrassed at my flattery. I figured I might as well pour it on thick from the beginning.
Mrs. Fukuda motioned for us to follow her. The kitchen seemed torn from the pages of a chef’s magazine. Beautiful, honed marble counters contrasted against the gleaming stainless-steel cabinets and appliances. Next on the tour, a dining room the size of the Moris’ entire first floor. The walls were covered in a series of black and white murals depicting different night scenes taken in the heart of Tokyo. The dining room set for twelve, stood like transparent Lucite ghosts on a white marble floor, so that nothing blocked the sheer scale of the murals. Jaw dropping didn’t even cover the impact of the room. Mrs. Fukuda smiled as she took in the stunned look on my face. “It is my favorite room in the house.”
Knowing I was impressed, she led us to the media room. A huge white leather sectional framed the biggest flat screen TV I had ever seen. At least fifteen feet wide, it gave the JumboTron some competition. We squeezed into the elevator and took it to the third floor. The third floor housed all the bedrooms. Due to the Japanese love of privacy, Mrs. Fukuda only showed me her daughter’s room. Tastefully girly, the walls looked as if a bright pink bomb exploded all over them. When I caught sight of the bed, I bit my lip. From the bedding to the giant stuffed kitty in the corner, her daughter belonged to the same Hello Kitty fan club as Aki.
Last stop on the tour, the rooftop. Mrs. Fukuda installed a lovely western style garden. Laid out in a design square, the lawn was framed by box hedges with large cypress trees framing each corner. In the middle of the garden, on a bamboo deck, sat a nice seating area for alfresco dining. It must be heaven to have dinner up here on a balmy summer night surrounded by the glow of the lights of Tokyo. Yep, this amazing place confirmed what I always thought, it sure was nice to be loaded.
Final Showdown Page 4