but when everyone’s gone home
and you have to return to school
because you forgot something
it’s creepy, quiet, and still
so we all want
that dragon paperweight
returned
everyone has a theory
of who took the dragon and why
but han six is quiet
too quiet, until Yuki
tells the teacher
she saw me take it
she offers a story about how
I thought it was cool
that since learning that this school
was once called Dragon’s Mouth
I wanted that paperweight
and she thinks it’s in my house
and why doesn’t the teacher just go check?
Ōshima-sensei doesn’t
disagree or agree but says
he knows that if I took it
I will certainly return it
the whole class
then seems convinced
that I have done something
with the missing dragon
I’m so glad to get to aikido on Thursday
so glad to see Yamada-sensei
who makes everyone respect each other
who’s strict but fun, and whose way
makes everyone cooperate
at the end of the class
I linger a little
talking and joking
with the assistant teacher
then I ride beside another
orange belt, Manabu
and his sister Nana
as they walk home
then I take my time along
the river, listening for fish
watching them jump
before riding home
that night
I tell Cora
about the dragon paperweight
and how Yuki accused me
and Cora says
don’t worry
Yuki doesn’t have evidence
so Ōshima-sensei won’t believe her
but being accused
by someone in your han
is bigger than just a matter
of evidence
and it takes me ages
to fall asleep
Chapter 28
INTRUDER
when I wake in the night
I think it’s Mom or Dad
standing in our room
backlit by streetlight
dimmed by thin curtains
but then I see that actually it’s someone …
shorter?
I jerk my head up
something clanks onto
the desk and I yell
and Cora shrieks
as the intruder
runs out of our room
I race after
whoever it is
down the stairs
out the front door
and as he disappears
down our street
and turns the corner
into the bath of streetlight
I see the side of his face
and I shout at Gō
to stop!
Dad reaches the front steps behind me
what the hell’s going on?
I tell him some guy was in our house
did you see him?
not really I say
did he take anything?
I don’t know I say
and I go back inside
run upstairs
past Mom and Dad’s room
where Cora’s crying
and Mom is holding her
into Cora’s and my room
where I see that it’s
not something taken
but something left
on my desk
the dragon paperweight
how’d the guy get in?
Dad’s shouting from the hall
I locked the door before
I went to bed!
and right then I know
that someone
Shō, Ken, or Yōhei—
the only friends who’ve
ever been with me
when I forgot my house key
the only friends who’ve
ever seen me get the spare key
from a jar under a clay pot
that we keep near our bicycles
must have told Gō
I shove the dragon paperweight
under my pillow
before anyone can see
and then I go
into the other room
and ask Cora
did you recognize him?
Mom has her back to me
and Cora sees me
just barely shake my head
to mean no
no Cora says
but Mom whips around
and narrows her eyes
at me
did YOU see? Mom asks me
did YOU recognize him?
I don’t want to lie
but right now I can’t
tell the truth
I didn’t get a good look I say
he was backlit and he ran
as soon as I woke up
when Cora’s settled
back in her bunk
and Mom and Dad
have locked all the doors
and windows
I climb down the bunk ladder
and scoot in next to Cora
it was that boy from your class! she whispers
the one who was with the boy
on the lightning bike at the temple!
yeah I say
but don’t tell for now
why not?
what will you do?
you HAVE to tell!
no I say
just give me some time
so I can figure this out
Chapter 29
HEAD DOWN
Dad discovers
the spare key is missing
and assumes that someone
was watching one day
when I retrieved it
so now until we change the lock
we have another secret hiding place
that I can’t tell or show
anyone
and Cora and I have to always
keep our keys with us
when Cora and I leave for school
Mom and Dad are gulping coffee
waiting for the police
should I stay home? I ask
but they say no, they’ll share
the general details I gave
go on to school Dad says
keep your head up
don’t worry about this
hah!
he doesn’t seem to get
that my head is a target
smacked every day
that keeping your head down
is the way to survive
in the Dragon’s Mouth
at school I go straight
to the teacher’s room
on the ground floor and ask
to speak with Ōshima-sensei
I hand over the dragon paperweight
and tell him Yuki was right
it was at my house and I bow
apologizing for the trouble I’ve caused
Ōshima-sensei frowns
and chews on his lips
as he cradles the dragon
with two hands
he eyes me
shakes his head
like maybe he’s
disappointed
but I don’t know if he’s disappointed
because he thinks I took it
or disappointed because he knows
I’m covering for the person who really took it
upstairs in our classroom
I don’t say anything
don’t look at Gō or Yuki
just keep a blank face
Ōshima-sensei tells the class
; that the dragon paperweight was found
and everyone waits to hear more
but he doesn’t say how or where
he wants our attention
on classwork now
the dragon paperweight case
is closed
han six seems puzzled
but I just focus on kanji
then on math
and art
no one hits me
no one bothers me
but tension builds
all day
at the end of school
Ōshima-sensei tells Yuki and Gō
to stay after
then unlike usual, Yōhei
doesn’t walk home
with Ken, Shō, and me
on the way, Ken and Shō analyze
the situation, thinking Yuki and Gō
are the ones responsible
I don’t tell them
I handed in the dragon paperweight
I don’t say I know that Gō
broke into our house
I don’t say I know he did it
with help from my “friends”
but outside my house
I duck my head
tell them
I can’t play soccer today
Chapter 30
DRAGON WEIGHT
Dad is still at home
and he says they talked
with police and the principal
and my teacher and they think
it’s probably someone from school …
can we talk later? I have to play soccer
I say, and drop my bag and run out the door
I ride my bike toward Takemura’s
then detour to a convenience store
for a bag of chips so at least
I’ll have something
to pass as a “gift”
Takemura-san’s there
and he motions me in
with his hand even though
his face is scowling
we set up the shōgi board
and when he asks about Cora
I say she’s playing with a friend
even though this might not be true
we start to play and I try
but I can’t focus on the grid
even though his advice
on moves is clear enough
then I catch his words saying
that my mood seems heavy
I’m tired I admit
then after a moment, I add
and I’m kind of hiding out
I catch the word mugicha—barley tea
and following his waving
go into the kitchen
and in the refrigerator find a pitcher
take two cups from a cupboard
and pour us each some chilled tea
I set his cup on the shōgi table
gulp mine down
then realize I have to
pick up the cup
guide the cup
into his hand
he’s shakier
today
I notice he’s watching
waiting for me to speak
so I tell him what happened
with the dragon paperweight
and how I thought my han
members would be protected
if I didn’t turn them in
which would mean that I’d
then be protected by the han
and they’d stop bothering me
but now I think somehow
they’ve been found out
and my plan totally failed
also, I don’t think
the matter is solved at all
just because the dragon
has been returned
Takemura-san then starts right in
telling the old dragon story
but he’s halting, so it’s mostly me
filling in with my mind
where his words are slurred
or me filling in out loud
when he’s stuck for words
it’s the story that I know
from teachers, neighbors, kids
and from Dad who loves local history and legends
the story about the dragon
who was always eating children
snacking on them a few at a time
and the Benten goddess on the island
he fell in love with who persuaded him
to finally stop his destructive munching ways
and about how, after he stopped
feeling badly for all he’d done
he turned himself into a mountain
the place called Dragon’s Mouth
the place right here
where we live
Takemura-san says
(more or less)
you see?
even dragons
can change
hah! I think
maybe in stories I say
I open the bag
and we eat the chips
then I say good-bye
promising to bring Cora
with me next time
but when I step outside
when I close the gate
to Takemura’s house
I see that my bike
is not by the river wall
where I left it
and is not anywhere
in sight at all
Chapter 31
BIKE TRADE
I walk up and down
side lanes by the river
check paths along the banks
walk both sides of the bridge
and even stare down
into the murky water
I’ve gone halfway
to the police box
thinking to report
my missing bike
when I double back
with one last idea
that last idea
for where I might find my bike
being across the bridge
near Takemura’s
I search the shrubs
edging the pine tree park
where Shunta took us
that day to watch the fire
and there it is, still locked
standing upright
leaning on its kickstand
like I’d parked it there myself
I feel watched
as I fit my key in the lock
I feel spied on
as I kick up the stand
I try to act cool
as I ride away from the park
I decide to take the long way home
the back road that meanders
beyond the monorail
across the town line
but as I’m cutting over to that route
past the station’s rear parking lot
I glimpse the familiar flames
and lightning bolts of Shunta’s bike
I pedal past
telling myself
be cool
be smart
ride on
but I can’t help myself
I make a U-turn
I don’t carry his bike far
just to a small alley
two houses down
from the parking lot
then I pedal fast
out of that neighborhood
across the city line
on the way I stop to call home
and Cora answers
says Yūsuke just left
and that she got to have
my tutoring session
Mom gets on the phone
and says I’m in hot
hot water
I zigzag
through back lanes
and climb up the far
shoulder side
of the dragon hill
avoiding
the school
the park
the neighborhoods
by the streetcar
taking the long, safe way
to our house
I’m so late
that Mom’s yelling
when I open the front door
but she stops
when I tell her
about my temporarily
missing bike
now found
I don’t tell her
about the other temporarily
missing bike
found by now?
during dinner I learn that the police
questioned Mom further about the night intruder
and seem to believe it’s a kid from my school
but to Mom’s interrogation about who it might be
I insist I have no idea
I take an extra-long bath
wondering if
moving Shunta’s bike
was like
an aikido strike—uchi
or if
moving Shunta’s bike
was like
a defensive throw—nage
and I’m wondering
if I’ll have to quit school
like Daiki did
if I’ll have to
stay home
and never go out
later Cora climbs up to my bunk
and even though I turn to the wall
and tell her I don’t want to talk
she says she has our Gray agenda
all planned for the weekend
whatever it is I say
it better be
far away
on the other side of town
or in another city
or prefecture
or country
or universe
oh she says
and climbs down
then something lands on my back—
one of Gray’s friends
a stuffed raccoon
tossed up for me
Chapter 32
GAMES AND PLAY DAY
it’s just my luck that Sunday
is the annual Games and Play Day
and we have to go to school
Mom and Dad are both volunteers
Dad at the stilts area outside
Mom on slime making inside
I figure with all the parents
there at school
nothing major can happen to me
hah!
fortunately in the bowling room
han six is in charge with
han two which is Ken’s han
so I can mostly hang with him
and not get too close
to anyone from han six
but Shunta and Gō
maneuver around
and attempt to trip me
or slam me into the wall
and throw tennis balls
and plastic bottles at my head
Ken inserts himself
between me and them
again and again
and some other kids
join to protect me
like it’s a big game
when our shift is over
Falling into the Dragon's Mouth Page 8