Zen Queen

by Kirsty McManus

  Zac grins. “If you’re like us, you’ll be missing those 2am kebab runs after a big night out. We have a special dinner planned for you, so we thought we’d do this for lunch.”

  I am overwhelmed by their thoughtfulness.

  “Guys, this is the best birthday ever!”

  “It’s not over yet!”

  I bite into my garlicky lamb kebab and savour the familiar flavour. Japan has some of the world’s best food, but the kebab definitely gives it a run for its money.

  “Where’s Miki?” I ask through a mouthful of hummus.

  “I don’t know. Out with her parents or something.” Zac doesn’t seem eager to talk about her. Maybe he’s being polite because he’s finally figured out that we don’t get along.

  “So, what’s next?” I ask, all hyped up like a little kid.

  “You’ll see,” Sarah says cryptically. “I helped organise this next bit.”

  “Ooh, I can’t wait.”

  ***

  “How did you know?” I ask astounded as we stand outside the cinema. “I swear you and Zac must be psychic.”

  “Well, we know you’re a bit of a movie buff, so we looked at what was on, and this seemed perfect.”

  “If it had been left up to me, I would have chosen the latest Jason Statham movie,” Zac interrupts. “But for you, just today, I’ll sit through anything.”

  “You might regret saying that,” I say looking at the poster. “Shirley Maclaine, Sally Field and Diane Lane? Even I’m going to be struggling with the girly factor.”

  “I have a new app on my iPhone if I get really bored,” Zac confesses.

  “Well, it’s the thought that counts, I guess,” I smile.

  ***

  Two hours later, we stumble out into the early evening.

  “Zac, were you crying?” I ask surprised, noticing his red eyes.

  “No! They got sore from staring at my iPhone in the dark for two hours!”

  I shoot Sarah and Alana a knowing look. “Okay, whatever you say.”

  Zac ignores me.

  “So, what did you think?” Alana asks.

  “I’m glad we went, but I didn’t expect it to be so sad. Did they really have to drag out that scene where the daughter has cancer and only the mother can provide the bone marrow transplant? I mean, you just knew she was going to die.”

  “I know,” Sarah dabs her eyes with a tissue. “I kind of hoped they’d be able to bring her back when they started using the defibrillator, but it was obvious it wasn’t going to happen.”

  “Well, I’m hungry. Why don’t we go for dinner?” Zac suggests. “I can guarantee you will love this last place. You haven’t half been going on about how much you miss it.”

  “Is it…?” I can barely finish the question, I’m so excited.

  “Yep! We found a little place called Pepe’s Cantina.”

  I squeal. “This is officially the highlight of my entire year.”

  The others look pleased.

  “Bring on the sangria!” Sarah cheers.

  ***

  At dinner, I notice Alana going easy on the alcohol again.

  “Is your stomach still bothering you?” I ask. “I told you that you should have gone to the doctor. You’ve probably caused permanent damage.”

  Sarah looks at Alana, surprised. “I didn’t know you’d been sick.”

  “Do you know she ate raw chicken?” I say, lecturing Alana. “She could have got salmonella! She probably did, from the sound of it.”

  Sarah stares at Alana. “But you knew what happened when I ate it. I was sick for days. I passed out at work and had to have my stomach pumped.”

  “I guess I thought it was a one-off,” Alana mumbles. “I wanted to try it for myself.”

  I look at the two of them disbelievingly. “Are you saying that the both of you ate raw chicken? You know, just because it’s called sashimi, doesn’t mean that it’s safe to eat.”

  “Yes thank you, Mother Teresa,” snaps Alana. “We know you’re perfect and would never put a foot wrong.”

  I look at her, hurt. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “Hey girls, settle down. We’re supposed to be having fun here,” Zac intervenes.

  “You’re right,” Alana sighs. “Sorry, I’m just feeling so crap.”

  “Maybe we should call it a night,” I offer. “Mexican food isn’t really the best thing to eat when you’re not feeling well.”

  “It’s fine,” she assures me. “I’ll just have nachos.”

  ***

  The rest of the meal is great. Alana soon returns to her cheery self and even drinks a glass of sangria with us. Sarah entertains us with her latest adventures out and about. Although she works long hours, she still manages to find a lot of time to go out clubbing and meet strange people.

  We get home just before eleven, a relatively early night for me. I hug the girls and accompany Zac upstairs.

  “Thanks heaps for such a fantastic day,” I say to Zac.

  “No worries. It was fun.”

  “I really mean it.” I reach out and give him a hug. He stiffens for a moment and then hugs me back. “Okay, I get it. You love me.”

  I play hit him. “You wish.”

  He opens the door and we see Miki lounging in front of the TV.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Zac joins her on the couch. “How was your day?”

  “So boring,” she starts. “My parents made me go to this tea ceremony in the middle of nowhere…”

  I go to my room so they can have some alone time.

  I notice that someone has left a gift on my bed. How sweet. I can’t imagine that Miki would bother getting me anything. Was it another gift from one of the girls? Or Zac?

  The card confirms that it is, in fact, from Zac. I wonder why he didn’t say anything earlier.

  I rip open the paper and stare. Oh my God. I can’t believe he remembered.

  It’s a Red Dwarf box set.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  It’s quite a landmark day today. Symbolically, anyway. My lease is about to expire on my place in Brisbane and I have to decide whether I’m going to go back or stay.

  I think I know what I’m going to do already, but it’s not a decision to be made lightly. If I give it up, I will practically be a Japanese citizen and have no material ties left in Australia. Of course, my folks only live in Bardon, so I can always crash at their house if I go back. But I won’t have anywhere of my own.

  I open up Google Maps and type in my old address. I take a virtual walk down the street and over to Alex’s place. At first I think I’m going to get homesick again, but as I see all the familiar houses and shops, it actually reminds me of all the things lacking in my life back there. I had an okay job, but I know now it couldn’t have been that good, otherwise I wouldn’t have been backstabbed and fired the way I was.

  I didn’t have a boyfriend. Well, unless you count Paul, which I don’t. I’ve been meaning to write back to him to let him know I’m not interested in pursuing a relationship. I’ll have to let him down gently.

  And it’s not like I have a roaring love life here either, but it seems more acceptable to be single when you’re an ex-pat.

  I never did anything exciting at home. I just went to the same pub night after night with a bunch of friends who only met up out of habit.

  Here, I have a tight circle of real friends and a never-ending supply of newcomers. My job is easy and fun. I have plenty of time to plan out my new business. And I have a whole country to explore.

  It takes five minutes for me to e-mail the agent and tell them to find a new tenant. Actually, I probably should have told Holly first. I’ll do that now and suggest that if she wants to lease my place permanently she should get in early. I hope she sorts herself out soon. I don’t even mind giving her some of my stuff permanently if she needs to furnish the place. I’ll just put the rest in storage.

  So now I have absolutely no reason to return to Australia. I’m actually really liking my life
here. The only thorn in my side is Miki. She continues to be a huge pain in the butt and enjoys causing me torment. She was particularly miffed when Zac and I wanted to watch Red Dwarf while she was visiting. She kept going on about how pointless it was and frowned every time we laughed at something Lister said.

  “I can’t understand anything he’s saying,” she complained. “That accent is stupid.”

  “Well, you don’t have to stay and watch it,” I replied cheerfully.

  “You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” she spat, just loud enough for me to hear, but out of Zac’s range. “You can’t have him, you know.” She then draped herself all over him, stroking his chest and making baby noises. I might have been mistaken but I think I saw Zac flinch a tiny bit.

  Today though, she’s out with her parents again.

  “Another tea ceremony?” I ask Zac.

  “I don’t know. Her parents seem quite demanding, even for Japan.”

  “Have you met them?”

  “Yeah, they think I’m great,” he drawls.

  “I’m sure they do,” I shoot back.

  “Hey, what’s not to like?”

  “So modest too. Hey, I was thinking more about my business today and I want to do up a website pretty soon. Do you know anyone who might be able to help me?”

  “I could do it.”

  I blink. “What? You know how to make websites?”

  “Kind of. I developed the intranet for that phone company I worked for back home.”

  “You never said! I just assumed you worked in their call centre or something.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s not something I like to talk about. The people I worked with weren’t very nice.”

  “Did you enjoy the work?”

  “Some of it. I liked making new web pages and stuff.”

  “Wow! You are a dark horse. Well, do you mind helping me? I’ll pay you, of course.”

  “You don’t have to pay me, silly. I would love to help. All I ask is that you remember us little people when you’re rich and famous.”

  “Well, at least let me shout you dinner tonight to say thank you.”

  “I might have to take a rain check on that. Miki will be back soon, and we already have plans. With some of her friends,” he adds, wrinkling his nose.

  “What, don’t you like them?”

  “They’re okay. Just very loud and giggly. And they can be a bit annoying,” he confides.

  “Ah. Oh well.”

  “Yeah. But it’s worth it to spend more time with Miki.”

  I’m not sure I agree, but I don’t say anything.

  I hand Zac my laptop and watch in awe as he quickly downloads Wordpress and starts customising it.

  “What are your colours?” he asks. “I’ll need your logo too. And maybe we can get some photos from this stock website I know. Oh, and we’ll need to register you a domain and a host…”

  “How did I not know that you could do all this stuff?” I ask, still very impressed. I show him where my logo and other notes are stored on the hard drive.

  “Like I said, the people I worked with weren’t very nice, so I associated web work with stress.”

  “Are you okay now? You’re not freaking out or anything?”

  “No. It’s actually kind of fun helping you.”

  I smile. “Good. So, what happened with the people you worked with?”

  “It wasn’t really anyone in my immediate team. It was more the managers and the clients. They were so demanding and they didn’t understand the technical side of things. For example, they’d ask you to put a whole library of information together in a couple of days, when really you needed a couple of weeks.”

  “I had the same problem! My managers at Ace were totally clueless and just assumed all you had to do was draw a couple of shapes and then you were done.”

  “I guess our jobs were kind of similar,” he reflects. “So, what do you think of this?” He turns the screen to show me a glossy homepage with my logo perched at the top.

  “You did all that already? I love it!”

  “Of course it still needs work, but if you give me a week or two, I’ll get it all finished. I have so much time before school these days.”

  “Well, in that case, you definitely have to let me pay you. I can’t possibly have you working all that time for nothing.”

  “We’ll sort it out later.”

  “I won’t forget,” I warn.

  I can’t believe Zac can do all this stuff! He has so many hidden talents. I feel a bit intimidated to be living with someone who is so good at everything.

  I have an appointment with Masahiro today, so I leave Zac, making sure he doesn’t spend the rest of the day working on my website.

  “Do it later,” I urge him. “Go out and have some fun.”

  “This is fun for me,” he says. “But don’t worry, I won’t kill myself over it.”

  I cycle over to the restaurant near Awaji station and park my bike out the front. Masahiro is already waiting for me at a table right in the centre of the dining room. He motions me over happily.

  “Jessica! Good to see you again!”

  “Good to see you too, Masahiro.”

  We’ve made a bit of an unofficial weekly engagement—I’ve discovered I like to have a routine, plus I’ve already learnt quite a few phrases in Japanese.

  “So, tell me what’s new with you this week,” he says.

  “Not much. Although, Zac is helping me with a website. For my new business.”

  “Ah, good. I think you would be a talented graphic designer.”

  I always like how Masahiro thinks the best of me.

  “Thank you, Masahiro. How are Chihiro and the girls?”

  “Very good. Except Chihiro’s mother is sick again. We think maybe she won’t make it this time.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. That is very sad to hear.”

  “She is very old. She has had a good life.”

  “I hope she gets better, though.”

  “Yes. Me too.” He takes a sip of the coffee he ordered. “So your roommate is a web designer?”

  “Yes. He never said before. But he is very good.”

  “I think you have many same interests.”

  “I suppose we do.”

  I had tried to explain the concept of Red Dwarf to Masahiro last week. He didn’t really get it, but he appreciated the significance of my birthday gift from Zac.

  “Do you like this Zac?”

  “Of course I do. He’s a great roommate.”

  “I don’t mean like a friend. I mean like a boyfriend.”

  “Masahiro! I can’t believe you’re hassling me too! Everyone thinks we should get together, but he is already happy with Miki.”

  “Is Miki a nice person?”

  “Well, Zac thinks so. But I’m not so sure.”

  “You are a nice person. You should be happy.”

  “I am happy.”

  “I hope you find a nice boyfriend soon.”

  “I don’t think I’m ready yet. I want to focus on my job and starting my business. And it’s nice to spend time with all my friends. If I had a boyfriend, I probably wouldn’t see them as much.”

  “There is always room for love. Chihiro and I have been married for thirteen years.”

  “Oh, that’s lovely. How did you two meet?”

  “She is a cousin of my friend from college. We met at a restaurant in Shinsaibashi when my friend brought her.”

  “They have good restaurants at Shinsaibashi,” I say.

  “Yes. Chihiro did not like me at first. She was interested in another man. But he was not so nice. So I called her when my friend said she was available (he looks pleased to have slipped that word into our conversation) and we went on a date with my friend and his girlfriend. We married one year later.”

  “And you are happy?”

  “Yes, very happy. Many Japanese men do not look after their wife when children come. But I take care of Chihiro.”

  “That’s s
o sweet.”

  “I’ll teach you Japanese now?” he asks.

  “Yes, please. Today can you teach me what to say when I go to a restaurant? I want to learn how to say ‘no chicken sashimi, please.’”

  He smiles. “You are funny, Jessica.”

  TWENTY-NINE

  My mission today is to buy a coat. It was never cold enough in Brisbane to buy a proper lined winter coat, but it’s been getting pretty chilly here lately, so I think it’s time to get one.

  I find a Uniqlo shop in Umeda. We have one in Brisbane and I’m a bit in love with their stuff. Somehow, it’s even more fun being in one of their stores actually in Japan.

  I spot a white knitted duffle coat that looks toasty warm and is surprisingly affordable. I can’t resist buying a fluffy angora trilby hat to go with it. I normally look really bad in hats, but it’s so adorable I’m hoping this one will be different. Maybe my cutting edge hairstyle will help. Speaking of which, my hair is in desperate need of some maintenance. That’s the problem with fashionable haircuts—you have to go back and get them tidied up every six weeks. Maybe I can go to someone here and just tell them to cut it back to my old style. I wonder if Masahiro would be up for a field trip. He could tell me how to say everything in Japanese.

  With that done, I head back out to the street for some more retail therapy. I pass a one-hundred yen shop and purchase a box of sticky adhesive things that go on my clothes and in my shoes to keep me warm. It says they provide heat for five hours. They might be handy if I ever find myself homeless again. Maybe I can take some down to the men at the river.

  I also buy some fluorescent pink and purple earmuffs. They look ridiculous, but I know they’ll be useful when it gets colder. I haven’t been proper shopping in ages. I’ve been working extra shifts lately and not getting out much. I think I can justify a couple of impulse buys.

  But I don’t want to spend too much, because Alex is visiting in a few weeks. I can’t believe it’s almost December! I don’t know how he’s going to manage—I always thought the lead-up to Christmas was the busiest time of year for retail. But he said since he’s had a profitable few months he could afford to promote one of his assistants to look after everything in his absence. And in the event of any drama, he’ll still have his laptop and iPhone. I am so excited. It’s been ages since I’ve seen anyone from home. All the new teachers at school seem to be from Canada or the UK. The last Australian guy who arrived was a total bogan from Mount Isa and he quit after a week. He was getting so many complaints from the students that Nigel had to have a word with him. But I have to admit, even I couldn’t understand his Aussie slang. It took me ages to work out what he meant when I overheard him lecturing a student with the phrase ‘don't come the raw prawn with me, mate!’ I also wondered what the student had said to provoke such a reaction.