Love and Truth (5 page)

I texted the same message to Dad and Annie and hoped to hear back from them soon. I was nearly a day ahead of them now with the time change, but I knew they were probably glued to their phones waiting to hear from me. My phone chimed and it was Dad saying he was happy to hear from me. Mom and Annie texted a moment later to say they were happy I made it safely.

Now I needed to hurry and get myself together. I opened up my suitcases and started digging for something to wear. Surprisingly, my clothes were not as wrinkled as I expected, but I was going to need an iron, because the navy pencil skirt I wanted to wear had a few creases. I put on a pair of sweats and a tank top and wandered down stairs to ask Ms. Nobuko for an iron. I realized only at the bottom of the stairs that I had no idea how to say
iron.
I ran back up to my room and grabbed my electronic translator. I saw that iron was
airon
in Japanese, pronounced nearly the same way but with the
R
sounding more like an
L.
I found Ms. Nobuko in the kitchen and smelled something wonderful.

“
Sumimansen
,” I said. She turned and smiled, clearly impressed. I made a motion with my hand and said “
airon?”

She stopped chopping vegetables and guided me upstairs. She slid open a large closet in the hallway and rolled out a clothing steamer. She motioned to it. “Okay, this Nicole san?“

It was more than okay. I had a steamer at home and loved it. I thanked her and walked back to my room to get ready.

It was only once I was dressed that I realized I didn’t know what to do with myself. I picked up my phone and checked the time.
1:23pm.
I guessed the Nakamuras would be home around 5 pm. Mrs. Nakamura was a high school English teacher and Mr. Nakamura was a software programmer. I hoped that Emiko would get home from school soon. She wrote me tons of letters over the last year and I felt that we already formed a bond. I decided to put my clothes away and listen to my Sarah McLachlan playlist. She was my all-time favorite female singer and I just wanted to relax and listen to her soothing voice.

I awoke to a sudden knock at the door and realized I had dozed off. I was surprised to see that it was 4:18 pm. I shot up, flattened my skirt, and opened the door. Standing in front of me was the entire Nakamura family, smiling wide-eyed. Mr. Nakamura was slender, with salt-and-pepper colored hair. He wore glasses and a charcoal business suit. Mrs. Nakamura was dressed in a dark blue mid-length skirt, with a matching tailored jacket and a white button-up underneath. Her dark hair was swept back in a twist with not one hair out of place. She wore light makeup over flawless skin, and her high cheek bones gave her an exotic look.

I put my arms out to hug them, but they seemed unsure. I read that hugging wasn’t customary upon meeting someone in Japan, but I couldn’t resist. They paused a moment and hugged me back; Emiko squeezed me the hardest.

“Nicole san, it’s so joyful to see you,” Mrs. Nakamura said. “How are you? Is your room to your satisfaction?”

“Oh yes, Mrs. Nakamura. It’s lovely. Very earthy and peaceful.”

“Nicole san, in Japan we say ‘experience the beauties of nature, and in doing so learn more about yourself.’ I’m glad you’re pleased with your room.” He stood the same height as me, and had lively dark eyes. “You’ll enjoy our
karesansui
garden out back if you enjoy peace and beauty of earthiness.”

I couldn’t believe it. A zen garden! I had only seen one on television.

“Yes, Mr. Nakamura. That sounds wonderful. I love to read, and that sounds like a perfect place for doing so. Thank you so much for your kind hospitality.”

Emiko kept tugging at her mother’s arm and speaking rapidly in Japanese. Finally, Mrs. Nakamura acknowledged her.

“Nicole san, Emiko is very anxious to spend some time with you, but she’s nervous about her English. Though I assure you her English is very acceptable. She’s been taking private English lessons since she was five years old. She’s a perfectionist and worries too much.”

I looked at Emiko and smiled. “Emiko, please don’t worry. Your letters all year were well-written. If you speak as well as you write, I’m positive we’re going to have no language barrier at all. I’ve always wanted a sister and I really look forward to spending a lot of time with you.”

Emiko smiled warmly. “Nicole san, me too. I’m very happy. We’ll be like sisters.” She wore a dark blue plaid skirt and a short-sleeve collared white button-up above knee-high white socks and black loafers. Her shiny, bone-straight black hair was long and luxuriant. Her skin was like porcelain and looked as if it had never been touched by the sun. I realized I was staring at her, but she was beautiful. “Come, Nicole san,” Mrs. Nakamura said. “We will have dinner soon.”

We went downstairs into the dining room area, where a long coffee table sat. It looked like a long coffee table, but it was actually the dinner table. It sat low to the floor upon the
tatami
mat. Flowered square pads were situated on the floor around it. The
tatami
mat dining area was slightly raised from the wood flooring. The Nakamuras knelt onto the square pads and I followed suit, kneeling beside Emiko. The table was already set with more food than I could fathom the four us being able to eat.

“Ms. Nobuko has prepared some of our favorite traditional Okinawan foods for welcoming you to our home,” Mr. Nakamura said.

All of the serving plates and platters were beautiful, and the ceramic dishes looked like pieces of art. I ran my finger along the intricate designs of my dish.

“For this special occasion,” Mr. Nakamura said, “we are using our
Joyaki
dinnerware. Ceramic pottery is an ancient pastime here in Okinawa.”

“These are breathtaking, Mr. Nakamura,” I said. “The artistry of the intricate detail is very beautiful.”

Ms. Nobuko approached the table and served us tea.

“Like they say in America, let’s dig in.” Mrs. Nakamura laughed. “
Itatakimasu
!” they said in unison, and began passing around the serving dishes of food. The food was amazing, even though I didn’t know what most of it was. The tempura was perfect and I loved the miso soup. There were no noodles or sushi and I wanted to text Annie to rub it in.

After dinner we resigned to the living room where the family asked me about Texas and my plans for the year. Emiko said that she and her friends wanted to show me around the island this weekend. I smiled and nodded.

“Emiko, I know you’re excited to have Nicole here, but you have school all day and
Juku
at night,” Mrs. Nakamura told her. “You will have to wait until the weekend to take her sightseeing.”

The Japanese people were serious about education, and if I thought I had always been a busy teenager with a lot of pressure on my shoulders, I learned quickly that I never really knew pressure. Emiko had to go to night school four nights a week after being in high school classes all day. Then she had piano and English lessons on Saturday mornings. At least with my dance practice every night back home, I was doing something I loved and it was my choice. I feel a little bit sorry for Emiko.

I thanked everyone and walked upstairs to my room. I changed into a pair of yoga pants and a white tank top. I grabbed my e-reader and walked out on my balcony to read. I sat down and started my new book, which was about a teenaged girl who had a crush on her neighbor that she realized was actually her teacher. I quickly became lost in the story but was interrupted by the sound of an exercise class. I wondered where it was coming from, but couldn’t see anything when I stood up to investigate. I heard loud men’s voices and realized it sounded like martial arts.

“
Hai Sensei! Hai Sensei!
” I heard. I saw someone in a white Karate
gi
jogging in flip flops in the direction of the ruckus. He glanced up in my direction and slowed down. I stepped back, feeling embarrassed. He stopped just under the street light and smiled up to me. He waved and my stomach clenched. He was beautiful, and his smile was insane. My heart stopped momentarily as I stood with a blank expression. I didn’t wave or smile. I stood there like an idiot, doing nothing.

He shook his head and winked before continuing down the street, jogging in his flip flops to class. I fell back in my chair and wondered what just happened.

Boys never affected me. They didn’t make my heart stop or my insides feel like I was on a rollercoaster. There were plenty of good-looking guys in Texas and they had never fazed me. Why was I fazed now?

I continued listening to the class echoing through the quiet streets of this quaint Okinawan neighborhood. But before long I wondered who was that guy. And why did he look American? Could he be an American? But all I heard from the class was Japanese. I wondered if he signed up for an academy like I did, and had travelled from the States. Maybe he’s here like I am, but for Martial Arts? Why am I asking myself all of these questions? Why do I care? What’s wrong with my brain?

I obsessed for moments before realizing that the jetlag must have really done a number on me. That was the only explanation for the thoughts plowing through my psyche at the moment. I went inside shaking my head, thinking I needed to sleep this off and start fresh in the morning. I laid down and closed my eyes, but the last image in my mind before drifting off to sleep was the thought of his smile.

Chapter Four

I sat at breakfast eating eggs and steamed white rice that Ms. Nobuko prepared. She set a bowl of fresh pineapple wedges beside my plate and smiled. I thanked her and continued eating. I slept in this morning and everyone was already off to work or school. I finished breakfast and decided to get dressed to go exploring around the outside grounds of the house. Unfortunately, the good night’s sleep had not helped my brain recover from the night before. I still couldn’t stop thinking about the boy. I had no idea how old he was. He looked like he could be close to my age, maybe a little older. I wondered where he was this morning, at school or work? I tried to shake off the thoughts. I was here to learn a new culture, dance, to find myself.

I applied light makeup, and dressed in a peach, strapless maxi dress. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail, wrapped a piece of hair around to cover the rubber band, and pinned it. It was already sweltering, so I packed plenty of airy, cool clothes. I put in a pair of gold studs, grabbed my brown leather strappy sandals and walked downstairs and out the back door. The backyard looked like a garden straight from the pages of a magazine. There was a stone fountain and the trickling water lent a peaceful air.