Reality Strikes Read online

  “Hey, Fudo. Do you know where I can get a good camera cheap?”

  He nodded his mouth full of food. He took a few bites. “Akihabara. Do you know where it is?”

  “No. Can you draw me a map?”

  A grin spread across his face. “I can show you the way. When do you want to go?”

  I looked around the Moris’ living room draped in colorful streamers. “Yesterday.”

  He laughed. “How about Monday after school?”

  “Terrific idea. Meet me at the student lounge at three.”

  Fudo pointed to the buffet table where my strange crepe enchilada highbred was disappearing fast. “You better get some food.”

  While I made myself a plate, Gina came up beside me and grabbed another taco.

  “Gee, Erin, the food came out pretty good, especially the enchiladas. I thought they’d be a disaster, but they’re actually quite decent.”

  “I have to say that is the strangest compliment I’ve ever heard. I guess being a Rachael Ray disciple paid off.

  Adam came over and joined us. “It’s been a long time since I had tacos. You did a great job.”

  “Thanks, Adam. That made all the sweating in the kitchen worth it.”

  Just then the phone rang. Aki yelled, “Erin, for you—Kenzo.”

  He sounded out of breath. “Hi. Is it too late for me to crash the party?”

  “Well, there isn’t going to be any food left, but we haven’t cut the cake yet.”

  “Great. I’m about thirty minutes away. Keep the party going. Can you put your host sister back on the phone so I can get directions?”

  “What’s the matter, you don’t trust me?”

  “Not really.”

  I was surprised and flattered Kenzo volunteered to come to the Boonies. He must either still be feeling guilty about my being in the doghouse, or he was hoping I’d be wearing another cleavage-baring top. There also might be a slim possibility he wanted some food, so I grabbed the last taco and some chips and salsa for him, just in case.

  I tried to get Ms. Party Planner’s attention. “Setsuko, Kenzo is on his way. Can we postpone the cake?”

  She put down her plate and gave me a look of total disapproval. “Who knows when he’s going to get here. We can’t possibly hold up the party just for him.”

  Setsuko wouldn’t stand for a lull in the action, so she promptly organized the piñata game. Being the birthday girl, my turn to bat came first. Setsuko called us to order and then spoke in Japanese. “Minasan, totemo urasi party gameu itadakimas!

  With my meager translation skills, I thought Setsuko said, “Everyone party!”

  Aki and her girlfriend squealed with delight. They ran up behind me and waited for their turn. Setsuko wrapped an orange scarf blindfold over my eyes and spun me around twice. I took a big swing at the piñata but missed. Next, Setsuko put the blindfold on Aki. She giggled and took a big swing, totally missing the blob—I mean donkey.

  Adam marched up to bat and Aki and her friends gave him a round of applause before he did anything. We all knew the piñata didn’t stand a chance. He took one swing and the whole thing came crashing down. Dozens of large and small pieces of candy littered the floor. Aki and her friends hit the hardwood and scooped up as much candy as they could fit in the little bags Setsuko had provided. I quickly scooped up a couple of chocolates that had fallen by my feet. Fudo and Hiroshi sat bent over, barely able to hold back their laughter at the candy frenzy.

  Okasan and Otosan still sat on their cushions taking the whole thing in. They gave Aki a round of light applause as she stood up carefully balancing her bag brimming with candy. Okasan would certainly have much to brag about during her morning conversation with the neighbors. Taco Tuesday birthday parties didn’t happen every day in Takao—like never.

  The aroma of chocolate drifted from the kitchen. My fingers were crossed that my favorite cake would be up next on Setsuko’s schedule. Aki and her friends worked faster than any Hoover cleaning up the candy mess. They’d probably go insane on Halloween night in the States.

  Adam and Gina disappeared into the kitchen. Soon they arrived carrying my birthday cake, totally obscured by a blaze of light. There must have been more than eighteen candles to cause such a spectacle.

  Setsuko announced, “O tanjobi ometito gozimas, happy birthday!”

  I closed my eyes, made a wish for Kenzo to fall madly in love with me and blew out as many candles as I could without lighting myself on fire. The crowd gave me a nice round of applause. Setsuko took the cake and began cutting nice size pieces. Always the perfect hostess, she handed me the first slice. I took a huge bite. The unmistakable dark chocolate oozed in my mouth, confirming they had indeed bought my favorite. Now, my birthday was complete—well not quite. Where the heck was Kenzo?

  Despite the fact Aki and her friends gorged themselves on candy, they each raced over to get a piece of cake. The Moris’ gathered around the low table and talked quietly while eating their dessert. By the way they inhaled the cake, I’d have some competition for any leftover slices.

  Setsuko had the look of total victory on her face as she surveyed the room. “Isn’t this the greatest party?” She reached over and patted my hand. “You don’t have to thank me.”

  “Oh, but I do. Thanks for making this the best birthday ever.”

  As she basked in my words, I knew I had finally won her over.

  Okasan and Otosan came up and stood beside us. For once, I was pleased to see Okasan as she handed me a birthday card. In perfect English handwriting it read, “Happy Birthday, Erin. I hope you are enjoying your stay.” A small red money envelope was stuck in the back of the card. I eagerly tore through the paper until I realized what was inside. A crisp clean 10,000 yen note, worth about fifty dollars, was fastened with a paperclip to a note written in Kanji. I stared at Okasan totally confused.

  Okasan turned to Setsuko. “Watakushi no tomodichi clubu ikimasho.”

  The family contingent began to get very excited.

  I looked to Setsuko for help. “Okasan’s note says as the present from the family, we are all going to her friend’s bar for drinks and karaoke.”

  Okasan surprised me. I would have never guessed she’d do such a nice thing for me. Maybe she was making up for destroying the list. Still, I had to wonder about taking me to a bar. I guess underage drinking was no big deal in Japan.

  We finished our cake and got ready to go. Still no Kenzo. He probably either missed the train or flaked. As we crowded out the door, Kenzo blocked my path. He handed me a small rectangular box. “Sorry I’m so late to your party. Is it over?”

  “No. We’re going to Okasan’s friend’s bar for drinks. Your timing is impeccable.”

  Kenzo smiled. “Am I that obvious?”

  I ran into the house and dropped off his present. Back outside, I grabbed his arm. “You’re totally…”

  I choked on my words as a striking brunette with killer cheekbones and a figure like Jennifer Lawrence stepped out from behind the open door. How could I compete with her?

  My devastation must have been well hidden because Kenzo’s date eagerly reached out her hand and introduced herself. “Hi. I’m Brena. Happy birthday.”

  Without thinking, my hand shot out and shook hers. “Ah, thanks.”

  Otosan and Okasan led the way to the bar as I staggered along behind them. Kenzo seemed totally oblivious to the awkward situation he’d caused. In a zombie-like trance, I walked next to Brena until Gina pulled me away.

  “Why didn’t you punch Kenzo in the face?”

  My brain was working overtime trying to come up with an answer. “Because he might have a good reason for bringing her?”

  Setsuko chimed in. “Maybe he’s just not that into you. He could have handled that with a phone call. Whatever the reason, I think he’s a jerk.”

  Gina and Adam nodded their heads in agreement. As Kenzo and Brena walked by us, Setsuko stuck her foot out, nicking the edge of Brena’s shoe. She almost landed o
n her ass before Kenzo caught her.

  Setsuko gave me a mischievous grin. “Wow, these streets sure are bumpy.”

  She actually cared about defending me. A true sign of friendship.

  I gave her a wink. “Yes, they sure are.”

  I grabbed Setsuko’s hand and we raced up to Hiroshi and Fudo. “Hey, guys. Are you having fun?”

  Before Fudo could get a word out, Setsuko started talking to Hiroshi. After her giggling at what he said, Fudo finally answered my question. “Yes, I thought the food was a real experience.”

  I laughed. “Normally I’d take that the wrong way, but I saw you fill your plate twice.”

  Now it was Fudo’s turn to laugh. “Actually, I went back a third time.”

  Gina and Adam walked next to us holding hands, confirming they were officially an item. Setsuko continued giggling away as she talked to Hiroshi. She flirted with him shamelessly and she hadn’t even had a drink yet. I guess her host brother didn’t stand a chance against her Elvis fetish.

  We finally reached Okasan’s friend’s bar, a shoebox-sized establishment that held thirty people if they breathed in deep. Somehow, we managed to all fit into the available seats at the counter and not push out the customers already there. A large purple neon sign that said “Suntory Number One” hung against the back wall. The air was tinged with cigarette smoke, giving the place a touch of mystery.

  A pretty petite woman with a colorful flowered dress and a pleasant smile nodded her head as Okasan spoke. I was surprised to see a Japanese woman running a bar. Kenzo sat next to me listening to the conversation.

  To break the tension between us I asked him, “Do lots of women in Japan run bars?”

  “Sure. It’s a great business for women.”

  He had a point. Employment opportunities for women in Japan were much improved, but the higher paying jobs still seemed to be slanted towards men.

  I scanned the drink selections posted on the counter. The choices were limited to Scotch and water, beer and sake. Mixed drinks didn’t seem to be served in little neighborhood bars. In fact, the only time I saw cocktails available were in trendy Tokyo lounges. Not once did the bartender question our ages. Did Americans look that much older?

  Setsuko scrounged for the available tables that faced a tiny platform stage. I wasn’t a fan of karaoke, yet I understood why the bar hoppers loved their turn at the mike. Where else can you go and make a complete fool of yourself while belting out your favorite tunes with total abandon? Chances were good you might even get applause instead of being carted away by an offended crowd.

  The first act started when two college guys staggered onto the stage. They were so drunk their faces glowed bright red. I couldn’t wait to hear what they sang. The music began to play, and I knew we were in for a treat—Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.”

  The audience loved the guys. They were absolutely hysterical as they took turns butchering the lyrics as they played air guitar. Gina and Adam and I laughed our asses off while Setsuko, Hiroshi and Fudo were deep in conversation. I did a double take. Was that Setsuko’s arm wrapped around Hiroshi’s shoulders?

  Before I could take a closer look, the next performers took the stage, the college guys’ girlfriends. The room filled with the beat of Pink’s “Get the Party Started.” The girls tried to look tough, but they failed miserably as they had on the cutest matching light green fluffy sweaters and striped miniskirts. Even though they murdered the song, their boyfriends cheered.

  Adam and Gina walked towards the stage. This ought to be good. A duet by Faith Hill and her husband, Tim McGraw, blasted through the speakers. Gina tossed her new hairdo all over the place and wiggled her hips. Adam tried to pretend he had a large cowboy hat on. I had a permanent smile on my face as my Scotch and water finally kicked in.

  Kenzo came over and gave my arm a squeeze. “Erin, you should go up there. You’re the birthday girl, after all.”

  “No way. I’m petrified of crowds.” Somehow Kenzo’s stupid idea spread. The next thing I knew, the crowd was chanting for me to get up on stage. Not wanting an all-out riot, I took a big swig of my drink and stood on the platform.

  I figured if I was going to humiliate myself, I might as well pick a song I’d sung before when I was in my school musical. “The Hills Are Alive” from The Sound of Music. À la Celine Dion, I sang with all the melodramatic overextended notes I could sustain without shredding my vocal cords.

  Instead of applause, everyone cheered. Apparently, they found it hard to believe I could actually sing. Guess the year in the school choir paid off. I wasn’t letting it go to my head, though. Like alcohol inhibiting your driving skills, I was certain the Scotch affected my friends’ ability to recognize good singing.

  Kenzo helped me off the stage. “You have a killer voice. Why don’t you sing in my brother’s band sometime?”

  “That’s just the Scotch talking.”

  Kenzo took my arm and pulled me to the back of the club. “Look, I know you are probably ticked about my bringing Brena. It’s not what you think. She’s Ryo’s girlfriend and she’s seen ghosts too. I thought you might want to talk to her about your experience.”

  I looked deep into his eyes, hoping to find the truth in what he said. The situation was just too strange. “I don’t feel like talking about ghosts right now. I’ve got to get back to the party.”

  He hunched his shoulders and looked at the ground. Maybe for the first time, his charm had failed him.

  Setsuko grabbed me before I sat down. “We’ve got to get going or we’re going to miss the last train.” She gave me a wink. “I don’t want to be stuck hanging out at the police station.”

  She mobilized everyone as Okasan went up and paid the bill. The trip to the station had to be one of the most uncomfortable things I’d ever done. Kenzo led the way with Brena at his side and I felt like a heel for putting him off. Watching him with Brena I knew they weren’t together. Jealousy ruined a perfect opportunity for me to talk with someone else who could sense ghosts. Brena could have answered so many questions that had been spinning around in my head. I’d have to apologize the next time I saw Kenzo and have him set up another meeting with Brena.

  Hiroshi and Fudo staggered along behind us, with Setsuko playing caboose. Fudo yelled out in a slightly slurred voice, “That was a great party. You have nice friends.”

  Hiroshi screamed, “I like Setsuko.”

  Oh great, that’s all I needed. So not a match I’d put my stamp of approval on.

  At the base of the platform stairs, I gave Setsuko and Gina hugs. “Thanks for a totally awesome party.”

  Setsuko whispered in my ear. “I’m calling in my favor. I want a date with Hiroshi.”

  I watched in horror as she dashed over to Hiroshi and gave him a hug before she headed up to the train platform. No way. She couldn’t be serious.

  Brena and Kenzo followed right behind her. Then Kenzo stopped and headed back down the stairs. He gave me a shy smile and took my hand. “I’m sorry. I should have told you about Brena coming.”

  He reached up and touched my cheek and then headed back up the platform leaving me more puzzled than ever.

  Fudo held Hiroshi by the shoulders. “Erin, can you help me put Hiroshi to bed?”

  Not a proposition I’d normally volunteer for, but Fudo needed my help. We stood on either side of the “King” and practically dragged him back home. Once through his bedroom door, we managed to drop him on his futon. Hiroshi lay totally oblivious. He kept insisting he was fine and ready for more partying until he finally passed out. Fudo led the way into the living room.

  He took his present off the gift table. I sat down and carefully took the little paper doll from the top of the box. I loved the way everything in Japan was wrapped so nicely. Even meat from the market came wrapped like a gift.

  I held the present. “The little doll is enough. You didn’t have to get me anything else.” I opened the origami crane covered box to reveal a beautiful little lacquered
charm necklace with a mother of pearl inlaid picture of Mt. Fuji.

  Fudo picked up the necklace and I pulled back my hair while he gently fastened it around my neck. “I thought this would remind you of the beauty of Japan.”

  Holding the charm in my hand, I admired the flash of the pearlized mountain. “Thank you for such a wonderful gift!”

  Fudo stroked my hand as he stood up to leave. “Happy birthday, Erin.”

  With every sound of his feet hitting hardwood down the hall, my confusion grew. Talk about mixed messages. First, I had Kenzo bringing another girl to my party, yet he still seemed attracted to me. Then I had Fudo, who made it clear he had a girlfriend, coming on to me. What’s a girl to do?

  While I still doubted Kenzo’s feelings, maybe his present would give me an answer. Walking over to Setsuko’s pride and joy, the gift table, I picked up his present.

  Tearing though the bright purple wrapping paper, I opened the box. Lying on a velvet cushion was a beautiful pair of red lacquer chopsticks. Attached to the side of the box was a card. “I hope you will use these to stuff that pretty face of yours. Kenzo.” Such a lady’s man. Another reason he couldn’t be trusted. I went to throw the box away when I noticed a small piece of paper had fallen to the floor. It had the familiar shape of a ticket.

  In handwritten block letters the paper proclaimed, “This coupon is redeemable for an all-expenses paid night out on the town. Offer expires November 30.”

  Chapter 2

  Shutterbug

  November 12-2:30 PM

  Leaning my head back in the club chair, I closed my eyes and dozed off. I woke up with a start when a familiar woodsy scent filled the air. Staring down at me was Fudo.

  Oh crap. I’d forgotten I asked him to help me buy a camera. “Erin, you said to meet you in the student lounge at three.”

  I couldn’t tell him the real reason I was tired. He’d think I was crazy if I said a ghost showed up in my bedroom. “I’m sorry. Just catching a few zzz’s. After all the excitement from the party, I couldn’t sleep last night.”