In just under a week, my son Keita was ready to transfer. Today, he was going to leave the nest. Tomorrow, he would attend Higashi High in Nagoya as a student. Keita had packed his clothes and belongings the night before. Of all the times he took the initiative on something, it was leaving Togetsumura.
Tetsu and I waited outside our house. Satoshi was with us, too, as well as several of the town's supportive elderly residents. Principal Iwata included, who would be accompanying Keita to Nagoya to work out the rest of the transfer paperwork with his new school. I wished we could have gone, too. Sowing summer crops across farms in Kumamoto had begun. He earned the most money around this time. As for me, I…
Glancing over my shoulder, Principal Iwata was waiting in his car. He had invited me to go with them to Nagoya. I knew better than to accept. It was better this way.
"Okay, I'm ready!" Keita stumbled out of the house, tugging a bulging briefcase and backpack along.
"Really? You're not going to call us in the middle of your train ride, complaining that you left something behind?" I folded my arms.
"I-I swear I didn't!" He pouted.
I hugged my son, unable to feel prouder than at this moment. When we parted, Tetsu did the same and drove a fist into his head.
"I'm going to miss you, sport. Don't fool around too much in school, alright? Come back during breaks. Who knows, maybe you'll come back one day to find a new baby brother or sister!" My husband grinned.
"Tetsu!" I glared.
"Aren't you two getting a little old to be having another baby?" Keita groaned.
"Keita!" Tetsu and I scolded.
"Hurry up, or we'll be late to catch the train in Kumamoto City!" Principal Iwata honked the horn to his car.
"Just a few more minutes!" my son shouted.
Satoshi stood awkwardly behind us. Keita couldn't leave without saying goodbye to his best friend in Togetsu. He extended a hand, and the pair of friends performed a complex shake. A secret handshake, it seemed.
"You should get a smartphone, too, Satoshi. We can keep in touch that way!" Keita brandished his phone like a weapon.
"I'll… ask my parents. Don't forget about me when you're a popular cool kid," Satoshi said.
"Never!" He beamed.
I reached into my pocket, thumbing the envelope of cash.
"Keita, one more thing before you go." I pulled the thick stack out and handed it to him, much to everyone's surprise.
"Honey, you've been holding out!" Tetsu exclaimed.
"I've been saving up, like you did for the phones! Some around Togetsu were generous when I told them that Keita was moving. So, Keita. I want you to be extra mindful. This spending money is for you to take care of yourself," I said firmly.
The reality was, I had cashed out my 80,000 points for 160,000 Yen. I might be back at zero, and although they were earned through betrayal, the very least I could do was put them to good use. For Keita's education and future, to make things right.
I continued, "You're still a growing boy, so make sure to eat three meals a day. A mix of vegetables and meat. Drink lots of water. No staying up late. If your dad and I call you, please answer the phone in no more than three rings. And set an alarm, for goodness sakes! Who's going to wake you up? Not us. Certainly not Satoshi!"
"I know, I know… I did promise to do better, and… and… I'm going to miss you two!" Keita threw his arms around the both of us.
"We're going to miss you, too." I rubbed his head.
"Your Mom and I will find some time to visit your school in Nagoya. We'll let you know." My husband gave him a nudge towards Principal Iwata's car.
We helped load everything into the trunk. Keita bowed deeply to us, Satoshi, and the village residents, then hopped into the car. As they drove off, he rolled down the window and waved to us until they disappeared into the distance. At the very least, Keita had managed to escape this dying village.
Everyone began to disperse now that Keita had gone. Tetsu threw an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into an embrace. I hadn't even realized that tears streamed down my cheeks. They were scorching hot.
"Keita's going to be okay," Tetsu consoled me.
"I know. This is a good thing for all of us, especially him. I just… wanted all of us to spend more time together as a family." I wiped the tears from my eyes and sighed.
"Now that I think about it, we never really got that chance, huh? Keita kind of just grew up right before our eyes. As soon as he was born, I had to take on extra work to support us. You're one of the few adults left in Togetsu, who looks after the older folks. But hey. Things will be different with Keita, right? He's going to graduate from a good school, get a good job, maybe even get us out of Togetsu when he's our age."
"You want to leave Togetsu, too, hm? And who's going to hire country bumpkins like us?"
"Well…" He rubbed the back of his head. "I hear city life's pretty hectic. There's got to be plenty of jobs, right? You can probably get paid for actually looking after people, unlike here!"
The thought had crossed my mind more than a couple of times over the years. Maybe Keita had gotten the idea from us? But we owed the people of Togetsu. Many of them took care of me and Tetsu when we were kids. They took care of Keita when he was growing up, too. We were fortunate enough to have a village around to lend a hand.
"Oh, Marika. You won't have to worry about making me dinner tonight. I'm going out with Guo and the others," Tetsu said.
"Work?" I cocked my head.
"We have off tomorrow. It's the calm before the storm. All of us are going out drinking in Hitoyoshi tonight. That'll be the most R&R we have, and then they start throwing us to the fields. You want to come with? Hang out with my friends?" he asked excitedly.
"I'll… pass."
"Ahh, suit yourself. It'll mostly be a boys' night out anyway."
Chances were, Guo was going to be there. I didn't want to be around him. Although most of Tetsu's coworkers were married, they weren't the type to join their husbands out drinking. The same was true of me. The men were also rowdiest when drunk.
"I'm going to do my round around Togetsu. If I'm not back before you leave, make sure to close the door. I don't want flies getting into the house again," I chided.
"Hey, that was an accident! The hinges were rusted!" Tetsu fired back.
My first stop was the Ieda residence. They were an old married couple who have lived in Togetsumura since birth. I knew their children, who had moved out years ago and gotten married, visiting only occasionally. Narumi Ieda answered me at the door. She was a petite woman with a constant smile on her face. Her husband, Kondo Ieda, was a stern-looking man by contrast. He was reading the newspaper in the living room, offering a silent nod of acknowledgement as I entered.
The grateful couple had baked me cookies. They congratulated me on Keita's transfer to another school and apologized for not having made it to his goodbye earlier. Neither of their legs were as good anymore. All the exercise they could muster up was a walk around the house nowadays. I helped them clean their house, pulled the weeds out front, and brought out the trash.
"Thank you again, Marika. It's always so good to see you. I'm sorry we're always having to rely on you." Mrs. Ieda smiled softly.
"It's not a problem at all. You can just consider this as repaying the kindness you showed me when I was little. Still, your house was extra messy this time. Didn't Washi come by last month to help out?" I asked.
Washi was the nickname I'd given their daughter, four years younger than me. Her full name was Wakako Ieda. Though, she went by a different surname now. Wakako Suou, whose family name belonged to another boy from here— Eiji Suou. His parents had long since passed away. Wakako and Eiji married young, like Tetsu and I. Unlike us, however, they moved out of Togetsu after marrying.
"She did, but they didn't stay for long." Mrs. Ieda leaned in as if sharing a secret. "They came by to tell us some good news. Wakako's expecting!"
"Really? They didn't tell me! How far along?" I asked.
"Three months then. Oh, I can't wait to see my grandchild!" she replied in a sing-songy manner.
"I'm happy for all of you! Isn't that great, Mr. Ieda?" I hollered across the room.
The man merely grunted. He didn't so much as look up from the newspaper, but there was an uplifting drawl in his tone that sounded definitively happy.
"Don't mind the grouch. He's actually more excited than I am. Anyway, don't let me keep you, Marika. And please, take this." Mrs. Ieda gave me an assortment of coins totalling a thousand Yen.
"You should keep this. Tetsu and I are doing fine," I said.
"Just take it." Mr. Ieda opened his mouth for the first time since I got here.
"In that case, thank you." I bowed to them.
Mrs. Ieda saw me out the door. One house down, several more to go. For the rest of the morning and into the middle of the afternoon, I checked up on my share of the Togetsu residents. Akemi and Maruyama had done the others. The three of us, and two more adults in the town got together once a month to divvy out our responsibilities. Fortunately for me, Mr. Shiraishi wasn't on my to-see list today. Ever since we had sex, I haven't been able to meet his eyes even though we would pass by each other every now and then.
The last person on the list to check on and help was the least I looked forward to. Risa Yakumo, a bitter old woman who lived alone for most of her life. Last month, Akemi saw to Ms. Yakumo's house. This time, it was my responsibility.
"Ms. Yakumo, I'm here!" I announced at the door to her cozy little house.
"It's open! What took you so long? You must've gone to everyone else's place and left mine for last, didn't you?" Yakumo shouted from inside.
Sighing, I pushed the door open and was met with resistance. Trash bags had been piled up against the foyer. I needed to squeeze in to get by. The place reeked as usual. Yakumo was in the living room, sitting on her couch and watching an old Noh on the television. I could only catch a glimpse of the back of her head from here.
"I'm not leaving you for last. We always make sure to come by on time. And what did we say about leaving trash by the door?" I frowned.
"Where else am I going to put it? Besides, it's more convenient for you there. Keep an eye out for my cat, will you? I heard her meowing two weeks ago, I think. Went quiet since. Ocha must be around somewhere," she said.
I rolled my eyes and got to work. Some of the trash bags had holes. Nasty liquid from old food seeped out. After double bagging and taking them all out, I mopped the foyer all the way down the hall. The kitchen was just as bad. Dishes were piled up in the sink. Flies swarmed the bits of food. I opened the window and a quick spray of insect killer repelled most.
I caught the most foul scent in the bathroom. Clothes were just tossed into a mound at one corner. Yakumo could have easily thrown them in the washer. As I picked up the dirty launcher, the smell became more intense. When I peeled back a stained shirt, I found Ocha's lifeless body underneath. I swallowed the urge to vomit and hesitated to tell Yakumo.
It was probably for the best that I didn't. I put Ocha in a bag and placed her with the rest of the trash outside. As for the clothes, I discarded the ones that had been closest to the cat's body, then tossed the rest into the washer. Two hours later, I'd finally finished cleaning the place.
"I'll be heading out now… I didn't find Ocha, I'm sorry." I lowered my head.
"Maybe a racoon took her. Guess that just means I don't have to buy cat food anymore. You can leave now. Get going." Yakumo made a shooing motion.
No remorse for Ocha. Not even a thank you for all that I did. At the very least, I was done and wouldn't need to see her again for another few months. Maruyama was next, followed by Akemi. That way, we would spare each other the torture Yakumo's house.
I returned home as the sun was beginning to set. Satoshi was sitting outside my house, looking glum. He glanced up and smiled.
"Mrs. Kashiwagi!" Satoshi rose to his feet to meet me.
"Satoshi? What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I'm the one who actually left something behind. I forgot to grab the manga I lent to Keita. They're still in his room," he explained.
If Satoshi had been waiting out here, then Tetsu must have already left with his friends for Hitoyoshi. I would have liked to spend more time with my husband, now that our son was gone. Somehow, it seemed like the house continued to grow more empty.
I didn't want to keep Satoshi out for too long and unlocked the door to let him in. He headed straight for Keita's bedroom, which was mostly empty aside from a few belongings and furnishings. While Satoshi was away, I anxiously checked my phone in case the NTL app had started a game. It didn't, thank goodness.
With little to do and only myself to cook dinner for, I took a seat on the living room couch to take in the quiet. The only sounds were the chirping cicadas outside and Satoshi rummaging around in Keita's room.
"I found them. Thanks for letting me in." Satoshi came into view from the hallway, a stack of manga under his arm.
"Of course." I smiled.
Satoshi bowed and disappeared out of sight crossing to the foyer. I squeezed my hand, feeling the bite of loneliness. This unbearable quiet. Maybe it was no wonder Risa Yakumo turned bitter with age. She lived alone. No one to love, to say good morning and good night to, or to speak with.
I wandered out of the living room. Satoshi was still in the foyer, putting his shoes back on.
"Satoshi?" I called out, and he turned around to my voice. "Would you… like to stay over? I could make you dinner."
"I-I'd love to!" Satoshi exclaimed.
An incredible sense of relief enveloped me. I prepared dinner for two instead of one, and Satoshi pitched in helping me cut ingredients for stew. Keita and Tetsu never really helped me with dinner. My husband used to before we were married, but once he started working, he just didn't have time.
We talked up a storm about Keita over dinner. I learned more about my son from his friend than from himself. His habits at school, his quirks, and how friendly he was to students and faculty.
Satoshi talked a lot about his own interests, which mostly lay in things like anime, manga, and its western counterparts. I understood none of it. How someone could be so interested in digital art when they could put that time into working made little sense to me. However, it was nice to have someone to talk to. Hearing his laughter was a joy.
That should have been the end of. I should have sent him home when it got late. Instead, I insisted he stay over and sleep in Keita's room. Maybe I wanted it to happen. Maybe a part of me had already cracked after what I did with Saburo Ono, Mr. Shiraishi, and Principal Iwata.
As I laid in bed, body aching with pleasure and groin wet with untended desire, I made the regrettable decision to use my vibrator. My back arched from the intensifying drone. The door was opened just a crack, enough for a peeping Tom to look in. But Satoshi did more than just look. He entered my room in the dead of night with his dick in hand.
"Satoshi?" I gasped.
"Mrs. Kashiwagi, I don't want to hold back anymore. You invited me to stay over because you were hoping for this, weren't you? If you've been lonely, we can help each other!" Satoshi climbed into bed and pinned me down.
A hard erection press against my bare stomach.
"We shouldn't… What if my husband comes home?" I stammered.
"I don't care if he sees. I love you, Mrs. Kashiwagi! Ever since I was little! I want you more than anything!" he cried passionately.
My phone started buzzing on the nightstand. Satoshi didn't seem to have noticed. His gaze was fixed on me. But deep down, I somehow knew that the NTL app had sprung a game on me. Suddenly, inexperienced lips fell upon mine, and I had lost all will to resist.