Temper: Deliverance: Book Three of the TEMPER Saga, page 21
“Obaa chan!” Lana called, voice steady and strong. “It’s been a while. Sorry, I don’t have amazake or anything to drink with me today. Be careful, humidity isn’t good for old bones.”
She avoided glancing at the boy for too long. He was even more unsettling than the old woman. There was no telling what he hid under his hood; creepy kids with an awful laugh were nearly as terrifying as changeling foxes. Right there with clowns on her Nope Scale.
Hey, at least there’s no balloon in sight. And I guess that’s why the weather channel got it all wrong today. Good luck spotting Rain Boy on satellite pictures.
For all her bravado, Lana sucked air between her teeth and took a step back when the old woman crossed the street in a blur of movement. The image of a cockroach moving too fast for the human eye to see flashed in her mind.
Ah no. I didn’t need that mental image.
“You’ve got something to eat, don’t you?” the granny asked, a large, toothless grin on her face. There was no kindness or joy behind it.
Lana let out a heavy sigh and rummaged in her grocery bag. “I guess I do. Here, have a brioche. Give the kid a Danish.”
“He can come and take one by himself,” replied the small creature before tearing a bite at her food. “A strong little fellow you’ve got here,” she went on while chewing loudly, a boney finger pointing at Isao. “Very strong. A shining beacon. Enjoy it while it lasts, because he’ll give you trouble. Well, that’s what boys do in any case. Drive their mothers mad with worry!” She erupted in a loud cackling.
Pinching her lips, Lana did her best to keep her composure.
Don’t listen to her, she’s playing with your nerves!
“Nice tattoos you’ve got here. Must have hurt like hell.” The yokai shrugged off the dark glance Lana threw her before turning contemplative. “You know, I didn’t think you’d pull it off. Nobody did. Well, almost nobody. But those who did, they’re the looney ones, no-one never listens to them anyway. But I guess that’s what happens when big muscles weigh in. You truly have no idea who’s got your back, do you, girl?” This time, Lana didn’t miss the dangerous glint in her dark eyes and shivered at the malice behind the toothless smile. “For sure, it’s an interesting mix, but if I were you, I’d give another hard look at my closet and check if I didn’t miss anything. Don’t think you –”
“Obaa chan! Quit talking! Nobody wants to listen to your rambling. You never know when to stop!”
Startled, Lana gawked at the little girl who had just popped out of nowhere. A pink mask and low black bangs hid her looks, just like on the train.
“Ah, insolent brat, shut up! If you hadn’t been careless back then and kept what you were supposed to handle carefully, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”
“Don’t tell me what I’m supposed to do! You ain’t the only one with a brain around here. And admit it, you’re very happy he’s no longer bossing us around. How about thanking me for a change?”
“You? Smart? You may be as old as dirt, but you’ll always be a clueless kid! Let the grown-ups do the thinking and talking!” The older creature huffed and smacked the back of the child-looking yokai who yelped and struck back.
“Worm-eater!”
“Old fart!”
“Ugly doll!”
“You’re so useless, you can’t even make babies cry!”
Fascinated but rattled by the granny’s curious words, Lana watched the two small inhuman beings bicker and exchange vicious barbs under her nose as if she weren’t here. The little dog-like creature ran around them, yapping and jumping. To her dismay, Isao stirred in his baby carrier, but she didn’t know if it was because of the raucous or simply because his nap was coming to an end.
Right then, a car slowed down and stopped in front of the bus stop. To her shock, Inoue stepped out of the vehicle. Lana was about to greet him, but his dark look of extreme annoyance made her keep quiet.
“Oi, you two!” her grandmaster exclaimed with a booming voice she had never heard before.
Lana blinked. Of course, he can see them.
“Stop this circus! Don’t you have anything better to do? How about going to Ise shrine for a long-overdue penance? Take the boy with you, he could use one, too,” he said, pointing at the lonely figure on the other side of the street.
More annoyed than truly scared, the two female yokai shrieked and were gone before Lana could draw her next breath. In a second, all the creatures had left, leaving Lana, Isao and Inoue alone on the deserted station square.
Blood still drumming in her ears, Lana faced the older man and offered him a respectful bow. “Inoue shihan, what a surprise… and perfect timing,” she said with a quirked eyebrow. Almost too perfect.
“Believe me, it’s only a coincidence. I’m supposed to meet with Hon—er, your husband in fifteen minutes to discuss the upcoming exam sessions. When I saw you, I wanted to propose to drive you home then caught sight of this sorry lot of trouble-makers.” He frowned, and his piercing eyes gave her a good once-over. “Were they aggressive? Did they threaten you?”
With a shrug, Lana waved her hand to reassure him. “No, not really. We are all old acquaintances. I learned a few interesting things today though.”
“Then hop inside and tell me about it. We have a lot of catching-up to do in any case. Honda san has been reluctant to discuss anything with me except dojo business for the past year, and you and I, we haven’t had the chance to talk in earnest since you recovered from… your ordeal.”
Another long silence filled the space between them, but Lana didn’t look away when his heavy gaze locked with hers.
Lies. Deception. Duty. You did what you had to do, and so did I… like you expected me to. Don’t be surprised if you don’t like the consequences though. We’ll never really forgive you for putting Yuki in harm’s way, however good your reasons.
“It’s true, but I’m waiting for Yuki sama, and I won’t discuss this in front of her. Her emotions still get the best of her when we talk about those difficult weeks, and she doesn’t need to – ah, here she comes!” Although the rain had turned to a mere drizzle, her wife ran from the bakery to join them under the bus stop.
“Inoue shihan! How nice to see you here,” a slightly panting Yuki said with a beaming smile. Her wet silky hair for once not perfectly in place, she looked like a mischievous twenty-something. Lana’s heart began to race faster, and it took her a lot of willpower not to reach out and kiss her wife hard.
Not out here. Not in front of an audience. Easy, girl. Calm down.
“Honda san, good afternoon. I’m on my way to meet your husband at your home.”
“Oh, he didn’t tell me about your visit,” Yuki said with a slight frown. “I have to apologize, I haven’t prepared anything.”
“Please, don’t mind me, I will not stay long, only for a cup of tea. It was a last-minute decision. At least, this allows me to bring the two – oh, sorry, the three of you – home. How is your adorable little boy doing? He’s already eight-month-old, isn’t he?”
“He’s in great health and too energetic for his old parents. You’ll see, by the time we arrive, he’ll be up and ready to play, just when we want to crash,” Lana said with an exaggerated wince.
“Ah yes, I can remember those days… Let’s go then! We could all use a cup of tea.”
22 - Bittersweet Joy
“Cara mia, don’t move! I swear it’s easier to put clothes on Isao than fix your hair!”
“Well, maybe if you stopped pulling like this, I’d stay still!” Gabriella said with a puff of exasperation. “Watch out with those pins of yours! You may be great at aikido, but you’d better not try opening a hair salon. Ouch!”
“Sorry,” Lana singsonged, “my clumsy fingers ripped…” The two friends exchanged a long glance in the mirror, part annoyance, part amusement. Then Lana’s warm smile turned wobbly as she took in her friend with her beautiful creamy-white wedding dress. “You’re stunning, Yoshiro is going to have a heart attack when he sees you.”
Gabriella’s mouth trembled a bit and her eyes turned moist.
“I still can’t believe that we’re doing this, and it’s such a blessing to have you by my side. What a year.”
Both friends clasped hands, both struggling with raging emotions.
“I’d kiss your cheek,” Lana said after clearing her throat, “but with my lipstick and your foundation…”
“Please, don’t ruin my makeup!”
“Ladies, how are we doing here?” Yuki walked into Gabriella’s hotel room, transformed into a changing room for a few hours.
As fellow bridesmaids, Lana and Yuki wore the same dark purple, silky and strapless dress. But while the dress flattered Lana in all the ways that mattered, it made her wife look even more like the dashing, alluring queen she was.
“More or less on time, surprisingly enough. Gabriella is packed and ready to be shipped!” The three women burst into giggles.
“Keep making me laugh, please! My nerves are such a mess. Why did Dad have to wait until this morning to burst an artery about the table plans? And my aunt with her ridiculous last-minute requests! Can you believe she called me last night to make sure we’d have cigars and hard liquor?”
“This isn’t your problem, Gabriella san. Let us handle this,” Yuki said with a warm voice, before giving her a long and appreciative glance. “I was with your mother just now, and you’ll be happy to know that Maria chan is sleeping peacefully. Your adorable baby should be all rested up for the ceremony. But more importantly, let me tell you that you are exquisite!” Gabriella blushed and mumbled some thanks.
“She’s perfect!” Lana said. “And those diamond earrings and necklace are so lovely, they sparkle like your eyes. I’ve always said your darling treats you right.”
Gabriella let out a happy squeal and stared at her reflection, shining with wonder. “I know! Can you believe it? It’s his grandmother’s. I’d never have thought his mother would allow me to wear them.”
“Never underestimate the powers of tradition, Gabriella san. Yoshiro san is her eldest son, after all. And those are certainly precious heirlooms that must be handed down to his bride. But I’m sure that if she really didn’t appreciate you, she would have found a way to… misplace them,” Yuki grinned. “It means both of you will start off on a new, peaceful basis.”
Tears welled up in Gabriella’s eyes, and Lana rushed to catch them with tissue papers.
“No crying allowed! Not now! Keep them locked up until the ceremony, please. We don’t have time for a total makeover,” she said with a deep laugh, before kissing the top of her best friend’s head. Then a glance at the clock made her cringe. “Oh my! Already 11! I need to go downstairs and gather the troops.”
“Yes, please look after my family, will you? Most of them are utterly lost here. They’re like little sheep lost without a shepherd. Some don’t even speak English on top of it. I bet a few have wandered outside, and we will find them famished and haggard near the rail station two days from now...”
The three women chuckled. “Tokyo is brutal, all right!” Yuki said. “As long as they don’t board the Chuo line and end up at the foot of Mt. Fuji, we should be fine.”
“All right, I’ll be on my way to battle this hoard of dragons, cara mia. Don’t go anywhere, rest, breathe… Try to not let your mother drive you mad! Thank goodness she’s busy with Maria chan.” Lana walked to the door before stopping in her tracks. “Oh, Yuki sama, any idea where I can find goshujin sama? I need his help with moving the flower arrangements and I don’t want to hunt him down all over the place…”
“He was down in the lobby a moment ago, watching over Isao kun with my father. They’ll take care of him during the ceremony and I’ll take over during dinner.”
“I hope our little pumpkin behaves. It’s getting hard to keep him entertained now that he’s figured out how to move around. What if he starts crawling below the benches in the chapel, putting all kinds of stuff in his mouth?”
“It wouldn’t be the end of the world, sweetling. His grandfather will handle him, don’t worry about that.”
Now busy fighting with the straps of her creamy satin dress that wouldn’t remain in place, Gabriella grimaced.
“I’m so sorry the three of you have to be careful around my family these days.”
“Bah, don’t worry,” Lana shrugged. “This is how we usually do it, you know. It’s easier for everybody if I step aside when we are all together in a large event like this. And I can always play the baby-sitter card if needed.”
Somber, Yuki shook her head and went to her wife. “And you have no idea how much it pains me, especially where Isao is concerned.” She brushed Lana’s cheek and squeezed her hand lovingly.
Lana let her finger trail along Yuki’s jaw before landing a soft kiss on her sweet lips.
“Well, let’s make our point another time. Today is not the day for an earth-shattering social scandal that would make waves here and in Italy.”
“Oh no!” Gabriella exclaimed with mock indignation. “I shall claim this privilege today, because what would be a wedding without some ugly gossip and bloody fist fights? Don’t you dare stealing my right to screw this up!”
With a smirk, Yuki let go of Lana and sneaked behind Gabriella to brush away a couple of chocolate curls from her neck.
“Do you want my help with this? Can I help you relax?” she whispered in the Italian’s ear.
“Yuki san!” Gabriella blushed crimson. “Bridesmaids are supposed to help avoid crises, not make them!”
Lana snickered. “Well, at least you don’t have to worry about her running away with the groom. Yuki sama, will you behave while I’m gone?” she teased her wife.
“I’ll do my best, I promise, although… it will be hard,” Yuki winked, and Gabriella turned an even deeper shade of red. “Oh, speaking of scandalous relationships, I had the chance to meet your father’s youngest sister.”
“Yes! Claudia! So, what do you think?” Gabriella said, eyes sparkling. “I mean, with her personality and all, it would be a hit, I’m sure.”
Yuki let out a hearty laugh. “She did remind me of you, but with an even more smoldering intensity, if this is even possible. It would be a match made either in hell or heaven, I’m not sure yet. But I’d be delighted to introduce her.”
“Yes, let’s do this!” A delighted Lana clapped hands in excitation. “Just before the cake is served, I’ll bring her to our table, how does it sound?”
“Perfect. I’m not worried at all about my father’s reaction, but to be honest, I feel a little bad for her, Gabriella san. He is who he is, after all. Isn’t this like throwing her to the wolves, or rather, a werewolf?”
“Oh, don’t worry. It won’t take her long to make up her mind about him. And don’t forget both of them barely speak English, so they should be immune to each other’s venom. As a matter of fact, maybe it’s us who should fear for our sanity if these two like each other.”
“Maybe. But I’m confident that having someone steady in his life again will help. He was never easy, mind you, but things were different when my mother was alive.”
“And anyone who steers him away from you is a good thing, cara mia,” Lana pointed out. “All right, I need to go now and find this husband of ours, Yuki sama. I’ll also make sure he puts this on, although we know how much he hates it…” She brandished a pale yellow necktie made of silk.
“Good luck with putting it on him, you might have to do a nikyo lock to achieve such a feat. But you’ll find him in the lobby. Just follow the crumbs!” At a loss, Lana threw her a bemused glance and went in search of their husband.
The elevator brought her to the lobby floor. A quick glance around didn’t tell her much, until she glimpsed a group of six or seven women gathered around several sofas on her left. A mix of Japanese and foreign ladies, all belonging to their wedding party. Remembering Yuki’s odd advice and acting on a hunch, Lana approached them and fought to repress a grin. The whole setting was priceless.
Ranging from their twenties to fifties, the women were fawning over Isao, but not him alone: his father and grandfather were getting quite the attention as well. Isao was delighted; Nakazawa was positively glowing and, shamelessly deployed all of his charms; Honda was turning sourer with each passing second. And wasn’t he a bit more disheveled than earlier?
Pros of a pic right now: creating the perfect wedding memory. Cons: head rolling on the floor.
Her stare met her husband’s; she quirked an inquisitive eyebrow, a sly smile pulling at her mouth. His eyes narrowed, and he pinched his lips. He handed Isao to his grandfather without any further comment and stood in a fluid motion, barely repressing his exasperation at having to remove the invasive hand of one of Gabriella’s enthusiastic cousins from his bicep.
Lana snickered. Even after more than twenty years, some things never changed.
Yep, Vittoria, that’s muscle, not steel. You always had a taste for those, didn’t you?
They had grown up in the same town and caught up two nights before at the impromptu bachelorette party Yuki had thrown for Gabriella. A great mix of about twenty ladies going wild in one of the best clubs of Tokyo.
My sweetheart knows how to entertain, that’s for sure… It was so hard to keep my hands off her before we got home!
“Lana san, what can I do for you?” Honda said, voice louder than usual.
“Sensei, I’m happy to find you,” Lana said, the picture of exquisite politeness. It was hard not to laugh at the disappointed looks behind his back. “There are a couple of things that require your assistance and attention, notably this,” she showed him his necktie.
“Let’s take care of them, then. Otoh sama, is it all right for you to stay here with Isao kun?”
The older man waved them away. “Yes, yes, take your time, we’re not going anywhere.” Discussing the daily meal routine of his grandson with a couple of ladies in their forties and fifties was obviously his new priority. To Lana’s delight, Claudia was among them.
Yes! The odds are in our favor.
