Surprise In My Town
Stories similar to this that you might like too.
I was in the middle of a very important business meeting with my boss, and I had to take it on speakerphone so that he could hear what we were discussing. The conference room where this all took place was at one end of our office building’s hallway; just outside the door is an open area with some tables for people who want to eat lunch or do paperwork while they’re waiting.
This particular day, there was someone sitting out there eating their own food—a woman wearing headphones over her ears as she quietly ate something from a paper bag. She looked like any other person you might see walking down the street: she wore jeans, sneakers, and a sweatshirt with a hoodie pulled up around her head.
But when I saw how big those headphones were… well, let me tell you about them later on.
The conversation between my boss and myself went smoothly enough until we got into a discussion of his plans for future expansion. He told me that he wanted to start by expanding our current location first before moving onto new premises elsewhere in town.
When I asked him why he said that if things worked out right then maybe someday soon we’d be able to expand even further than just this city. I nodded along as he explained everything to me, but deep inside I couldn’t help thinking that it sounded too good to be true.
All of us here at work are aware that our company has been going through hard times lately, especially since the economy started tanking last year. As far as I know, though, no one else knows exactly how bad off we really are. We’ve managed to keep it under wraps because we don’t want word getting out to anyone outside the organization.
If the word did get out, we wouldn’t have much choice except to lay everyone off, which would be disastrous for morale. So instead of letting that happen, we decided to play it cool and pretend nothing was wrong.
It may not look like we’re doing anything different, but we’ve actually been working overtime during the past few months to try and make sure we stay afloat. And now, after years of trying, it looks like we finally found a way to turn things around!
“So basically,” my boss concluded, “we’ll need to move somewhere bigger within the next six months.”
That meant that I needed to come up with a plan of action ASAP. After listening to him talk, I realized that he wasn’t planning on just renting another space in the same building; rather, he intended to buy a whole new property outright.
That would mean selling off our current headquarters and finding ourselves a new home. Naturally, I didn’t think twice about agreeing to such a bold proposal. There was only one problem: I hadn’t yet figured out where we should go. I had absolutely no idea whatsoever.
After we hung up, I sat there staring blankly at the phone for several minutes, mulling over his words. Then, suddenly, I felt this weird sensation coming over me. A strange feeling as if something was tugging at my mind, trying to make me focus on something specific.
At first, I thought it must be some kind of side effect of having taken a nap earlier in the afternoon, but then I remembered that I’d eaten lunch out back near the vending machines, and that was probably where the feeling originated.
Curious, I walked outside and took a seat on one of the benches out front. Sure enough, once I put my earbuds in and turned on my iPod, the feeling disappeared entirely.
What am I supposed to do? I wondered. Where should we relocate to in order to expand? I tried asking around the office, but nobody seemed too concerned about it. They all acted like this sort of thing happens every day. Why, whenever I bring up the subject they act like I’m crazy. What gives?! I can’t believe no one cares. I guess that means I’ll just have to figure this out on my own.
As I stood up from my bench, I noticed that the woman who’d been eating her lunch out there earlier was still seated nearby. Now that I knew where to find her, I decided to approach her and ask her directly. I approached the table where she was sitting and cleared my throat loudly.
She glanced up at me, startled, and quickly removed her headphones. Her eyes widened slightly, and she stared back at me in shock. “Who are you?” she demanded.
“Oh, uh…” I stammered nervously. “My name’s Kenji Kamiyama. I used to work here at the company, but I quit recently.”
Her expression softened somewhat. “You’re Mr. Kamiyama’s son, aren’t you?!” she exclaimed.
“Uh-huh.”
“Wow!” she gushed. “It’s great to meet you! My name is Keiko Okazawa. You’re so lucky to be related to someone like your dad.” She smiled warmly at me. “I hope you’ll let me take care of you while you’re looking for a place to live. I love helping people settle into their new homes. In fact, I already helped my sister when she moved to Tokyo!”
“Thanks,” I replied.
Keiko looked at me expectantly. “Well, what do you say? Will you allow me to help you?”
“Sure, that sounds fine.”
We spent the rest of the day together. First, we went shopping to pick out furniture for my new apartment. When we got back to my house, we unloaded everything onto my bed and began setting it up. By the time night fell, we were finished. The room was completely furnished, down to the smallest details.
The next morning, I called my parents and told them I wanted to visit for a few days. They agreed without question, saying that they could use the break themselves. So after I left the office, I headed straight to the airport and boarded an airplane bound for Chiba.
When I arrived at Narita Airport, I caught a taxi and asked him to drive me to the address Keiko had given me. It was located in a residential area not far from the center of town. Once inside the gate, I found myself standing before a large two-story villa surrounded by a high fence.
As soon as I stepped foot through the door, I heard voices coming from the living room, so I made my way toward them.
There, I saw Keiko and her mother, Mrs. Okazawa, chatting away happily. They both greeted me enthusiastically. “Welcome to our humble abode,” said Keiko. “Please feel free to relax until dinner.”
Mrs. Okazawa nodded approvingly. “Your father has always been very generous with us. We couldn’t be more grateful.”
I thanked them politely and followed them upstairs to see my new bedroom. It was spacious and well decorated, complete with a desk, bookshelves, dresser, TV set, and even a comfortable couch. There was also a small balcony overlooking the backyard.
From the window, I could see a pool, tennis court, and garden beyond. Even though it wasn’t quite summering yet, the weather was nice and sunny, making the view seem almost serene.
“This is amazing!” I cried. “Thank you so much, Keiko!”
“Don’t mention it,” she responded. “Just call anytime you need anything.”
“Okay,” I said. “But right now, I want to go check out the neighborhood.”
“Of course,” Keiko replied. “Come along.”
Together we walked outside and took a look around. To my surprise, there were several other houses similar to mine scattered throughout the surrounding area. Some were smaller than others, but most appeared to be fairly upscale.
A lot of young families lived in these neighborhoods, judging from how many kids I saw playing in the yards or riding bikes.
“Are those children yours?” I asked Keiko.
“No, they belong to some of our neighbors,” she explained. “They come over all the time to play. Sometimes I think I’m raising them instead of their own mothers!”
I laughed. “That must get pretty annoying.”
Keiko grinned mischievously. “Yeah, sometimes it does. But if you don’t mind, I’d rather have them here than anywhere else.”
After walking around the neighborhood for about half an hour, we returned home just in time for dinner. Afterward, I sat on the sofa watching TV with Keiko’s family. Over the next couple of days, we hung out together at every chance we got. On Saturday evening, Keiko invited me to join her at a party held by one of her friends. I accepted immediately.
At first glance, the Okazawas seemed like any average middle-class Japanese household. However, once I started talking to Keiko, I realized that this was no ordinary family. For starters, Mrs. Okazawa didn’t speak a single word of English—not even enough to order food at a restaurant.
And Keiko herself spoke fluent English, which she used to teach her mother conversational skills. Furthermore, neither parent worked, preferring to spend their entire lives taking care of each other and their daughter.
As I learned later, Keiko’s father suffered a stroke shortly after he retired. He never fully recovered, remaining confined to his wheelchair ever since. Since then, Mrs. Okazawa had become the sole breadwinner, working tirelessly as a part-time teacher at a local school.
Despite being such devoted parents, however, they hadn’t seen Keiko for nearly ten years. Ever since she graduated from college, she had been traveling abroad, studying various languages and cultures. This was why she knew so little Japanese when we met.
Despite her lack of knowledge, Keiko managed to learn the language quickly, thanks to her extensive travel experience. In fact, she had already mastered three different dialects: Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.
She planned on learning French and Spanish too, eventually becoming proficient in six major tongues. Her goal was to study overseas again someday, perhaps attending graduate school at Oxford University.
In addition to foreign studies, Keiko loved music, art, literature, film, and history. During our conversations, she often quoted famous figures from ancient times and recounted stories of great men and women who changed the world.
Whenever I tried asking her questions related to Japan, however, she would respond with either vague answers or none at all. Instead, she preferred discussing topics that interested her personally, such as the differences between Eastern and Western cultures.
One day, while sitting in the living room having tea with Mrs. Okazawa, I decided to ask Keiko what she thought of her homeland.
“Japan is wonderful,” she answered without hesitation. “It’s full of surprises and wonders. If you’re willing to explore its depths, you’ll find yourself falling in love with it forever.”
“Really? You’ve traveled all over the place, haven’t you?”
“Yes,” she replied. “And everywhere I went, I found something interesting. No matter where you go, people are basically the same; everyone wants to live life in peace and harmony.”
“Is that really true?” I asked. “Do you know anyone who doesn’t?”
Keiko smiled wryly. “Well, maybe not…but I can tell you more about myself.”
She stood up and began walking toward the kitchen. When I followed behind her, she pulled open the refrigerator door and reached inside. As I watched, she removed a bottle of orange juice from the shelf and placed it on the countertop. Then she turned around and looked back at me expectantly.
“What do you want to hear about first?” she asked.
I glanced down at the floor, feeling awkward. “Umm…”
“Why don’t you try telling me your name?”
I hesitated before answering. “My name is Kenji.”
“Kenji,” she repeated. “A very nice name. What kind of person are you?”
“I guess I’m a normal guy. Nothing special.”
Keiko nodded approvingly, then grabbed two glasses from the cabinet above the sink. Next, she poured us both a glass of juice.
“Here you go,” she said, handing me mine.
We clinked our glasses together, and she took a sip. The sweet taste made my mouth water.
“So, Kenji, what do you think of Japan?” she asked.
This was a question I couldn’t answer easily. It wasn’t because I didn’t understand her meaning, but simply because there were too many things to say. So much had happened to me during these past few months. Everything seemed surreal.
But if I told Keiko everything right now, I’d probably bore her within minutes. Besides, I still felt uneasy about revealing certain details. After all, I had promised Kanako I wouldn’t talk about anything personal.
Instead, I chose one topic to discuss. “Have you ever heard of the term ‘Gaijin Hunter’?”
“No, what does it mean?”
“It refers to someone who hunts foreigners. They usually target tourists or travelers, especially those whose appearance makes them stand out. That way, their victims won’t be able to identify the culprit afterward.”
“Oh, I see,” Keiko responded. “That sounds pretty scary.”
“Yeah, it is. There have been several cases recently. A lot of people get hurt by this kind of stuff, even killed sometimes.”
“You mean like that girl who disappeared last month?”
The mention of the incident caused me to stiffen.
“Yes, that’s right,” I muttered. “Her body was discovered yesterday morning.”
“How awful!” Keiko exclaimed. “Did they catch the killer?”
“Not yet. Police are doing everything possible to track him down.”
“But how could he possibly kill her?!” she cried. “He must have known her! How did he manage to sneak into her house?”
“Nobody knows for sure. He might have used some sort of magic trick.”
“Magic tricks?! Are you serious?”
“They’re real. Some people use them to commit crimes. For example, they’ll make themselves invisible so nobody will notice when they break into houses or steal something.”
“Wow, that’s amazing!”
“It is, isn’t it? Anyway, Gaijin Hunters aren’t limited to Japan alone. In fact, they exist all over the world.”
“Are there any here in America?”
“There are plenty. And since we’re talking about crime, let me tell you another story. This time, I witnessed an actual murder.”
“Murder? Here in America?”
“Yep. My friend and I saw a man stab his wife to death. We tried to stop him, but…”
“Wait, what do you mean, you tried to stop him?”
“It turns out the victim was pregnant. She was stabbed in the stomach, which meant she bled to death almost immediately.”
“Oh no! That’s horrible!” Keiko gasped. “Was the murderer arrested?”
“Unfortunately, yes. His name was Joseph. He confessed to killing his wife after finding out she was cheating on him with a coworker.”
“Cheating?! Who would cheat on such a wonderful husband as him?”
“Apparently, she liked it rough.”
Keiko shook her head in disbelief. “I just can’t believe it. Is that why he murdered her?”
“According to the police report, it looks like that’s exactly what happened.”
“Then I hope justice prevails,” she said solemnly.
“Me too.”
After finishing our drinks, Keiko put the empty bottles in the recycling bin next to the sink and headed toward the living room. I followed her again. Once there, she sat down on the sofa.
“Would you mind sitting beside me?” she asked.
Once more, I nodded. I stepped onto the couch and joined her.
“Now, where should we start?” she asked.
“Well…how about with your family?”
“Sure, I suppose that’s fine.”
She paused for a moment before continuing. “My parents divorced when I was young. Ever since then, I’ve lived with my dad. He works at the local university as a professor, while my mom stays home to take care of me and my little brother.”
“Sounds like you have a good relationship with both of them.”
“Absolutely. I love them dearly.”
“And what about your grandparents?”
“They live nearby. Every weekend, we visit them and spend time together. Grandma loves cooking, so every Sunday afternoon she prepares lunch for us. On special occasions, we go out to eat instead.”
“What kinds of food does she cook?”
“Anything from pasta to meatloaf. Her specialty is lasagna, though.”
“Lasagne is delicious!”
“Really? Then maybe you’d enjoy eating it with me sometime.”
“Why don’t we try making it ourselves today?”
I stared at Keiko in surprise. “Huh? Really?”
“Of course. It’ll be fun.”
“Fun?”
“We can invite a few friends over, make lots of different dishes, and share stories of our childhoods.”
“Um, okay. Sounds great,” I replied hesitantly.
“Great! Now, let’s talk about mine.”
“Okay.”
“When I was born, my parents were still students. They didn’t have much money, so they had to work part-time jobs most of the time. But despite their busy schedules, they always made time for me.
When I was very small, they took me everywhere—to museums, parks, zoos, amusement centers, and so on. As soon as I started school, they stopped working altogether. Instead, they decided to become full-time homemakers.
Since I’m the oldest child, I helped around the house whenever they needed help. Whenever my younger sister came along, Mom and Dad taught her how to cook, clean, and do laundry. Of course, this wasn’t easy, because my youngest sibling never seemed to want to learn anything.”
“That sounds tough.”
“Yeah, it was. Still, I loved being involved with everything my parents did. Even now, I remember those days fondly.”
“You sound pretty happy.”
“Yes, I am. The reason is simple: my parents raised me well.”
I smiled back. “So, who’s the best person in your life?”
“Hmm…that’s hard to say. All three of my parents are equally important to me.”
“All right, if you insist. Let’s move on to something else.”
“Okay.”
We chatted for a while longer, but eventually, Keiko grew tired. She yawned loudly, causing me to do the same.
“Sorry, I think it’s time for bed.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said sleepily. “Let’s meet up tomorrow night, shall we?”
“Tomorrow? Sure, I guess that’s fine.”
With that, Keiko stood up and stretched. After doing so, she turned off the lights and left the room. I watched her leave until she disappeared into the hallway. Then, I sighed softly and lay down on the sofa. I closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep quickly.
However, my efforts weren’t successful; I tossed and turned restlessly for quite some time. Eventually, however, exhaustion overcame me and I drifted off to sleep.
The End