lotus lake

Osaka

Osaka, Japan 1972, A diary written by Hinode
As new year dawned at sunrise, my mother was cleaning the house. She hung crimson paper lanterns lined with a gold film on our slate roof of mint tiles, the corrosion fastened more each year. Molecules of snow floated down and grazed me and my brother Seji's nose and he gleamed at me, the amber glow from the lanterns reflected in his ash coloured eyes. A cart overflowing with dango and popcorn was being wheeled down the cobbles, jerking up on each one. The warm smell of the corn anaesthetised me from reality, reminding me of when this town dwelling on the bay wasn't corrupted by darkness. I had a feeling that new year could have sparked a little bit of hope back into this town, I just knew it. As always, I was quite wrong.
"Honey have you hung up the lanterns?" My mother said to me and Seji. But Seji ignored her as he was brushing the snow from the bushes and collecting it into his hand. She stepped out. "Hinode, what did I tell you? Seji needs a coat! He's only four." She whined and stepped back inside. I held my brother's hand, as I wrapped my scarf around him to get him some popcorn from the cart. A teenager was working at it. He had black hair and tanned skin with a mole on his right cheek. He had a shining smile and was dressed in navy. He seemed quite shy. Sceptical. Of everyone and everything around him. His dim fairy lights lit up his cart. "Hey can I get one portion of popcorn please?" I asked, as his eyes lit up when he saw me. "Hinode? No way I haven't seen you in years!" I knew his face was recognisable. So beautiful that I could never forget him. My best friend from the start of high school, Nikko. He had moved to Korea a few years ago, and he didn't speak to me whilst he was gone. He didn't write to me. Nothing. "It's been so long I've been worried about you" his eyes swelled up, as he wiped them away before I could mention it. He glanced over to a house on the corner, as a woman dressed in an ivory draping dress with embroidered plums on it stepped outside to do the laundry. She stared at Nikko, giving him a blank stare, then soon returned inside the house. It was his mother. She was always a quite secretive woman but always protected Nikko, which was probably the only thing that I knew about her. He handed me the popcorn and his face began to loose its glow. "I'll see you around" he said, looking up from the bucket. "I guess." I walked away with Seji wondering how he had completely changed. It was like a piece of him was still Nikko deep down inside, but it just isn't the same now as it was three summers ago. Nikko wheeled his cart down the road, closer to his house. He slid behind the shoji screen and went inside. The bonsai outside had shed its leaves and the path in the garden started to chip away, as the cobbles were unearthed from it. I knew that the only light in that house was Nikko, and while he was away everything was sombre.
My mother stepped out onto the doormat soon followed by my father, polishing his glasses. Seji jumped up into his arms as he smiled and embraced him with warmth. We walked down to the lunar parade where dragon light fixtures floated and lanterns were set off into the sky. My mother spotted her friend from book club, a calm lady with auburn hair who used to babysit me when I was little. She was always so kind to me, Mrs Amasawa. Feeding me spoonfuls of honey when I had a cold and tucked me in at night when my parents were at work. Whilst my parents were talking with Mrs Amasawa, I slithered my way into a patch of bamboo plants growing behind the lunar festival. I perceived my surroundings, as darkness was slowly consuming this town and not just literally because it was dusk.