Life changes

Chapter 7 - A little question

Some days after my memorable trip with Uncle, morning bloomed to be a bright day. No way was I able to sleep with that strong morning light streaming through the windows, even with the blinds closed.

Getting myself pulled out of bed, I decided to begin the task of studying for the entrance exams for school, realizing that procrastinating would not get me ready. They were always a prerequisite grade for being fully entered in to the schools here in Japan. Whether or not your in that grade or not.

I started in to my work as the sun was just beginning to really brighten the sky with very vibrant morning colors that most painters would love to have the talent to reproduce nature on the canvas.

I normally don’t like to study in the morning time, but I knew doing none of it would cause me just a lot more headaches than being a lazy sod would. I just sighed and sat down at my desk after getting dressed and then running downstairs for a cup of coffee. Caffeine was my secret weapon to study with.

I just took a few deep breaths, getting my mind ready for this intellectual workout then opened the study guides that sat in front of me and began. I took a sip of coffee to brace myself, the real work now beginning. Putting my nose to the grind stone and hopping in with both feet, it would take a herculean yet readily doable effort to get my self ready. The clock said six-thirty eight in the morning as I plunged in.

I had gotten some of the outlines of the different subjects to study from my soon-to-be school, and some from a boy I had became friends with on my walks around the neighborhood named Atcherio. He even gave me the few study guides I had just to have a clear and well defined path to success. I was very appreciative at this gesture, and knew I needed to have a little helping hand than I was unaccustomed to.

I was very grateful, but I have to admit, a little astonished with the total enormity of all the things you had to do to just to get in to a school, even ones that were not as prestigious that I was going to be in. I was glad that my Mother had been a teacher here in Japan when she was just a young woman, which did give me firm basics to do this, but it was still it was all very overwhelming nonetheless.

With not so steaming coffee in hand, I let myself sit back in the straight backed chair I had, after many hours of work. I was far from done, yet I was tired of just sitting in my room all of this time. I closed the text book I had been using, and just stood up to stretch stiffened limbs and achy back

I felt like I had been there all day, hunkered over my desk. I just sauntered over to the window just so I could have a small excuse to limber up my body, and to get the blood pumping once again too. Even my butt felt like it had fallen asleep, the whole of my body needed this little break. I stood still, taking in the world that sprawled in front of me, stretching again to get out the few kinks that remained from the first stretch.

The street we lived on was pretty much barren at this time. At only twenty to eleven in the morning, with all the adults at work, it was stationary and calm like a photograph in a museum. I could see a elderly couple wandering down the sidewalk with a small dog pulling on its leash, and a cat scurrying away to get away from the oncoming mutt, and not much more. No cars were even driving down the road, making the stillness almost poetic, yet it was still eerie none the less.

Sighing long, I decided to take my studies to the library. I needed to get a library card anyway to make this school year run much easier than it would without one. It beats being bored just spitless to be cooped up here and study in the dead of the house. With my Uncle at work and possibly not going to be home until very late if at all, I decided that this house was way too confining, and a outing would be the best thing for me.

I just called for a car from our limo service, and I piled my books in to a leather satchel and headed down to meet my ride. I made sure I had the id that I just gotten only a day ago and rushed downstairs.

The Tokyo main library was just plainly huge. Made entirely out of marble, one of the few in the downtown core It was a monument to the Japanese way of putting stock in learning and advancement. As a building, it was one of the most breathtaking things I had ever seen. I also realized that this might be the one of the biggest building here, considering that space was at a premium in Tokyo.

I told the driver when I wanted to be picked up later this day, and headed inside via the long stone steps that led to the huge wooden doors. It was a breathtaking journey to the doors, probably why it had been built that way. It was like they had made the building like they looked upon education here, stately and enormously important.

The place was packed, yet almost no sound was heard. Even in a library in Canada you heard whispers, but not here. It was silent, except for the turning of pages, and that was very faint too which was eerie. The thing that hit me was the distinct smell of old paper and dust mixed with the over all mustiness. It was its single thing that truly told me that I was there.

After signing up for a card from a very frumpy older lady at the library’s information desk, so I could check out books, I took my books to a room that was marked as a study room at the very back of this expansive building.

The room was filled to the rafters with many people. Most of them seemed to be there for the exact reason that I was from the sight of all the text books that were on the tables. No one even looked up once from what ever they were doing, as I entered. These people could concentrate through anything, I thought.
I just moved through row upon rows of tables, but could not find a single place to sit. You could have said that it was ‘sitting room only’, in here. Frustrated, I sighed to relieve that feeling and pressed on to finding a place to study at.

After what it seemed to be a half hour, I finely cracked a smile when I found a virtually empty table at the very back, near the reference center under a huge sky light that let in the bright sun of the day. I silently pulled the chair out and sat. I liked this spot, as the sunlight streaming from overhead made it pleasant, and warm compared to the chilly air conditioned coolness of this place.

I threw myself in to the task at hand, studying like a madman possessed in the absolute silence of the room. I noticed only scratching of pencils, turning of pages and the odd cough was the only noises that were in the air. They took the term ‘quiet in the library’ very seriously here, perfect setting for studying.

I was in the middle of a equation in Trigonometry, when I heard a loud gasp that broke the silence that hung on the air. I looked over and saw that at a table just a ways away from me was Seia, the brains of the Nakano family.

She had a huge pile of wadded paper next to her, as she wrote furiously on a notepad. Her large glasses could not begin to hide the complete frustration that was painted on her face. The sweat that seemed to pool, collected on her brow making her glasses slide down her nose even more. It was cute in the way her face showed her frustration, but I also knew the feeling that wracked her.

I just sat there, as she looked over. Her frustrated face passed, as she came out of her funk and realized that I was there. She shyly smiled when she recognized just who I was, the first time I had ever seen her do so, then averted her eyes back to her paper.

I could see that she was not in the mood for pleasantries, or anything close to it, so I just went back to my work too. In this place, it felt like it was not to be used as a visiting lounge... far cry from my past life’s libraries. Soon I too, was lost in my work, taking a lesson from the others around myself.

Time had passed, though I did not know the length that had. I stopped to rub my eyes for a moment, as they burned with all of the work they had accomplished. I yawned and went to return to work when I saw Seia motion to me, almost if a frantic way. Without hesitating, I got up and went over.

She handed me a note almost the very instant I was near enough, while she also half heartedly trying to not make eye contact. I just took it and read the scribble.
“ Do you know anything about advanced trigonometry?” The note’s words seemed to plead with hopefulness.

I nodded and she took the paper again and wrote furiously again and passed it back with lightning speed.
“ Can you help me some time with this, I am not very good with all of this advanced math.” It read, and went on “ I’m not very sure of it all.”

I sat down and took the paper from her once again, and took the pen out from behind my ear. I wrote that I would be glad to, and I also wrote down my home phone number. I handed it back to the waiting young girl, giving her a friendly smile.

She sat and read the note, almost the instant that I had relinquished it back. She looked at me and gave a head bow in thankfulness and then furiously scribbled on it once again. Her face showed a look of relief. She handed the paper back again, then stuck her nose back in to her textbook..

I took the note back to my table, seeing that she wanted to get back to her studying again. Understanding that, I turned to leave to return to the books myself.

I read the letter more as I walked, discovering that there was a little more written down. I stated that she was grateful That I was willing to help her, and that she would be calling on me very soon to set this up. I snuffed and stuck the paper in my pants pocket and I returned also to studying.

Trig was the topic for me too, but if I am to really be of any help what so ever, I just will have to make sure that all I knew was accurate. I dove back in to my work, knowing that even with helping her, I needed to continue on. After agreeing to tutor her, I did not want to be embarrassed if I did not have most of it in my head again.

When I finally looked at my wristwatch much later on, it showed it to be almost four in the afternoon when I finally felt I was all studied out. It was a perfect timing, as my ride back home would be here in a few minutes. That was good timing on my part, I realized just how hungry I was and it just might be the way to go.

As I packed up my things, I noticed that Seia had left already. I did not even notice just when she had left the library, but in this place, that probably happens often. I just smiled and went to sign out the mountain of books I recognized that was need to continue my work later on this evening. With the amount necessary, people might think that I am one of the librarians around here.

As I left the building, I could only hope, for Seia’s sake, that she had finally figured out just what she was trying so desperately to figure out. She seemed to be the poster girl for perfectionism, but I knew that brainy people inclined to be that way anyway. I thought that was sort of sexy in a way too, so her being the poster girl for the type A set was really a plus in my books.

The car was waiting for me when I hit the street. I smiled and climbed in. Yoko’s husband, Sato, was behind the wheel as usual.
“ You ready for home, Hiroyuki-san?” He asked, surprised at the mound of books I set on the seat beside me. “ Must be entrance tests time...”
“ I am...” I said, and then. “ And it is.”
“ Lots of work to do before that...” The man said, getting a far away look in his eyes. “ I remember my children going through all of that, and they came through great, although a little frazzled.”
“ I’ll get to the frazzled state too, and sooner than later.” I quipped. “ I’m already heading in that direction anyway.”

The man laughed a hearty bellow, as he started the drive home. I just settled back for the long ride through the nightmarish traffic of downtown Tokyo.

All I could think of was Yoko would have a nice supper ready for me to eat before she would make her way back home. I grinned and hoped to myself that she had made extra for me... I was really hungry. And I hoped that she would have a fresh pot of coffee on too. I needed it, for I might have to study for awhile this night too.