Chapter 23 - Mecchen House Rebuilding (cont.)

I followed him but wasn’t able to catch him in his haste as he skipped across the floor like Tara at her most energetic. I doubted he even noticed the similarity. Tara was helping Keiko tidy up her room. Keiko cautiously placed her bagged items in closets and around her folding bed. Tara arranged with gusto, pausing only to wave at me.

She left and returned with various decorations of the cutest nature. She mentioned she had hugged Jamie on the way. This room had no broken glass, but there was a wooden board laid across the far wall.

I gave Tara a little hug myself and asked her, “Do you ever like to stick your feet in the mud?”

Her face brightened and she just about twirled off on an ode to fresh mud to skip through. She gave a high giggle as she described it, as though transported back to that moment of ecstasy.

I told her, with a gentle satisfaction, what I had done in the mud. She squeaked and laughed as though I’d tickled her. She clapped and said, “I’m glad you had fun. I have tons of ideas for more fun later! Maybe we can get everyone involved?” I answered with a hopeful nod.

Tara hugged a loaned plushie in her arms and passed it to Keiko. “I hope you don’t mind these…”

Keiko stared at Tara. “Why would I mind?”

She folded her arms and rocked in place. “Well, I’m still not sure how much… original you will come back… but you were never huge on girlish things. But you did sometimes have cute-ish things on your mind…” She gave a playful wink.

Keiko squeezed the plushie in her arms a little and brushed back her blue locks. “Oh. Well. I don’t mind it a bit now. Thank you very much.”

Tara bowed with a grin. “No worries, Keiko-chan!”

I asked her, “How was I back then?” I wasn’t sure if I was ready to hear more about my ‘before’ but it was as good a time as any to ask.

Tara tapped her cheek and swung herself in place, as though her motions would help with the memories. “You liked books a lot, you liked the drawn ones in particular. You were very much the ‘elder’ sister type from shows. Warm, enveloping… and wise.”

It sounded encouraging that this other ‘me’ wouldn’t be too different. Although, I had no idea I could be wise, especially like I’d witnessed when ‘she’ took over for me. I asked a little about Jamie. It wasn’t the news Jamie would’ve liked.

Kimi was just as the Hitomi-motivated glimpse implied: girlish with feminine drives. We absorbed Tara’s words. I soon left to check on the others but gave Tara a wave as she encouraged Keiko to pose the plushie on her bed.

Reiko was still absent, but Sumi toiled with mending. Akiko kept her arms on Ms. Ishida’s leg. Each seemed comforted by the other.

Miki dashed down and back through the hall with repaired panels, returning them to their original places.  Mami now worked with a paper panel which had received water damage through the broken windows. She lavished careful, affectionate regard for the bits of paper.

I crouched beside her and asked, “Need any help?”

She folded her legs to get closer to the delicate work. Her flaming hair licked at her neck. “I’ve got it. I do have one request. Remember we were going to take a bath together? I still think it might be fun.”

I remembered it, back then I still figured Mami intended to take me for every dollar I had left. I watched her expression. I couldn’t really read her even now, but she seemed sincere. I gave a little nod and she returned to her work.

Miki paused long enough to give me a motivational pat and a smile. She turned her motivation on Sumi, who seemed mildly-amused at her efforts.

Hitomi blew on some glue. I noticed Ami still lay on the couch. Hitomi coughed and looked up at me.

I watched her as she worked. She pressed her lips together and said, “The glue pools into bumps along the edges. I don’t like it.” From her tone, it seemed as though she expected me to do something about it.

I sighed and shook my head. Akiko looked over at me but still kept close to Ms. Ishida. I crouched beside Hitomi. “I haven’t done anything like this before, but I think it looks good. Show Ms. Ishida.”

Hitomi tentatively held up her panel. Ms. Ishida smiled and encouraged, “Good job.” Hitomi kept her eyes on me and asked, “Do you think it’s good?”

I gave Hitomi a nod.

She set the panel down and went to work on another bit, blowing on the glue to hurry the drying process. She blushed as I walked away and worked with a bit more energy.

Miki wove her way through my path as I walked over to Akiko and Ms. Ishida. They seemed so comfortable with one another, just like the other night. Ms. Ishida didn’t let Akiko handle any of the glue, glass, or anything sharp or fragile, but she still found things for her to do.

Akiko breathed in the smell of a dirty rag and glanced up at me. She leaned towards Ms. Ishida and hid her face beneath her black hair. I watched her and I could still see Ami lying on the couch.

I stood there, between the two responsible for what had happened to Ami. I should’ve been able to gather up some level of burning anger for them. But instead, I felt warm...

Ms. Ishida brushed Akiko’s hair between careful cutting. Her presence seemed stronger when Akiko was near. I backed away carefully and gave the slightest hint of a bow to them. Ms. Ishida just gave me a little smile.

I walked over to the couch and picked up Ami… I had a moment of considering her a dress, but soon tried to clear it from my thoughts. I laid her fabric over my arm with the greatest care and took the stairs all the way to the third floor and went into the room next to Katsumi’s.

My room.

I set Ami across my bed and started to organize the room in much the same way Keiko had done. I put some clothes away and lumped the storage items together so as to give the most floor space.

It took a while before I was satisfied with the way things were arranged. I wasn’t sure what to do with Ami though. I held her in my arms, wondering if that might help me to understand what she wanted, if anything.

I stood with her cloth for several moments but no inspiration struck me. I folded her neatly and set her near the window so she could look out.

It wasn’t much but at least it wasn’t the dark depths of a dresser. I watched her motionless cloth and wondered a few things. I wondered first if my affection and care for Ami were genuine or merely bolstered by Hitomi’s plans. This thought soon passed.

Then, I wondered if I could do the same for Ami which Hitomi had done for our sake. Did I care enough to lose myself for her? I reflected on the idea.

I certainly wouldn’t do what Hitomi had done, knowing what I knew now. But, I wondered, if put in the same place she had been, would I have acted the same?

My immediate, visceral reaction was a firm “Never!” but a part of me still wondered if it was possible for me to get to that same point.

I shook off those concerns, gave sun-bathing Ami a little wave, and left to go back downstairs.

Katsumi stood in the middle of the hallway. She flashed me a ‘look’. I tried to remember if I’d left the door to the room open. I hadn’t.

She had the notebook under her arm and a purple pen poised over her right ear. I returned the kind look she’d given me and asked, “Doing better?”

She patted her notebook. “Quite. However…drawing what I like is one thing, but I’ve resolved my goal will always be to make it happen for real. I’ve seen it happen, so I know it’s possible…”

I leaned in. “So…?”

“I want you to teach me how to do it.”

I frowned. “Wait… what?”

She shrugged. “Not right now. But over time. Nina and her so-called demonhood, whatever… hasn’t panned out well for me. And who knows if she even remembers what she said back then.”

“She seemed fine,” I chimed in.

“Well, I need to cover all of my opportunities. Keep in mind I’m still going to ask your friends and Hitomi as well. I’m really hoping I’ll get something out of Hitomi. But if you feel… something or learn something...I just want you to pass it along, okay?”

I wasn’t quite sure what to say. But I gave her a nod of affirmation. “Okay…”

She brought her hands together with a laugh. “Yesss. One way or another… you better watch out world! …I am coming to make the boys quake with my presence!”

I was glad to see her ‘happy’…

She scampered down the steps. I waited a bit and found myself turning back to face the hall. The gray door looked back at me. I slid it open and gazed at the dim shapes of computer consoles.

The wires were a little neater and the computers seemed to be grouped in rows of three. I figured that was Hitomi’s doing. I walked around the room with quiet steps. I went over to the closet where I’d first found Nana.

I could still see her shape clenched in that small space, gazing up at me a few days ago. I crouched before the opening and scooted inside. The area was as tight as I imagined but I fit.

Begrudging any fears, I shut the door and sealed myself in darkness. I laid there, pressed by walls in all directions. I could imagine the appeal. A second womb.

I wondered if Nana was in a place like this, a world away. I promised, without a word, that I would do my best to bring light and warmth to her darkness. Slowly, a faint glow, like a small fire, began to shade the corners of the closet. I shook my head, sighed, and opened the door.

I blinked a few times and noticed a voice calling for me from the hallway. I opened the gray door and looked out. Miki peered through the door to my room and then turned to smile at me.

“Oh! There you are. You have a phone call. Some nice-sounding lady.”

I made my way back to the kitchen and picked up the receiver. The voice on the other end spoke first.

“Hello, daughter. It’s Toki. Are you well?”

The phone nearly slipped from my hand. I tightened up.

The others were nearby but still out of earshot. I spoke with a hushed tone.

“Toki?”

“Yes.”

I held the phone firmly. I wondered if strange phone calls were a family thing.

“You… want to know if I’m well?”

She spoke rather softly too. “You. Keiko. Kimi. And the others. Is everyone fine?”

I considered my answer. “There are problems. But those who are still here seem to be coping.”

“Yes. The conditions are tough in many places.” She sighed softly through the phone.

I brought the phone as close as I could. “How are you?”

“I am managing.” I could hear her fiddling with something on the other end. I waited and listened.

I had to ask, “Why did you… call?”

The fiddling stopped. She seemed to adjust the receiver.

“Since Hitomi ran away, I have had my suspicions and concerns. But I recently learned for certain what she and others were involved in….”

She moved the phone.

“My deepest apologies. I am an old and idle woman. I fear I ruined your test and so much else.”

I creased my forehead. Hitomi mentioned a final examination. Was that what Toki meant? “Wait… what ‘test’ are you talking about?”

“It’s best I not speak at length right now. I’ll save any further words until I arrive.” Her tone was level throughout. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, save she didn’t sound much like the woman from the vision.

“Arrive?”

“Yes. As soon as I am able. Please tend to matters as best as possible till then. Farewell, daughter.”

And with that, the dial tone returned.

I set the phone down carefully. Where my ear had been pressed to the phone felt especially warm.

I looked back towards the others of Mecchen House… my friends. My ‘siblings’ in other cases. And one who was perhaps even something like a ‘daughter’. Ms. Ishida looked towards me. She had probably heard my use of ‘Toki’. I watched them as they watched me.

Akiko jumped up and clung to me, pressing her head against my stomach. I wasn’t sure if she latched onto me because of my swirling concerns or if she just wanted to hug. But I brushed her hair and enjoyed her embrace.

So I set my shoulders, looked out at the expectant faces, and told them everything.

[Dreams of Better Days Ahead - Left to Right - Miki (running), Keiko (behind Miki), Reiko (holding Pussy), Sumi (behind Reiko), Ami (with cup), Tara playing with Akiko, Miss Ishida (in the back in a kimono with a serving bowl), Kelly (next to Miss Ishida), Jamie (front right with foot up, on stomach), Mami (on her side, reading), Katsumi (by the tree with notebook), Nana (right of Katsumi with laptop and headphones)]