*** Content warning: inconvenient biological functions generally considered not appropriate for general conversation. ***
Previous: The Woman on the Train
Dawn filtered in through the veranda window curtains. Over the end of the rolled-up kakebuton, Teru's eyes met mine. She put one hand on the kakebuton between us, and I put my hand over hers.
"Run today?" She didn't look enthusiastic about the idea.
"I think we need a down day. It's Sunday."
She smiled in response. "Tomorrow, we conquer the world."
"Again."
She was quiet, and I drifted out for a bit.
"Ryō?"
I drifted back. "Hmm?"
"So what do I do at church? I hope we don't just listen to o-kyō all day."
"Well, there are some sermons, and sometimes they are similar to o-kyō, and there are classes to participate in, where we discuss what scriptures mean and how to follow Jesus and things like that. We have a congregation choir if we want to join that. And sometimes there are activities to plan.
"Group dates?"
"Maybe. Probably. Anyway, some of it is boring, some is fun."
"Fun just doesn't sound like church. But I guess I just tag along today and see."
"Good idea. If it gets too boring, we can go for a walk or something."
"Okay."
Again we were both silent for a bit.
"I was thinking we'd keep breakfast simple today."
"I wanta make pancakes. I think we have the stuff to make 'em with."
I yielded without a fight. "Simple pancakes."
Teru laughed.
We talked kind of randomly for about a quarter hour, and then Teru kicked the kakebuton out of the way and scooted over to cuddle.
"But this is cheating, because waking up and cuddling in the morning with another date is something that will never happen. We need things we can compare."
Teru smiled. "I need this." And she gave me a peck on the lips before getting up.
I got up, too, and we dug flour and powdered milk out of my small cupboards, and milk and eggs from the fridge, and started making pancakes. I added kinako (roasted soy flour) to stretch the milk, over Teru's protests.
"It'll make them flat."
"A little apple vinegar and real milk will help that."
"If we use all the milk there won't be any to drink."
"Stupid small fridge. We need a bigger one."
Teru looked at me with a small, sad smile.
"In a couple of years." I swallowed hard.
She brightened and nodded in partial agreement as we mixed things together.
We got some pancakes cooked, and I took a turn with the pan.
"So, did you understand what being born of water is?"
"Getting baptized?"
"That's where it starts."
"I'll take the frying pan back, you read to me."
I let her take back over and got out my hardcopy scriptures, turning to Acts.
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."I guess I can see a connection."
I contnued in the first verses of the next chapter.
... And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, ..."I guess I know the expression 'baptism by fire' from somewhere. But it usually means going through some hard test, doesn't it?"
"When things are hard and we choose to follow God anyway is when the Holy Spirit influences us most easily."
"Hmm. So if I tempt you and you refuse the temptations, you get this spirit thing?"
"Deliberately testing each other is usually against the rules."
"Darn. Is there a scripture for that?"
"I'm sure I can find one, but which should I do? Refuse or give in?"
She focused on the pancake in the pan and got it browned just right and slipped it onto the waiting stack before she answered.
"You know, maybe I want both."
I laughed. "Time and season for everything."
"Is that a scripture?"
I found it and read it to her as she slipped the last pancake onto the stack.
She cut off the flame and set the pan down.
"Something in my heart makes me feel happy to hear that verse. Is that your holy ghost?"
"Not just mine. Yours, too, responding to God's Holy Spirit."
"But -- isn't deciding to wait deliberately testing each other?"
The inside of my mouth turned dry.
"Never mind. I know." She turned and faced me resolutely. "When we're following God, it's not the same. Let's eat."
My appetite returned. "No peanut butter. Nerigoma in the fridge, did you have that in mind?" Nerigoma is sesame paste, like tahini but with only the natural sesame oil.
"Uh huh. Apples and plums from last night, too?"
"Of course."
As Teru ate her second pancake, she asked, between bites, "Do you trust God?"
I put down the knife I was using to spread nerigoma on my third and took her free hand. "I know Jun says he doesn't think you guys got a fair deal, losing your real parents before you ever knew your real mother and having Aunt Fumiyo and Uncle Nozomu rescue you from your original stepparents, and then being taken away from Aunt Fumiyo when Uncle Nozome died, --"
"Was killed."
"Was killed. And then bouncing around and ending up with Angel and her string of abusive boyfriends. Only bribes, blackmail can explain that.
"At least Aunt Fumiyo and Uncle Nozomu cared, in their way."
"So why should I trust your God? Why did I need to be born into the Sumaguchi family? If he exists, he must have let that happen."
"You tell me this: why should we be careful when testing each other?"
"What? Why ... because it can go too far."
"Too far?"
"Can't fix it far. Too far to make up for."
"Right. But, not only can God fix it no matter how far it goes, He does so."
"Really? He fixes it? When?" She put her fork down.
"In His own time. But this is why Jesus suffered and died for us. Now He knows everything we can suffer, so He knows how to undo the damage. And He also knows which problems we need to able to grow in good ways."
"Feels like abuse to me."
"Jun's trying to teach me to fight and cheat felt like abuse to me. Aunt Fumiyo's trying to put you and me together sometimes felt like abuse to me. But when I learned to talk with God about it, He showed me how to learn things I needed from the experiences."
I guess I wasn't paying attention to Teru's reactions as I continued. "My two years of service was my opportunity to get myself emotionally free."
I realized I had explained one thing too far as Teru's face froze and she tried to keep from crumbling. So I reached across the tatami with my foot and tickled her knee with my toes. She swatted my foot away, so I slid my legs out from under the kotatsu and crawled around it, and sat beside her, wrapping her into a hug.
She resisted, and I relented, leaving my arm across her shoulders. She didn't fight that.
"And here I am trying to drag you back." Tears welled up in her eyes and she closed them.
I kissed the corner of her eye, registering the salt in her tears. And I kept my mouth shut. She'd heard enough from me.
"Sympathy card?"
"It's only a problem if it doesn't really hurt inside. There's no such thing as perfect freedom."
After a few minutes, she said, "I really like Fumie."
"We've found a good friend."
"How can I like my rival so much?"
"Love your enemies? You know, even the people closest to us can be our enemies in some senses. There's nothing unusual about that."
"Nothing unusual?"
"Look at me and my dad. We work things out."
I kissed her forehead.
"Are you really so okay with me manipulating you?"
"You could say I'm manipulating you, too. But we are really just negotiating. Manipulating is when there are no options allowed."
"You're not letting me think."
"I'll shut up now." I moved away, but she pulled me back, and we just sat quietly for maybe five minutes.
Finally she picked up her fork and took another bite. "I'm just being silly."
"Silly? Maybe ... but silly is okay sometimes."
At that, she burst into tears and buried her face in my chest, and I just held her until the tears subsided, and a minute or so after.
"I'm trying not to manipulate you."
"Me too."
"I need fo go to the toilet."
I chuckled, and she stood and ducked into the combination unit bath and toilet, and shut the door behind her.
I picked up my fork to finish my pancake, sliding my plate over from the other side of the kotatsu.
"Uhm, Ryō?"
"Yeah?"
"This is embarrassing."
"What? I promise I won't tell anyone."
"Can you hand me my purse?"
"Purse?"
I picked it up from where it was lying against the wall and took it to her, being careful to hand it in from the side where I wouldn't be looking in.
"Wait." After a moment she handed it back out to me. "Thanks."
"Will you be okay?"
"Yeah. I'm just spotting early. Maybe that's why I'm being so silly."
"No worries."
"Can I ask another favor?"
"Sure."
"Could you get me another pair of lacies?"
"In your suticase, right?"
"Have I taken over any of your closet space or drawers?"
"But you need your own space. Well, do you care which?"
"Do you have a favorite? No, I shouldn't ask you that. Whatever's on top."
I took the pair that was closest to the top in the suitcase and handed them to her through the door again, still being careful not to look in.
When she came out, she said, "It will be nice when we are legally married. For now, I'll keep living out of my suitcase."
We finished eating and prepared for church. I took a few pictures of Teru in the outfit we had bought for her, so she could see how it looked again, because the mirror in the unit bath was not in the right position or big enough. She let me post them to the family Line group.
Church was a twenty minute walk. We could ride a bus, but neither of us thought the wait was worth it. As we approached the meetinghouse, we saw Fumie get off at the bus stop coming the other way. She saw us and waved, and joined as we went inside.
She was a youth advisor for the area, so she knew the members Teru's age and introduced her to many of them before the organ music announced the beginning of communion and sermons. The three of us sat together with some of the other young adults.
Teru payed attention, abstaining from communion until she understood it better, listening to the witnessing and lay sermons, sometimes asking questions.
After Sister Asatsuki finished the main sermon, Fumie joined Teru in the youth class, for emotional support, while I stayed out of the way and went to the young adult class. After the classes, the three of us were talking with some of the other members, and Sister Asatsuki joined the group. Fumie unobtrusively redirected the conversation any time it got close to Teru's living arrangements.
At a moment when the conversation was lively, but Teru and I were not directly involved, Sister Asatsuki asked to talk with Teru and me privately. I signaled Fumie and then Teru with my eyes, and then Teru and I left quietly while Fumie continued the conversation. Sister Asatsuki joined us about a minute later.
Teru looked a little nervouse.
"I want you to understand, Teru, that I think I have reason to trust Ryō's judgement. He's got a good head on his shoulders, and anyone he trusts, I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt, even in circumstances such as yours."
"I'd feel more comfortable if Fumie were with us."
"Okay, I'll see if she is willing to join us."
Sister Asatsuki returned with Fumie shortly.
"First, Teru, I want you know that most of the members would like to help in some way, but none of them feel they have room so that you could stay and work on your studies without distractions. Now that they've met you, I'm hoping that changes. But I have also taken the question up with the leaders of the area."
Teru just nodded.
I was disappointed, but I didn't say so. "Okay. Do you have any suggestions? My boss at work is offering to ask around as well."
"What did you say?"
"I asked her to wait until we found out how things look here."
"How are you two handling it? Ryō, you indicated that you felt some romantic attachment to Teru, and that you felt it was returned."
Teru looked at me sideways, eyes questioning my sanity.
"I think we can trust Sister Asatsuki."
"Would you mind talking with me alone, Teru?"
"I guess I could."
Fumie and I stepped out and talked in the hall while we waited.
"Are you wondering why I came today?"
"Yes and no. Half wondering why we never met before last week, but I guess you're busy in your own congregation and with the youth programs in the area. It's good of you to watch after Teru today."
She smiled. "Glad to be able to help. Have you been getting information on getting her into a school yet?"
"Let myself get too busy."
"I don't know if I'd say that, but let's see what we can find out now."
We took out our phones, and together we looked up information on school programs that would allow her to work and finish high school.
I was beginning to wonder what was taking so long when Sister Asatsuki stepped out and asked to talk with me alone. Teru was looking much more comfortable as we traded places.
"So, how confident of your feelings towards Teru are you?"
"Wow. That's a surprise question."
"Teru is very confident of her feelings towards you, and thinks you return her feelings."
"I do. But her situation, growing up within the kumi, I'm pretty sure she needs some time to be free before she takes on the burdens of making her own family."
"That's important, but it's not what I'm asking."
"We've known each other pretty much all our lives, and I've had a pretty big crush on her for as long as I remember. I was kind of planning on trying to contact her without tangling myself up with her older brother again, if I could, once things got stable here."
"That's also important, but it's not what I'm asking."
"At this point, I'm planning on asking her to let me enter her in my family registry once she turns eighteen and no longer needs Angel's permission. She knows I could not enter her family registry." That's the way the laws in this country work. One will enter the other's family registry.
"That's what I wanted to know."
"And?"
"Worst comes to worst about getting her a safe place to live, I'm inclined to tell you not to be so idealistic about her needs to experience freedom."
I thought for a moment. "If it comes to that, I probably won't need you to tell me."
"Good." She stood up and opened the door.
"Teru, Fumie?"
Fumie and Teru came back in, and Sister Asatsuki shut the door.
Fumie looked at me. "Ryō, would it be okay with you if my family offered to accept Teru while she finishes high school?"
I looked at Teru, and she bit her lip and shook her head. "No, I don't want to do this. I've been hoping there wouldn't be anyone else willing to put me up." She took a breath and loked at Fumie before continuing, "But it may be a good idea. Can I meet your family first?"
I looked at Sister Asatsuki.
"Yes, Fumie did mention this to me."
I turned back to Fumie. "You've talked it over with your parents?"
"We had a family council last night. Everyone prayed, and we decided we should offer."
"They know she has connections with the Sumaguchi family?"
"Yeah."
I suppressed my disappointment. "Then let's go meet your family."
Next
Backed up at https://joel-rees-economics.blogspot.com/2019/10/bk-sudden-roommate-8-first-sunday.html.
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