I am rather annoyed right now. After painstakingly trying to maintain (and reduce) my weight from x0kg to now thx4kg (which I’m supposed to lose another 5kg), it has gone up a kg back. I’m like, what happened? Why now?

I blame it on the long week last week (yes yes, Raya holidays + Merdeka) which I ended up rolling at home a lot (rolling meaning stuck on to the floor and watching nothing but TV all day long). I really should do something about it. All my juniors have been going to gym but unless it is the treadmill, I don’t want to be doing other things.

Back to more important things. Tadaima is one of my favourite Japanese phrases. Back when I was in Japan, I enjoyed saying that word because someone from inside the house would say okaeri back to me. It was wonderful. It makes you feel back home.

I’m hoping it will not end soon but it will need to.

Revisit 17: Tadaima (I’m Home)
Do As Infinity

“Ne, Hiro, let’s do something,” said Ohno as he watched TV with Hiro.

“Mama said we can’t make a mess in the house,” said Hiro.

“Why don’t we go find mama?” Ohno asked.

“Mama said it’s full of old people talking and I don’t want to be an old person.”

Ohno couldn’t help laughing at that phrase. Really, what was Misheru teaching Hiro?

Seeing her again for the first time after so many months made him realized how much he really wanted to be in her life. It was a selfish thought.

It was more selfish after what he had done behind her back. With Maya.

That night, Hiro had snapped a picture of Misheru all dressed up and forwarded it to him. Ohno had no idea why Hiro did so but it could be because Hiro only knew a few people. She looked ravishing in that dress. The dress of blue with a silver ribbon. How could someone be in her early 30’s still look so good in something that was meant for a younger heart?

Time did stop back then. It stopped for the both of them.

He looked at the message attached. Mama’s going to a dinner with Uncle Yoshiro.

Who was this Yoshiro? He had to get to her, as soon as possible. He felt as if a rival had arrived.  Although he had said that if there was someone else who would appear as his rival, he would let go.

But not her. He promised her.

*****

“I have another present for you,” said Yoshiro as we both drove to the dinner.

“That would be too much. I can’t accept it,” I declined even before knowing what it was. The daisies were sitting on my lap, with a faint smell. They were pretty in white.

“Please, accept it.  It’s in the glove compartment,” he persisted, pointing to where the present was. I opened it and see a box of dark blue velvet. I opened it and see a necklace with a pendant shaped like a daisy, with a diamond in the middle.

“Why, it’s beautiful but I can’t accept it. It must be expensive!” I said, closing the box immediately.

“Please, don’t make me repeat myself, Michelle,” he insisted. “You are wearing a beautiful dress and there’s not one bit of jewellery on you.”

I touched my neck. It was bare.

We pulled into a mansion and got off the car. I deliberately left the blue velvet box on my seat. I walked to his side and there it was in his hands.

“Hold on,” he said as he pulled the necklace out and unclasped it. Although I declined with my eyes, he shook his head. Obediently, I lifted the hair off my back to let him place it on.

“There, now you are complete,” he said and offered his arm out to me.

 *****

I was introduced to Jessica, who was the wife of Hirota-san. The both of them lived in New York and were back in Tokyo for some personal matters. Jessica had the privilege of not learning how to speak in Japanese as Hirota-san’s business was based in New York.

“What a lovely necklace,” she complimented. “It looks familiar though.”

“Thank you. I got this just a while ago,” I told her honestly. “Yoshiro gave it to me.”

“Oh, that necklace!” she exclaimed. “My husband owns a jeweler in New York and he showed me this before we left. No wonder it looked familiar.”

“Really? It’s beautiful,” I commented.

“Sorry for being rude but are the both of you have something going on? It’s rare that Yoshiro requests for something to be specially made for someone,” she asked, with a curious smile. I blushed and shook my head.

Just then, Yoshiro came over and escorted us to the dining area. He was very gentlemanly as he extended his left arm for me to hold on to.

“I hope Jessica is not giving you a hard time,” he said in Japanese.

“She’s friendly,” I replied in Japanese.

“Why, you have a good command of the language as well,” he complimented and I blushed even more.

“I don’t. I just have a child who’s good in picking up the language,” I told him.

“I would love to meet this child of yours someday,” he suggested as he pulled out the chair for me.

“Maybe someday.”

*****

“What do you mean you don’t know where you are?” screamed manager-san over the phone. Manager-san was finally back from his emergency leave. Apparently, throughout his leave, he went for some meditation training, which involved sitting underneath a waterfall, the works.

“I told you, I got on the taxi and fell asleep. Next thing I know the driver told me to get off and I don’t know where am I,” lied Ohno.

“Then take a taxi back here!’ yelled manager-san more. It was also known that when he came back, he was stricter and not easy to be ordered around.

“I don’t have any cash and oops, my battery’s going dead…” lied Ohno further. He then ended the call and pulled out the battery.

Hiro was sleeping on the floor and Ohno knew that Misheru would be mad if she saw where Hiro was now. He carried him up and brought to him to his room. He tucked him in and kissed his forehead.

He plopped back on the sofa, waiting for her to come back. It was getting late and he was sleepy.

A weird thought came into his head.

He went to her room and sat on the bed. He pulled one of the pillows and laid his head on it. It smelled like her, a mixture of cherry blossoms and dewberry.

He felt like pervert doing what he was doing.

He snuggled onto the pillow more. Slowly, he drifted into dreamland.

*****

 “Satoshi! Satoshi!” called out a female voice. He opened his eyes dreamily and saw Misheru kneeling beside him, still wearing that dress she went out in. Subconsciously, he grabbed her around the waist and heaved his head on to her lap. He snuggled on the cool material that was covering her lap.

“Okaeri,” he wished her, his eyes still closed.

*****

I had an enjoyable time at the dinner, exchanging conversations with different people. It had been a long time since I been to such social gatherings, especially ones involving business partners. It was like the times before I had Hiro when I hated such gatherings. Although there were awkward moments when my business philosophies were outdated, Yoshiro’s acquaintances didn’t laugh at me. Instead, they were taken aback by my arguments.

When Yoshiro sent me home, I wanted to return the necklace to him, keeping in mind Jessica’s words.

“Please, no. It’s for you,” he refused. “I wouldn’t be able to wear it anyway.”

I knew it would be bad to refuse further. “Thank you then. I had an enjoyable night,” I said as he pulled up in front of my apartment.

“Me too,” he said and he came closer staring into my eyes. I knew where it was leading too and before he can reach my lips, I turned to one side. I felt a peck on my cheeks instead.

I hastily reach for the handle of the door and got out. I bowed and waved goodbye to him. He had a slight disappointed look on his face but it’s for the better. At how things were going now, I cannot afford another misunderstanding.

As I opened the door (which was unlocked by the way. What were the both of them thinking?), I wondered if he was still around. He was, as his shoes were arranged at the entrance. But there was no sight of him in the living room or Hiro’s room. Hiro was sleeping soundly in his bed. I planted a kiss on his forehead. He shifted a little but didn’t wake up.

I wondered where he was. Then I heard a soft snore from my room and there he was, on my bed, snuggling on one of my pillows. I thought he was a pervert when I saw him sleeping on my bed. Of all places, my bed! He could fall asleep on the sofa, for all I care!

I got on the bed and tried to wake him up. He opened his eyes for a while but he grabbed me around my waist and snuggled onto my lap. I wanted to kick him off but his head was weighing my legs down. And the way he was snuggling was a tad embarrassing!

Then he said one word which allowed him to continue sleeping.

“Okaeri.”

“Tadaima,” I wished him back.