BOSSES
on Wednesday Cora has made
Shōnan Gray plans
to ring the big bronze bell
at the Dragon’s Mouth Temple
for Shōnan Gray rings the bell
but I tell her that our plans
have been revised:
we’re going to Daiki’s
so we’ll take pictures
somewhere near his house
Cora has a fit about this
and says she’s the CEO and
screams you’re not the boss of me!
as we get on our bikes
when we stop for a car to pass
I tell her that maybe I’m not the boss of her
but as director of photography
I control the photo shoots
and she huffs
and rides off
pedaling like a lunatic
ahead of me
I shout at her to stop
and try to overtake her
but then I slow down and just follow
when I realize she’s actually
riding the route to Daiki’s
Daiki is waiting by the tracks
and he carries Cora’s bike across
leads us into the garden
and closes the gate
why’s it always so quiet here?
do you live alone? Cora asks
looking around the yard and entry
don’t you have a family?
Cora! I warn, but Daiki answers
my grandfather and father are working
my sister’s married, my mother’s dead
and my brother’s sick—
he’s at a hospital
Cora stands still, mouth gaping
sick? I ask
like cancer or something?
and now Cora warns—Jason!
but Daiki says
no, mentally sick
and I think of what Yōhei said
in the kitchen Daiki makes us tea
and gives us each
a big hard rice cracker
the thick noisy kind that
take time to crunch on
finally when we are all
cracker quiet he says so …
why I called you here—
I need to learn English
since my grandfather
wants to send me to Hawaii
to go to a school there
and stay with some relative
Hawaii! Cora says
I’m studying online he says
but I have to reach the test level
for that school, so I need a tutor
but now there’s no money
so anyway, do you have time?
I’m surprised
thinking this over
and Cora’s kicking me
under the table
glaring at me
meaning say yes!
but I’m thinking of the business model
and how you shouldn’t give away
services for free so I say
maybe we could trade
maybe you could help us
with our business
so Cora explains Shōnan Gray
and I say that I think it’s dumb
but we need to think of places to take Gray
scenic places
historic sites
and local specialties for Gray to try
Daiki thinks that dumb or not
Gray stuff really could sell
and he reminds us that behind his house
is the famous ancient temple
where, in 1185, warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune
wrote his really famous letter
to his brother the ruler, Minamoto no Yoritomo
begging him to allow him back into
Kamakura City, or so the legend goes
hey! we could put a pencil
in the squirrel’s paw I say
and pose it with some paper for
Shōnan Gray writes a letter
and I can’t believe
I’m saying this
Daiki gets a pencil and paper
and we head for that temple
famous for that letter
that didn’t work because the ruler Yoritomo
never did let his brother back into the capital
but instead sent him away
turned against him, and sent retainers
to bring back his head
and Daiki is telling us this story
and how the head was identified
right in this neighborhood
and Cora is all grossed out
especially when Daiki’s saying
the head was so decomposed
that in fact they still don’t know for sure
if it was Yoshitsune’s or not and who knows
maybe he escaped to Mongolia
and became Genghis Khan
but as we’re talking and walking
along the short bit of road
between the turn in the streetcar tracks
and the entrance to the temple
we run into Shunta and Gō
Shunta’s on his racing bike
which is really amazing
with all the painted lightning bolts
and thin stripes and details
some of which I think are new—
tongues of flame
running up and wrapping around
the forks
Gō is on a rusted mountain bike
and I’m thinking how maybe I could
turn the energy, avert a scene here
by complimenting Shunta
suggesting he paint Gō’s bike
but they’re laughing
exaggerated and loud
just from seeing Daiki
with us
there are comments
I don’t quite get
but get well enough
about crazies and hospitals
Daiki’s hands
turn to fists
we keep walking
and I decide this isn’t the time
to talk of painting bikes
because when we turn
uphill to the temple approach
Shunta and Gō still follow
we wander near the bronze bell
the one we ring at New Year’s
and we linger by the cave mouth
then stand near the main hall
but Shunta and Gō shadow us
whichever way we turn
Cora keeps Gray in her backpack
I keep Mom’s camera in my pocket
Daiki hides the pencil and paper
and none of us says a word
they follow us even when we leave the temple
without having taken a single picture of Gray
by Daiki’s house Cora and I get our bikes
and with no more words between us
not even confirming the day
for studying English
Daiki goes into his garden
and locks the gate behind him
Cora and I ride off
and when we lose Shunta and Gō
we ride to the futon shop
pool our allowance
and buy a heap
of dagashi candies
that we eat at home—
tiny squares of colored mochi
morocco yogurt
coated chocolates in a circle
and mini colas
I try to distract Cora between bites
make her say her times table
in English and Japanese
but she keeps saying I hate those boys!
I hate them—why do they get to be
the bosses of everyone?