SANDAL
on our bicycles
we follow the noise
and all at once
we smell
then see
black smoke
rising
where the fire trucks turn
where the lane meets the river
we stop because upriver a rooftop burns
flames leaping
clawing, snapping
at neighboring homes
fire and rescue trucks
ambulances, police cars
cram every bit of road
or driveway or bridge
and jets of water
stream from hoses
then
sugei nā—cool!
says a voice I know too well
Shunta Mori
who rules han six
straddling his bike, his pride
all hand-painted with
lightning bolts and stripes
Yuki’s uncle’s house is right
behind the fish shop Shunta says
Yuki
who knocks me on the head
when I give the wrong answer
in class
does she live there? I say
no, idiot, I said it’s her uncle’s house
I don’t bother to argue
I don’t bother to say
that Yōhei lives with his parents
and grandparents
that Shō’s aunt lives with his family
because what I have learned
in one week with han six is that
Shunta is always right
let’s go closer Shunta says
no, it’s too dangerous I say
then immediately regret it
because as usual my words
don’t come out quite right
what I wanted to say was
we’d be in the way
wind could spread this fire fast
we have a good view where we are now
but in Japanese
my words always sound
too slow
too formal
too adult
or too young
for once Shunta
gives me a break and
just watches the flames
darting in all directions
then he shouts
the next one’s burning, too!
and it is
ash and embers fill the air
people pass buckets
from the river to houses
others point hoses
to douse sheds and fences
rooftops and trees
the wind whips—
spray and smoke
sting our eyes
and I’m thinking
what to say to Shunta
so we can just leave
but then a voice says
bōya! oi, bōya!—
boy! hey, boy!
and an old man shuffles over
one hand on a cane
the other clutching
something under his arm
Shunta glares at him
turns back to the fire
the man comes closer
with his eyes on mine
he speaks but
sirens
people’s cries
Cora’s whines
blasts from hoses
the roar of the wind
take the man’s words and
send
them
sailing
the man shuffles closer
mumbles something
and nudges my arm
with a plastic … garden sandal?
Shunta jerks his head
let’s go! come on!
as if I’m supposed to
follow, pronto
I don’t, and when the man
sandal-taps my arm again
Shunta leans over
bats it down, and says
get away with that filthy thing!
the man catches it
stumbles backward
tucks it under his arm
and moves away
then we all turn to watch the fire
hear the house groan
and see one side collapse
in huge billows of smoke
but Cora slides closer to me
signaling with her eyes
toward the mumbling man
so I shift toward him
he totters toward me, and I hear
police … fire …
and this time I accept the sandal
baka—jerk! Shunta says
mounts his bike, spits
and rides off a ways
I ignore him
bend toward the man and say
something to do with the fire?
a guy … running the old man says
and now I catch scraps of sentences—
motorbike … house … front … this dropped
where? Cora says
yellow house …
he slurs and waves toward
a distant two-story house
Shunta returns
yanks my arm
let’s go! he says now!
so I hook the sandal
over my handlebar
nod at the man
and to Cora
say come on!
then follow Shunta
wait, J!
I hear
but I don’t turn
because with Shunta
I have to pretend
I just don’t care
Shunta leads us downriver
across a bridge and up the other bank
to a small park of tilted pine trees
from where across the water we see
smoking beams and rubble
charred dressers
and scraps of drenched clothing
like street litter after rain
a few flames flicker and leap
onto an adjacent roof
then the fire is doused leaving
only rising steam and smoke
we hear crying
see a cluster of people
gathered around a woman weeping
and a man covering his face
Yuki’s mother and her uncle Shunta says
then swears and spits
her uncle’s whole house—just gone
Cora touches the sandal
gives me a sly look
and I nod, barely
so Shunta can’t see
and say we have to go
Shunta sneers
you taking that sandal?
that man’s a fool!
and lets go a torrent of words
that makes Cora’s eyes bulge
I duck when Shunta tries
a parting punch
that only barely
grazes my arm because
I move but hold
my center