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I’d landed in Japan. This was it. Adventure time. I got through the airport quickly and looked for my driver. Someone held up a sign with my name on it so I gave him a little wave. He walked over and took my case then strode out of the airport. I rushed to keep in step with him. If I lost him, I’d never find my way around. I’d have liked to have stopped at one of those kiosks to buy a drink since my throat was parched from the flight, but that driver didn’t slow his pace. Some food would be great too. You had to pay for meals on my flight and the prices they charged were criminal so I’d only eaten some candy I had in the bottom of my bag. I hadn’t had a decent meal since dinner with my uni friends before heading to the airport.
We got to the car. I’d been expecting a fancy stretch limo but this was just like a nice car. Nothing too luxurious.
The driver opened the door for me then put my case in the back.
Hell, the seat backs were covered with lacy doilies. I took a selfie making sure the doilies could be clearly seen. Then the driver got in and handed me an envelope.
I’d assumed we’d go straight to see Yamaguchi but the instructions in the envelope said he’d arrange a meeting later. In the meantime, he’d given me the keys to my apartment and told me I had to meet with my team tomorrow.
My team? What the hell? I had no team.
I knocked on the Plexiglas screen around the driver.
“What’s this about a team?” I asked.
The driver didn’t answer. Maybe he didn’t speak English. He hadn’t spoken one word since he’d picked me up. I reread the paper. It definitely said I had to meet with a team. Maybe Yamaguchi had put a team together to help find this stone. He must be taking it seriously.
I got out my phone to message Mum about it but I had no Wi-Fi. Damn it. My phone plan didn’t include international roaming either since I figured I’d never need it. I guess I’d have to just suffer through the ride to my apartment and pick up a SIM card somewhere.
I had no idea how long it’d take to get from the airport but all around me looked like farms. Definitely not the image I had of Tokyo. My stomach rumbled but I ignored it. All my candy was long gone. Maybe I should’ve coughed up the cash for those overpriced sandwiches on the flight.
I took off my cardigan and balled it up as a pillow. If I couldn’t eat, I’d get some shuteye. I hadn’t slept all night on the flight. There’d been some idiot in the window seat beside me and every time I started dozing off, he’d yell out to his friend two rows back. I’d asked him if he wanted me to change seats with his friend but he’d said he was all right. So, I’d told him if that was the case, to shut up and let me sleep. He’d scowled at me then seemed to elbow me in the ribs every five minutes.
I didn’t really sleep on the ride but seemed to drift between dozing and not dozing. After a while, we hit the city edges. The greenery outside changed to gray concrete with bursts of neon lights flashing even in the daytime. I tried to take it all in but the scenery flashed by so fast.
Eventually the car pulled up. It seemed like we’d been driving forever. The driver opened my door and got my case out. I tried to judge what this apartment would be like from the outside. The concrete two-story building had red doors that opened out onto an open walkway with stairs at each end of the building. It wasn’t a luxury apartment but it didn’t look too shabby either, just boxy and gray.
The driver took my case up the stairs. I followed him, getting the apartment key out of the envelope. It seemed like no one else was home, the building was so quiet. The only noise breaking the silence was the caw of crows flying around.
I opened the door and walked inside. The driver pointed at my shoes then indicated slippers sitting in a rack. Ah, I had to take my shoes off. I struggled with the zipper on my boots, my body all stiff and out of shape from the flight. Standing on one leg made me unsteady and off balance so that I banged into the wall. The driver didn’t say anything, didn’t even change expression, but I got the feeling he thought I was a huge heffalump.
The apartment wasn’t huge. From the entryway there was a little kitchen area on one side and a doorway on the other. I opened it to find a very compact bathroom. The kitchen was just as compact. Fridge, microwave, sink, all the basics but the space was so small. It might be okay for heating up meals but I couldn’t imagine preparing any kind of meal there. There was absolutely no counter space.
Who was I kidding? I hadn’t prepared a meal in the last six months. Even if I had a full kitchen, I’d only use the microwave.
From there, the place opened up to one big room with a TV in the corner and sliding glass doors that led out to a balcony.
Where was the bedroom? There was no bed in this whole apartment. Huh? I couldn’t imagine furnishing an apartment and forgetting the bed. I did a double take in case I’d missed a door somewhere.
The driver opened a big cupboard, as though answering my question. A heap of bedding filled most of the space.
A futon, of course.
As I grabbed the futon out and sat it on the floor, the driver chatted to someone on the phone in Japanese. So, the guy wasn’t mute.
Then he hung up, bowed and left the apartment.
I didn’t unfold the futon or other bedding but left it in a pile so I could sit on it. I needed food and I had no idea where to get it. I got out my phone to check Google maps.
Shit, I’d forgotten I had no internet. I looked through the papers in the envelope. Nothing mentioned a Wi-Fi password or anything handy like that, but there was a map to the nearest convenience store. There was also about five pages on garbage separation. Surely it couldn’t be that hard - burnables went in the burnable bin, non burnables in the other then there were a few types of recycling. No big deal.
I curled up on the mountain of bedding. I’d just shut my eyes for a minute then I’d go get food.
Only, when I opened my eyes, it was dark out. Damn it. I grabbed my phone and let out a breath of relief. Only 5 pm. It sure got dark early here.
My stomach rumbled. I got up, thinking I should shower but my stomach had other thoughts.
I grabbed that paper with the map since I didn’t have Wi-Fi to guide me. This could be a recipe for a “getting lost in a foreign country” disaster. I looked around the apartment. If I had some yarn or string, I could tie it to the front door and at least find my way back, but there was nothing like that. Instead, I grabbed my phone. I’d take photos of everything on my way then I could just view them in reverse order to get back.
Sometimes, my own smartness amazed me. Surviving without internet wasn’t so difficult. I’d just pretend I lived in the olden days.
I walked out to the street and took a photo of the drink vending machine in front of my apartment. Then I walked a little way. Yikes, another vending machine exactly the same. I turned left at the end of the street. Another damn vending machine. Were there no distinct landmarks around here?
Gray apartment blocks and vending machines didn’t make for good landmarks.
Aha, a tiny garden with a cheeky gnome ornament. I snapped a shot of it and kept walking. Another left turn and the bright lights of the convenience store shone as though to welcome me. I just hoped they had something decent to eat in that place.
I walked in and started grabbing stuff. I shouldn’t have worried. This place was a treasure trove of good eating.
There were mini frozen pizzas in the freezer. They even had a handy picture of the pizza in a microwave on the back with 5 in big letters. Five minutes in the microwave. Yeah, I could multicultural like no one’s business.
Then I got to the fridge. There was a heap of prepared meals with all kinds of little cute foods in them. Which one did I want? The one with the little wiener sausage cut to look like an octopus, of course.
Sandwiches would be a good idea in case the wiener octopuses weren’t as delicious as they looked.
I had no idea what any of the drinks were but they looked good. Well milk tea, I could read that but cold milk tea didn’t sound like something I’d drink.
I headed down the sweets aisle. Raspberry Kit Kats. I chucked a bunch in my basket. I’d take them home as souvenirs for everyone.
Then I got to the counter and in the food heater, they had these super yummy looking chicken things. I held up two fingers. One tiny box would not be near enough.
Wow, who’d have ever thunk a convenience store could be so convenient? And I hadn’t even had a chance to check out the cosmetics or the stationery or the other cool stuff. I’d come back tomorrow for that. There was so much stuff that I absolutely needed.
I got out the envelope Dad gave me and handed over a bunch of notes.
Finding my way back to the apartment wasn’t as difficult as I’d thought but when I got back, I realized I hadn’t asked about SIM cards. Not to worry. I’d sort that out later.
I ate the bento and the sandwiches then reached for the Kit Kats. Food was the best. All this not eating didn’t agree with me.
Then I looked around. Empty containers and Kit Kat wrappers surrounded me. Had I eaten them all? I’d have to go back for more tomorrow.
I put my phone on the charger then set my alarm so I’d make the meeting tomorrow.
With a full belly and after all the traveling, I’d be lucky to wake up in time otherwise.
I didn’t need to worry though. At 4.20 am, as the sun rose, the cacophony of crows outside my window woke me up.