CHAPTER 2
ONCE IN A LIFETIME ENCOUNTER
The early April weather was mild in Japan. The cool breeze was especially soothing to mind and body.
Sayuri pulled her over coat around her.
She stood at the airport entrance, watching the raindrops hit the concrete and creating tiny splashes.
It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon and she was waiting for her cousin brother who said would pick her up from the airport.
She had called him ten times already and for each time the other side was said to be busy. By the time she made the eleventh call it said that the phone was switched off.
Wow! Sayuri smiled. What a good luck I have!
Sayuri put her phone back in her side bag. She walked to the corner in front of the glass door, with her pink suitcase.
Lofty buildings stood one after the other, shopping malls and multi-storey buildings stood facing each other another. This is Tokyo, one of the busiest city around the world.
And the sky dressed in an expanse of black clouds. Black is her favorite color.
It was fortunate that she had brought a pocket umbrella along with her. She took it out from her pink suitcase and braved out to face the rain.
She painstakingly managed to haul a taxi. But on informing the taxi driver where she wanted to go, the driver said that she has to take a subway to reach there because due to some problem the road service to Nakameguro had currently stopped.
The driver informed the direction to the subway and also told Sayuri how to reach her destination.
Sayuri thanked the taxi driver and started walking towards the direction told by him. A nice person in this rotten world that's what Sayuri thought.
It was almost ten years ago when she had come here because of her grandmother's funeral. She was merely a seven year old girl back then.
After taking the train, she arrived at Nakameguro. She took a taxi from there as it was still raining.
It's a fancy neighborhood which was not as busy as compared to the other towns. But it has a charm of its own with Meguro River flowing alongside the town.
The rain stopped halfway through the drive and the air was mixed with the moist scent of soil.
Thinking the she had to face that cousin and some other annoying people, Sayuri sighed. She was already tired thinking about it.
"Uncle, can you drop me here." Sayuri said.
The driver halted the car towards the side of the road. Sayuri paid the fare and got out of the car. And the taxi drove off.
Sayuri could see the huge lake. That is the reason why she got out of the taxi.
It's still the same!
Sayuri kept her suitcase beside a wooden bench.
A bicycle passed by, making a little ding-ding sound.
It was when she reached the lake side; she slowed down her pace and enjoyed the scenery. The sakura trees by lakeside were all blossomed with pink cherry flowers, which rustled as the soft breeze blew over them.
There was no chattering or chirping of birds; instead, the clearing lay desolate and still.
Every time the wind passed by, it left behind a scent of the sakura and berries so strong that it made her nose twitch. She walked a little further.
The red sun was already halfway down the rolling hills far away.
A sudden shutter sound shocked Sayuri. She noticed a boy wearing a rain coat and he was holding a camera in his hands.
It was quite a huge camera.
The boy was walking…he was walking towards…me!
"You are getting in the way of my shot." The boy said in quite a harsh voice. "Get out of the way."
Wait Mister! No has ever treated her like that.
"Is this your land? Did you buy it?" Sayuri asked.
"What? Why are you wasting my time?" The boy almost shouted.
"You didn't. So you have no right to tell me to get out of here."
The sun has already gone down the hill.
"Shit!" The boy grumbled and started walking up towards the road.
Sayuri grinned. The boy must have been waiting to get a shot of the sunset. Well it was his fault! He was rude to me. That's what you get for being rude to me.
"Come back tomorrow to get a picture." Sayuri shouted at the boy who had already reached the top.
Sayuri smiled when the boy glared back at her.
The boy sighed and turned his face away from Sayuri. He gently kept his camera on the carrier of his bicycle before wheeling his cycle alongside the road.
Well…he could have at least told me a goodbye.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
END OF CHAPTER 2