Chapter 11
That Saturday morning, Naoyuki sits at the living room coffee table with a box of beads and a roll of clear thread, the teddy bear that Haruko had given him at his side. He pulls round, crystal-like beads from the box one after another – a purple, a blue, a turquoise – in a pattern and sets them out on the table, then smiles with satisfaction. Mama’s favorite colors, he thinks.
The doorbell rings and summons Shizuyo to the door. “Naoyuki, your friends are here to see you!” Shizuyo calls. Naoyuki glances over the back of the couch and watches her come into the living room with Kotaro and Haruko in tow.
“Hi, Naoyuki!” Haruko greets him. “It’s good to see you’re feeling better.” Naoyuki smiles back at his friends.
“You’ve been absent a while now,” Kotaro says as he and Haruko come around to the other side of the couch, “so we brought some of your absent work with us.” He puts a folder full of papers down on the table next to Naoyuki’s bead set. “What’s this?” he asks. “You make jewelry?” Naoyuki’s face flushes with embarrassment.
“That’s really nice, Naoyuki,” Haruko compliments him. “You’re good at beading.” Naoyuki bows slightly in thanks.
Haruko glances at Naoyuki’s get-well present. “I see you like your gift,” she comments with a smile. “I’m glad.” Naoyuki smiles back at her, blushing bashfully. “We miss seeing you at school,” Haruko tells him. “Are you coming back soon?” Naoyuki nods in answer, still grinning. I’m glad to see him in such a good mood, Haruko thinks. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen him smile like this.
“We should probably be going,” Kotaro says. “We told our folks we weren’t planning on staying long.” Haruko follows him back toward the door. “See you soon,” Kotaro calls as they slip their shoes back on. Naoyuki waves goodbye as his friends step out.
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“Our parents agreed to see you tomorrow afternoon,” Kazunori had told Shizuyo and Naoyuki. “You guys can pick up the directions then and head over to see the Kondos.” On Sunday morning, Naoyuki finished his mother’s bracelet and tucked it in the pocket of his jacket along with the photograph of him and his parents. He was completely ready for his long-awaited reunion with his parents.
Shizuyo and Naoyuki arrive at the Seidos’ house in the early afternoon, so excited they could barely keep from fidgeting. Shizuyo rings the doorbell; a slim woman with shoulder-length light brown hair pulls it open and invites them in. “Hello, hello,” Mrs. Seido greets them. “Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
Kazunori and Mizue are already waiting for them when Shizuyo and Naoyuki step in, kick off their shoes, and take a seat on the couch in the center of the living room. “Good to see you could make it,” Kazu says. “How are you doing?”
“Well, thank you,” Shizuyo replies. “Naoyuki’s doing better too.”
“Would you both like something to drink?” Mrs. Seido asks.
“Yes, please,” Shizuyo replies.
“Tea for you? And for him?”
“Naoyuki likes hot chocolate,” Shizuyo answers. Mrs. Seido turns the corner and strides into the kitchen. “Thank you!” Shizuyo calls after her.
Naoyuki thumbs the bracelet in his pocket and pulls it out. As he is looking it over, Mr. Seido, a heavyset man with dark hair and green eyes, steps into the room and takes a seat on a second couch across from him and Shizuyo. Mr. Seido glowers at Naoyuki as they sit and wait for Mrs. Seido to come back into the room.
“Naoyuki, you bead?” Mizue inquires. She leans in closer to get a look at Naoyuki’s handiwork. “Wow, I like it a lot,” she comments. “Can you make me one? Hang on, I’ll go get my set.” Mizue takes for the stairs and disappears up the incline.
“Is that for your mom?” Kazunori asks Naoyuki. Naoyuki nods. “It’s beautiful,” Kazu comments. “I think she’ll like it.”
Mizue comes stomping back down the stairs with a set of beads in her hands. She rushes into the living room and sets the box down on the table in front of Naoyuki. “Here you go,” she says. Mizue watches as Naoyuki opens up the box and pulls out the thread. She picks out her favorite color beads and Naoyuki gets to work on her bracelet.
Only a few moments later, Mrs. Seido returns to the living room with a cup of tea and a cup of cocoa. She hands the tea to Shizuyo and sets the cup of cocoa out on the table in front of Naoyuki. “Thank you,” Shizuyo says. Mrs. Seido takes a seat next to her husband.
Shizuyo sips her tea and hands Naoyuki his cup of cocoa. After a period of silence, she says, “We want to thank you for giving us Aya’s information. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to get in contact with her, and we’re really looking forward to seeing her and Hiroto again.”
“That’s just the problem,” Mr. Seido grumbles.
“I beg your pardon?” Shizuyo asks.
Mr. Seido stares across the table at Naoyuki. “I want the phone number and address back,” Naoyuki’s uncle says gruffly.
“What?” Shizuyo cries. “I don’t understand – ”
“You can’t see them,” Mr. Seido says. Naoyuki freezes as he is bringing the cup of cocoa up to his lips.
“Dad!” Kazunori cries. “You gave them the information already! I thought this was okay with – !”
“Your sister snuck behind my back and got it from your mother,” Mr. Seido snaps. “I had no knowledge of this at all, nor was I pleased to hear of this visit!”
“In any case, I already wrote Aya to tell her that we were coming,” Shizuyo insists. “We need directions to where she and her husband are staying.”
“You can’t see them,” Mr. Seido repeats.
“Why not?” Shizuyo shoots back.
“They don’t want to see you!” Mr. Seido shouts.
“Ridiculous!”
“Is it really so ridiculous? They’ve heard about their son’s behavior – not only I, but also one of Hiroto’s sisters have told them what their son has become.”
“What he’s ‘become’?!” Shizuyo cries. “No matter ‘what he’s become,’ Naoyuki is still their son! Aya and Hiroto would want to see him!”
“How could they possibly be proud of a sickly mute who has the intelligence and the manners of a toddler?” Naoyuki’s uncle yells as he jumps up from the couch. “Everyone is ashamed of him, and I don’t blame them! Nobody wants an imbecile who can’t do anything on his own and who throws tantrums when he doesn’t get his way!”
“You don’t know Naoyuki at all!” Shizuyo yells, bolting up from her seat.
“The bottom line is that Aya and Hiroto don’t want him anymore! Why else would they not return home after three whole years and buy a new house nearly four cities away?”
“You LIE!”
“THEY DON’T WANT HIM ANYMORE!” Mr. Seido’s fist slams down on the table so hard that Naoyuki’s half-done bracelet falls over the edge. Stunned, Naoyuki drops the cup of cocoa; the hot liquid spills all over his legs on its way to the floor. His uncle glares at him. “CLEAN UP THAT MESS!” he screams. “CLEAN IT UP BEFORE IT STAINS MY CARPET! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!!”
“Naoyuki, are you okay?!” Shizuyo cries.
Naoyuki’s uncle stomps over to him and again screams, “I SAID, CLEAN UP THIS MESS!” as he hauls him out of the chair by his arm. Naoyuki yelps, his eyes watering over.
“LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!” Shizuyo screams. “CAN’T YOU SEE YOU’RE HURTING HIM?! Mr. Seido releases his arm, and she rushes to his side. “Are you okay?”
Naoyuki shoves her helping hands aside, then gets to his feet and bolts for the door.
“I WANT THAT PAPER!” Mr. Seido yells after him. “DON’T YOU DARE STEP FOOT OUT OF THIS HOUSE UNTIL I HAVE IT!”
“We don’t have the address with us,” Shizuyo yells, “so you just leave him be!” She hears the door slam, and when she looks back, Naoyuki has disappeared outside. Shizuyo rushes off to follow him with Kazunori at her heels.
“Naoyuki!” Shizuyo calls as she rushes out of the house and down the driveway to her car; Naoyuki is already waiting beside it. “Are you all right, Naoyuki?” Shizuyo asks gently. He gives her a half-hearted nod, but doesn’t even look her in the eyes.
Shizuyo sighs. She pulls out her car keys and unlocks the doors. Naoyuki climbs in the car. As he is about to pull the door shut, Kazunori stops him and pokes his head in. “Naoyuki,... I – ”
Naoyuki whirls around to face him with hot tears in his eyes and angrily pushes Kazunori out of the car. “YOU MADE ME TRUST YOU!” he cries. Taken aback, Kazunori can’t bring himself to speak and stands dumbfounded a few feet from the car. Naoyuki slams the car door shut, and the car slowly backs up and drives away.
