Chapter 17
“For the last time, he isn’t here,” Shizuyo tells the man from the boys’ home. “I’ve looked all over for him and couldn’t find him, so I’ve called to report him missing.” She frowns as her thoughts linger on Naoyuki. Where on earth did you go...? she wonders.
The man heaves a sigh. “Very well,” he says. “We’ll be checking up in case he turns up any time soon.” He strides off to his car and jumps in the driver’s seat; a moment later, his car disappears down the street.
Naoyuki saw the car in the driveway and hid nearby, listening. So they’re going to come back, he thinks as he slips away from the house. If Shizuyo-sensei comes with me now, and they find out, she’ll be in trouble. He frowns. Even though I promised not to,..I have to go by myself. He starts off again through the freshly-fallen snow.
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The sunlight soon fades, and the street lights begin to flicker to life. Naoyuki’s stomach growls as he hugs himself for warmth. He glances around at the houses – the neighborhood looks familiar for some reason; but he knows he is far from home. His stomach growls again, even louder. He drags his feet through the snow. I should’ve brought food from Kazu’s house. His legs suddenly buckle underneath him, and he falls onto the hard sidewalk, cushioned by the layer of cold snow. So tired... Naoyuki’s eyes ease shut, and he passes out in the snow.
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“Haruko, put your dishes in the sink,” Mrs. Miyai calls to her daughter.
“Okay, Mommy!” Haruko turns back toward the table and carries her plate and silverware to the kitchen sink. She starts back toward her room when she sees her mother staring out the window. “What’cha looking at?” she asks.
Her mother moves the curtains aside and murmurs, “What on earth is going on out there?”
“What is it?” Haruko asks again, approaching the window to take a look for herself. There is a crowd gathering out on the sidewalk near one of the street lights. What they were looking at, it was impossible to tell. “Are they going to picket or something?”
“No, Haruko, I don’t think they’re picketing,” her mother replies with a chuckle, though she still looks concerned. “Honey,” she calls her husband, “something’s going on outside. Can you go and find out what it is?”
Her husband goes to the front door and puts on his coat, shoes, and hat. “Sure thing,” he replies. He steps out of the door and cautiously makes his way toward the murmuring crowd. There are so many people, he can’t see what they are gathering around; so he starts to maneuver past people to get to the front of the mass. A man in the center of the crowd is prodding at something lying on the ground.
“This kid won’t wake up,” he says. “Somebody go call emergency.”
Once Mr. Miyai gets to a place where he can see, he recognizes the boy right away and gets down on his knees next to him. “This is my daughter’s classmate!” he exclaims.
“Oh, you know him? Is there someone we can contact?” the man asks. Naoyuki finally begins to stir. “Oh, he’s waking up! He’s okay!” the man calls to the other adults huddled around. “You wanna take him?” he asks Mr. Miyai.
Mr. Miyai nods. He picks up Naoyuki and carries him into his house. His wife and Haruko meet him at the door.
“Naoyuki!” Haruko exclaims.
“He apparently collapsed outside,” her father explains. “It’s no wonder – wandering around in the cold with no coat or hat.”
“What is he doing here?” Mrs. Miyai asks.
“I don’t know,” her husband replies. “We need to get him warm. Call his caretaker, okay?” Mr. Miyai takes Naoyuki and bundles him up in a blanket as Haruko tags along behind him. “Haruko, go set up a futon in your room so he can rest up.”
“Okay!” Haruko hurries off to the closet and digs out a futon, then drags it into her room and sets it up. Her father carries Naoyuki in a moment later and lays him down on the futon. “Daddy, can Naoyuki spend the night here?” Haruko asks.
“I suppose he could. It depends on what his caretaker says,” Mr. Miyai answers. “Let him rest now.”
Shortly after Mr. Miyai leaves the room, Naoyuki wakes up. “Oh, you’re up!” Haruko cries. “Are you okay?”
Puzzled, Naoyuki glances around at his surroundings, then stares back at Haruko.
“You’re at our house,” Haruko tells him. “Daddy found you sleeping outside.” Haruko sees how wet Naoyuki’s jacket is and says, “You should take that off, or you’ll catch a cold. What are you doing all the way out here by yourself, anyway?”
Naoyuki takes his photo, the map, and the bracelet he’d made for his mother out of his jacket pocket and sets them on the floor before Haruko, then pulls his teddy bear out of his hood and takes his jacket off.
When Haruko sees the bear, she smiles. “You brought it with you! You must really like that bear, huh?” Naoyuki smiles bashfully in reply.
Haruko picks up his photo and takes a good look at it. “Naoyuki,...is this you and your mom and dad?” Naoyuki nods. Haruko flips the picture over and sees the address taped to the back. “You’re going to go find them, aren’t you?” she asks. Naoyuki nods again. “Then why isn’t Miss Shizuyo with you?” Naoyuki frowns. “Did you get in a fight or something?” Haruko inquires. Naoyuki shakes his head ‘no’. Haruko frowns, but says nothing more on the subject.
“You must be hungry. Want something to eat?” She gets up, and Naoyuki follows her into the kitchen, where Haruko’s mother is still at work cleaning up. “Mommy, can Naoyuki have something to eat?”
“Oh, of course!” her mother says. “We have some leftovers from dinner,” she tells Naoyuki as she pulls a bowl of food from the refrigerator and puts it in the microwave. “It’ll be ready in a minute.”
Naoyuki and Haruko sit down at the table as Mrs. Miyai sets out a plate and silverware for Naoyuki. Only seconds later, the food is ready, and Naoyuki digs in. “Is it good?” Haruko asks. Naoyuki nods, and Haruko smiles in return.
“Oh! Mommy, can Naoyuki spend the night? Did Miss Shizuyo say?” Haruko asks.
“Ms. Matsuda said she could come pick him up in the morning,” her mother replies.
“Yay!” Haruko cheers.
Naoyuki shoots Haruko a questioning glance, but she doesn’t seem to notice. That means..I gotta leave before she comes to get me, he thinks.
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The next morning, Naoyuki quickly and quietly gathers his belongings, then sneaks out of Haruko’s room and hurries toward the front door. As he is fumbling with the locks, he hears footsteps approaching; Haruko had followed him there. “Naoyuki, what are you doing?” Haruko asks, tiredly rubbing her eyes. “Miss Shizuyo will be coming to pick you up soon.” Naoyuki shakes his head. “Yes, she is,” Haruko tells him. “Don’t you want her to take you to see your mom and dad?” Naoyuki shakes his head again. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”
Naoyuki starts signing to Haruko, but she doesn’t understand, and Naoyuki can’t think up a way to put his words into pictures for her.
“You want to go see your mom and dad, right?” Haruko asks. Naoyuki nods in reply. “That’s why you came all the way out here, right?” Naoyuki nods again. “Then what’s the problem? Why don’t you want Miss Shizuyo with you?” Haruko inquires. Naoyuki frowns and bites his lip. “Naoyuki, are you in some kind of trouble?” Haruko asks. “If you are, I want to know. I can tell my parents – ”
“She can’t,” Naoyuki says softly.
Shocked, Haruko draws back for a minute. “W-What did you..say?” she stammers.
Naoyuki’s face turns deep red. He shakes his head and says, “She can’t come get me. She’ll get in trouble...”
I can’t believe he’s actually talking to me, Haruko thinks. Then she finally takes in what he just said. “Wait, what do you mean, ‘she’ll get in trouble’? Naoyuki, what’s going on?”
Naoyuki gulps and stammers, “My..My uncle...wi– He said...”
This is really painful for him, Haruko realizes as she watches him start trembling and curling up. “Okay,” Haruko says. “Maybe we should grab something to eat. Then..we’ll go.”
Naoyuki looks up at her questioningly. Did she say “we”?
“Well I can’t let you go by yourself,” Haruko says with a smile. “I won’t ask any more about whatever’s going on with Miss Shizuyo or your uncle unless you want to tell me. I promise.” I guess whatever’s going on is a big family mess, she concludes. It’s not really my business, so I shouldn’t butt in.
Haruko goes into her refrigerator and gathers some fruits, then grabs some small snacks from her cabinets, and stuffs all the food into a big lunch box. I should write a note so Mommy and Daddy don’t get worried. She rummages through a drawer for a scrap of paper and a pen, then writes a short note. “Okay, let’s go.” Haruko opens the closet in the foyer and pulls out the coat that Naoyuki had left when he came over to practice the play for class. Naoyuki puts it on at her behest, and the two of them start out.
