2011年03月20日
広島 Hiroshima
広島 Hiroshima
After parting ways with Ayako and Okaasan, I head inside Hiroshima Station trying to find my way to the other side of the station so I can catch the trolley. As I walk through the complex infuriated by what had just happened, I randomly find an Obaasan waving at me. I take off my head phones and say Konichiwa. We begin to talk in Japanese and she ask me where I am from and if I am going to go sight seeing around the city. I tell her I just came from Peace Memorial Park and she smiles and tells me a few things I could not quite catch until she switches to English and tells me “We need Peace on Earth”. I smile and my anger immediately wares off. She begins to tell me that her mother was a Hiroshima bomb survivor...HOLY SHIT! I am talking to the daughter of a woman who had survived 40,000 megatons of nuclear power decimate her hometown. As we continue our talk I am really put at ease by her smile and positive energy. She keeps it Genki (^^) Ashamed to say I did not catch her name (>_<) I apologize for America on behalf of the bombing (fuck what you non humanitarian patriots think and a bigger fuck you to you unapologetic douche bags). She then tells me one of the most beautiful things anyone could say “don’t worry about it, the only thing thats important is that we strive for peace on Earth” (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) and then gives me candy like any awesome Obaasan would ヾ(＠⌒ー⌒＠)ノ I still was debating on whether I should make a trip to Nagasaki or Kobe and then go to Kyoto but now I am convinced to stay one more day in Hiroshima. We say our goodbyes and I am off to my hostel, J-Hoppers. On the trolley I text Ayako who does not have her phone, so when she arrives in Fukuoka she will see my message telling her “I’ll swing by tomorrow to drop off your luggage and pick up my mines so I can be out of your hair”
There were two Japanese female receptionist that were multilingual and wow was I drooling when I was greeted by one of them. One of the Japanese receptionist welcomes me with an Australian accent! I love diversity (*^_^*) I try talking to her in Japanese and she is impressed by my language skills until we hit a wall in the conversation haha. It was not a lost at all because I got to hear that beautiful Australian accent again :p She had apparently lived in Australia for a few years and was speaking English better than me. I knew that sightseeing was over, so I needed a nightlife experience to not allow Hiroshima to pass me by. I asked about clubs and streets that got some kind of excitement going on at night. She gave me a few recommendations (^_-)
I check into my dorm room and search for a bed that had not been claimed. Top bunk in the corner it is. Once I am settled in, I figured it was time to get my jacket and jeans dry cleaned and hope that the blood would be cleaned off. Once I am given lovely directions by the lovely J-Hopper receptionist, I head off a few blocks and drop my gear off. A wonderful duo was working at the dry cleaners and let me know my clothing will be ready by tomorrow. I then head over to a konbini to get a new bandage. I had been wearing the same dried up bloodied bandage for the last 30 hours and it had not done much to stop the bleeding. I also buy a 300 yen umbrella because it was not looking like sunshine would be coming anytime soon. I head back to the hostel prepared to take a look at the cut for the first time since the incident. Dam! The cut looked so darn fresh. Do I really have to go to the hospital? I decide to just man up and hope time heals it up. If worse comes to worse, I’ll wait until I get back home for stitches. I put on a new bandaid and then start stretching my hand, which still has a sharp pain down the center knuckle. No more swelling though. I hit the showers and then hit the bunk bed and decide to call Rachel.
I had not spoken to her in days. Although I knew it was early morning for her, it was either now or many more days from now until we speak again. Unfortunately the reception was horrible and we could barely hear each other. I told her to get on Skype and it was smooth talking from there as well as a money saver. I used to blow hundreds on phone cards on my last trip ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆ We talk but I try not say much because suddenly most my roommates are coming in and taking their beauty naps. Didn’t want to be that guy on the phone, so I decided to switch us to chat until Ayako sends me a text about wanting to talk. I think to myself “WTF is their to talk about?”, I felt that we were at a point where I did not want to even be friends anymore, let alone talk to her. She gives me a call and I get on the phone but tell her to call me back in fifteen minutes. I needed to get more relax before we speak, otherwise I may fight fire with fire if the flame in her arises.
Ayako eventually calls me back and we start to talk about what had happened. She tells me its not me but her attitude in life that had her in such a distasteful mood. She tells me she was in a terrible mood from her ride on the shinkansen (when is she not in a crappy mood). Apparently she had shared a lot of secrets about her moving out of the house and working at a Pachinko to her cousin. Unfortunately her cousin had revealed those intentions to her mother who then told Ayako’s mom. During the ride Okaasan confronted her about those wishes. Working at a Pachinko is equivalent to being a waitress at hooters, or at least seen in the same light. I am sure that conversation did not go down well, wish it was brought up on their way back to Fukuoka.
I thought to myself “shit happens” and that's no reason to take it out on the next human being. Especially to someone who has treated her with nothing but respect. I believe 70% of life is how you react to it, maybe higher. She then begins to tell me her issue with me (♯｀∧´) She told that she had wanted to stay in Osaka with me but because I didn’t support her emotionally, she decided to leave and was angry with me because of that. My perspective was that if she wanted to stay she would have but I understand where she is coming from yet I do not necessarily agree with it. She has relied to much on men for emotional support, I suppose it may have come from a father complex. I don’t know much about her relationship with her father but I definitely felt the air of zero emotional comfort from him. I told her that I was not going to be another escape from reality. I am here to support her but not in a matter of making her dependent on my friendship. I am a friend with unconditional love for her and for this relationship to continue, she is going to have to toughen up and take charge. I saw her as a beautiful young Japanese woman wasting her potential on everyday bullshit.
To be honest our relationship was mainly of social get togethers and school lunch ins, but hanging out on a regular basis was probably not a good fit for her and I. I was too energetic for her to keep up, plus she was always caught up on yesterday’s regrets and tomorrow’s fears to ever really enjoy her time with me. She keeps telling me she wanted to be with me but I believe she was in denial. Bottom line: if she wanted to stay she would have stayed and been welcomed with open arms. I try letting her know all my thoughts about her and the situation while simultaneously attempting to give her the confidence she needs to display.
By the end of it, everything that needed to be said from both sides was said. We made a plan to meet tomorrow morning to make the exchange of our luggage. We said our goodbyes and I was left with the feeling of uneasiness on what to expect tomorrow morning...
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