“I didn’t mean to be a downer. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Ah, that’s okay. I was just overwhelmed by the scale of his plan, that’s all. By the way, no matter what his intentions may be, it would be considered espionage, wouldn't it? How does Bud feel about that?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“The explosive charge would only be damaging property. Bud doesn’t think that’s a big deal. To him, it’s like a game or something.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka felt a little foolish. What Kazutaka had been going through was an ordeal. Yet it was all just a game to Bud, who was a struggling sculptor, posing as an English teacher. Kazutaka resented the fact that Bud had used him as a pawn.
✦ ✦ ✦
Even though it was only a small class, Kazutaka was in charge of children. He paved the road little by little for his students to walk over. It’s a small road, but Kazutaka would never give up on it as long as there were children who needed his help.
✦ ✦ ✦
Bud didn't care about such mundane concerns. Shīno didn't care, either. They didn’t even pay attention to people like Kazutaka.
✦ ✦ ✦
Ren and Fuwa were the only people who cared about Kazutaka and were concerned about his work. Ren was still examining the handcuff key, hoping to make it work.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Fuwa-san, could you call Bud for me?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Um, why?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I’d like to speak to him. I need someone to interpret because I don’t speak English.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“He doesn’t speak Japanese but he understands it. What do you want to tell him, Kazutaka-san?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I’ll tell him directly. I know it’s hard for you to call him now, but I really need to talk to him.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Fuwa stared at Kazutaka and then took out his cell phone. With each number that Fuwa pressed, Kazutaka felt more and more nervous. Kazutaka had only met Bud for a minute. Bud also wasn’t Japanese. Kazutaka wasn’t sure if he could get across to Bud what he wanted to say. He might not be able to express it well, but Kazutaka had to get it off his chest.
✦ ✦ ✦
Fuwa held the cell phone to his ear and then nodded to Kazutaka.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Here, it’s ringing. He’ll pick up.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka took the cell phone and waited. The ringing stopped and Kazutaka heard a voice filled with irritation saying, “Hi.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Bud? This is Kazutaka. We met inside the R.V. I was the one carrying the jewelry.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Bud started laughing and said something in English Kazutaka couldn’t catch.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Sorry, but I don’t understand what you're saying. I don’t speak English. I don’t understand English when it’s spoken, either. So I’m going to tell you what I need to say. Please don’t hang up. I need you to listen to me.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Ren, with a serious look on his face, was gazing at Kazutaka. Ren had his mouth set in a straight line and was watching with a grim stare.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Bud, I won’t tell anyone about what happened. The fact that I was kidnapped, the fact you were planning to sell the jewelry, and the fact you were going to destroy a government facility with the funds generated from the jewelry sale... I’ll take all that to my grave.”
✦ ✦ ✦
After a short silence, Kazutaka heard him say, “Thanks.” “I want you to make up for your actions. You know, make amends. Do you understand?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Yes, but for what?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You don’t need to give me anything. I don’t need words or money. I just need action, Bud. I would like you to visit my class and meet my students. I’m not asking you to teach them English. I’ve been absent for a few days because of this ordeal. I would like you to spend the same amount of time with my students. They needed me, so I would like to make up for the lost time that we would have shared together. Please. Come see the children, give the lost hours back to them.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Bud didn’t reply right away. Maybe he didn’t quite understand what Kazutaka was trying to say. “I’ll hand the phone back to Fuwa-san. You can give him your answer.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka returned the phone to Fuwa who exchanged a few words with Bud and then winked at Kazutaka.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Bud wants to know the number of children in your class.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Fifteen.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Fuwa relayed Kazutaka’s reply to Bud. Shortly after that, a slow smile spread across Fuwa's face. He ended the call, approached Kazutaka, and hugged him. “Thank you, Kazutaka-san.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Fuwa got slightly teary as he continued, “Bud said that he was coming back just as soon as he could. He will visit your workplace for the number of days you have been held in captivity multiplied by the number of your students.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Huh? I was thinking more like just for a few days or so.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Don’t worry; let him help for a few months. That’s what he’s decided to do.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Oh.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Fuwa then looked down shyly.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I've also just decided...to talk things over with Bud when he comes back.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“That’s great.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Thank you so much, Kazutaka-san. Bud is always so sure of himself that I didn’t think he’d listen to you. I didn’t think he’d apologize, either. I think Bud must have sensed something from you.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Bud might have thought that a teacher missing a few days of school wasn’t all that important. But to people like Kazutaka and his students, it meant the world. It seemed like Bud understood that much. Kazutaka was happy.
✦ ✦ ✦
The room phone rang. Ren got up and answered the call.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Hi. A package? All right. Thank you.”
✦ ✦ ✦
It sounded like the call was from the front desk.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Yuri, a package has arrived.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Ah, that must be the Kazutaka-san’s clothes. I ordered them earlier. I’ll go get it.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I can go for you.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“There are three boxes, though.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You’re going overboard again. You’ve always been like that. When you like someone, you buy a bunch of clothes for them. You've got a habit of doing that, Yuri”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Mind your own business, Ren.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Ren chuckled and stood up, leaving the handcuff key on the table. Fuwa got up from his chair, then put his cell phone in his pocket and turned to Kazutaka.
✦ ✦ ✦
“I guess I did get carried away a bit. I bought a lot of clothes for the hostage I love. I’ll go fetch them.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Um. Huh?”
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka was puzzled, since he thought Fuwa loved Bud. Kazutaka blinked in bewilderment. Fuwa laughed mischievously and gave him a slight wave as he and Ren left the room.
✦ ✦ ✦
This was the second time Kazutaka had been left all alone since his captivity. He raised his free right hand and stretched.
✦ ✦ ✦
Ren had wrapped Kazutaka’s left wrist on the ferry. With the heavy attaché case and handcuffs rubbing against it, his wrist had many scratches and scrapes. Ren had put the bandage on in silence, but Kazutaka appreciated Ren’s kindness.
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka picked up the sensor key for the handcuffs. He pressed the on switch. There was a tiny beep and the LCD display said “Locked.” Kazutaka pressed where it said “Enter,” and the display said “Open.” He pressed “Enter” again. Now the display began to flash “Error.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“I suppose it really has to be Shīno.”
✦ ✦ ✦
But Shīno was in Hong Kong. Now that the Teardrop of the Nile had been exposed as a fake, Shīno would no doubt return soon. Ren had said that he’d cut the chain at his factory, but Kazutaka still needed Shīno in order to remove the cuff from his wrist.
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka thought that his greatest weakness was that he was a pushover. He made up his mind to never cooperate with anything like this again, no matter what.
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka had agreed to help Shīno this time. Looking back, it would have been more natural for Shīno to carry the attaché case while Kazutaka held onto the key. Kazutaka felt responsible for making such a foolish commitment.
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka wondered what had gone through Shīno’s mind when he'd handcuffed Kazutaka. Shīno must have known that the attaché case was likely to get stolen, putting Kazutaka in danger. Yet he’d locked the handcuffs anyway. Kazutaka had ended up kidnapped but Shīno didn’t tell the police anything at all. The driver of the security company had kept his mouth shut as well.
✦ ✦ ✦
Shīno had taken advantage of Kazutaka thinking that he wouldn't complain. Shīno had also known that Kazutaka wouldn’t get mad about it. Just as Shīno had guessed, Kazutaka wasn’t mad or anything. He only felt a great sadness that the trust and friendship he'd thought they shared was now gone.
✦ ✦ ✦
Trust is not a tangible thing. One can’t see or touch it. It’s fragile and hard to grow, kind of like developing an adolescent. Kazutaka treasured both adolescents and trust.
✦ ✦ ✦
The first thing Kazutaka tried to do with a new student was to build trust. He had to make sure the children were not intimidated or scared when Kazutaka was with them. “Don’t be scared” are mere words, which won’t help open their hearts. Opening their hearts is always the first step, one which would lead Kazutaka onto the long stairway of real trust. Kazutaka has to climb the stairs one by one in order to build their sense of trust. Kazutaka’s job was based on trust.
✦ ✦ ✦
Kazutaka wondered if Shīno trusted him. Maybe Shīno had just used him. Kazutaka would have to wait until he got the chance to talk to Shīno face to face to find out the answer to that. As he placed the key back onto the table, the doorbell rang.