When I arrive at the mall, I find a large sign placed next to the one Beaver had tagged earlier, which reads 16 DAYS TO GO UNTIL THE 56TH MT. ODA DARUMA FESTIVAL! The number of days is designed to be torn off and replaced, so it’ll say 15 DAYS TO GO tomorrow.
Inside, you can see signs here and there that people are prepping for the festival. The banners that hang in the stairwell are being converted to festival-related designs, and most of the stores must be in “get ready for the new season” mode because they are all setting up their own festival decorations. It is kind of a big deal around here.
When I arrive at the Central Court, I am greeted by a large banner announcing the date of the festival.
56TH MT. ODA DARUMA FESTIVAL
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
5 PM
It is on the seventeenth this year, something they announced before summer vacation began. We’d been talking about it at school, so I already knew. This banner doesn’t surprise me at all.
It’s just that…there’s something else happening that day…
“We’re doing the daruma dance again this year, so let’s all give it our best shot!”
Ms. Tanaka dances as she calls out to everyone in the room. They all respond, “Yeah!” in unison. Just like I told Mom, today is the start of rehearsals for the dance we’ll perform at the Daruma Festival. The “Daruma Ondo” song is playing on a small speaker connected to my phone. All the seniors practice the movements seated while Ms. Tanaka, who stands across from them, directs their dance moves.
Me, Nami, Akiko, and Smile (in a mask) are all in a line, dancing along to the music. Smile has grown to feel quite at home in Sunnyside, and she is joining us for today’s practice as well. I heard she invited Julie and Marie to join her, but they are busy, so Smile is the only one here today.
As we dance together—though Akiko is between us—my attention is less on the daruma choreography and more on Smile. Being together with her makes me…happy. Practicing the Daruma Ondo is fun thanks to her.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” Akiko says to Smile, dancing to her right, “but this song is so lame, isn’t it?”
“Oh, for sure. Kind of rustic, you know?”
“Daruma Ondo” is a major hit with Oda residents. In fact, we’ve been taught this song and dance since kindergarten. It’s so ingrained in everyone’s mind that we honestly don’t even need to rehearse this. I don’t know when this tune was created, but for some reason, it was composed using these cheap-sounding synths, not sounding at all like the traditional Japanese festival piece it is supposed to be.
Havin’ fun in Mt. Oda, land of the rice fields ♪
Blue sky, spinning donuts, there, there we go! ♪
The darumas dance and bounce around, look at all of ’em go ♪
Ahhh, one, two, one, two, one, two, three! ♪
Get out from the hot spring, put your yukata on ♪
Discs spin, moon shines, there, there we go! ♪
The daruma sing and party on, look at all of ’em go ♪
Ahhh, one, two, one, two, one, two, three! ♪
“What are the ‘discs’ about?” Akiko asks. “UFOs, or what?”
“Maybe Mt. Oda sees a lot of them… Ah, Nami?!”
Smile suddenly cries out, accompanied by Akiko going “Huhhh?!”
“Ohhh, I can’t take this song,” sobs Nami from next to me. “It just brings back so many memories…”
When I look at her, I see that she is crying so hard that I have no idea how to react…all while continuing her dancing. Ms. Tanaka and the old folks notice something is wrong, too, and soon, everyone stops.
“What’s going on?” Smile asks.
“It was just so…so pure, like…”
Nobody prods her about it, but apparently “Daruma Ondo” evokes some pretty nostalgic memories for Nami. What could it be, though…?
After the rehearsal, Nami is back to her usual self as she goes about her business. Smile stays at Sunnyside until five, when my shift ends, chatting and playing games with everyone the whole time. As I’m doing maintenance on the facility’s care equipment, I see Nami and Akiko approaching Smile, who is in the middle of a circle of old people. What are they talking about? I am too far away to hear, but I am so curious that I stop my work and look over.
Nami and Akiko put their hands together in front of their chests and bow to Smile. Confused, she waves her hands to stop their bowing. The other two look up at the same time and take Smile’s hands in theirs, reasoning with her. Are they asking her for something…?
…Oh. Smile must’ve said something because now Nami and Akiko are smiling happily. Smile’s own expression is…the same. Even with her mask on, the confusion is obvious.
“They offered me a part-time job.”
“Huh?”
Smile explains what they’d said while we both walk home. Just like before, we’re going along that farm path in the early evening, separated by the ruts.
“But I’m still in high school. I don’t have a caregiver license or anything.”
“Oh, you don’t need one to work at that facility…”
“Right, yeah. Nami told me so, and I guess it makes sense. She said you didn’t have one, either, so high-school students are no problem at all.”
I nod. I heard all about the requirements when I took over for Mom.
“…So what do you think?”
Smile’s voice sounds quieter to me now. Looking over, I realize she is watching the ruts on the path as she walks. What is up with that? I’m not sure, but I feel like something about her has changed. Or am I imagining it? I’m not sure. I might get to work with her at Sunnyside… But I’m moving away in almost three weeks. If I’m with Smile, maybe we could talk more about haiku with Mr. Fujiyama? Ohhh, but I can’t just use Smile like that…
A rush of feelings comes and goes in a flash. The more aware I become of how much I like Smile, the easier it is for my emotions to spin out of control.
“…Yeah,” I whisper softly. A halfhearted response. Not cool at all.
“Uh-huh,” she replies, just as softly. Her voice is usually so clear through her mask, but that “uh-huh” was so quiet, I can’t guarantee that she actually said it at all.
The ruts slowly disappear behind us. Even with my eyes on the ground like this, the setting sun is almost blinding. The only sounds clinging to my ears are us walking down the farm road and the croaking from the frogs in the rice paddies.
Smile, what kind of face are you making?
Smile, why did your expression change just now?
Smile, are you…picking up on my out-of-control feelings?