everywhere by my parents, who taught me all about restaurant and museum manners but nothing about playground sports. Having spent time with Angus, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t want a brother, but I would have loved an older sister who could have shown me how to climb across the jungle gym. Someone like Akemi.
“There’s nothing worse than having someone forced into your life. Kazuhito came to live with us when we were both twelve. Suddenly he was getting the best pieces of fish at dinner, fantastic gifts, the best position near my father in the temple.”
“How are things these days?”
“We coexist,” Akemi said tightly.
I listened to a siren ringing in the distance and wondered what would happen to her after her father died. Would she be forced to abandon the spacious house for a small apartment? What inheritance could she carry with her?
“Does Kazuhito work at the temple now?” I asked.
“He’s the vice abbot, which means he oversees the temple’s business, our collection of antiquities, and the cultural programs like foreigners’ outreach. I don’t know why, given that he hardly speaks a word of English—”
“You could do that,” I said. “Your English is excellent!”
“Like I said, my sex precludes me from ever being a priest. I could only marry one, but turning into someone like my mother would be like death.”
Akemi was getting wound up, and I wanted to keep talking. Too bad it was time for me to leave. I sighed and said, “I have to go to the main hall to pick up Hugh’s beloved brother. The foreigners’ orientation must be over by now.”
“Don’t you want to shower first?” Akemi looked at me with concern.
“No! I didn’t bring towels or a change of clothing.” I’d been in communal showers and baths before, but the prospect of being naked with Akemi made me nervous. She had already commented on my legs; I didn’t want to hear more.
“You must not enter a temple dirty. It’s against Buddhist etiquette,” she said.
“I’ll stand outside. I’m sure Angus will be waiting.”
“Whatever you want.” She wrinkled her nose, making her opinion clear.
“On Saturday I’m having my party. You’re still coming, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Maybe. It depends on my schedule.”
Her schedule seemed pretty freewheeling to me, but I didn’t press her. After all, I’d chickened out about the shower.
Angus was standing on the wooden hallway that ran around the exterior of the main hall, deep in conversation with a Japanese man wearing long indigo robes. The priest looked ageless, given his smooth, shaved head and lively eyes. To my horror, he noticed me and beckoned.
“Shimura-san, please come up! This young man explained you have been exercising my daughter!”
The priest speaking good English was undoubtedly Akemi’s father, the abbot and owner of the temple itself. If he told his wife I was on the grounds, she’d be furious.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you like this,” I said, unlacing my running shoes and hoping my socks wouldn’t leave damp marks on the smooth cedar steps leading up to the temple.
“We had an emergency!” Angus was looking more excited than I’d ever seen him. “Our priest conked out during the meditation.”
“He is talking about my nephew. Angus-san saved his life,” Abbot Mihori said.
“Yeah, it was utter madness,” Angus rattled on. “We were all sitting cross-legged and staring into our souls or something. It had gotten pretty quiet and I guess all the others were in a trance, because when the priest fell over, I was the only one who noticed. At first I wondered if it was part of, you know, the temple routine.”
“Fortunately, Angus-san used his eyes and his common sense. He left the meditation group to summon help,” Mr. Mihori said.
So Angus was a hero. I’d congratulate him later; at the moment I was more concerned about Kazuhito’s health. Now I realized the siren I’d heard had been for him.
“What
“There’s nothing worse than having someone forced into your life. Kazuhito came to live with us when we were both twelve. Suddenly he was getting the best pieces of fish at dinner, fantastic gifts, the best position near my father in the temple.”
“How are things these days?”
“We coexist,” Akemi said tightly.
I listened to a siren ringing in the distance and wondered what would happen to her after her father died. Would she be forced to abandon the spacious house for a small apartment? What inheritance could she carry with her?
“Does Kazuhito work at the temple now?” I asked.
“He’s the vice abbot, which means he oversees the temple’s business, our collection of antiquities, and the cultural programs like foreigners’ outreach. I don’t know why, given that he hardly speaks a word of English—”
“You could do that,” I said. “Your English is excellent!”
“Like I said, my sex precludes me from ever being a priest. I could only marry one, but turning into someone like my mother would be like death.”
Akemi was getting wound up, and I wanted to keep talking. Too bad it was time for me to leave. I sighed and said, “I have to go to the main hall to pick up Hugh’s beloved brother. The foreigners’ orientation must be over by now.”
“Don’t you want to shower first?” Akemi looked at me with concern.
“No! I didn’t bring towels or a change of clothing.” I’d been in communal showers and baths before, but the prospect of being naked with Akemi made me nervous. She had already commented on my legs; I didn’t want to hear more.
“You must not enter a temple dirty. It’s against Buddhist etiquette,” she said.
“I’ll stand outside. I’m sure Angus will be waiting.”
“Whatever you want.” She wrinkled her nose, making her opinion clear.
“On Saturday I’m having my party. You’re still coming, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Maybe. It depends on my schedule.”
Her schedule seemed pretty freewheeling to me, but I didn’t press her. After all, I’d chickened out about the shower.
Angus was standing on the wooden hallway that ran around the exterior of the main hall, deep in conversation with a Japanese man wearing long indigo robes. The priest looked ageless, given his smooth, shaved head and lively eyes. To my horror, he noticed me and beckoned.
“Shimura-san, please come up! This young man explained you have been exercising my daughter!”
The priest speaking good English was undoubtedly Akemi’s father, the abbot and owner of the temple itself. If he told his wife I was on the grounds, she’d be furious.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you like this,” I said, unlacing my running shoes and hoping my socks wouldn’t leave damp marks on the smooth cedar steps leading up to the temple.
“We had an emergency!” Angus was looking more excited than I’d ever seen him. “Our priest conked out during the meditation.”
“He is talking about my nephew. Angus-san saved his life,” Abbot Mihori said.
“Yeah, it was utter madness,” Angus rattled on. “We were all sitting cross-legged and staring into our souls or something. It had gotten pretty quiet and I guess all the others were in a trance, because when the priest fell over, I was the only one who noticed. At first I wondered if it was part of, you know, the temple routine.”
“Fortunately, Angus-san used his eyes and his common sense. He left the meditation group to summon help,” Mr. Mihori said.
So Angus was a hero. I’d congratulate him later; at the moment I was more concerned about Kazuhito’s health. Now I realized the siren I’d heard had been for him.
“What
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