All the Ways Home by Elsie Chapman

Author:Elsie Chapman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

21

The Yamanote Line is a large train loop that goes around Tokyo—as long as I stay on it, I’ll eventually get back to Shinjuku, no problem.

And it’s a good route to take to just sit and watch the city go by. You can blank out or do all your thinking. Which means you can kill a lot of time, sitting on a train in Japan, if you wanted. Either going in circles or riding all the way to the edges of the country.

I don’t know if I’m killing time. I don’t know if I need to think some more about this summer trip or if I’ve been overthinking it all along. I just know I’m more confused than ever about my family and nothing is going as planned.

Shoma’s nicer than he’s supposed to be, except he’s only supposed to be passing through.

Dad’s still missing, when he’s the one I’m here to see.

My stomach bobs up and down with nerves. I imagine the lake inside that it feels like, its surface rippled by wind and fingers and sea plants grown too tall. My questions would be the fish lurking around, all snapping teeth and whipping tails.

Outside my window Tokyo spins. I stare at the stations as we go by and try to remember what I know about some of them.

Ueno, famous for its park with all the sakura in the spring.

Akiba and its electronics.

Tokyo, which sees more trains pass through each day than any other station in Japan.

Shibuya and its famous scramble crossing.

I’ve been on the train for more than two hours, and I’m halfway through my third loop around. We’re coming up on Tokyo Station again when I decide to get off. I’m tired of being alone, which I am despite being surrounded by so many people. I want to find Shoma, so I can hear someone say my name. I think of how sidewalks seem to never empty, just as restaurants have plenty of tables-for-one. Japan is so full, but sometimes it seems to be a place built for the loner, how it’s an island of the lonely.

I transfer to the Keihin-Tohoku line, wondering when Shoma’s going to be done. The job’s supposed to take him nearly all day. But he asked me to come meet him, and hopefully not just because he thought he had to. Since it’s only half past four when I get off the train at Yokohama Station, I take the long way around to Analog’s office.

A few blocks into Chinatown and I don’t think I have to worry about getting homesick.

On the surface, the Chinatown here seems pretty close to the one back in Vancouver. Both have huge arched gates marking the different entrances. There are tons of restaurants and souvenir stores, and the sidewalks are busy with shoppers. Things are red and gold and decorated with silk, with images of dragons and giant carp and good fortune.

But most of the shoppers are visitors, too excited over everything they see to be locals. Egg

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