The Music Child & the Mahjong Queen by Alfred A. Yuson

Author:Alfred A. Yuson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9786214201259
Publisher: Anvil Publishing, Inc.

TOKYO BEDAZZLED ALL right.

Luisito had not seen as many people, with everyone moving to a purpose — or as many bright lights that seemed to radiate a special kind of music.

He had been quiet throughout the four-hour flight from Mactan, except for the first half-hour when he kept glancing sideways at Cesar as he occasionally echoed the engines’ throb and thrum, however softly.

He did the same with the hum of the fast train that took them from the airport to the city center. He seemed intent on impressing the lady who had welcomed them at Narita, for his mimicry turned almost as loud as the real thing, so that other passengers began to look their way. And he started to giggle.

Otherwise he hardly spoke, even when Kazuko asked him questions in English. An impish smile was all he granted her, until they boarded the train.

She took them to a small hotel near Akihabara.

“Ramen,” he repeated carefully after Kazuko, saying his first word in Japanese. “U-ni u-ni u-ni …” he chanted during their late lunch, pointing at the orange squiggle on his ceramic plate.

Then, “It is from the sea, Kazuko-san.” She was delighted to hear him say her name.

“In our island the old women collect a lot of u-ni from the sea. But their shells are dangerous. They hurt my foot once.”

And he giggled, placing a hand over his mouth the way he had quickly noted young girls doing around them.

Kazuko took them to a maze of streets selling electronic ware, with cassette recorders and radios blaring a concatenation of Japanese tunes and Western pop music. She recounted to Cesar that she had once walked those streets for a week, recording everything. And that with Hiro’s help, her boyfriend whom Cesar had met the last time he came, she had produced an amalgam tape at high speed, all the sounds compressed into an hour.

“It’s unearthly,” she said. “I will give you a copy.”

And how was Hiro, Cesar asked.

“Oh, we’re not together anymore.”

In the taxicab, Luisito suddenly whistled rapidly, keeping it up until the driver looked behind him, and almost failed to brake in time.

“Cesar-san,” Kazuko whispered breathlessly, “that’s how my Akihabara tape sounds.”

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