“Wakako back too?” the man asked Hii-chan. Then he turned to Takeru, and asked him as well. “You come back with your ma?”
Takeru stared at his shadow on the concrete. He was like the hand of a stopped clock. That’s what he felt.
“She comin’ later? Is Wakako… is your ma comin’ for ya later?”
Takeru was silent. He could feel Saki’s worried gaze on his cheek, tickling like an insect, like an ant crawling on his skin. He remembered a couple of ants crossing his brother’s cheek. Maybe there were some tasty crumbs around his mouth. Just as Takeru hated being asked about his brother, he hated people talking about his mother too. He hated it even more when they were people he didn’t know well. He pulled the brim of his cap down over his eyes so that he couldn’t hear.
He wouldn’t even have heard Bunji whispering in his ear: It’s okay. It’s okay. Don’t worry!
“He don’t look much like Wakako,” said the man in dirty white boots to Hii-chan.
“Suppose he look more like his dad,” said Hii-chan.
The coin in Takeru’s hand seemed to have melted away in the sweat and heat of his clenched fist. He heard the man go on.
“I was in elementary school with your ma. Two years above her.”
The man wasn’t smiling (though Takeru had his eyes on the ground and his cap pulled down so didn’t really know that he wasn’t smiling), but his voice was friendly, so it felt as though he was smiling. The man was about to ask another question, but seeing the expression on Hii-chan’s face he changed his mind. Instead he said:
“Tell your ma Ken Shiomi says ’ello. Say my name and she’ll know right away.”
Takeru forced himself to nod—it was like swallowing medicine. He wanted to cry. He couldn’t feel the coin in his palm. It had melted away… Had he lost it somehow? That’s why I want to cry, he told himself, fighting back the tears. He pulled his cap down lower still so nobody would see his face. His vision blurred as sweat dripped relentlessly into his eyes. Saki’s gaze was itching on his face.
Though he could see nothing, because he could see nothing, he saw ants crawling up from somewhere, crawling around his brother’s cheek, arms, shoulders, calves. He didn’t know why he saw it. He knew, but he didn’t know.
“So what can we do for ya?” Oil Toshi said kindly, leaning in close to Takeru. “You come on an errand?”
At last Takeru managed to speak.
“Um… have you got any ice cream?”
He didn’t know why he said it. He knew the vending machine only sold drinks. As the words struggled from his mouth he held out his clenched hand and opened it.
And? The flesh of his palm was glistening with sweat. There was nothing else on it but sunlight. The coin had really melted away. But there was no stickiness there, like when ice cream melts. The tears on his cheeks were sticky though. Perhaps that’s why the ants were gathering.
“Ice cream?” said Oil Toshi. “We don’t sell ice cream…”
He pretended not to notice Takeru’s empty palm. He’d seen the confusion it had brought to the boy’s face.
“We got drinks,” he said, pointing to the vending machine beside the office door.
“Where’d the money go?” Saki whispered in his ear, mystified.
Still hidden by his cap, Takeru blinked and blinked again. He narrowed his eyes and opened them wide, but the coin that had vanished from his palm did not reappear. He tried pushing up the brim of his cap a little, but that changed nothing. The five-hundred-yen coin had disappeared without a trace. He quietly lifted his palm to his mouth and licked. It was salty, but he thought he also noticed a metallic taste.
“What ya havin’?”
Takeru looked up. Ken was standing at the vending machine. He’d already inserted some coins from his pocket, and was poised to push a button.
“Feelin’ flush, Ken?” said Hii-chan, laughing.
He turned to Takeru and Saki.
“Have whatever ya want. Just tell ’im!”
Toshi nodded.
“Go on,” he said. “Have somethin’. He says it’s on ’im, so you might as well.”
It’s okay. It’s okay. Let him!
Hearing Bunji’s voice, Takeru turned around, but Bunji wasn’t to be seen.
Takeru said nothing.
“’kay,” said Toshi. “If you prefer ice cream…”
“Iced coffee for me, Ken!” shouted Hii-chan.
A can clunked down into the delivery compartment.
“I’ve gone and pressed it!” Ken fretted.
He leaned down and took the coffee from the bottom of the machine. Forcing a smile, he passed the ice-cold can to Hii-chan.
“You said ‘iced coffee’ so I pressed the button. Didn’t mean to.”
“I’ll put it back in the machine if ya want,” said Toshi, giving Hii-chan an exaggerated wink.
“Don’t worry ’bout it,” said Ken, with a wave of his hand. “It’s just a can of coffee after all…”
“In that case, I’ll take it. Thanks!” said Hii-chan with a broad smile, his silver tooth glinting. He opened the coffee and took a sip. “Beautiful—nice and cold. Cheers!”
“You must be hot standin’ there,” said Ken, putting his hand against Takeru’s back. “You’re covered in sweat. Come over here.” He led Takeru into the shade.
“You really want an ice cream?” he asked.
Takeru didn’t answer, so Ken asked Saki.
“How ’bout you, Saki? Want t’come get one? I’m on my way to town now.”
“But, um,” mumbled Saki, glancing worriedly across at Takeru.
“That’s a good idea,” said Hii-chan cheerfully. “It’ll be borin’ for you two ’round here all day. Let Ken take ya into town.”
“But,” said Saki, “I’ll have to tell my dad.”
Ken looked amused.
“Old Tatsuya wouldn’t say no, as long as you’re with me! He ever said no to me takin’ you anywhere ’fore?”
Saki thought for a while.
“No, Ken,” she said, sounding reassured.
“See?” Ken said triumphantly.
“I’ll let Mitsuko know they’ve gone to town with ya,” said Toshi.
“Good. Thanks,” Ken said.
“Don’t come back too late,” said Hii-chan. “Mitsuko’ll be annoyed if they’re late for dinner.”
“Course!” said Ken, smiling.
His dark gray car was parked in the shade. He opened the rear passenger door and Saki climbed right in, as though she did it all the time.
“Uh! It’s boilin’!” she yelped.
“Hang on…” said Ken. “I’ll put the air-conditionin’ on.”
He climbed in and turned on the engine. Then he leaned over, opened the front passenger door, and beckoned to Takeru.
“Hop in!”
Takeru hesitated, but Bunji gave him a push from behind. Or maybe it was Hii-chan.
It’s okay. It’s okay. Get in!
After they’d been driving for a while, Saki leaned forward between the driver and passenger seats. “Ken?” she said. “When’re we gonna go?”
“Where?” said Ken, puzzled. “To town? We’re goin’ right now.”
“No!” Saki said, pouting. “Dolphin Village, of course! You said you’d take me!”
“Oh, that’s what you’re talkin’ ’bout,” he said, nodding.
“Is that the place where you can swim with dolphins?” asked Takeru, turning to Saki.
“Yes,” said Saki. “You heard of it?”
“It must be famous all ’cross the country!” said Ken.
Takeru shook his head.
“I heard about it from Hii-chan,” he said.
It had taken a good two hours to get from the airport to Takanoura, even on the newly built highway. On the way, Hii-chan told Takeru about Dolphin Village—a marine-life amusement park that had opened a few years before. It was just down the coast in Inonome, an area of jagged bays and inlets. Hii-chan had been there the year before with his grandchildren when they came down from Kanagawa for a visit. They had all really enjoyed it.