Dreams Upon A Silver Pine Branch

Chapter 13: Exchanges of News

November 10th 2612

From:

To:

Hey Hikari,

(I told you I'm gonna be using that nickname, so get used to it, haha)

How are you and Akira doing? How is your Auntie Chiharu? Things are going "business as usual" in Black Elm. Aside from the continued fights between our parents and the stress it brings us, the twins and I are fine. I'm starting the last quarter of eleventh grade and man, I wasn't prepared for how grueling it is. The curriculum back home necessitates that students in the eleventh grade take two foreign languages, none of which can be the languages they speak at home, so I couldn't just go the easy route by taking New Guinea Pidgin or Indonesian. I really wanted to add Silver Pine Sign Language to my schedule, so that I could better communicate with Ezie if I ever visit you guys again, but my dad discouraged me by saying there would be no reason to do it since the chance of our family going on another vacation to the same planet is slim to none. This of course fueled another debate between him and my mom. Headache, am I right? I don't get why they always argue about every single thing. They're impossible! Their personalities are so different—Dad doesn't like surprises and is a meticulous planner, while Mom is an explorer who loves adventures and excitement; I wonder how they got together.

So, anyway, I'm taking Japanese (because why not) and Latin. Yeah, I know that the latter is a dead language but it's helpful for aspiring scientists and also for someone like me whose dad is pushing him to memorize biblical passages in his free time. I don't find Latin too difficult but Japanese is a beast. You should consider yourself lucky it is your mother tongue. Those hiragana and katakana drills are kicking my butt. I got all of the little symbols mixed up but you know what, I promise to keep on trying because I do want to be writing to you in Japanese one day.

Nardho and Nardhia are sending you their hugs. They wanted to let you know that they have finally caught up with the latest episodes of Angelic Siena and are excitedly waiting to hear your theory about what could happen next with the titular protagonist and her friends. Me, I think the animator is plotting something terrible for the second volume of that series, but we shall see.

Aku rindu kamu (that's "I miss you" in Indonesian),

Johan

November 12th 2612

From:

To:

Hey to you as well Johan,

Arigatou for writing! Akira and I are doing alright. Auntie Chiharu is hanging in there and we are all keeping an eye for her as she begins her routine trips to the hospital every other day for check-ups and consultation with the kidney specialists. She is also working with a dietician to come up with adjustment to her diet in preparation for the kidney transplant, which if everything goes right will be taking place sometime in the next couple moths. Akira is understandably on edge about it, asking Uncle Lee repeatedly if she could stay home from school for a while to be with her mother in case the transplant fails and she would be motherless. It pains me to see my dear cousin so pessimistic but I have to admit that she is seeing the world through a realistic lens.

As for Ezie, Baz, and Aiden...

Dude, I don't even know where to begin but I guess I could summarize the events of the last few weeks (I got their permission to fill you in about the matter at hand). On the Eve of Pinean Founders' Remembrance Day, I accompanied Akira and Otou-san on a shopping trip to fetch several key ingredients Oka-san told us to get to make sukiyaki. Just as we were about to load the groceries onto our car, Akira got a lengthy text from Ezie saying that he needed us to meet him at Platform 7 of Mizunotori Train Station immediately because it seemed Aiden was in trouble. Ezie said the poor guy was running away from his abusive, drunken, deadbeat dad.