Swallowtail: Mariposa Radiante

English Blues

Swallowtail

Chapter 24:

English Blues

Standing eagerly by the airport entrance was a man of Japanese origin. He had wavy black hair, swept to the side. He had a slight sun-kissed complexion, right dark brown eyes. He had soft facial features and was sporting a bright smile on his face. He stood tall, at a towering six foot two inches. Much like the other airport travelers, he was wearing a thick jacket and a scarf around his neck, paired with bright blue jeans and boots.

In contrast, the people around him all looked saddened, disappointed, and generally gloomy. There were thick rolling clouds passing over London, and it was windy. It wasn't the best day for travel, and yet people still went about their business as usual. Heathrow Airport was one of the various international airports, but this one was the one his son was flying into.

He glanced at his watch for the 15th time that minute, counting the seconds since the last time he had stared at it. His excitement was growing with each tick. It had been a very long time since he had seen his son in person, about two years and some odd months. After hearing nothing but his voice, he yearned to have him close. Not only would he have to make a good impression on him, but he had brought his girlfriend along, so he had to be presentable as well. He had a look of pride on his face, wondering what kind of girl his only son had paired up with.

"I know she's one of Maruo's daughters, but I wasn't even aware he had daughters. Quintuplets... a rare kind of child, and my son is dating one. I hope she's as nice as he claims her to be." he thought, as he glanced at his watch.

"Oi mate, could I bum a fag?" a local asked, causing the older man to look at him.

"Ah, sorry sir, I don't smoke."

"Bummer, sorry for the trouble then. You seem excited though, waiting for family?"

"Yep, my son is flying in from Japan, so I am a bit eager to see him," he said, earning a surprised look from the man.

"Japan, you say? Why that's quite far. 'Ang on a minute, ain't you the fellow who's going to play for the Queen's granddaughter?" he asked a look of recognition dawning on him. "You are, aren't you?"

"I'm trying to keep it on the down-low," he said, holding his hand out. "Hideyoshi Sakamoto, a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine, mate. Never thought I would meet a famous musician in Heathrow of all places. Name's Steve, if we run into each other again, I'll invite ya out for a pint."

"I'll hold you to it!" the older man cheerfully replied. A white car pulled up, causing the younger man to grab a hold of his suitcase. "Safe travels!"

"You too sir."

The conversation over, Hideyoshi turned back to his watch, seeing two minutes had passed. He eagerly looked at the revolving doors, tapping his foot like an impatient child. He had been tempted to step back in and look at the board of international flights again. Just as he was about to move, he noticed a familiar young man making his way out of the airport, dragging a pair of suitcases behind him.

"Son!"

He stopped after a moment, the tired look on his face vanishing the instant he caught sight of his father. "Dad!"

Hideyoshi embraced his son, hugging him tightly, a bright smile on his face. "Kaikane, it's been so long! Look at how much you've grown! The last time I saw you, you weren't even five foot two, and now look at you! You're almost as tall as your old man!"

"Maybe one day I'll grow past ya," he said, releasing his father. He gave him a smile, rubbing his eyes for a moment. "It's good to see you, dad. It's been a long time, and I've really missed you."