Poston

Chapter nineteen : Talent Show!

"What does 'snow on the peak' mean? Some sort of inside thing between you two?"

Nino quickly snatched his letter away from Jun and folded it up. "Who said you could read my letters, huh?" he asked a little irritated. "They're my personal letters written from my soldier! Find your own!"

"I was just curious!" Jun exclaimed as he sat up. "I want to know what it means!"

"I don't know what it means!" Nino answered truthfully. "I mean... I've heard it before, and Satoshi has used it once before when he was here, but I don't know what it means! It's probably some romantic poem or some shit that he's read before and thought was romantic."

Jun shrugged. "You have to admit, it is kind of romantic. 'As long as there is snow on the peak—'"

"Shut up already," Nino told him as he put on his jacket. "Now if we don't make it in time for the tailor to fix our suits, I'm blaming you."

As they argued, the talent show was only three days away. Everyone in the camp was more than excited for it, but it just made Nino more nervous to actually go on stage and perform. Granted, he would be with three of his best friends in the whole world, but he had also agreed to play the guitar for the kids while they sang. Charlie and Samantha were going to sing along with Yuki as she sang 'Hamabe no Uta'.

However, the adults had finally decided to sing a different and original song written by Nino himself.

After they had their suits fixed, Jun and Nino found Sho and walked back together. "Are you nervous?" Sho asked. "I mean, Nino, you wrote this song."

"I am nervous," Nino admitted. "However, I think it will be okay. I mean, it's a good song right?"

"It's an amazing song!" Jun smiled. "Everyone will love it."

Nino only frowned. "I hope so."

--

"Papa, can I ask you something and you promise not to get mad?"

Jun stopped in his book and looked at his daughter curiously. "I can't promise I won't get mad," he answered. "But you can ask me all you want. What is it?"

Samantha stood by her father's bed and bit her lip before answering. "Can you tell me about Mama?"

Nino, who had been the only one in the barrack along with Jun and his children, glanced up but pretended not to listen as he fixed some inconsistencies in his song.

Jun seemed surprised and sat up. "What do you want me to tell you?"

"Why did she leave us? Why did she go back to Japan?"

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"I was teased in school for not having a mama. I know Charlie was too. Yuki-chan doesn't have a mama either, but hers died so people understand."

Jun sighed as if trying to find the right words. He looked over at Nino, who was already packed up and walking out the door. "I'll be outside if you need me," Nino told him before closing the door.

And Nino was. He knew how hard it was for Jun to talk to his children about Ami. She was the woman who had just left them behind without really fighting for her kids. If Jun had a choice, he would prefer to never talk about it until he died. But Samantha was now five years old. It was hard to keep questions from popping up.

"You want to know what happened to your mama?" Nino heard Jun ask.

"Charlie said that she left because she was sad."

"That's right. Mama was afraid that staying in the United States would be bad for us. She was afraid you would get picked on if something bad happened between the U.S. and Japan. She almost took you with her to Japan, but I didn't want to go."

"Why didn't you want to go?"

"The United States is my home, and it's your home as well. Even though you come from two Japanese parents, if you were in Japan right now you would be hit and beaten up and hurt all the time. All because you are an American."

"Is it sort of like how we are here at Poston because we are Japanese?"

"It's a lot like it. But here, you are safe. Here, I can see you every day and I know for a fact that you are safe and well cared for."

"So Mama went on a boat back to Japan and left us here?"

Jun paused as he tried to figure out what to say. "Your mother did what she thought was best for her."

"Does she love us, Papa?"

"She loves you more than anything, Samantha."

"Does she love you, Papa?"

Nino could feel Jun freeze. They both knew the answer to that question, but to openly admit it had to be one of the hardest things Jun would ever have to face.

"I don't know, Samantha. I don't know the answer to that one."

--

It was finally the day of the talent show. The camp had constructed its own wooden stage with a microphone and everything. It was a huge event, and everyone made sure they were there to support everyone who walked across the stage and had the bravery to sing into a microphone.

Everyone who wasn't participating was excited to see if anyone could beat the queen, Miss Hikaru Utada, who had dominated last year.

For everyone competing, it was not only competitive, but scary. Nino was intimidated by the beautiful woman with her hair in perfect victory rolls and looking like she had just stepped off the train from New York City.

"Relax," Masaki smiled as he rubbed Nino's back. "She's just someone here to beat. Nothing to worry about."

"When it's twenty five dollars on the line, yeah it is." Nino turned around to see Masaki. "Do you know what I could do with a fourth of that money? Me and Satoshi could buy groceries, or buy him a suit, or—"

"Are you and Ohno moving in together after the war?"

"Of course we are!" Nino said without thinking. Then he stopped himself. "I mean... I think so... I'm pretty sure we are."

"Just relax," Sho told them. "We're on last, so it's going to be a long night. Nino, I think you and the kids are on first though."

Nino nodded and stood up to get his guitar. "Wish us luck."

As Nino played the guitar, Charlie, Samantha, and Yuki stood in their Sunday best clothes and sang 'Hamabe no Uta' after Yuki spent a week teaching it to everyone. Nino had to admit that Yuki was a really good teacher even if she was only six years old. Everyone did a really good staying on tune and staying on pitch. After they were done, the crowd applauded loudly and they all took one last bow before getting of stage.

"You did amazing!" Sho smiled brightly to Yuki as he hugged her close. "You all did great!"

"We did swell! Didn't we, Papa?" Charlie bounced.

"Yes you did!" Jun exclaimed. "I'm very proud of you all."

After about an hour or so after 'Hamabe no Uta', the announcer, a short little man with round little glasses and the dorkiest smile in the world ("It's really no wonder why Disney and Looney Tunes model their Japanese the same way. I mean, look at how big of a dork he looks!" "Nino, would you shut up already?!"), finally introduced Miss Utada. Everyone screamed and cheered as she walked onto the stage with her jazz band.

Just like Sho suspected, she sang 'Hymne l'amour' which was a famous French song that often played on the radio. It was an old romantic song and Miss Utada sang it perfectly if not better than the woman who sang it originally. Her twist, however, was that she sang one verse in French and one verse in Japanese so that you could have somewhat of a translation.

"We're better," Nino said when she was done and taking her bows. "We have an original song. We have to win, right?" However, when he looked over at his friends, they looked as nervous as he felt.

"Finally," the announcer said into his microphone. "Our last act of the night! They all come from the same barrack, from the same city, and they're practically brothers by now! Please welcome from Barrack 6D in Block number three, the wonderful quartet with an original song, Arashi!"

The crowd cheered as the four men walked on stage to stand in front of the rectangular silver microphone. They all stood around it in a half circle facing the crowd, and Nino swore he had never shaken so much in his entire life.

Nino had given his sheet music to the piano accompanist, so when he started to play, he could tell everyone else was just as anxious as he was. Sho was first to sing, so he took a deep breath and sang:

"In the sky that evening is drawing near, I found a train of clouds."

Nino was next, and sang the next line without a problem.

"Suddenly I want to go back to that city with the familiar smell."

Masaki sang next after him.

"People earnestly pile up time and weave their feelings together."

Finally, it was Jun.

"Now, each of their smiles are next to me."

After their solo lines, they sang together and the unity of them together was something Nino would never forget.

"People you want to run into are there. Their kindness spreads as they are waiting for you.
The mountains, the wind, and the color of the sea, it's the place I can be the most honest.
Stories that won't be forgotten are there, holding hands as we hum a song.
The mountains, the wind, and the color of the sea, this is my hometown."

It was a short piano break before everyone sang together again.

"I suddenly longed for the voices of the people in my pictures.
The days that we talk together about our dreams are shining.
Just like those old days, the trees looked up at the sky.
That unshakable strength is now in my heart.
People that you want to support are there, believing in tomorrow and walking towards it.
The flowers, the stars, and the bridge of a rainbow too, all of them are in my heart.
The happiness you feel from living, I always want to treasure it.
The flowers, the stars, and the bridge of a rainbow too, your hometown.
My hometown.
This is my hometown."

As soon as the song was over, Nino finally willed himself to look out into the crowd and found that most of the audience, young and old alike, were crying. The first time Nino first read what he wrote he remembered having that feeling, but he never imagined other people would feel the same way. But then....

Were they crying because they liked it? Or did they hate it?

After they got off the stage, the small panel of judges would pick the best two acts of the night, then the audience would choose who the winner was. It was really no surprise that Miss Utada was the first pick, but it was a big surprise when Arashi was picked as the second choice. They walked out on stage and stood on either side of the announcer waiting for what came next.

"Okay, lovely audience," the man said into the microphone. "It's up to you. Is the winner the queen, Miss Hikaru Utada-san?"

The crowd cheered, and Miss Utada waved to everyone and flashed her beautiful smile.

"Or is the winner the first timers, Arashi?"

This time, the crowd went crazy with applause. Nino was shocked and wasn't really sure how to act.

"The winner of the New Years Talent Show 1944 is.... From Block Three Barrack 6D, Arashi!"

The four bowed as lowly as they could to the crowd before accepting their bouquet of flowers and posing for the camera next to the banner and the announcer. It was almost surreal, and Nino couldn't figure out what was missing.

--

That night, after the party to celebrate the winners before the countdown to the New Year, Nino went back to the barrack to change before having to attend the countdown party. He was the only one who went back, but he suspected it was mostly because, out of everyone else, he was the one who needed the most alone time.

Nino got to his bed and got as far as taking his jacket off before he looked at his silver picture frame with the sepia colored man inside of it. Gently, Nino walked over to the side of his bed and took his frame off of his table to hold in his hands. Satoshi sat there, smiling at him even though he was thousands of miles away. He was fighting for his life and it scared the hell out of Kazunari that he didn't know whether or not he was safe or not.

Nino lay down on his bed with his frame close to him. Satoshi still sat there smiling. Satoshi always smiled.

"I love you," Nino whispered, disrupting the silence in the air. When he closed his eyes, he could swear he could hear Satoshi telling him the same thing.

"I will always love you."

--

The only thing that really lit his path was the moonlight. It was pitch black out, and it was hard for Kazunari to be quiet when he couldn't even see where he was going. Of course, he had a general idea as to where he was going, but it didn't seem to help him right now at the moment. Especially when every muscle in his body seemed to hurt from all the blows he had received that night.
He finally made it to the house and was surprised to see the back porch door open. And there he was, sitting there just as perfectly as he did every other time Kazunari saw him. Just looking at him made Kazunari's heart beat like crazy.

However, when he tried to say the man's name, nothing came out. He tried again, but no sound or even an inkling of an idea as to what his name was came out of his mouth. Upon this realization, Kazunari nearly started to cry when he couldn't even remember the beautiful man's name. He could feel his soul longing to be close to him, but he seemed as if he was a thousand miles away and nowhere within Kazunari's reach.

The forest now seemed a lot darker than it had before.