Every time you make a move

Was It All Worth It-Pt 4

Hirakata, Osaka prefecture, Japan, 8th January, 1987

"Dad, did you happen to see a letter written in English in the fax tray?"

"Leave your father be, he is reading the news" Mei Toshyuki sternly told her young son, Oshiro.

The boy stood in the doorway of the living room, staring at them both expectantly as they sat kneeling around the table, reading their magazines or books and drinking green tea.

"But mum," he stepped into the room, "My friend Roshni from school hasn't faxed me back in two days!"

"Are you talking about that girl in your class that didn't want to meet us when we came to get you in Dublin?" Mei put her hands on her hips.

"No!" Oshiro snapped confusedly in protest, "I mean, yes, but we've been faxing each other every single day since the end of term and for some reason she stopped replying to me-"

"That fax machine is not a toy, Oshiro. It's for your mother's work." his father, who was actually listening the entire time, sternly told him as he stared straight into his newspaper.

The boy dropped his mouth open to speak, but then knew better than to protest against his father, a naval officer.

"I wish I had a father like Roshni's," he assumed, "at least he takes an interest in her friends"

"Oshiro, go and help your grandmother prepare lunch in the kitchen." Mei demanded, climbing back onto her feet.

"But-"

"Your Sobo came up to Osaka to spend time with you especially while you were home from school," she gently ushered her son out of the doorway and towards the kitchen, "Besides, it's important that you learn to cook sooner or later so that you can feed yourself whenever you're older and living on your own"

"As if I'm not on my own enough already" Oshiro wanted to say.

He sometimes longed for a pet or a sibling, like his cousins in America or Roshni herself, then perhaps he wouldn't feel so lonely. But for now, his grandmother's company would have to do:

"Ahh, my little Oshiro-chan!" the old lady beamed warmly when she saw him walk into the kitchen.

"Hi, Sobo..." Oshiro respectfully bowed to greet her.

She bowed in return, and signalled him closer with her finger, "I'm preparing your favourite, pork Gyozas. Do you want to know how to make them?"

"Oh... yes please!"

"Come, take a wrapper from the pile" she instructed kindly.

Oshiro's heart burst with excitement. He missed his grandmother's cooking whilst he was at school, for Miss O'Malley the dinner lady's food just couldn't match up.

He allowed his grandmother's soft hands to lay the pre-kneaded flour dough flat on his open palm, and guide his other hand to the spoon sitting in the bowl of raw mince pork and spring onion.

"Put a little bit of the mixture onto the wrapper, but not too much or else it won't close properly" she demonstrated.

"How do we wrap them?" Oshiro asked.