Loud

Prologue

After arriving in Tokyo, Robert Pirone had five days to fill before dinner with his daughter Makiko, their first in-person meeting in almost seven years. Once he gained her trust, he expected them to spend more time together, but she was a young adult with her own concerns. While living in Japan for the next year to get to know her again, Rob needed a life of his own, so he called Nobu, a Buddhist priest he met on his previous trip to Tokyo and left a message.

Unlike a cloistered monastery monk, Nobu spent time among regular people. His demeanor hinted at a practical kind of enlightenment: serene, calm, happy, humorous, and helpful. Furthermore, Nobu's activities as a social worker in the seedier parts of Tokyo would be a great topic for a photo essay. Rob could learn a thing or two about serving others directly, and Nobu was a perfect example and role model.

On the first night in his new apartment, Rob surveyed the contents of his closet, touching the clear plastic that covered the blue suit for the evening with Makiko. He wanted to see her, more than anything, but he wondered if he was still being selfish. Rob's own father had passed away while Rob worked in Afghanistan. Yet, in some ways, Rob was still a spoiled, demanding, little boy - the baby of the family.

***

A few hours after Rob left the message, Naoko, Nobu's niece, returned the call. In the background, her friend Fumiko coached her English. "Our band performs in Roppongi tomorrow. Please come please."

In January, during his last visit to Japan, Rob feared getting too close to them. Even an innocent alliance with two beautiful women in their twenties could alienate Makiko, but now Makiko wanted to meet him. They were tight when she was a kid, and they would be again, no matter what. "Well... I'll go to your concert if your Uncle Nobu does too."

Naoko and Fumiko cheered.

Afterwards, Rob finalized the dinner plans for Makiko over the phone with Yukiko, his ex-wife. She would be there too with her husband and their daughter, Sophia. When he gave his address, her voice wavered. Obviously, her husband had not shared it already.

She finished the brief conversation without recovering. Her fumbling justified his apartment's expense ten fold. Rob glided around his empty living room like a bee returning with nectar. Money had never made him so happy. And if the famous address impressed Makiko, even better. The reconciliation with her might have been due to Rob's friendship with the Gears, a band with a current breakout hit, but Rob had a year to refine Makiko's feelings, a year to make them genuine.

Or maybe she had always missed him. And one day, if he worked hard enough, maybe she would forget that she had ever hated him.

A lot of this prologue came from the last chapter of VINTAGE ROB, so maybe you experienced deja vu. However, everything that follows is brand new. Enjoy!