A Promised Journey

Redamancy

"You have reached Japan, Tokyo and the time now is 5pm, Tokyo time. Thank you for travelling with Singapore Airlines, have a nice trip." After the announcement, Jack begin to stand up and walk out of the airplane towards the baggage claim.

However, he soon found himself lost after stepping out of the airplane. He wander around started to panicked before he saw an airport staff. "Thank goodness!" He thought while approaching the staff.

"Hello, erm, where to take bag?" He said with broken English. Fortunately, the staff understand what he was saying and point him to the direction of the baggage claim. He thanks the staff by bow slightly and headed towards the direction that the staff is pointing.

After 10 minutes of walking and finding the baggage claim, he finally gotten his luggage and walk towards the entrance, looking for a paper with his name on it.

'JACK' He saw a young guy holding on to a paper with his name on it. He walked towards the young guy and smile at him. "Jack-san?"

Jack, while pulling his brown luggage, nodded his head and followed him to the taxi. He settle down inside the taxi and looking at the nature scenery of Japan, Tokyo while heading towards his hotel.

***

"Jack" Adeline mumbled, lying on Jack's lap while reading a magazine. It was their off day of the week and they were staying at home relaxing and enjoying their day off from their mini-market.

"Hmm" Jack replied while watching the channel 8 television show. "I want to go Japan. I want take photos of Mount Fuji."

"Hmmm... when we are free than we go lah." Jack replied while looking at the television screen.

"Really?!?! You sure?! You sure?!" Adeline sat up straight and look at Jack with sparkling eyes.

"Yeah, one day, we will take one week holiday then I'll bring you to Japan." Jack said while holding on to her hand. Adeline smile, and that was the smile that make him fall head over heel for her.

***

"Jack-San, we have arrived."

They were conversing in Chinese but the driver could only speak a little. He nodded his head and step out of the taxi with his luggage beside him.

The hotel looks really grand but this is only a three star hotel, Jack was stunned as the hotel looks different from the pictures his nephew showed him. The hotel look much grander and expensive.

"Japan's living standard is really high."

Jack thought while pulling his luggage and walk into the hotel. With the use of his limited English, where he learnt through striking a simple conversation with the primary school students who always went to his mini-market after school hours, he managed to communicate with the hotel staff so to check in smoothly.

The hotel room is not too small but not too big, just enough for a couple. 'Couple', this word still hurt Jack so much even after a year.

This is the first time Jack step into a hotel room. Looking down from his room's window, he was fascinated by how busy the road of Tokyo is. The streets was light up by lights from the shop houses; streetlights and decorative lights.

With the tall skyscrapers and the amount of people walking around, Tokyo look so much like Orchard Road especially during the night.

'How I wish you would be able to see this beautiful scenery, Adeline. I can already imagine how moved you will be by the scenery in front of me now. I miss you so much, Adeline.'

He sighed before turning his back from the window and started unpacking for this 4 days 3 nights Japan trip.

***

Jack was sitting in his mini market while waiting for customers to walk in. Someone walked in and Jack thought that it was a customer, but that person was his beautiful wife, Adeline.

He smiled and walk towards her, holding her by her waist and rest his head on his shoulder as she was putting down dinner on the table. "What's wrong?" Jack asked as he sense that Adeline was not herself today.

"Nothing, eat your dinner, I'll do the accounting now."

Jack shrugged his shoulders before settle down and start eating the delicious dinner which was prepared by his beloved. After a few moment of silence, Adeline started crying. Jack asked her what's wrong while comforting her.

"I-I-I went to the doctor today, and... and I'm diagnosed with Coronary Artery disease!"

She said while crying, Jack was beyond shocked, he was afraid. Afraid to lose his wife, afraid that his wife will be in pain, afraid to be alone. Instead of breaking down like his wife, he knew that he had to stay strong for her.

"W-what is that disease? Can it be control under medication? Can you undergo surgery to change heart or something?" Jack asked while trying to prevent his tears from falling.

"It's a heart disease that can be controlled under medication and surgery but it cannot be cured." Adeline whispered while tears drop down from her face.

"No matter how much the surgery fee cost, I will make sure you are back to healthy. Remember our promise to travel to Japan? I will fulfil it!" Jack said with determination before hugging his wife to comfort her.

After knowing that Adeline was diagnosed with cancer, she had been undergoing treatments and surgeries to remove the plaque that was built up in her arteries which was near her heart.

Day by day, she had become weaker, unable to travel by public transport to a far distance, she had to travel to the hospital by taxi daily. Even though they had the money and time to travel overseas, Adeline's body could not take it and the doctor also advise her not to.

***

Jack fiddling with his necklace once again, walk around Tokyo, hoping to find something that is suitable for him to eat. Everyone was busy rushing home for dinner, Jack heard that Japanese people are family-oriented, they always went home for dinner unless they had business to do.

While he was walking along the busy street, he saw a Japanese style restaurant that sells ramen-ya.

He walked into the shop and started looking at the alien word sign board of food. He could not understand what is written on the board therefore, he pointed to one of the word and waited for his food to be served.

He saw people slurping ramen and this started making him hungry. When his food is served, he was totally shocked by what he saw. A living octopus. He started to panic every time he saw the octopus move in the bowl.

"Erm... excuse me, the... the... fish... no..."

He wanted to tell the chef that he do not want the octopus but he do not know how to tell the chef. The chef was puzzled by his weird hand sign.

He pointed to the menu, pointed to the other customer's ramen, pointed to the picture and even started pulling his own hair.

After minutes of using sign language to convey what he wanted to the chef, the chef finally understand that he wanted to order ramen.

"This is delicious! Adeline will..."

Jack stop his chopstick and sigh but after a while, he finish eating his ramen and went back to his hotel room, ending his night while thinking of his beloved wife.

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