Sakura Blossom

When We Meet Again

The synthetic lights overhead tried to dispel the gloom of the stormy skies outside the windows of the Zenshin Rihabiri Clinic, where Mitch worked each day since he came to Japan almost a week ago. Each day was a challenge for him because of the language barrier between him and most of the people who worked there and their clients...even though he worked hard to learn the Japanese language. On the plane ride here to Japan, on the subway he took each day, every morning and every night he was studying hard on how to speak with the help of the Rosetta Stone program he bought shortly after he accepted this over seas position. This program was an absolute gift from God...without it he would have been undoubtedly lost and unable to do the job he was sent to do. Another gift from God to him was his mentor, Dr. Yuriko Hiraoka, who was very patient and understanding with him...even to the point of laughing at him when he made such a mistake that anyone else would have been sent packing to go back home for. It happened on his very first day, when he arrived here at the clinbic...he had just walked in to the break room to see a older looking woman standing off to the side getting a cup of hot tea. He did not pay much attention to her name tag, thinking she was another therapist there, as he walked over to her to at least say hello since they would obviously be colleagues. She was an older woman with dark hair that fell to her shoulders and dark brown eyes that seemed friendly as he approached her...deciding to give his language lessons a try.

"Uhmmm Ko...Konichiwa (hello). Watashi wa Mitch to mochimasu (My name is Mitch)." he tripped over the words a little bit as he tried to make his mouth form the foreign words. He must have done somewhat alright because she softly laughed at his attempts but not in a mocking way..very friendly manner as she inclined her head at him.

"Ohayo gazaimasu Mitch-kun(polite good morning). Hajimemashite (Nice to meet you)." she was stirring her tea when Mitch made his faux pas...open mouth and inserted his foot- as the saying goes.

"So...I am very new here, obviously, and I don't know anything about my new Senpai (mentor) a Mr. Hiraoka. What's he like, do you know?" he saw the look of slight confusion coming onto the woman's face before understanding registered in her eyes and she chuckled lightly at him.

"ah...sensei Yuriko, is I'm told...a good person to work with." suddenly she turned around to face him fully as she held out a hand towards him. " I forgot to introduce myself. I am Yuriko...Hiraoka and you must be my new Kohai (protege), Ortiz, that I have been expecting." she saw his eyes go round in horror at his mistake. The whole time since he found out about this position he had assumed that his mentor was male because of the name...Hiraoka Yuriko. He had not realized that the Japanese do their names differently than they do in the states...it seems they switch the placement of their last name from the end to the front unlike Americans. So Hiraoka was not her first name but in actuality was her last name and her first name was Yuriko which did sound more feminine to him. In that moment he was mortified and expected for his new boss to send him packing back to the United States with his tail firmly tucked between his legs in shame. Suddenly she began to laugh at him and he turned red in the face as he began to stammer out an apology.

"Mo...moshiwake arimasen (I'm sorry)." he began to bow ,like he learned, at a 45 degree angle...making sure it was deep and long to show the extent of his contrition. "I assumed when I saw the paperwork that Hiraoka was your first name. I am so sorry. Please forgive..." he would have kept on with his apologies but she stopped him quickly when she set a hand on his shoulder in mercy for his misunderstanding. 

"Ortiz-kun...it is alright. This is not the first time my name has been confused by Westerners coming here. It takes some time to get used to how naming goes here in Japan." her smile was filled with compassion before turning stern. "Now, that you know, don't make the same mistake again. Remember the saying you Gaijin (foreigner) have...~ When you assume, you make a ass out of you and me~ So no more assuming here. i do not take kindly to made into a ass...I am no animal and will be insulted to be confused for one. Got it, Kohai?" he nodded quickly at seeing the hardness in her eyes before they softened once more with humor again. "Good, now let's get going so I can show you around...I want you to familiarize yourself with how we do things here. If at anytime you have any questions then you can come to me. I may demand perfection in everything that is done but I like to believe that i am easy to come to with questions. How can you learn to perfect yourself if you never ask?" she handed him a cup of tea as she led him around...showing him where everything was stored at and went. As they walked he was soaking up everything she said and done...occasionally he would ask a question that showed he was taking in all she said. She was impressed with how he carried himself, especially after his blunder, but she should not have doubted this man because her college friend Dr. Clarke would not have recommended him to her if he wasn't even remotely up to her level of standards. It seems this man would fit in nicely here at Zenshin...now let's hope he can get a better grasp on the language soon or there will be some confusion...he already messed up one word that had her snorting into her tea once already.