Rising Sunsets

CHAPTER 12

Nearly a week had passed since I had finished editing the opening TV spot for Jake. The footage would be scheduled to air during the evening news, and I was petrified. Even though Jake had assured me that everyone liked the final storyboard ideas, I was still worried someone would find fault with my sequencing or content. I had not seen Yoshie since our disagreement; consequently, she had given no input on the project. Why do I have to walk on eggshells with her?

            I hesitated before walking into Kyoikuiinkai, not knowing how Yoshie would react to me or, worse, if I would see Yamaguchi-san. Thankfully, he had not arrived yet, and I was surprised to find her pleasant and contrite.

            “David, I want to apologize for my behavior. I was incredibly rude to you. Please forgive me.”

            I paused. “I accept your apology, Yoshie.” I approached my desk to get a book for the afternoon’s lesson. “I’m going to the Kominkan to get ready to teach the adult class. Please let me know what Jake thinks of the segment after he sees it.”

            “I would be happy to.”

            The morning dragged with no word from Jake, but I knew I had to pull myself together and focus on the lesson I was preparing to teach.         

            “Hello, ladies. We are going shopping today,” I said a few hours later as I entered the small classroom at the Kominkan. I was carrying a shopping bag filled with boxes. The women giggled with uncertainty but anxiously awaited what I was going to do. I passed out copies of a handout which contained English words with the Japanese translation, provided by Doi-sensei, and a picture. Each image depicted an item that could be bought at a department store or a grocery store. I held up a small box.

            “Box. Everyone repeat. Box.”

            “Box,” they responded.

            “What do you think is in here?” I asked.

            None of them responded.

            “Look at the first picture.” I went up to the chalkboard and wrote three words:  necklace, ring, brooch. I named each one of them and had the women repeat the words. “Jewelry. All of these are known as jewelry.”

            I held up a shirt box, the kind the department stores gift wrap during Christmas. “What do you think is in here?” Again, when no one responded, I went to the chalkboard and wrote three more words:  shirt, pants, dress. “Clothes. These are known as clothes.”

            The last box I held up was a shoebox. Again, I asked them what they thought might be in the box.

            “Kutsu,” one housewife responded with a proud smile.

            “Eigo!” I reprimanded her, insisting she say it in English.