patience is key | the karate kid

xvii. little trees

xvii. little trees

"I LIKE Ali, I like Kat, I don't like Johnny, Johnny doesn't like me, Ali doesn't like Johnny, Kat likes Johnny — oh shit this is too confusing."

Daniel walks up the stairs to his apartment later on that night. He had avoided going to the Orient Express — where not only Kat worked, but his own mother as well — and went everywhere else in town other than that area.

On the way home, he tried envisioning what he called a "love-hate square."

Unfortunately, he didn't have a pen or paper out to physically see what he was talking about.

He finally stops when he sees what's waiting by his apartment door. His hand brushes against the railing as he slowly takes a step forward, shocked.

    There it is, looking as if it's brand new. His bike, all fixed up and ready to ride.

    Daniel stands there, not sure of what to do. He looks over at Kat's apartment, wondering if it was her who had fixed it and put it there. And he half-smiles at the possibility of it being her — this had given him something to talk to her about.

    But then he remembered, she'd been working all afternoon. And his half-smile drops.

The boy turns back around and goes down the stairs, remembering the way Kat had led him to the handyman's place that first day he moved in.

    He turns around the corner, opens up the shutter doors and stands outside of the screen door.

He peers inside, seeing the man sit by a table full of little trees in pots. They all aren't exactly the same, and from afar Daniel finds them fascinating. He knocks politely.

"Hey did you fix my bike?"

The man nods. "Hai."

"Thank you."

"Welcome."

"Yeah, I.. I really appreciate that." Daniel says, still standing there. He isn't sure why he's still there and doesn't seem to want to move.

"Wasn't all me," the man says, clipping the small tree in front of him. "Kathleen-san too."

    Daniel half-smiles to himself again, for it gives him something to talk to her about, and continues to admire the little trees inside.

"Are those real trees?"

"Like see, come inside." Mr. Miyagi welcomes. Daniel opens up the old, creaky door and steps inside slowly, looking all around him.

"Thanks." He says, gazing at the trees. He steps up to one and his fingers lightly brush the tiny branches. "How'd they get to be so small?"

Mr. Miyagi chuckles. Boy does this kid have a lot to learn.

————

Kat arrives at the apartment complex earlier than the night before. She steps off of the large motor bike while taking the helmet off of her head. She hands it to the boy and ruffles her hair a little.