Hades

Chapter Seventeen - The Summer, Part One

Chapter Seventeen: The Summer Part One

His mood lifted and his head a little clearer, Hades looked forward to the day ahead. He was relieved that Harusame had made plans for them because he wanted to avoid going back to the Underworld and facing Uxi’s wrath at all costs; she’d become such a mother hen around Honda. He also wished he hadn’t let the kid off so easily. ‘I must be getting lenient in my old age,’ he thought, sighing.

‘It’s all the stupid whelp’s fault,’ he said aloud, more annoyed at himself than the boy. ‘Hey, why do you always have that crap on the radio?’

Harusame, who was packing her camera into a canvas rucksack, glanced up. She looked very fresh and lovely, her long black hair contrasting against her lemon-coloured blouse, tied in a knot at the front.

‘It’s not crap,’ she said indignantly. ‘It’s Don Mclean and this song is beautiful. The sixties and seventies had some of the greatest music in modern human history.’

Hades pulled a face, and Harusame asked, ‘Well what kind of music do you like then?’

He shrugged. ‘Mozart isn’t bad. Tchaikovsky also had his moments. Went to see Beethoven in concert once, which was pretty good. They had real concerts back then…those were the days. Haven’t heard a decent Habanera in years either. All people seem to listen to these days is incoherent noise…’

Harusame was staring at him, amused, and he shook his head. ‘Never mind. Bet you haven’t even heard of half of those guys, right?’

‘Actually,’ she said, going back to packing her bag, ‘I find Beethoven’s ninth symphony one of the most stirring compositions ever create; it always brings a chill to my spine.’ She paused to grin at his admiring expression. ‘What, you didn’t think someone like me would appreciate classical music? It’s just that Elvis is rather easier to dance to. Are you all set to go?’

‘Yeah. I like Elvis too,’ he added as they left.

Leaving Cerbi chasing his tail in Mrs Kamiya’s back garden, Harusame cycled out of the urban area of town and into the countryside on a bicycle she’d rented from her piggy bank money. Not yet having recovered his usual energy – even after three cups of coffee (which was all Harusame would allow after what Uxi had told her) Hades was forced to hitch along on the back of the bike, a practice which Harusame called ‘backsies.’ He offered to pedal, but she seemed determined to get there herself, and if he was honest with himself he didn’t find the act of wrapping his arms around her waist and holding on tight entirely dreadful.

‘Just don’t squish my camera,’ she said, her voice carried away on the breeze. ‘We chose a perfect day to take some photos!’

Harusame was right – it was indeed a beautiful day. The first hot sun of the year hit the surface of the nearby river making it gleam, and the sunlight streamed through the branches of the trees; broken fragments of gold hitting the road as they cycled by. A sweet, tangled chorus of birdsong played sweetly in the early summer air, and all the down the road meandering through the valley, miles of apple orchards were in late bloom, shedding petals like cascading confetti.

‘Is that why we’re out here?’ called Hades, raising his voice to be heard above the wind whipping by. ‘To take photos?’

‘Yes, and to make a precious summer memory.’

She slowed the bike down as they reached the bottom of a winding road, in the secluded shade of many tall trees. Hades jumped off and

Harusame rested the bike to the side of the road in the greenery.