A Cat's Tale (The Secret Desires of Hotaru Nyanko)

Fifteen: ホーム スイート ホーム (Home Sweet Home)

As I got back home, I saw Mama at the front door, waiting for me to come home. "Mai-bebi, why are you so late?" She cried.

“I just visited some new library, Mama.” There's really strange stuff there, I thought; but of course, I never said it.

"How's your sleepover Hotu?"

"It was good, Mama. The girls are terrific."

"I'm also hungry," I whined.

"Sure, baby. I prepared some sushi in the kitchen," she said.

I look at our dining table, my mouth watering in hunger.

The okazu looks so yummy.

The primary okazu is typically a protein-based meal, such as grilled fish or a beef dish. A vegetable dish or one with more protein, like a bean dish, may be served as the secondary okazu. Typically, each item is presented in its container. Particularly the secondary okazu are frequently served family style, with each diner taking their share. Typically, when we eat our normal Japanese dinner, we take the rice bowl in our hands and then nibble on bits of various okazu. On occasion, we put the rice bowl down, take the bowl of soup, sip, and eat some of the ingredients inside.

In Florida, I can frequently find a variety of side dishes listed under the appetizer category when dining once at a Japanese restaurant. This is a show of submission to Western eating customs because those side dishes were originally meant to be consumed with the main course, which in this case was rice. Dessert is not a customary way to end a dinner; one typically merely enjoys a cup of hot tea, for high-end Japanese restaurants in Japan do serve each dish on its own as a course, meaning that a meal can continue for hours. As a snack in between meals, we Japanese people enjoy sweet foods. Although this tradition is evolving as more individuals adopt European and American practices, I prefer to have sweets separately from other foods.

I continued to eat my whole meal with green tea, and it tastes so delicious.

When I finished eating, Kai just got home all tan looking like he just went to the beach.

"How's the game?" I asked.

"Fun."

"Do you know those school freaks I was talking to you about?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Some random dude went up to me today and told me he stole his girlfriend from him. Kinda sucks, though. I only love one person, Hotu. I never dated anybody else at school."

"Okay, but why did that happen?"

"Oh, you know usual, Hotu. I guess just because we won another tournament some guy that I don't know got jealous again."

I looked at his back, aching with a handful of bruises.

Oh, God.

Those kids at school.

If only I had the power, I'm going to beat and rip them off.

"Okay, who are they?"

"Huck said they're from junior high. His name is Rick."

"Don't worry, Kai. I'm going to report them to the principal."

"Do you think they will ever care about us, Hotu? All these people cared about is people like them, and they base everything off of money."

"It's not about money, Kai. It's about you have the right not to be bullied by those people," I exclaimed.

"We have old money. But nothing compared to them."

"Seriously? Do you even realize what you're saying? Regardless of who they are Kai, I can easily fight for your right. Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it," I said, controlling my anger.

Kai looked at me, confused.

"What has gotten to you lately?"

Shit has been happening to me lately if only you knew, Kai.

"Just the usual drama thing about school. Nothing to worry about," I told him.

He proceeded to eat dinner, his legs on the floor.

I gave him an ice pack to put on his bruises and painkillers to lessen the pain and went to my room.

That night I thought about everything.

How could I not know what I was doing?

Everything- the forest, the library, and how I acted in front of my friends. How horrible was it?

I opened up my notebook to check if I have homework. I have one assignment in Geometry, and I need to finish it before midnight.

Luckily, I had it done before the clock strikes twelve.

That night, I didn't know if I was dreaming- or was it even real?

**

When I woke up, I saw the boy who helped me out to the well and bathes in the river.

"Ouch!"

I hit the tree with my head when I stood up.

I looked at the little boy who was still there and lying next to me, and his sleep is so peaceful that his cheeks turned pink at the sight of dawn.

He wore a little white robe that is too small for his age, and warm woolen fur on his shoulders for cold, dreary nights.

When he woke up, he picked up his fur and pointed something out on the horizon.

Efilkir noste azud, he said.

Once again, I could not understand his language, so I just nodded.

We headed out west, and I followed him along.

He began moving his hands, motioning things to me that I tried to comprehend, but was still not able to catch it yet.

He started moving everywhere, howling like a dog, and going on and on about his hair as he let it fall.

It was a long travel, and soon after we passed by chaotic markets selling all types of meat and vegetables, the crowd shouting here and there.

The journey toward a particular creature appeared to span immense realms and take up phases. Massive nightmares that seemed at the time were terrifying realities to my left behind hazy, confused memories, odd faces, and strange surroundings that appeared to be from another planet. There was also a clear image of a significant talk, of a name that the boy couldn’t remember which name that would later reappear of some weird, long sensation of a painful vein and muscle, and a feeling of enormous hopelessness while we walk about through everywhere feeling like I had the struggle of a man who was almost drowning in the night, then a kaleidoscope of brilliantly unstable scenes appeared.