Dawn; Kimi’s first impression, a sound of breathing. She opens eyes: child’s face. Yotchan, in white yukata gown with yellow chrysanthemum flower design held in place by bright red silk waist-sash, lying full length on the freshly fragrant tatami floor beside the futon; then, jumping up and running from room, and it awakens Harumi, sleeping face-up on Kimi’s left.
Later, downstairs, they sit sipping hot bean soup floated with cubes of white tofu, then chop-sticking, plate to mouth, small cuttlefish in brown sauce, and white rice between each swallow of fish.
Later, downstairs, they sit sipping hot bean soup floated with cubes of white tofu, then chop-sticking, plate to mouth, small cuttlefish in brown sauce, and white rice between each swallow of fish.
“Today we shall explore the beaches, Auntie," Kimi says. "May we bring Yotchan?”
The child can barely control showing instant happiness at her mother’s "Yes." Seiko packs lunches with rice, pickles and pieces of newly baked chocolate cake.
They set out along sandy rock-strewn beach and Yotchan scampers on ahead playing tag with the in-rushing foamy surf and screaming in fear and delight whenever it catches her flashing feet, drenching her ankles.
Kimi wears a blue cotton yukata wrap-gown. Red band encircles forehead. Walking barefoot in wet sand at edge of advancing line of surf gives her an intensely alive feeling. Brisk breeze ruffles gown alternately pulling it tight against her and flapping lower edges apart revealing bare thigh. With breeze comes smell of sea.
She is reliving her days as beach child. Beside her, Harumi in brown cotton dress is a pale wraith.
"Harumi chan, let’s swim.”
“Can’t! Never learned! You go, I wait here.”
Except Yotchan cavorting in shallows ahead, no one. Kimi pulls off her gown, folds it neatly and lays it on sand while the squatting Harumi looks on admiringly. She walks into surf, dives under incoming wave and swims straight out. Diving down she follows the ocean bottom looking for interesting sea life: here a rock-clinging spiral abalone shellfish; there a bottom dotted by black oysters; over there a creeping-up crab stalking a star fish. Schools of fish, sea bass, flash by and little red snapper fish streak out into deeper water frightened by the mermaid in their midst. A shark turns in curiosity then decides to pursue smaller prey. Kimi surfaces and swims back to shore where Yotchan and Harumi squat.
"The sea teems with food. Is there anything I can gather it up with? And I need a knife.”
Harumi opens backpack, pulls out a 10-cm (c.4-inch) Swiss army knife with 7 fold-in blades, unclasps the biggest blade and offers its handle to Kimi then reaches in again and comes out with brown burlap bag. Kimi cuts holes in the bag’s neck and threads them with cord to make a purse-string. Tying the bag about her waist she heads back into the water, knife in hand.
Harumi opens backpack, pulls out a 10-cm (c.4-inch) Swiss army knife with 7 fold-in blades, unclasps the biggest blade and offers its handle to Kimi then reaches in again and comes out with brown burlap bag. Kimi cuts holes in the bag’s neck and threads them with cord to make a purse-string. Tying the bag about her waist she heads back into the water, knife in hand.
“Catch us a good lunch” shouts Harumi as Kimi dives into the waves and disappears from view. Skimming over sea floor in multiple trips to bottom she picks up crabs, oysters, an abalone shell with its inner soft edible creature and even manages to grab a surprised ocean sunfish which true to its name has been sleepily sunbathing over a rock in a shallow. Her bag full she swims to shore.
They light a fire from dried seaweed that soon crackles with flame and smoke. Kimi fillets the sunfish, cutting skillfully the strips of fish flesh from the backbone down on both sides, and bastes strips of its white meat on skewers. The sizzling just-alive flesh gives off a salty sweet smell which promises delish fish in mouth. Then, while coffee simmers in pot they sit on sand eating sunfish slabs and raw live oysters and Kimi cuts white crab meat from outer skeleton and offers pieces to Harumi and Yotchan to eat with rice and pickles. Then they drink briskly brewed caffeine coffee with wedges of Auntie Seiko’s home baked chocolate cake.
Afternoon is spent running up and down the beach searching mud flats for interesting sea life and catching the tiny minnow fish in an old beer bottle that Kimi fills with sea water, using crumb flakes from Seiko’s moldy old bread to lure the minnows in. She ties a long cord around the bottle neck and hands it to Yotchan to throw into the minnow pool among rock flats. Soon, the guppy-size fish crowd into the bottle at bottom of pool and Kimi instructs Yotchan to pull in the bottle, and the delighted kid sees it is full of tiny trapped fish. Yotchan wants to take them home in the bottle but Kimi tells her they will die without seawater.
“We should not kill the sea life except if we need to eat it. Just imagine you are one of those minnows, Yotchan, and you have to die because of a selfish little kid.”
Yotchan looks at Kimi. “I understand Big Sis,” and she pours off the water with minnows back into the tidal pool.
What a day! Yotchan thinks happily. I hope my new Big Sister will stay. She’s fun! She knows just what a kid is thinking.
As they walk home, sun on backs, she shyly reaches left fingers to touch Kimi’s right fingers. Not looking, Kimi enfolds the kids hand in hers.
22. We Left the Lights On
Evening: They sit on heels in traditional way on tatami floor by sleeping mat.
“Kimi?”
“Kimi?”
“Yes.”
“I have not really been honest with you about a certain thing.”
“What thing?”
“Sex. When you first saw me at Ishimoto’s lecture you must have thought: How experienced she is with men! Well, truth is, I never made love to a man.”
“I never even thought about it, Harumi.”
“I am not normal.” Harumi looks away.
“Not normal?”
She turns to Kimi. “Is it normal for one woman to feel about another the way I feel about you now? Oh Kimi, forgive but I want too much to touch you! May I? I promise never to tell about it. And never, ever bother you again. Please, Kimi?”
“You are my friend, very dear friend. If it makes you happy ….”
“Yes Kimi, oh yes!”
Harumi reaches fingers out to Kimi’s face, tenderly touching her cheek and inclines toward her. Lips press on lips and slowly part; tongue tips touch. Kimi, bigger and stronger, enfolds her friend in firm embrace, and they hold to each other lovingly. Both are weary from the perfect day. Kimi separates her face from Harumi’s and for a moment holds her by shoulders and they exchange loving, silent looks. Then, on knees, facing, each starts to undress the other, easily done as both wear only yukata that need only a release of the front waist sash allowing the gown fronts to come apart and the disrobing to be easy. Still silent they stretch out together on mat and embrace. They kiss tenderly, with much touch, fingers working below to give mutual pleasure. They have turned on the quiet and allowed each other’s loving touches to share the action with deep, open-mouth, tongue-touch kisses.
Harumi reaches fingers out to Kimi’s face, tenderly touching her cheek and inclines toward her. Lips press on lips and slowly part; tongue tips touch. Kimi, bigger and stronger, enfolds her friend in firm embrace, and they hold to each other lovingly. Both are weary from the perfect day. Kimi separates her face from Harumi’s and for a moment holds her by shoulders and they exchange loving, silent looks. Then, on knees, facing, each starts to undress the other, easily done as both wear only yukata that need only a release of the front waist sash allowing the gown fronts to come apart and the disrobing to be easy. Still silent they stretch out together on mat and embrace. They kiss tenderly, with much touch, fingers working below to give mutual pleasure. They have turned on the quiet and allowed each other’s loving touches to share the action with deep, open-mouth, tongue-touch kisses.
Later, sleepy from the repeated mutual orgasms, they relax, faces-down on pillows, sides touching as they lie on the mat with Kim’s right arm draping Harumi’s upper back and shoulders. Suddenly, Kimi giggles and Harumi turns face, saying. “Was it that funny?”
“No, Harumi, but it just struck me. We left the lights on! What if Yotchan …?”
“Whatever if … . It was …, you were …, beautiful. I would not be ashamed.” She raises head on elbow and kisses Kimi on right earlobe then stands up in her near emaciated, flat-chest nakedness and pulls chain to turn off overhead light. “Thank you.”
For next, click 5.23 What is Lesbian?
For next, click 5.23 What is Lesbian?
No comments:
Post a Comment