5.7 A New Kimi - Little Blue House

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7. L'le Blue House

Olga and Harumi stand in entrance to Pink House, Olga clutching gift-wrapped pink parcel. “Darling, you will never guess? This is authentic espresso from Napoli! Got it last night from dear Signore Lombardo, Mussolini’s ambassador. No, I won’t say what I did for it, love! But here’s a hint: ‘Kneepads and Listerine.’ Lombardo’s a dear darling.”

   Kimi prepares the espresso and the three are soon sitting sipping brimful brown brew from glistening gold cappuccino cups with TIRSCHENREUTH BAVARIA under coat of arms of the lunatic EmperorLudwig beneath each cup’s base and a fine painted miniature of Munich cathedral on inside at bottom of the cup, now covered by delicious potent espresso.
   Kimi tells of Tommy’s leaving.

   “I am not surprised,” says Harumi. “After all, the capitalist exploits a worker.”

   “Capitalist, shmapitalist,” quips Olga. “A typical man, he got homesick, looking for a better bush.” With cup poised she pauses to allow her double entendre to be understood then continues: “– to poke around in. So far as I'm concerned it's the greatest thing since Noah's Ark, darlings! Lulu’s back in town! We can go places and do things; teach ourselves some new things!”

   “But where shall I live?”

   “That’s what we’re here for, darling. Ru and I rented this nice l’le blue house with room enough for two so come be three with Ru and me.”
   “Yes, please do,” adds Harumi giving her most intense look. “I should like it much.”

So it is settled and Kimi puts Pink House on the market and goes to live with her pals at the L'le Blue, American-built in the 1920s, with plank wood construction in gently sloping slightly projecting shingle-roof Swiss-chalet style, its exterior glossy brilliant blue with rose red bordered windows and a white American door. It isn’t moanin’ low blue, comments Olga in her American jazz-speak, it’s sock-it-to-me blue.
   The house is recessed from street front and has a low brown picket fence between front lawn and street. A central outer gate gives entrance to pebble path between left and right flower beds, now colorful with red and yellow spring tulips up to front door which is flanked by 2 small gingkos – the popular city trees with deep-green leaves and, in autumn, sour-smelling cherry-round fruits that rot all over the sidewalks and which aficionados gather up to eat the cooked pits.

   There are 2 rear bedrooms and one big entry living room with a wall-to-wall thick sea-blue rug that the girls lie on, gabbing and gossiping in various intriguing frontal and rear exposures, noshing little cakes and overdosing on espresso as they listen to Olga’s groovy American jazz collection.
   Olga works at the Soviet Embassy as typist now that western music has been outlawed. Harumi works as salesgirl in a large downtown department store.

   It is a new Kimi who goes to live at L'le Blue, a Kimi who has learned to appreciate leisure by reading, by thinking fluently in English, by painting in watercolors. Seminars widen her, sharpen mind and direct a purpose to life that spoils her for former work. She wants to use the untapped nine tenths of Brain she had read about in Alexis Carrel’s Man the Unknown. She wants wisdom and culture.
   For next, now, click 5.(8-11) At Tokyo Time, 8 December 1941 - War On