14. The International Millennials in Tokyo
Now we follow two Millennials, Jimmy and Cissy, who were first met with in a recent Seminar in Tokyo. They are young teenagers, internationals being brought up in Tokyo. The 15-year-old Jimmy and next to him his 15-year-old Ethiopian girlfriend Cissy, she and he in Levi pants and colorful Hawaii shirts and sneakers.
Jimmy is the son Yuko had from Professor Edwardes and as is usual in 2015 Japan although an alerted outsider could see he is mixed Caucasian-Japanese from his eyes, thin lips and curly hair, he easily integrates into Japan's Millennials as a Japanese because of the already significant infusion of Caucasian DNA since World War 2 making this type of look a normal variant of a Japanese, and also because of the lack of racist, nationalist feeling among the Japanese in 2015. Cissy, whose birth certificate name is Cecile from her French mom, is also mixed race; in her case Ethiopian-French and the Ethiopian is purposely chosen over the African because Ethiopians, in contrast to black central Africans are light-skinned with Caucasian features due to the already ancient mixing with Semitic Caucasians as romantically suggested by the biblical King Solomon/Queen of Sheba story. Cissy's father is an Ethiopian diplomat and she, like Jimmy, was educated in the Japanese system which explains how they got together.
One thing immediately noticeable about Millennials with an American half is their preference for informal naming over birth certificate name, i.e., Jimmy for James. Another is their disdain of formal dress. They love the used Levi pants with holes, the very revealing (for women) thin shirt and the visor workman's hat and sneakers.
It is the start of summer and the two teenagers with parental consent have decided to travel to U.S.A., first stop NYC.
Starting the trip out, we find the two with trailing rolling carts just the right size for aircraft carry-on, having passed through body inspection and down the escalator one after the other, to passport check. Cissy comments "How come you don't use a U.S.A. passport? Don't everyone think it's the best in the world to own? And you have a U.S. citizen dad?"
Jimmy laughs. "Are you kidding? If we get hijacked by Islamic terrorists who do you think the first executions will be, after they collect the passports?"
"But your dad; he's American? Don't he like U.S.A.?"
"He thinks it stinks."
"You're rhymin' again, Simon?."
"Seriously, Cissy, Dad says I can get all the advantages of being an American like my dad is but without the disadvantages. And also it allows me to live in Japan without hassles. And through my Dad I get a U.S. entry"
They are interrupted by the passport check. Cissy has a diplomatic passport through her dad so does not need usual reentry visa. They both pass quickly.
"Our Gate is 31." Cissy says, noting it is to the right.
They board their flight, a non stop to the New-York-area, Newark-Liberty Airport and are seated together in forward side row with a unoccupied between seat of the 3-seater row on which they can put stuff. But instead of doing that, they sit together holding hands in the way Millennials do - young love is true love among Millennials. Cissy is still virgin but she and Jimmy have discussed it together and mutually decided to end that state on this trip. Millennials in Japan come to joint decisions about having sex either as a one-night stand or as steady. There is no groping or forcefulness or sudden morning-after surprise.
They both have similar taste in entertainment. After the meal service, which Cissy leaves half uneaten and Jimmy eats every bit and also her remainders, they settle down with earphones and black shades to assist a sleepy repose and listen to The Girl from Ipanema, Astrud Gilberto. They do not comment on the songs as older sophisticated listeners might, to show off how brilliant each one is; rather Jimmy and Cissy, as they might say, groove on the song, the singer and the instrumentals. (Astrud Gilberto With Stan Getz - Girl From Ipanema (1964 ...)
The arrival is exciting for both because a first in the New York Area.
"Why Newark?" Cissy asks, "Ain't it New Jersey?"
Jimmy assuming his Dr Fact pose explains: "For us international arriviste -" He stops and looks at Cissy who speaks French fluently. "Get my groovy French?"
"You got it wrong, Jimmy. Arriviste means something like nouveau riche, You know a lower class person who because of his money throws his weight around?"
"Well, we are that too. My dad gave me one thousand dollars for the trip."
They pass through passport check and customs quickly, having only carry-ons. As they come out the departure gate a sign showing Bus to Manhattan $16 awaits them. They board the half empty bus and sit happily together in a left pair of seats midway from the front. The trip in takes 40 minutes and they get off at Port Authority Bus Terminal, on the crowded southwest corner of 42nd St and 8th Ave.
'Wow!' Cissy shouts above the din "What an exciting corner! ' Where do we go from here?"
It is almost 6 PM but still good daylight of early summer. Jimmy already knows they will stay at the West Side YMCA up on Central Park West and E. 63rd St. "Follow my leader!" he shouts back and crosses 42nd Street to the NW corner and starts walking up the west side of 8th Avenue with the crowd, his rolling cart trailing on his right and Cissy right behind similarly.
At 48th Street, a delightful smell of fresh pizza attracts them to a store on left with a big Z in a circle that names the place the Z-Deli.
Jimmy exclaims looking at a sign in the window: "Hey, a 99 cents pizza slice. That's cool. Let's try it." Cissy is hungry too. They go in to the back where the pizza chef is. "Gimmee a 99-cent", Jimmy says. "And me too," adds Cissy.
Using his pizza pie roller-cutter the chef cuts 2 one-eighth slices out of the very large plain pizza circle and puts them in the oven for a quick heat. Then he wraps each in non absorbent paper and hands them over. "Pay out at the counter."
They walk back to the street and at the counter Jimmy hands over 2 one-dollar bills with 'Keep the change" but the cashier says "With the city tax it's a dollar eight a slice."
'Oh," Jimmy fishes around in his pocket and comes up with 16 cents in coins.
They put the pizza slices in a brown paper bag by the cashier's place and then into Jimmy's cart to eat later, not liking to eat as they walk.
On 52nd street, just off the southwest corner they see a stand with a sign "$1 Hotdog."
"Gee! that is really a price! Jimmy exclaims having noted other hotdog stands that don't advertise price all charge $1.50 or even $2".
"Is this a bargain or is this a bargain?" He asks the Hispanic-looking man selling at the stand.
"Yeah, dis is da best. Watcha want on it?"
"Give us five dogs and we want everything on it. There's no tax on this is there?" Jimmy asks as he hands over a $5 bill.
"No," the man says smearing on yellow mustard, red ketchup, brown salsa, and then sprinkling red pepper and finally dropping moist white sauerkraut over each hotdog and wrapping each hotdog in silver foil and bagging all 5 together. He hands it over to Jimmy, who passes it to Cissy who puts it in her bag for later eating.
Then they continue up 8th Avenue. At 59th Street it becomes Central Park West with the park on their right and they continue to east 63rd, cross to the north side and turn in left.
"Here we are at the West Side Y." Jimmy says. They walk up the 5-step from-street stairs of the 1929 building into an ancient looking lobby and go to left where the check-in desk is indicated.
Next, they are in the room they share at bargain promo charge $105 a full day overnight. On the 8th floor with double-deck bunk beds, a small desk by the window and opposite end of room from entry, and air conditioning. Shower room is group and toilets are individual with lock on the 8th floor corridor. A small area for internet access at $2 for 20 minutes is at one end near the elevator.
Jimmy and Cissy sit on top bunk bed, lower legs dangling and partly undressed: Jimmy in brown shorts and Cissy in blue shorts and gray halter. She is not a believer in nudity in the presence of the other sex though Jimmy would not mind at all. Jimmy has a small black bag between them. He opens it and explains.
" OK. Now, I have something to show you" he points to the black bag.
"What?"
He reaches in and takes out a hand-size box that slides open and she sees ten small glass medication holders that doctors and nurses call ampoules, which are used to hold injection medication. "Welcome to good news!"
"What is it?"
"Like Sabu says in The Thief of Baghdad which we both saw together on DVD last month 'I stole it just for you'"
"Yeah, I remember! It was cool! But actually, what is that? It looks medical."
"It is." He jumps down to the floor, goes to the washstand and washes hands. Then comes back to the bunk-bed and sprays alcohol on his hands and cleans top of ampoule with alcohol swab. "Watch this." he expertly cracks off the thin top of the ampoule, unwraps a 1-cc disposable syringe with needle and pulls up the clear fluid into the syringe. Then he rubs his left upper outer arm with alcohol swab and quickly plunges the needle into the arm and depresses the plunger on the syringe injecting the full dose.
"Hey!' Cissy cries out. What you doing? Are you crazy?"
"It's Pentagin, the Japanese opioid. Twenty-five milligram is the dose to get a good effect. Now I just sit back and watch the blynkin lights."
"Wow, Jimmy, can I try it?
"Yeah, That's why I'm going first; I'll be your canary in the coal mine. But you gotta do it all yourself. You watched me. So go ahead and play copycat."
She follows Jimmy's actions and a minute later they lie together on the top bunk. Both being so slim that adults worry they have anorexia nervosa, they fit the bed with space to spare.
"One thing, Jimmy. If this stuff makes me want to do bad, don't take my cherry. I promised my Mom I'd wait till I was at least 17 and discuss it with her ahead of time."
'Don't worry, Cis; just relax with me and watch the blynkin lights. And by the way blynkin is with the Y."
Five minutes pass. "Jimmy, you're 5 minutes ahead of me, What is it like? Is it your first time?"
"Yeah. But I talked it over with my Dad who's a doctor and knows all about this stuff. He says kids today almost always end up using bad drugs ignorantly so he wants me to use a good, safe drug smartly based on science."
"But what are you feeling."
"The blynkin lights."
'"Wha?"
"Remember I said spell it with a Y because it is not blinking like a light on and off; it's blynkin."
"But what's that?" Cissy suddenly grabs Jimmy's arm and hugs her head into it. "Oo! I got it too. Blynkin like vibration under the skin. Oo! Does it feel good! And it bunches up in my ankles and knees and belly button and the tip of my little titties. Blynkin!"
"And all your worries are gone. Right"
She nods her head Yes and hugs him more.
Jimmy gives a sigh of pleasure. "Yeah, you no longer am afraid of the big bad wolf, ha, ha, ha" He turns his head to her and she to him and lips touch and they kiss without embracing. Then she sits up and climbs down to the bottom bunk. "Just don't you get any funny ideas. You know, about my cherry. It's going to stay put this whole trip.
Eddie replies from above. "Right now I couldn't care less for cherries. I'm just groovin' on those beautiful blynkin'lights."
"Me, too."
"Cissy, is it OK to turn off the lights that don't blink?"
She reaches over to the wall switch by her head. The lights go out.
"Thank you, Jimmy. And Good night.' "
The end of the Chapter for next, click 18.15 Seminar on Drug-Taking
No comments:
Post a Comment