Dear Mom
by Jeanne Hedge
Dear Mom,
Well, I'm finally here! I know you didn't want me to accept this
transfer, but it isn't often you get the chance to single-handedly open
a branch office in another country. Believe me, it'll do my career a
lot more good to be here in Tokyo instead of hanging around the office
in Philadelphia.
I've leased office space on the second floor of a two story building
near downtown. There's a lot of other offices and small companies in
the area, so I should be able to drum up some business with them.
There's one place, right across the street, that has a really eclectic
mix -- everything from restaurants to a lingerie shop. I think there
may even be apartments for rent - I need to check that out soon because
living in a hotel is going to stress my expense account!
Anyway, the rental place is supposed to deliver my office equipment in a
few minutes, so I'd better wrap this up. I'll try to call once in a
while, but it's easier to get a net connection set up than a telephone
line, which is kind of strange but that's the way it is.
******
Dear Mom,
Still no luck with the apartment hunt. The places I've been seem
reluctant to rent to foreigners - kind of weird when you consider the
number of blonde people named Smith I've run into. But they all seem to
be native, believe it or not, and I'm not, and that's that as far as a
lot of landlords are concerned. I thought that attitude had gone away
last century!
Turns out that the building across the street (called Ladys 633, and I
have *no* idea why - but the Japanese seem to like to do weird things to
the English language... just like we do weird things to every other
language) doesn't have apartments after all. The bottom 2-3 floors are
leased for business, and I hear the owner lives in a penthouse apartment
at the top of the building's tower (a round thing - looks like a
lipstick tube), but no one knows what's in between other than it's not
apartments. But I've only been looking for a month now, so I'm sure
things will be fine.
Most of the people I've met are friendly and willing to lend a hand.
Which is why Mrs. Yomura from the kissaten on the corner introduced me
to Mrs. Smith (yes, she's blonde) from the fish market, who introduced
me to her daughter, who is an office lady for a realty firm, and I'm
going to be looking at condos tomorrow.
******
Dear Mom,
I don't know where you got the idea, but a kissaten has nothing to do
with kissing ten-year-olds! And no, Mrs. Smith doesn't have a son my
age. She's got to be 70 years old herself, for heaven's sake!
And no, I'm not worried about those 'robots' running wild in the streets
(they call them 'boomers' here). Mrs. Kawasaki (a friend of Mrs.
Yomura) told me that almost 2 years ago one of them came charging
through this area, and even tore up the lingerie shop across the street,
but it's been pretty unexciting ever since. So I'm perfectly safe
living in the back room of the office. It's actually quite comfortable,
if a little crowded.
Not too quiet though - there are cars and trucks and motorcycles going
in and out of Ladys633 at all hours of the night, and it seems like the
lights in the penthouse are always on. Maybe the owner likes parties?
******
Dear Mom,
Everything's fine! I don't live anywhere near the police building that
those terrorists took over, so don't worry. Tokyo isn't any more unsafe
than any other big city.
I have noticed something sorta odd -- I told you about all the cars and
trucks and stuff going in and out of Ladys633 at all hours? Well, that
sort of thing isn't every night, but it *is* every night that there's
some sort of trouble. I wonder if that and the owner's late night
parties are related?
Anyway, I met the nicest young man the other day. He works at the
lingerie shop across the street, and he couldn't have been more helpful!
He was even going to personally escort me to the dressing room to try
some things on, but a woman, apparently his sister, came out of the back
and shoo-ed him away. He looked so disappointed.
Did I mention that he couldn't be more than 16? So don't you start
getting ideas!
******
Dear Mom,
Ever since they boarded up Ladys633 (renovations, I hear), things have
quieted down at night, so don't worry about me getting my sleep. I
heard that a lot of the tenants were upset to have their business shut
down on such short notice, but Mrs. Yomura said that Mr. Gonsalves (and
before you ask, he's Japanese and is already married) told her that the
owner paid all the tenants for their trouble while the building's being
remodeled.
But anyway, things may be quiet at night, but they're sure noisy in the
day time. Whatever remodeling is being done, they're using some heavy
machinery to do it. Remember when Uncle Jim took us on that tour of his
plant? The other day they brought in a couple pieces of equipment that
looked just like those big electrical transformers, except smaller, and
another that looked like part of the electric generator! I haven't seen
them in a few days, though - I wonder if Tokyo Gas & Electric is
building a power plant in the basement! (ha ha)
Business is going fairly well - I'm making a presentation to a group of
hotel owners next week. Still no good news on the apartment front, but
that's ok - since I'm literally living at the office I'm getting a lot
of paperwork done in the evenings and am able to take time off to play
tourist when it's a nice day out.
******
Dear Mom,
I saw the strangest thing the other night -- I was out in the office,
just about to 'go home' for the night, when all of a sudden the 633
building across the street lit up like someone'd put a spotlight on it!
At first I thought that maybe it was some sort of late night lighting
test (they're supposed to reopen the building next week), but then the
weird part happened -- it looked like this airplane came out of the top
of the tower! And right after the plane flew off all the spotlights
went out! And then it all happened again a couple hours later, when the
plane came back!!!
Surely I'm imagining things -- it must have been some sort of optical
illusion. Airplanes just don't come out of the tops of buildings, after
all.
******
Dear Mom,
They finally finished work on the 633 building, and they had a big re-
opening party at Silky Doll the other day -- that's the lingerie shop.
Ms. Stingray, the lady that owns Silky Doll (I think I told you about
her cute little brother -- I hear he's gone to Europe for school -- the
lingerie business must pay very well!), invited everyone in the
neighborhood.
I asked some of the neighbors about the weird lights and the airplane
(I've seen it 2 or 3 times now), but no one said they knew anything
about it. I don't know if that's just the famous Japanese minding their
own business, or if they really don't know anything. None of them make
their homes around here, after all. But anyway, Mrs. Yomura and Mrs.
Kawasaki looked at me like I'd gone mad, and Mrs. Gonsalves (she's *not*
Japanese, btw - she's Sino-Russian ^_^) muttered something about needing
a man to keep me busy.
I even asked Ms. Stingray if the building owner was around so I could
ask him, and when I told her what about she got this funny look on her
face and then said that the owner wasn't around but she'd heard he was
rich so maybe I saw his private plane or something. Seems reasonable, I
guess, but you'd think even rich people would have to use the airport!
******
Dear Mom,
Great news! I got an apartment!
This guy from Mrs. Smith's daughter's company called me out of the blue
and wanted to know if I was still looking for a place to live --
something had just come on the market that he thought I might be
interested (strange -- we talked a couple days ago at Ms. Stingray's
party, and nothing was available). It's on the other side of town, but
it's perfect for me (a quiet neighborhood! YES!!!).
And to make matters better, I've just signed ten new clients (who knew
people would like rutabagas so much?), which will keep me so busy I'm
not going to know which way is up. And office space just opened up in a
building 2 blocks away from the new place, and home office said they
have no problem with me moving the office!
So I won't be writing for a while while I'm moving. Ms. Stingray (yes
mother, I agree - a lot of Japanese people around here have unusual
names) has offered the use of her company's van, and some of her friends
are going to help. You'd almost think they couldn't wait to get me away
from there!
Your loving daughter,
Me.
***********************************
Just in time for Mother's Day, this story is in honor of mothers everywhere.
And for Andy Skuse, who sometimes nags me like he was my mother, because he
dared me to write it. ^_^ (you realize, Andy, that this fulfills my 1
fic/year quota and now I don't have to finish the True Love sequel this
year ^_^)
The events in this story take place beginning shortly before BGC 8 (in
2033) and ending shortly after the events of Bubblegum Crash 1 (in 2034)
Jeanne Hedge
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