Orchards by Holly Thompson

of us
    for what we didn’t do
     
    lying there
    in the dark
    I wonder if Jake’s list
    of what we didn’t do
    is the same as my list
    which is
    end the texting
    talk with you
    laugh with you
    listen to you
    include you
    which seems so
    basic and short
    I keep thinking
    there must be
    something
    else
     
    in the morning Baachan
    still has those eyebrows
    way up
    gives me extra work
    shadows me
    won’t let me go to the groves
    keeps me with her
    on the roof hanging laundry
    in the gardens watering
    on an errand to the tofu shop
    like my very first days
    in Kohama
    she doesn’t ask
    about the
friend
who wrote
    doesn’t talk
    about Jake’s letter
    doesn’t mention it
    all morning
    but finally
    as I rinse the rice for lunch
    I tell her
    who it’s from
    and what it says
     
    Baachan nods
    and grunts
    and mutters
    and we eat lunch
    and I go up to the groves
    but when I come back down
    end of the day
    she says
    shouldn’t you
    maybe consider
    telling this Jake boy
    to write
    to that girl
,
    Lisa?
     
    that night I check email
    and with still no reply from Lisa
    about my photos
    I decide to do
    what Baachan suggests—
    write another letter to Jake
    and tell him how quiet
    Lisa has been
    online
    how I know she feels bad
    how I think words
    from him
    might help
    I start to write it out on paper
    then turn on the computer
    and this time
    I send it by
    email
     
    then wait
     
    okay
    he emails back
    in the morning, his night
    nothing else
     

M id-August
    is the regular
    Obon holiday
    with most of Japan
    off work and even Yurie
    home two days
    midweek
    Uncle and Aunt keep working
    saying
    they’ve had their summer break
    Kohama Obon
    but Koichi and Yurie and I
    are free to play
     
    so we put mats, snorkels, masks, towels
    and three of Baachan’s
bento
lunches
    in Koichi’s car
    blast music as we drive
    down the west coast of the peninsula
    curve after curve
    of cliff
    high above the sea
    Yurie puts her hands in the air
    and sways to the music
    and the curves
    I’ve never seen her
    this way
    relaxed
    fun
    acting young
     
    we arrive at a crescent beach
    edged by a village
    of yellow and blue and red roofs
    and backed by mountains
    and flanked by craggy bluffs
    on both sides
    I think
    I might just stay here forever

     
    we change
    then drop our bags onto
    mats we set on the sand
    and Koichi points to a float
    takes his mark like the start of a race
    says
yoi … don!
    and we three fly to the water
    charge
              splash forward
                     dive under
                            swim crawl
    hard as we can
    out to the float
    we climb up
    rub our eyes
    catch our breath
    but not for long …
    Koichi shoves us off
    dives over us
    and when we come up for air
    says
    race!
    and we
    swim the crawl hard
    back to shore
     
    later he hands us masks and snorkels
    leads us down the beach
    to where there are rocks offshore
    we fit our masks
    adjust our snorkels
    start to swim
    but Koichi stops
    yells
    then Yurie stops
    yells
    then I stop
    yell
    as we are stung
    by jellyfish
    and we
race!
    for real
    back to shore
     
    at the first-aid tent they say
    the jellyfish are early this year
    we rub ointment
    on our stings
    return to our mats
    and after eating
    Baachan’s
bento
lunches
    of all five proper colors
    we make sand castles
    with moats and turrets
    and tunnels
    and shell windows
    then I treat us all
    to heaping bowls of shaved ice
    with sweet
    azuki
     
    I would have stayed here forever
    if not
    for the jellyfish
    I say
    and Yurie says
    as she lies back on a mat
    and closes her eyes
    she might stay forever
    anyway

     
    while they doze
    I go up to the shops
    behind the seawall
    and buy postcards
    old discolored cards
    with shots from different villages
    showing Mount Fuji in a different
    season with snow on its peak
    I address one to Emi anyhow
    but instead of words
    I draw a picture:
    crescent beach
    mountains
    bluffs
    village roofs
    me with ballooning