Chapter Text
*
“Welcome home, honey.”
Nanako's cheerful voice greeted Langa as he opened the door to the living room. A pleasant, appetizing smell reached his nose. Because his mother wasn’t on duty at the hospital today, she seemed to have made dinner for them.
“I'm home,” Langa replied and closed the sliding door of the living room.
“Mom, I saw someone in the city who looked like Dad today.”
Langa muttered as he walked into the kitchen. Nanako, who was sitting on the sofa, looked up at her son.
“Ah, yes...?”
“I think he was a tourist, maybe from France or somewhere in Europe. We just passed each other on the main street,” Langa said and opened the refrigerator to take out a bottle of water.
“Oh, well, I see.”
“He was talking with his companion, they looked happy, I hope they enjoy Okinawa.”
Though Langa had no way of knowing the details, they might have traveled all the way to this Southern city of Japan. Behind him, Nanako giggled lightly.
“Hey Langa, I’ve heard that there are three people in the world who look like you. So the man might be one of Oliver’s look-alikes. Hmm, it's very unusual for you to meet Oliver's look-alike in Japan, isn't it?”
“Yeah, I agree,” Langa replied.
In Canada, Oliver's appearance wasn’t very unusual. But here where Asian people made up the majority, it was rare to encounter a man with a Western appearance.
“...I hope he lives a long life.”
“Langa?”
The Canadian teen muttered again as he gulped down cold water from the bottle. Nanako, who had gotten up from the sofa and was approaching the table, paused to listen to her son.
“I think he's probably about the same age as Dad. And... I dunno why, but I hope he lives a lot longer than Dad.”
It might be unusual for a stranger to have such thoughts about someone they just encountered. But that was honestly what Langa was feeling right now. When Langa saw the man, he felt like his breath was being taken away, and when they passed each other the teenager felt filled with so many complicated emotions (Soon after that the unexpected thing with Adam happened and his sadness had dissipated).
However, thinking back on the encounter, Langa found that he had one simple wish for the man who resembled his dearest father, Oliver: he wished him all the best, a long and happy life.
“...Mom?”
Placing the bottle on the table, Langa approached his mother. Nanako was holding her mouth with her hand and wasn’t moving, it was like she was frozen. When he looked at her face, he found a single tear had spilled from the corner of Nanako's eye. Langa's eyes widened.
“Mom!? Are you okay?”
“Oh, I'm sorry dear. I'm not sad, I'm just... glad. I'm so glad to hear you say that. If we had Oliver here, I'm sure he would be glad, too.”
Wiping away tears with her fingers, Nanako told a flustered Langa. As if to show she was being genuine, a soft smile appeared on Nanako's lips.
“...You think so?” Langa asked.
“Oliver was a kind-hearted person. I think you got your kind-heart from him, sweetie.”
Langa did not know how to react to his mother's words, and scratched his cheeks with his fingers.
“Hmm, I'm sorry for getting so riled up,” Nanako said. “I don't know where he is, but he's probably sneezing right now.” *
“Haha... I hope he hasn't caught a cold.”
Langa chuckled. It seemed to him it was only after they had started living in Okinawa that they could remember Oliver and laugh together like this.
“Langa, listen.”
“What?”
Langa turned to his mother. As usual, Nanako smiled softly. Of course Langa knew that it was a smile with tremendous sadness behind it.
Nanako slowly opened her mouth.
“Sometimes, someone helps someone else without even realizing it. So no matter who or where you are, it's a wonderful thing to be alive right now.”
“Yes, Mom... that’s true.”
A nurse by profession, Nanako’s words really touched Langa’s heart. Indeed, today he might be saved by Adam in some way. Though he never thought it would include taking a flamenco lesson.
“Well, let's start dinner! Guess what we’re having today?”
Nanako announced cheerfully trying to switch the mood, and with a mischievous smile on her face, walked into the kitchen to prepare the meal. Langa headed for the cupboard by the wall.
“It’s curry and rice, isn’t it?”
“Yes, you're right!” Nanako said happily.
“I could tell as soon as I walked into the living room that you were making curry for dinner, it smells delicious! Oh, I'm hungry.”
“There're pork legs stewed well in today's curry.”
“Yay, I can't wait to eat them!”
Langa opened the cupboard door and took out two oval curry plates. Dinner for two, the usual routine with his mother nowadays. He returned to the table and set the plates down. His father, who was in the picture frame on the table, was looking at him tenderly.
(―Hi Dad. Mom and I are doing fine here.)
Langa talked softly to his father in his heart. “That's great!” He felt as if he could hear the warm reply of his beloved father, Oliver.
//END
* It was based on popular superstition in Japan; if someone sneezes this means that someone else is talking about that person.
