Modelling, remodelling and revision

A faint spray of water across my window was all the evidence I had from my position in the large comfortable chair to say that there was a gentle rain outside. I hadn't done much since Sunday because I'd picked up a bit of a chill and I had decided to stay at home in the warm, drink plenty of fluids, consume huge amounts of citrus fruit and occasionally play on the sympathies of my beloved. I was sitting in my chair and reading Haruki Murakami's "Hard boiled wonderland and the end of the world." Oh I could shout at this man. I have read several of his novels and I love them all except for the collective last chapters. He just won't give me one happy ending and in several he won't give a proper ending at all but just allow his dear readers to surmise a little for themselves from the flow of the novel. There is love, so much love and such great potential for a sweet ending where the guy actually gets to be with the girl who dotes on him but no! He has to insert his insurmountable objects! In the last one I read, Sputnik sweetheart, about a girl who fell in love with another girl and had a guy who loved her implicitly and was prepared to wait for her if in any eventuality it didn't work out, he could have made this one a beautiful ending, instead, he capped it off with a touch of surreal and open possibility. It makes me want to write one final chapter of each book for him and give his characters closure and give the readers knowledge of what truly happened next!

I'd almost reached the end of the book I was reading when my phone rang. It was my brother downstairs asking if I could drive out to Haneda Airport to pick up dad in the next half hour.
"What? Why didn't he tell us earlier?" I questioned.
I could imagine Hiro sitting there with a blank face and staring at the telephone, shrugging his shoulders and thinking 'why ask me such a question?'
Dad usually gives us plenty of time so we can get things ready and organize who will pick him up at the airport and have the guest apartment ready.
"What time does he arrive I asked?"
"He's catching the 13:30 so he'll arrive at 15:00."
I looked at the clock and his hour hand was just reaching up to 1pm. I told my brother to phone dad and say I'll be there. I put my book down and emptied my tea cup and straight away went to air the guest quarters and put fresh bedding on his bed. I ran over to the seven-eleven to get provisions,bread, fresh milk, fruits and nuts and mineral water for the small kitchen. The passage of time had become my enemy as the hands of my usually relaxed clock seemed to have gained speed and urgency and were learning to race around the clock face as if were auditions for race circuits time trials.

I quickly showered and put on fresh clothes, did my makeup and headed out into afternoon traffic. It takes around an hour, an hour and ten minutes to get to the airport if traffic is good. We could do it in around 40 minutes if we took the train but Dad prefers the intimacy and convenience of a car.
Several red lights along the way had me praying and urging them to favor my route but I felt sure that I'd arrive in plenty of time. Then luck came my way and I had some fairly empty roads and so I started making up time. At 2: 20 I was more than halfway there when my phone buzzed an alert for a text message. I waited until the next stop light before reading it.
'Flight canceled - am boarding the 14:30 - will arrive 16:05 dad.'
With the need for speed gone I felt the burden of haste leave me and I relaxed into my seat and didn't really care about the next set of red lights. After relaxing even more to the Rihanna's 'Loud' and singing along to 'only girl in the world', I felt much better. I think I'd slowed so much that I had a school bus pass me and with all the children waving at me and mimicking being singers through the windows, it made me giggle!
I still arrived at the airport in time for his now canceled earlier flight. I was parked and I arrived in arrivals at Terminal 2 at14:51 precisely. I phoned home to let Hiro know about the delay and then I ate a cheese salad and sat with a coffee, reading my book until dad arrived. It was a really nice salad although quite a small portion so I did think to buy another but I didn't want anyone thinking me greedy and so I didn't bother and had three coffee's while I read my book.
When dad did finally arrive he apologized for the delay and said I looked pale and sickly. I told him I had a cold and he mustn't worry. He said he was a little hungry and asked if I was eating enough, he's become such a worrying dad but I like it like that. I told him we could get a lovely cheese salad before we drove home and he agreed only if I ate with him. I got my second desired salad after all!

He has come down to Tokyo to attend the funeral of one of his old colleagues. One of the pains of getting old he says is to witness the passing of those he knew and to see the landscape evolve around us. I couldn't help but think of Mother...
As for landscapes, I've seen the word famous crossing here change in my own lifetime with one building torn down to make way for the q-front building that houses the Tsutaya department store and starbucks coffee shop. Even the apartment I live in has changed. I have lived here since I was a baby and it too has changed over the years especially as it passed from parents to children. Life is change!

Hitomi and I have been redecorating the second bedroom of the apartment we use as the utilities. The lounge is a store room, the kitchen became the laundry room and the single bedroom was my gym for a small while but it was something we really wanted to do. I think perhaps in time the utilities rooms will become a viable apartment once more. All things must change eventually!

I was going to blog earlier but I couldn't log in to Blogger. Now I find it's simply because my old sign-in link is no longer valid and so I have deleted that bookmark.
All things change!