All we know is falling

I did wonder whether or not to have a stiff drink on Sunday morning to help fortify my resolve but no, I had some fruits and some bread and I stuck with my green tea. Hiro, my brother, was heading up to Shinjuku to collect some new linen for the restaurant and so he was kind enough to take me to the train station.
Yawning away, I know I just don't sleep well sometimes and it's not from being a party animal. On the contrary, it's been quite rare that I have gone out in the evenings socially just lately. I’ve had a couple of nights with a friend, going out for a meal or a drink or a movie. I think it's more to do with my reading late into the night or perhaps surfing the net and not realizing how the time slips by. I just can't sleep when I want to and so I try to make myself feel tired by reading. Then when the alarm wakes me at fifteen minutes after unreasonable, I just don't want to leave my bed, I spilled glue and I can’t get out!
"Another five minutes." I'd say to myself but we all know that's the recipe for a complete day’s disaster. Sometimes it seems that I’m just falling apart at the seams.
But once I’ve had my shower I am normally wide awake and so this Sunday morning found me hurrying through my breakfast because I didn't want to leave my brother waiting for me. He pretends to be patient but is so impatient underneath it all. He’ll sit at the wheel tapping his fingers on it and checking his watch every few seconds asking himself where is that girl?
Sunday morning saw him smile at me because I wasn’t late. We had a leisurely drive up to Shinjuku and I hugged him goodbye. Inside the station I bought my ticket and a newspaper and a JJ magazine, some water and a bag of chips and then when no one is looking I also bought some chocolate. It's for my sugar fix you know but hush, keep it secret!
I sat by the window reading my script for the show. I had memorized it pretty well but it always helps to go over it again. I was wondering whether to open my bag of chips and enjoy them before the train pulled out when a familiar voice said hello.
I turned and there she was.
"Hello Hitomi" I smiled.
"May I sit here?" She asked indicating the seat next to me.
"Please do" I said.
She made herself comfortable and I went back to my reading while she did so.
She asked how I'd been and I simply nodded. I wanted to say 'Hey I've been great, how about you?' but I also wanted to say "Getting over you have been one of the worst times in my life." But I couldn't say any of these things because a great big lump, probably from breakfast, suddenly appeared in my throat and tried to censor all my words.
I wanted to cry then and there but I didn't want her to see it.
"Would you like to read the paper?" I offered holding out my newspaper. She took it and thanked me and started leafing through it.
Her perfume was Christian Dior's Midnight Poison and I remember giving it to her on her birthday and once this was in my mind my eyes started watering. Then the tears started and so I pretended that I was about to sneeze and took my pocket handkerchief to sneeze into and also to wipe my eyes.
"I know that little trick you do Momo," she said, "You are pretending to sneeze so that you can wipe your eyes. You used to do it when we watched an emotional movie."
I told her that I had developed a little reaction to the high pollen counts.
She nodded her acceptance of my excuse and went back to her newspaper. I know she didn't believe it and I didn't believe it either and she could read me like a book!
I don't know why, I guess she's always been the stronger of the two of us but this break up  just didn't seem to affect her as much as it had me. Was she over me already? Of course I missed her and of course I thought about her in my quiet moments but while I was out with people or working and having my mind focused on other things I was slowly getting over her. Then all too suddenly we were sitting side by side, I inhaled a sweet memory and the moment became a little too much for me.
She leaned over and held my hand.
"I'm not immune Momo, it hurts and upsets me too but we have a job to do and we have to smile so come on, smile for me and let's be friends, okay?"
I squeezed her hand and nodded with a smile.

We arrived at Shin Osaka just after nine and a car was waiting for us to take us south to Spa world in the center. It's a nice straight drive almost all the way there as we followed Midosuji Street south all the way from the station.
The whole route looked really industrial and grimy until we crossed the river where it became a much more designed commercial view. Some of the areas of the street in 'Kita ward' are quite scenic and photogenic and would make a beautiful picture postcard.
We arrived and parked in the underground car park and once we were in Spa world we were met by the very lovely staff and shown to our room where we could store our bags, rest and change later. When it comes to staff rooms at the hotel I can tell you that they are closet to bare minimum but they were part of the contract and so I won’t complain. From the window we could actually see Tsutenkaku tower just beyond the amusement arcades, almost eerie it was in looking at it as I used this image in my post, 'moments of pleasure,' and Jazz is sat amongst the ruins! Prophets of doom I may ask myself?
We were given food and drink and we freshened up then we were introduced to Amemiya himself. My stars he is so funny. We all talked for a while and no matter what was said, he made it into something funny in his usual 'dead-pan' way.

We had a look at the concert room to get the feel of the place before we went up to get changed.  Our jobs were to read a script before he came out. Hitomi had the part that was all for him, she was the fan and he could do no wrong, He was the big star in her eyes. I was the cynic saying things like he couldn't sing and I'd rather listen to an unrehearsed school choir. Then when he came out on stage I had to be surprised and take Hitomi's CD of his and beg him to sign it for me as if I'd always loved him. He'd say that he overheard someone being quite rude and while Hitomi wasn't looking at me, I'd nod to him in her direction and when she's look at us I'd of course stop. Then of course he'd do his very funny songs and have everyone laughing.

There were three shows, each of an hour and each was spaced three hours apart and so we had two hours before the next one. This gave us time to look around, to eat and of course to take some photographs.

Since the last show was quite late in the evening...
We stayed over in the hotel with a view to taking the early morning train back to Tokyo. Dad met us just after we finished the middle show for a brief drink and a quick hello and he said that he'd enjoyed our part of the show tremendously but who was the guy with the guitar? I looked at him quite shocked for a long moment and then laughed loudly. It's not like him to make jokes like that. Everyone is making me laugh - it's incredible and absolutely wonderful!
I feel so good!

Didn’t someone once say that I didn’t laugh enough?
So what happened that night?

I think I’m falling…
I think I'll do a second part and leave you in suspense!

My song for this one has to be beautiful!
I'm not looking back but she lives in my eyes.