Kitchen
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Chapter 8:- Ketsudan (Decision)
Takahiro held the knife that he had stolen earlier tightly under the counter. His knuckles were white and his hands were shaking as his fingers choked the handle of the knife. He looked at his hands and and cold sweat started to drip down the side of his face. His heart was racing and he worked through how he was going to steal money from this shop. No other customer was in the shop, there would be no witnesses. He would pull the knife out and hold it to the owners throat and demand money. He then imagined eating a hot meal, a real meal at a restaurant, maybe even a gyudon (beef bowl) with a nice bowl of miso soup at the corner near the station where he lived... where he used to live. He then realized he wasn't hiding his face. The shop keeper would know who his was and tell the police. He would have to kill the owner. No, he would tell the owner he would pay back the money once he got a job. He would force the owner to accept is proposal. Then, if the shop keeper refused he would have no choice but to stab the owner and take the money. If the owner died, he wouldn't have to pay back the money. No, he wasn't a thief. He would return the money even if the shop keeper died. He wouldn't really stab the shop keeper to kill him, just to show him he was serious. Maybe in the arm, if he stabbed the owner in the arm the owner would be scared and just give him the money to go away. Everything going right and going all wrong was racing through his head. What would he do if he killed the owner? What would he do if someone came into the shop and saw what was going on. Where could he hide from the police? He was a minor so even if he killed someone, he wouldn't be responsible. Wasn't that the law? Was it difference for murder? Was that only applicable to shoplifting? He was lost in his thoughts. He just sat there grasping his knife tighter and tighter. What if the clerk at the convenience store saw him steal the knife and was right outside the door now?
"Ton! (clunk!)" a very large bowl of hot aburage and pork stewed in soy sauce appeared in front of him. "Hai, otoshi. (Here you go, the appetizer)" Ken said as placed the bowl in front of Takahiro.
"Ah, ah doumo...(Uh, uh thank you)" Takahiro said as his mind went completely blank and bowed his head in reflex. Takahiro was petrified. This was a large portion for an "Otoshi". The shop keeper probably knew what he was up to and gave this to him as a warning. He was made. The police would soon come and take him away. He stared at the bowl and his stomach growled, protesting his hunger. His knuckles were white from squeezing the knife and his fingers were beginning to numb. He could hear his heart beating louder and louder. He should act now. Flash the knife and ask for money. He could still get away with it. It would be quick. He wouldn't even have to hurt the shop keeper. He would...
"Hai, toriaezu ochawo douzo. (Here you go, some tea to start with.)" Ken placed a cup of hot green tea in front of Takahiro. "Ah, doumo. (Oh, thanks). Staring into the cup of tea, Takahiro's mind went blank. He saw his mother bringing tea to his father after dinner. He saw the steam floating up from the cup and disappear on the way to the ceiling of the shop. He looked up and saw the shop keeper with his back facing him busily preparing some dishes. His mind went blank. He started to hear the sounds of the kitchen around him reminding him of home. Water boiling, a cooking timer going off, the faint sound of music coming from somewhere, the refrigerator door opening and closing... Then the sound of a knife cutting something on a cutting board "Ton-ton-ton (Tap-tap-tap)". A crash and sizzling followed as some food was tossed into a hot oiled pan. He missed home, he missed his mother, he even missed his father, just a for a moment. His eyes watered and he sniffled.
Ken glanced at the young boy sitting at the counter, his hair ruffled and clothes dirty. Could be a runaway. The boy looked confused, frightened, and seemed to have some conflict going on in his mind. He probably didn't have any money. Maybe he was planing to "Kuinege (Eat and run). Either way, it would be bad for the shop. If the boy did so, the police would come and he would have to fill out some bothersome papers. Then if the boy was caught he would have to see the parents and have them apologize and have them pay for whatever. He just didn't have time for all the ceremonial formalities and going through the motions of reporting something like this. He diagonally cut some cucumber into sticks and arranged it in a fan on a plate with a dab of miso-garlic dressing. He then added some oil into a wok and heated it until the oil slightly smoked. Some pork and vegetables were tossed it as flamed jumped up from the sides of the wok. After stirring the mixture for a while to make sure the pork shown no longer pink but with the vegetables still crisp, he added some soy sauce, garlic, grated ginger, and sugar. It sizzled for a few seconds while Ken retrieved a plate for the stir fry.
"Don, don, don. (Thud, thud, thud) Hai, kore tabete (Here, eat this) " Ken place a bowl of rice, cucumber sticks, and stir fried pork and vegetables in front of Takahiro. Ken thought it would be best to just feed the boy and get rid of him. He would be a bother to any other customer who came in and be bad for business.
"Demo... ano... gomennasai, okanewa arimasen. (But... uhm... I'm sorry I have no money)". Takahiro was totally unprepared for the words that came out of his mouth. He was thinking about home and it was a reflex answer.
Ken thought to himself, "Yappari (Just as I thought)". "Iiyo, hayaku kutte kaerina. Oyaga shinpaishiteiruyou (That's OK, eat and go home quickly. Your parents are worried)". Then Ken added as a way for the boy to save face, "Kondo kitara haratte ne (Please pay when you come next time)".
Takahiro was totally caught off guard, he came to rob the shop to get some money to eat. Now he was given food before he could carry out his plan and didn't know what to do so he ate. "Sumimasen, itadakimasu. Kanarazu atode haraimasu. (I'm indebted, thank you. I promise I'll pay later.)" He didn't even know why he answered the way he did. He ate and the food was hot and good. He felt warmth rise up from his belly to his chest and fill his entire body with warmth. He felt better and secure, he really did want to repay the shop keeper. He even felt that everything would workout some how. He finished the meal and meekly said "Gochisou sama (Thank you for the food)" and left quickly, forgetting the knife on the floor of the shop. As Takahiro left Fuji, Ken let out a sigh of relief and said to himself, "Yare, yare (Good riddance)".
Takahiro held the knife that he had stolen earlier tightly under the counter. His knuckles were white and his hands were shaking as his fingers choked the handle of the knife. He looked at his hands and and cold sweat started to drip down the side of his face. His heart was racing and he worked through how he was going to steal money from this shop. No other customer was in the shop, there would be no witnesses. He would pull the knife out and hold it to the owners throat and demand money. He then imagined eating a hot meal, a real meal at a restaurant, maybe even a gyudon (beef bowl) with a nice bowl of miso soup at the corner near the station where he lived... where he used to live. He then realized he wasn't hiding his face. The shop keeper would know who his was and tell the police. He would have to kill the owner. No, he would tell the owner he would pay back the money once he got a job. He would force the owner to accept is proposal. Then, if the shop keeper refused he would have no choice but to stab the owner and take the money. If the owner died, he wouldn't have to pay back the money. No, he wasn't a thief. He would return the money even if the shop keeper died. He wouldn't really stab the shop keeper to kill him, just to show him he was serious. Maybe in the arm, if he stabbed the owner in the arm the owner would be scared and just give him the money to go away. Everything going right and going all wrong was racing through his head. What would he do if he killed the owner? What would he do if someone came into the shop and saw what was going on. Where could he hide from the police? He was a minor so even if he killed someone, he wouldn't be responsible. Wasn't that the law? Was it difference for murder? Was that only applicable to shoplifting? He was lost in his thoughts. He just sat there grasping his knife tighter and tighter. What if the clerk at the convenience store saw him steal the knife and was right outside the door now?
"Ton! (clunk!)" a very large bowl of hot aburage and pork stewed in soy sauce appeared in front of him. "Hai, otoshi. (Here you go, the appetizer)" Ken said as placed the bowl in front of Takahiro.
"Ah, ah doumo...(Uh, uh thank you)" Takahiro said as his mind went completely blank and bowed his head in reflex. Takahiro was petrified. This was a large portion for an "Otoshi". The shop keeper probably knew what he was up to and gave this to him as a warning. He was made. The police would soon come and take him away. He stared at the bowl and his stomach growled, protesting his hunger. His knuckles were white from squeezing the knife and his fingers were beginning to numb. He could hear his heart beating louder and louder. He should act now. Flash the knife and ask for money. He could still get away with it. It would be quick. He wouldn't even have to hurt the shop keeper. He would...
"Hai, toriaezu ochawo douzo. (Here you go, some tea to start with.)" Ken placed a cup of hot green tea in front of Takahiro. "Ah, doumo. (Oh, thanks). Staring into the cup of tea, Takahiro's mind went blank. He saw his mother bringing tea to his father after dinner. He saw the steam floating up from the cup and disappear on the way to the ceiling of the shop. He looked up and saw the shop keeper with his back facing him busily preparing some dishes. His mind went blank. He started to hear the sounds of the kitchen around him reminding him of home. Water boiling, a cooking timer going off, the faint sound of music coming from somewhere, the refrigerator door opening and closing... Then the sound of a knife cutting something on a cutting board "Ton-ton-ton (Tap-tap-tap)". A crash and sizzling followed as some food was tossed into a hot oiled pan. He missed home, he missed his mother, he even missed his father, just a for a moment. His eyes watered and he sniffled.
Ken glanced at the young boy sitting at the counter, his hair ruffled and clothes dirty. Could be a runaway. The boy looked confused, frightened, and seemed to have some conflict going on in his mind. He probably didn't have any money. Maybe he was planing to "Kuinege (Eat and run). Either way, it would be bad for the shop. If the boy did so, the police would come and he would have to fill out some bothersome papers. Then if the boy was caught he would have to see the parents and have them apologize and have them pay for whatever. He just didn't have time for all the ceremonial formalities and going through the motions of reporting something like this. He diagonally cut some cucumber into sticks and arranged it in a fan on a plate with a dab of miso-garlic dressing. He then added some oil into a wok and heated it until the oil slightly smoked. Some pork and vegetables were tossed it as flamed jumped up from the sides of the wok. After stirring the mixture for a while to make sure the pork shown no longer pink but with the vegetables still crisp, he added some soy sauce, garlic, grated ginger, and sugar. It sizzled for a few seconds while Ken retrieved a plate for the stir fry.
"Don, don, don. (Thud, thud, thud) Hai, kore tabete (Here, eat this) " Ken place a bowl of rice, cucumber sticks, and stir fried pork and vegetables in front of Takahiro. Ken thought it would be best to just feed the boy and get rid of him. He would be a bother to any other customer who came in and be bad for business.
"Demo... ano... gomennasai, okanewa arimasen. (But... uhm... I'm sorry I have no money)". Takahiro was totally unprepared for the words that came out of his mouth. He was thinking about home and it was a reflex answer.
Ken thought to himself, "Yappari (Just as I thought)". "Iiyo, hayaku kutte kaerina. Oyaga shinpaishiteiruyou (That's OK, eat and go home quickly. Your parents are worried)". Then Ken added as a way for the boy to save face, "Kondo kitara haratte ne (Please pay when you come next time)".
Takahiro was totally caught off guard, he came to rob the shop to get some money to eat. Now he was given food before he could carry out his plan and didn't know what to do so he ate. "Sumimasen, itadakimasu. Kanarazu atode haraimasu. (I'm indebted, thank you. I promise I'll pay later.)" He didn't even know why he answered the way he did. He ate and the food was hot and good. He felt warmth rise up from his belly to his chest and fill his entire body with warmth. He felt better and secure, he really did want to repay the shop keeper. He even felt that everything would workout some how. He finished the meal and meekly said "Gochisou sama (Thank you for the food)" and left quickly, forgetting the knife on the floor of the shop. As Takahiro left Fuji, Ken let out a sigh of relief and said to himself, "Yare, yare (Good riddance)".
