Let's Drink

It was nearing midnight, the chirping of the animals kept Hiroshi and I entertained as we played drunk chess. Well, I was the drunk individual playing chess. Hiroshi howled at my terrible plays, continuing to dominate me as I made a blunder after blunder. Getting plastered on a Tuesday was not my forte, yet there I was, six cans deep and unable to keep my head from swaying side to side. I excused myself as I stumbled down the stairs, making my way to an available toilet to relieve myself. The house was dark, the other housing mates were either asleep or busy to themselves in their rooms. Missus Takahashi was kind enough to always leave a plate of cookies out for anyone to enjoy in the evening. If she were younger – and unmarried, I would have fallen for her kindness alone. Drunk thoughts meant I had no filter, so my brain and thoughts spilled out everywhere. I was lucky enough to be a teeny bit sober to not tell Hiroshi the truth about everything with Misako. Though I was sure he’d want to help, I preferred to go about it alone for the time being.

‘Why would she lie about knowing Hiroshi?’ I wondered to myself, ‘It makes no damn sense.’

After my long-awaited toilet break, I decided to treat myself to a cookie or two on the kitchen table. Another beer would have made the treat perfect, but anymore and I would be a puking mess, and I did not want Hiroshi of all people to look after me. As I scoffed down my final cookie, I noticed in the corner of my eye a faint-+white room light on in the far corner of the bottom floor. I recalled that only two rooms were available downstairs, one for Mister and Missus Takahashi, and one for Misako. My drunken state undeniably forced me to walk towards the light. The sober version of me would have disregarded it, but nonetheless I walked.

“Just a small peak.” I whispered out loud.

Like a spy, I crept my way to the door. With a peak of my head inside the crack of the door, I looked inside.

“Damn thing…” Misako said to herself.

There was Misako, she sat in her wheelchair by her work desk. On the desk was an old Tojiba laptop. Even in my drunken state, I could tell the laptop was extremely dated. It seemed almost ten or twelve years old. I watched as Misako attempted to type on the laptop. I could not see what she was typing, but I could tell she grew infuriated. After a few more typing attempts, she gave up, slamming the laptop shut. I could see her mumble something to herself. Then put the laptop back in the desk drawer. I decided not to prod further, she was keeping a secret yes, but I couldn’t imagine she was doing it with bad intention.

‘Better leave her alone…’ I thought to myself.

I decided that my creepiness had to come to an end, and I excused myself without making a noise, heading back to my room. But as I stepped, a hand tapped me on my shoulder. I flinched, and turned to see Missus Takahashi in a night gown. She beckoned for me to follow her to the backside of the house, to sit outside and talk.

“I’m sorry, Missus Takahashi, I shouldn’t have.” I said, defeated.

“I knew you weren’t doing it to spy on her for other things, my boy.” She said with a smile.

‘She’s just too kind!’ I thought internally.

“But…” She continued, “It’s not nice to eavesdrop on a lady in her room.”

“I’m so sorry.” I keeled my head over.

“I know you are, just understand from her perspective. Imagine if she’d found out.”

“I’d be in a world of pain right now.” I commented.

“But you are worried about her, aren’t you?” She asked me.

I nodded. I was. I wanted to know why she lied to me, and why she wanted to unlock an old laptop. I wanted to figure out the mystery of the pocket watches. Most importantly (and I could never admit it to anyone) I could see Misako was hiding something. I could see she held secrets close to her soul, she was in pain, I sniffed it out from a mile away.

“You noticed in one day. You are such a perceptive boy.” She commented.

“Moreso a culmination of coincidences has made me curious.” I replied with a half-truth.

“But you are worried.”

“…I am.”

Missus Takahashi giggled to herself. I could see her blush, thinking of a situation she may have overthought.

“Ahhh, young love." She said in s singsong voice.

My ears grew bright red under the moonlight.

“N-no! I’m not-”

Missus Takahashi hushed me.

“Shhh, boy, just listen to me. She’s gone through a lot. She needs someone to talk to. But to talk to her, you must first be honest about wanting to talk. Don’t beat around the bush, but also don’t be direct and upfront. Think of it as a mixture of flavours in a pot, you need a little sweet and spicy to make the end-result delicious.”

Her words soothed my thinking brain. I wished she were my foster mother. Though her food analogy seemed completely mismatched in the current moment.

“Thank you for the advice, I will try.” I thanked her.

“And next time I find you leering inside her room, I will tell her myself. Got it?” She said in a stern voice.

I put my hands in my face as I cowered in embarrassment. I returned to my room, to find Hiroshi tucked away inside of my bed, not his. He snored like a grown adult who returned home from a twenty-hour shift. I attempted to shove Hiroshi awake, to no avail. He slept like a boulder in my bed. I tried to fall asleep on his, but I could not, I was worried I might catch some sort of disease if I slept in his bed. I made a mental note to wash my bed sheets in the morning when Hiroshi was awake. Then, I noticed that my cell phone displayed a new message on it. I grabbed it from my desk to inspect the message:

Unknown: “You awake?”

I replied, not knowing who the sender was.

“Who is this?”

“Misako Ishihara.”

“How did you get my number?”

“All of our numbers are on the fridge door, in case of emergencies.”

“Understwanabwle.”

I struggled to write the last message, I could feel my drunkenness return to my being.

“Are you fine with talking right now?” She sent.

I remembered what Missus Takahashi said to me, going in headfirst would be a disaster. I needed to play things out smoothly as not to scare Misako away. I wanted to know more about her. And NOT because I liked her…

‘Well she is cute…’ I thought in the deepest part of my soul. I would never let that thought out of my body.

I decided to postpone our conversation.

“Cwan wwe talkk 2 morrow?” I typed in a haze, I saw two phones in front of my face, my head swayed and swaddled uncontrollably.

A few seconds passed before I received a reply.

“…Are you drunk?”

Dammit.

“nnnooooo~~~~~”

“Goodnight.”

She sent the text, then went offline, leaving me to wallow in my shame whilst Hiroshi snored away on my bed.

“Gimme more chocolate…mommy…” Hiroshi mumbled in his sleep.