Just a Small Detour

"Mhm, mhm, yeah, can I call you back?" Man, everyone is staring at me.

"No-dude! Where are you?" Ah, here he goes again. He's always like this, like, we're adults. We can be separated. But I actually don't know where we are.

"Hey, where are we?" I don't think she's listening, "Hey, where are w-"

"Shh!" she just pointed to my phone, "Okay dude, we're on the way to Osaka, but meet us in the Kochi district. Bye!---"

"Kochi District, ugh, as suspected."

Anyways, I had to bow after that. It's something to get used to. Everyone, I mean everyone, was staring at me. The trains in the US and South America were nothing like this. It really brings me back, you know. Being here. It makes me remember why I do this. To find the-

Wait, I'm being dragged...no, yeah I'm just being dragged. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"You've been sleep for the whole ride. I had to carry my own bags."

"Well, they're your bags." The whole ride. "Where are we?"

"Osaka." In dramatic fashion, I looked all around the platform. It was busy as is any major or metro station in the late afternoon. The sun hasn't gone down quite yet, that's good. I at least like touring a city once when it's during the day. I don't know, it feels more lively that way. Night lights starting to come up, people walking across the street, one after the other. Feels like we're in a sea of sardines. They are so nasty. "Why are we here? I thought you said you were going to help me for my research? I love to explore and hang out, ya know, but I actually am on a deadline this time. Besides, we said we would meet my friend in Kochi ah, I guess this is my fault for going with a strange lady."

"I didn't force you. But I do have something to tell you." she stopped, "Well, before that, there's some really good farmers market down in Osaka. I don't think this region is one that grows yuzu but it's a major export city nonetheless, international airport, this is also good research."

"Ok, that's cool, but what do you have to tell me?" It's getting hard to hear her, there is so much noise. "I hate suspense."

"I'm actually a big fan."

"Of what?"

"Of you."

Oh boy. So that's wh-hmph, I get it. "Fan of me? Why? I'm not famous or anything."

"Stop being modest. Truth be told my grandmother lives in Osaka and she is a fan of yours too. Your research and book, "Don't call 911" it's on her shelf."

"So why do you need me to come with you?"

"It's a trade." She said matter of factly for reasons I don't know, wait! She's the one who kidnapped me! "A trade? For what? You kidnapped me!"

"No. I asked you to help me with my bags to the train and you said "Ok, where're we going." and I told you Osaka to visit my grandmother and that's about the time your friend called. After that, you went to sleep and we're here. You don't even remember that we connected trains twice did you?" Man, maybe I am a little backwards.

"So what's the trade?"

"I show you around Japa-"

"I used to live in Japan for some time you know, too. I'm no begi-"

"Okay, that's fine and well, but you don't know every spot. I think it could be really good for your research."

"So what do you get out of all this? It seems time consuming and well, yeah not worth your time to help someone do his research that you aren't even responsible for. Why are you doing this?" I really want to know. I've met locals and people who wanted to help or no, not even acquiesce, but they offered. I don't know, don't really understand this woman.

"Look around, " I did, "...it's not often you meet someone from the other side of the world, who speaks the same language as you do, same culture, relatively speaking, and happens to share the same interests. It's an adventure."

"That's all? Just an adventure?"

"Yup. That's all. I promise to show you or well, get you all the information that you need. And honestly, if you could meet my grandmother and sign a copy of her book, that would be great too."

"So part fangirl, part fruit scientist." She's weird but, "I still don't get this. You're a stranger, so am I, I didn't even tell you my name."

"Oh, that's right. What is it? I think I could've been fine without knowing it but since you're offering, I'll take it."

We can play this game, "No, not yet. I'm going to keep following you so until then, if you want my name, you'll have to provide me all the research I need."

"What if that takes days?"

"It won't, but even so, you want to know my name, right? Wait, it's already been a few hours, where are w-I have to get back to my hotel." No, I didn't. Why was I saying that? I'm not too thrilled to get back to my 1 star hotel. Yeah, no. But her angle, all for what? I don't get it.

"At my grandmother's house. It's okay I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Wait, do you guys think I have a shrine or something at her house? "Do I have a shrine? That's the only way I'm going." At least gotta set some standards.

"No, or well, not that I remember. It's been a long time since I've been back to Osaka. My family lives in the North now. That's where our y-well, I'll let you find out. Why yuzus? What made you research them?" Hm, good question. This whole time I didn't even notice the little canoe, row, you know the things they have in Italy. Where all the people can ride on the river in the middle of town, well this is more like a city, but you get what I mean. Is it a canal, channel, I don't know. What was she about to say? "Wait, what were you about to say?"

"About?"

"You said your family had something. I don't know."

"Oh, yeah we moved from Osaka to the Northern part of Japan, it's a small coast town, right before you get to Hokkaido."

"Oh, I know where Hokkaido is. So why did your family move there?" Keeping an even pace with her now, it seemed like she slowed down. Before, she would always walk a few steps ahead of me and she too always kept her hands in her pockets. I asked her about her hands but she didn't really tell me much, I think she's a little self conscious, being so country in the city. Even her accent is a little silly. Let's keep that between us. "Because. I told you. The government asked us to become the main or one of the main exporters of yuzu for the country. You should've seen the face my father made when the Emperor himself came."

"So it really is true. I would love to visit your farm. Why is the Emperor or well the government so interested in yuzus? I know Japan exports more than anyone else in the world, in fact you can't really find them in the West, only the juice."

"Exactly, it's hard to find. Maybe that's why I'm so curious about you. Of course, I had read your work but your name didn't really ring any bells until I saw you at my stand yesterday. It clicked."

"Well, if that's the case then you already know my name. Why ask for it and wait around just for this, a name you already know?"

"Because I want you to tell me your name. "

"And I will, where are we now? It feels like we've been walking for a minute."

"Uhhh let's see." She stood up and jumped on some stool hanging outside a store, "We're here."

"Where?"

"My grandmother's shop. She runs a tea shop, that's redundant but you get the point. Her teas are made with fresh fruit in the area. And your reasons for learning abou yuzus and well, why do you study fruit?"

Ding!

"Hello, welcome in! I'm sorry but we're about to clo-" I'm guessing the lady stopped because of Rin. "RIN-RIN! Oh my goodness, sweetie!" she came over to hug her, and I'm thinking where is mine, being that I'm her favorite author, well I don't know if she said that, but this is not the royal treatment I was expecting. "It's been so long, how's Shindo-san? And who do w-OH MY GOODNESS, it-wo-it's you! Hold on one moment, Rin-Rin this is the best gift you've ever given me, hold on, I'm going to grab my book." She yelled out, running to the back of the store. It's located in a little side street, you'd almost miss it. There's a tea bar, interesting, and there's three booths with small tables facing the window. It's really, I hate the word, but cute. There's also hanging book shelves all along the walls filled with books, candles, incense-

"I told you. She's a big fan."

"You're family lives in the North, you said right?"

"Yep, they do. Why?"

"How come we're going to the Kochi district, even Osaka well, I understand visiting your grandmother, but this is the opposite side of the country. And you never mentioned why the government is obsessed with your farm."

"I found it!" the older lady held up a book, panting pretty hard. How big of a fan was she? "Oh, you still haven't told him yet, Rin-Rin."

"Told me what?"

"That," she paused, looking at her grandmother who seemingly was egging her on, as I said, I hate surprises. "...the first yuzu tree was planted in the region we live in. Actually, on our farm."

"And," her grandmother added, sitting down next to me with a blank page open. Very obvious. Sure, why not? I'll sign it if you're BEGGING me to, If I mus-"...that it has healing properties that cure blindness."

Wait, wait, wait, "Wait, wait, then so why are we going to the Kochi district? We should be going there, right?"

"Well, I've never actually seen it. My father has never let me see it, even since we were kids. I want to see it too." That's the first time that I actually saw her smile, she's not negative or anything, just a bit serious. It's beautiful, I'll admit. "It's just a small detour, it's all apart of the journey, right?"

The sun finally went down and you could see all the lights in the distance, apparently it's the Nagasaki Remembrance Day too. No wonder we passed all those candles in the main square beforehand. A short detour she says.

Why do I always get involved into things like this?

***