No Onion

I will never understand why I took that divine brick oven smell for granted. But as I gaze over at the chef unleashing his mad skills sliding one of many delicious thin-crusted pies, my trip down memory lane just brings out the kid in me!

I should say a lot has changed since I last visited Ninety-Nine Islands. I mean, I assume they changed the name of the hidden gem I'm dining in, but at the same time, a lot has stayed the same. Several stalls and stores treat comers and goers, but if there is one thing that catches my attention is the local pizzeria that I am now dining in.

Admittedly, rediscovering this hidden game has been a bit of a challenge as I soon found out that the restaurant has changed its name. Either that, or its original name has been mixed up in the mumble jumble mess that is my memories. Thankfully, recalling familiar landmarks and the familiar aesthetics of the pizzeria, I've been able to secure my seat looking out at the pier.

And looking outside past the glass windows, I cannot help but feel like kicking myself for not choosing to sit outside where I can bask in spring and all of its glory.

One of the few things my mother told me about before we went to Japan is two things: One, the sun rises very early in the morning, and two, the cherry blossoms here are the most beautiful here than anywhere outside Japan.

And as I watch the vibrant flock petals of white and pink dance swirl and flutter into the sea, my heart cannot help but feel enchanted by such divinity.

And I cannot help but wonder why I did not notice it earlier.

Most likely because I was hungry for my pizza.

'Nawwwwmaaaaaaaan! Wherezda waiter?"

Those were the exact words I would almost always blare out every time we would come here. Even when the place was, and still is, always packed with hungry customers, ten-year-old me wanted no excuses and only wished to ravage in my favorite flat crust pepperoni pizza the second it touches down on our table.

As my hand scours my pocket, feeling a smooth yet sand-like surface, I can still recall my mother flicking me across the forehead and saying that patience is a virtue. Something that my five-year-old sister clearly possessed for she is still the clear yang to my yin.

That and her ardent love for Koni-Albie knew no bounds.

Speaking of which, didn't this spot have a Koni-Albie con the last time we were here?

*

"Mama, mama, it's a Koni-Albie! Look!" Is what she cried out while she jabs her tiny finger against the glass. Looking back at it now, that blown up balloon was pretty friggin' cute.

"Whaaaaat? Wooow, that's a big Koni-Albie, huh?"

My mother always knew how to play her part.

"Holdup..." My ears picked up the faint sound of cheery music that sounded way too familiar. "No friggin' way! Izzat'da song from the very beginning? Before the show starts, I mean?"

"Yeah, it is!" My sister's glee knew no bounds. "Mama, can we see it when we go check it out? I want to see!"

If we did that, then that means we would have to miss our boat ride. Unless.... oh no...

"We'll check it out once we're done with our little boat ride." My mother promised.

I friggin' knew it.

This sudden change in the original plan earned my trademark roll of the eyes and exapserated sigh. The latter of which I wished that I could have been much more subtle about. But given that my mother was all-seeing on everything suss, my attitude does not go unnoticed. She certainly knew how to make raised eyebrows and that smirk bone chilling and immediately my head glanced away towards the view.

"You know you weren't this much a wuss the last time you were on a boat." My mother pointed out.

"Which one?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"When we went to that hotel? The one in Malaysia?"

"Oooooh yeeaahhh!" I remember now. "That was the only good trip to Malaysia we had."

That earned a snicker from my mother. "Yes, yes it was."

"But then there was that leak the the ceiling when we were..." The struggle to find the right words could not be more real. "About to leave the hotel?"

"Oh, when we were checking out?" My mother graciously supplied the correct term. "Really? I don't remember that!"

"Yeah! In the morning! I even pointed at it!"

My mother cast an amused grin. "Dude, your memory is shaaarp!"

That response was rewarded with a casual shrug. "I guess. I even remember that trip we took to Fukuoka. You and papa were talking to that guard guy, and he was just confused."

"Yeaaaah, we had a bit of a language barrier. But we did get into our hotel."

"Yep! Eluuuved 'dat toilet! Butt warmer, washer and all dat other stuff!"

"Guhrose!" Of course my sister would be grossed out.

"Yeah you're right, Love-Love, gross!

The wrinkled expressions along with my mother's grin forced the snicker out of me.

"That's when we watched that movie on our little TV we brought!"

"Yeeaaaah.... we never figured out how to get the TV going in our room. That sucked."

"I think if we got it working, they would all be speaking Japanese anyways." I was keen to point out.

"Yeah, no little remote to switch languages."

"Mama! When are we gonna go to Thailand?" Of course, sis just had to tease me about our upcoming trip to Thailand. Man, just to go back to that awesome hotel with the big bath, fancy pool and the beach! Oh man, the beach! Just charging into the water with the waves crashing against me over and over again! And later I can make the coolest sandcastle ever! And when it's night, sis and I can just watch TV, hoping, just hoping our favorite cartoon starts playing!

Yeah I'm so excited for Thailand!

"On your brother's summer break." My mother quickly says. "Just gotta wait a little longer."

"Hmph! I want his break to be now!"

"Hey! Me, too!" I argued back.

"Alright, alright, Noodle, Love-Love, callete." That's when mom silences us. "Too much noise!"

"Sorry!" I whispered.

"Sorry!" Sis mimicked.

Mom couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You guys are crazy, y'know that?"

"We knooooooow!" Our chorus could not be more in sync.

That's when my peripheral vision catches a sight served as the first of two long and excruciating steps: The waitress coming to take our order.

I bow my head feeling a morbid sense of shame that this lady would have to deal with our scoshi Japanese.

"Konichiwa!" Sis is quick to take the reins as our smartly dressed waitress stopped at our table.

I looked up at my sister who was beaming with the brightest smile she can muster, missing buck teeth and all as she points at the menu. "Ie tamanegi!" Those two words are reinforced with a sharp X made with her tiny arms.

A quick glance at the waitress allowed me to see a toothy grin while she let out a quiet laugh. Thankfully mom, more fluent in Japanese, came to the rescue, along with the X cross of her arms and of course. "Ie tamanegi."

Thankfully our waitress seemed to have understood us as she gathered our menu and scurried off. And I could've sworn that I heard her whisper. "Awwww, kawaii!"

I couldn't help but snicker, something both mom and sis quickly picked up on. "Whaddya laughing at, crazy?"

My finger is aimed at sis. "She should smile just like that when you take our picture, mama."

"Really?" Mom glanced at sis, poking at her cheeks. "Like this?"

"Yeah, like that!"

"Huh?" Mom continued her barrage of poking. "Smile like this, Love-Love?"

"Sssstoooop!" The flailing of sis's arms almost socks mom in the nose, but she quickly backs away.

Her impuslive reflexes were just powerful enough to have something dangle from her neck, looking somewhat crooked.

"Mama, your necklace." I alerted her not taking my eyes off of the ancient Chinese coin wrapped in a pristine silver outline.

"Meh, it's alright." She brushed it off.

"You wear that necklace all the time!"

"Yeah, well it's my favorite." There was a defensive tone to her lighthearted retort.

"Yeah it is pretty cool." I said wondering exactly how old that thing is.

"It's beautiful!" Sis, of course, goes above and beyond to which mom just loves.

It's not long before sis starts stealing the show and I was left free to gaze out at the tiny islands with ships sailing across the water. Knowing full well where we're going after lunch. My nostrils soon acquired the familiar mouthwatering scent that meant only one thing.

"'Zour food ready already?"

*

"Okyakusan." I can barely make out the voice before I feel a light tap on my shoulder. "Okyakusan."

That's one way to startle the heck out of me and I wouldn't be surprised if I've given myself whiplash turning to see the waitress with my order at the ready. It's still pretty cool that they still have the same dress code with dress sleeves and tie.

"Oh," Taken aback, I scramble to form the correct words. "Arigatōgozaimas."

"Hai!" She gives a curt but warm bow before leaving me to my feast.

There it is, thin crusted pizza with fluffy cheese, rich tomato sauce with vibrant pepperoni sprinkled atop. All this blanketed atop of smooth thin crust.

"Yep. Definitely no onion." I declare rummaging through my pockets.

It takes almost no time to fish out the necklace with the ancient Chinese coin and rest on the table across from me all neat and tidy, of course.

"Rubber-dub-dub, thanks for the grub, Mama." I say before going for the first slice.