I have some kind of sensitivity. I don't know what it is exactly but since I was a child, when I felt something unusual from someone or some places, they were usually something special to me. I found it out gradually.
Anyway, I met her sixteen years ago. There were around thirty people in the classroom. All actors and actresses. We had an acting workshop there. Once she came into the room, I already knew she and I had something strong bonds. I was kind of shocked by the sensation that I felt. Anyway, I didn't tell her about it right away. In any case, I was just so surprised. And something (I can't explain what it was... but something) was telling me about her. I didn't know why but I really got to know the one of her information because of that.
One day, finally I had a chance to talk to her. Usually I hesitated to open myself so immediately but there was no fence between us. I could be very comfortable with her. And I just mentioned her about the information of her that I got before. She wondered and asked, "Did I tell you about it already?" Yes, I found out that something I felt strongly was true. Hm... I kind of tried to see whether she felt too weird about me if I told her that I just naturally got to know it somehow... She seemed OK about it. I was glad...
One day, We went to a cafe to talk more about ourselves. In the pretty cafe in Daikanyama, Tokyo, when we were talking about our childhood memories, a glass vase next to us was just exploded. Yes, exploded. Water and the flowers (I think they were a few sunflowers) spread on the floor. It was a huge sound. A waitress ran to us to apologized about it. "Aren't you hurt? Sorry, something must be falling off and hit the vase..." But you know, we saw it. It was just exploded. There was nothing hit it.
I finally told her about my feeling that I got when I met her first time. "I think that we have strong bonds." In Japanese, it calls 縁 - En. She didn't refuse about it. Rather, she said that she knew a person who had that kind of strong sense. "So, do you want to meet him together?" Of course. So, we went to see him in Ikebukuro. He was saying, yes, we had strong bonds that would never be cut off. When we were born, already we had been connected. Her birthday is May 14th and mine is October 14th and the time of the birth are also having strong meanings or something like that. I do not know it's true or not, but I could not forget about it...
After the day, maybe around a month later, believe or not, we were attracted to same guy at the same time. And at the almost same time, we told our feelings to the guy in different places. We didn't know about it each other. He was the only one who knew our feelings. He was so confused because two girls who were good friends mentioned that we liked him at the almost same time. But, anyway, he liked her more than me. So, I stepped out of their world. Sadly we had a distance after that. I felt very lonely but I understood their feelings. So I was separated from them.
Again around a month later, we had a big party at one of our common friend's house. I usually didn't go to the place many people were gathering but I decided to go to that one. And I saw she and he was together. That was for the first time in a long time to see them out side of the classroom. Anyway, we talked for a while. It was nice. I didn't care about that guy anymore but I wanted to talk to her for a long time. But on that day, she looked weird. And finally she fell down on the floor. She said she had an anemia and therefore felt not good. So, she left earlier than anyone.
Actually, that was the last time to see her.
She just disappeared after that day. She stopped coming to the workshop. I wondered whether she was really sick and I asked the guy. But he said he didn't even know. Actually, when I met them at the party, they already had talked about breaking up. No one knew about her. I called her house but nobody took the phone calls. I wrote a letter to her house where she and her mother lived. But for a while I could not get anything from her.
Around a year later, I finally got a postcard from her. It was sent from NYC. NYC?! She wrote that she was learning dance and also teaching a dance class for kids in the NYC. She has been fine and sorry that she didn't contact me for a long time, something like that. And there was her apartment phone number. I called the number. Someone who could only speak in English was on the phone. I could not speak English at all at that time so I could not understand what the person said but somehow I figured out my friend didn't live there any more. I could not tell about myself so I could not give any information about me. She didn't write her home address. So, I could not write her too (Anyway, I thought that she didn't live there anymore...) I waited to hear from her but I got nothing after then.
Around ten years later, I decided to come to the US to learn something I really want to do for myself (It was photography). It was a huge life change to me. Really huge thing. Graduating from a college might not be that special thing to many people. BUT, for me, it had so many meanings. I had that moment in May 2009. I was officially graduated from my college. I felt an important chapter finished. So what? Move to next? But what is that? Where should I go??? What should I do? So unsure feeling... But at the same time, I felt strongly I have done something I decided in order to be re-born. (I know this might sound too much... But to me, it was really like that. I had a lots of reasons to do this.) I suddenly felt I needed to talk to her right now. About what I have decided and have done and I am now in the US, this is my life, and so on... I had a feeling that she was still in the US. So, I googled her name in English way. Her name is very common for Japanese people. There are lots of same name person. But I found her name among the search results. I knew that one was her. And I opened the page and saw the picture. BINGO! It was her. She has been teaching Yoga classes in Chicago. Chicago! Just five hours distance to get there from my house by a car! Wow... I called the Yoga studio but unfortunately she didn't work at the studio anymore. Anyway, I told the person on the phone about my phone number and asked the person when she comes or calls there, please let her know about my number.
Next day, I got a phone call. Guess what? That was her. She told me that she has lived in Chicago still now. We had a long conversation finally.
And you know, today, she and her fiance came to Ypsilanti because of his job. Ypsilanti?! It was the town where I live now. Wow.... You know, this country IS huge. He has a job in Ypsilanti????? See, we have some kind of strong bonds, for sure.
So, I finally will see her tomorrow. 16 years, I haven't seen her. Oh... wow.... Finally... This is amazing... really. This kind of thing has happened to my life once in a while... (this "strong bonds" type of thing, has happened three times in my life. Twice in Japan. And third one in here)
(felt too weird? I hope not...)
Toko
http://tokoshiiki.com
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