Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden wasn't very crowded today. It was the middle of the day, anyway. I suppose that's the advantage to having a job that mostly takes you away at night. Most people were at the height of their workdays right now. Not us, though. We were strolling hand in hand under the trees. The fresh breeze was filling our lungs. This new, spring warm breeze. The winter chill was finally leaving, warmer days all in a row. Yuki was even wearing short sleeves.
"I'm so glad we can do this together," I sighed out loud. He squeezed my hand, peering up at the swaying branches as another breeze swept by. "If I came here myself, I know I'd get lost. I always do." I was about to say that getting lost is a benefit, though, because you can find things you otherwise wouldn't have found. You have to be lost to find things, but he interrupted me. I liked that. Always so eager to tell me things.
"Do you know how to use Google Maps?" Not condescending at all. He was paying attention to me now. Concern there. Love. Slowing down our walk to nothing. He was getting his phone out. "If you use Google Maps, you don't have to get lost. You can find your way, every time. It'll show you."
Smiling gently at him. I took out my phone, too. To be honest, I didn't know how to use Google Maps. Usually, an Uber or taxi would take me where I needed to go. But, I did sometimes get lost. I usually found my way with old fashioned know-how, though it took me a bit. Sometimes I needed to ask people where to go, but who did I get to meet?
He showed me his phone, opening Google Maps. Even if I knew how to use it, I'd still let him show me. I wanted to learn from him. His loving knowledge. We got closer to his screen together.
In fact, being lost had led me to him that fateful day, in this very park. That was my little secret, though.
"Here, see this dot?" he asked, pointing at it. "That's us. If I input another location here, a perforated line will appear. It's telling you where to go."
"Oh, is that the estimated time it will take?" Pointing, too.
"Yes. I put our apartment's address in as a test. It's showing us the way to go. You follow this line, and it'll take you right there."
"Hmm. I don't know. I've tried to use it, but I ended up walking the wrong way. I got confused."
"Yes, it's easy to do that. But, it'll show you if you're walking the wrong way, and you can correct your direction. See, let's walk together. I'll show you."
I took his elbow as he held his phone out. He was studying his screen intensely. The blue line looked like it would take us all through the park. I liked that. We could walk together. Up ahead, there were cherry blossom trees in full bloom.
Oh, cherry blossom trees...
It had been a day like today. There was the threat of snow on cherry blossoms, so I was bundled up in my coat and scarf. Some people were wearing short sleeves, however. It was quite a strange mixture of clothes that were out and about. I felt comfortable, though.
My hands were shoved into my pockets. I was supposed to meet a friend for lunch, but I'd gotten turned around. I'd gotten off the train and come up from the station, but I must have gotten off at the wrong stop. I was always doing this.
I decided to pick a direction and started walking. This was a neighborhood I'd been in before. I was familiar enough, but it was still hard to know where I was exactly. When I saw that I was near Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, I knew I'd definitely gotten off at the wrong stop. The neighborhood I was supposed to be in had to be tens of minutes away by walking. I'd have to get on the train again.
I was about to turn around, when I looked down at the ground by chance. It made me stop, and admire. Somehow, I'd ended up standing in a small flurry of light pink petals. It was so pretty, and made me envision a new color for a dress. But, would I look good in such a light pink color? How could I make it work? What kind of fabric makes the audience think of cherry blossoms? How to get the message across? Suddenly a sea of ideas, too many at once. I'd have to get to the restaurant and write it down. Even more reason to go, but I wanted to watch them some more.
As I followed a path of pink flower petals, I began to hear it. A complex, but gentle sound. Sparkling, like the rising sun is golden and sparkling on a calm pond. Twinkling like a star does up above in the night sky. Like the petals flutter in the relaxed, warm spring wind.
This enchanting melody. These sweet tones. Following it now, as my guide to somewhere better than I've ever known. Forgetting about lunch or being lost.
Singing the song silently into my scarf, knowing it because it was an old song. A singer that I love already. This gentle version so beautiful. Ethereal, even.
There were so many cherry blossoms here on the ground. Swirls of them, from the wind. Making dancing patterns. My eyes went up and alighted on the most beautiful and unexpected sight of all.
Gentle hands on white keys. Large, yet slender hands. Long fingers, playing a brown upright piano. Petals on branches all around, a young tree hugging the piano and the player. Oh, the player...
Fluffy and mostly untamed black hair that almost went over his eyes, but was neat in the back. Plump lips slightly open to reveal his front teeth in concentration. A black trench coat like in a film noir, but cut close in a modern style, showing his trim body. Broad shoulder blades moving as he played, leading to similarly broad shoulders.
How strong he looked, though how vulnerable as he played. Showing his emotion in his face, his creased brow as he played. Loving the piece he was playing, by this singer who I love. It was a version I'd never heard before and I'd heard them all, so did that mean he'd created it? Did he have that kind of passion and talent? This complex melody, unlike any other version I'd heard...
It touched me right in the heart. My hand was on my chest, my mouth open, too. Unable to believe where the cherry blossom petals had led me.
Like this, I watched him for many minutes. So many songs. He just went on, bouncing around from genre to genre. Slipping into new melodies from the old. His body moved with the music, and sometimes he looked up at the flowers with a smile, enjoying them, too.
How beautiful he looked. How peaceful. This love he had for the music, his music. The respect he had for this instrument, how lovingly he played it. It was as if he were talking to a lover, and if he spoke this way to a lover...
I felt a way I'd never felt before. There's lust, when you fall for someone and want to rip off their clothes. There's emotional attachment, when you fall for someone based on conversation. But, I'd never felt this way before. It was a whole other feeling that I'd never encountered.
It told me that there was something he'd understand on such a deep level. This love he was showing for the music... I loved music that way, too. Falling for him...because of music.
What kinds of conversations could we have? What would he tell me about his passion for music? From this, I could tell we could talk for hours. Days. Just by the way he played.
Before I knew it, I'd gone up to him. Feeling my smile that I could not help. I must have looked crazy. He certainly seemed shocked when I poked him on the shoulder.
"Will you play at my bar?" That's all I said. How creepy and rude. But he considered it for a second, and he broke into such an easy smile, almost as if he could start laughing. This was the second time I fell in love with him. Head over heels after the first.
"Sure. I'll play at your bar. Where is it?"
I didn't go to lunch that day. My friend called me hours after the fact and I profusely apologized. By then, I was at Cinderella Bar with the piano player I'd found. We were having a couple of beers and were chest deep in a conversation about Miles Davis and Ray Charles. We were bridging into Duke Ellington when my phone started to buzz and I smacked my head and let out a panicked noise. This got a cute laugh from him and I was so enchanted I almost forgot to make my phone stop buzzing.
I was so enchanted by him, that I almost forgot that there was a slight complication with this mix. Even bringing him to my bar. In a few hours, Darla would be coming in and start getting ready for his show. I'd have to get ready also. We'd be in dresses, and this new and seemingly innocent boy who I learned was eight and a half years younger than me would be standing there wondering what the heck he'd literally walked into.
Oh, but not to worry. Because...he was a drag queen, too. Sometimes the universe brings you things. Sometimes, you have to be lost to find it. I was lost in more ways than one, and the universe brought him to me. I believe it with my whole heart.
"See, look? We're following the path the line is showing us now," he was saying. I clung to his strong elbow, leaning in to him and touching my body to his. His warmth, better than this spring breeze. I looked down, and such a smile was on my face.
Our shoes were stepping on pink petals. The newly warm air had made so many fall, and it was a carpet of them creating a long and winding path for us. I peered back up at where he was pointing, though. Following one of those pretty piano fingers, always now leading my way.
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