Jubilant squeals echoed through the house as Jeff came down the stairs with Carter under his arm like a rolled up floor mat. He swung his young son up and gave him a kiss and released him at the base of the stairs. Carter whooped and ran for the kitchen.
"Good morning Chase, good morning Étienne, how are you young men doing this morning?" Jeff leaned over and kissed Chase on the cheek and hugged him and then did the same to me. It was wonderful, I had missed my father's hugs and kisses.
"Thanks," I said. "It's been a while since I got one of those from my dad."
"I have an endless supply if you need them, Son."
Chase grinned at me in wonder, and I couldn't put my finger on what he was thinking. We all walked to the kitchen where Carter was well tucked in to a bowl of cereal and a banana.
"Daddy, can I have some grapes in my lunch today?"
"Absolutely, do you want tuna or deviled ham sandwiches?"
"Tuna, and I'd like tortilla chips and any old cookie will be fine."
"Ginger snaps, I found the good ones?"
"Yes please, Daddy. Thank you."
Jeff put the lunch in Carter's day pack as Carter took his bowl to the sink. Chase rinsed the bowl and put it in the dishwasher.
Ms. Fowler was right on time and at six forty-five, Carter was on his way to Burien for his day camp, having received hugs and kisses from all of us.
With a wistful expression, Chase watched the Volvo pull away and roll down the street.
"He'll be five by the time school starts and will be in kindergarten at Rainier on the lower campus."
"Cool, you'll be close by if he needs you."
"That's the plan, another year and he won't need me as much."
"He's always going to need his big brother," I commented.
"Brothers," Chase corrected.
The drive in with Jeff was uneventful but he explained that when he was a boy the West Seattle Bridge was a drawbridge and it opened to allow ships to pass. He explained that a freighter struck the bridge and ruined it and it didn't function after that. He said it was a mess and that his dad's company chose to move out of downtown and took offices near Tukwila. He told us it was a longer drive but quicker.
As we approached First avenue South Chase called Mr. Ozaki and told him they were just a block away. We pulled up in front of an industrial building and Jeff turned the car off and stepped out. A man who resembled Dr. Michio Kaku stepped out and shook Jeff's hand. Turning to us, he put his hand on the back of Chase's neck and pulled him close.
"It's very nice to see you again Chase, and who is this?"
"This is my friend Étienne; he just moved here and moved in just down the street from us," Chase said excitedly.
"Étienne eh, that sounds French, is it a family name?" asked Mr. Ozaki.
"Yes Sir, my grandfather's name was Jean-Étienne and so is mine, but I don't use Jean."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you and please call me Hiro, I am named for my grandfather as well. You could have done much worse than finding a friend like Chase, he is a very nice person."
"Yes Hiro, he's turning into quite a good friend."
"Hi there Hiro, how is the furniture biz coming along old friend?" Jeff queried.
"Very good, I have several commissions and I'm exploring a new design for a desk, I hope Chase will give me his opinion of it. Would you like to come in and see it, Jeff?"
"Yes, but I'll have to try another day. I have some things that need attending to at work. But I have a client that is looking for a fresh design for an office suite and I plan to refer him to you."
"By all means Jeff, I would be happy to offer a design or take a meeting for any client of yours."
It struck me that there was a subtext in this conversation but it didn't appear to concern me, so I focused on Chase.
The two men shook hands and Jeff gave us each a hug and returned to the car and drove away.
"Well, let's go inside and have some tea and I'll give you the tour," Hiro smiled at us.
He opened the door and ushered us in to a vestibule or snow room. There were umbrellas and raincoats as well as boots. There were two benches presumably for removing one's snow boots.
I sat and unlaced my shoes and removed them.
"Um, what are you doing Étienne?" Inquired Chase.
"Removing my shoes like the sign said."
"What sign?"
"The little brown and orange one by the door outside."
"You read Kanji? I'm impressed, it's a rare skill for an American who isn't Japanese or Hawaiian," Hiro offered.
"I don't actually read Kanji, but a friend had that same small sign on their porch and explained what it meant. I just recognized the characters," again, my past visits to this world had tripped me up.
"I'm sorry Hiro, I didn't know about that. I've never taken my shoes off when I visited, I hope I didn't hurt your feelings."
"Relax Chase, my dad put that up when he took this place. I learned the language and followed the customs when he was alive, but I didn't pursue them when he passed."
"You are an interesting boy Étienne, I haven't seen a boy wearing lace up shoes in a long time. Trainers all seem to have Velcro or they wear slip-ons."
"I wear those too but we're supposed to do a lot of walking today and that's what these are best for. I'll need to find another pair soon, these are becoming too small."
I finished retying my shoes and stood, "Sorry to hold things up."
Hiro smiled and gestured for us to enter the hallway.
We found ourselves in his showroom and office area. A beautiful low table sat in front of a cleanly executed couch with a frame of Teak like the table and upholstered in a subdued green tweed like fabric. It was very attractive.
There was also a larger version of the desk that I had seen in Chase's room, at least it was a similar design. It had scaled up nicely. All the furniture displayed had clean lines and elegantly simple designs. There were mortise and tenon joints using ebony like pegs to fix them and beautifully precise dovetail joints that would have been invisible if not for the change in graining in the wood.
"These are all beautiful Hiro, I'm very impressed. I really liked Chase's desk and wondered if you might build one for me."
"It might take a while Étienne, I won't just do a duplicate but obviously you have a good eye for design. The large desk you were examining was built by my father and I use it as inspiration. Most people can't resist touching it, and if you had touched it you would have found the ebony pegs cannot be detected by touch, that is how precise my father's work has always been." Hiro grinned at me.
"I didn't want to leave smudges on it, it would be like putting my hands on a portrait. Although wood possesses a warmth that a painting does not. Certain objects seem to beg to be touched but I would never do that without invitation. That desk is special, it has pride of place in this room and you obviously have some reverence for it. Am I correct?"
"Remarkably, you and Chase are very similar in the way you present your ideas and impressions. You are not ordinary boys. Let's make our way to my work room and have some tea and discuss things."
Hiro slid two opaque glass doors apart revealing a traditional Japanese garden which was quite beautiful. An arched bridge stretched over a linear pond which gave the impression of disappearing into reeds at one end as it emanated from a small rocky waterfall at the other. Cedars and aspens, as well as cherry trees showed signs of long and careful attention. Elkhorn ferns boasted a long association with the cedars and birch trees.
Crossing the bridge, Hiro led us through another set of opaque doors to the ante room of his workshop. The carcasses of various furniture pieces were in different stages of becoming complete.
"Chase, why don't you show Étienne around while I brew some tea," Hiro suggested.
Chase nodded and led me away towards a bench with a myriad of saws hung by leather thongs on a series of pegs across the back of the bench.
"Those saws are impressive; are they special for each job?" I asked.
"Yes, this one is a goyucho and is used for dovetail joints while this one is for mortises, but I forget its name. This kugihiki is used to cut off pegs flush to a surface. The dual-sided one is a ryoba and is a general purpose saw, one side is coarse and the other is fine-toothed."
"Wow Chase, you must really be into this stuff, do you spend a lot of time here?"
"Yes, I've been learning from Uncle Hiro for quite a while. I'm building my own work shop in the space over the garage. Dad has installed a set of doors and a jib for hoisting up materials and machines and lowering pieces from the shop."
"Does Hiro use modern methods as well?"
"Only for rough dimensions and planning for thickness. Come over here and I'll show you the hand planes."
Chase led me to another corner and pointed to an array of ancient wood- bodied block planes, one as long as I was tall. They were care worn but still ready for use, Chase assured me the blades were razor sharp. He pointed to what appeared to be an equally well used traditional planning bench in which the work was held in place by stepping on a pedal.
"So, he uses modern methods where it makes no difference but in the rest he uses traditional methods?" I asked.
"That's about right, he uses bar clamps for gluing up because the old traditional wedge type are sort of slow and hard to get just right."
"You must have known him for a long time; you called him 'Uncle Hiro'."
Chase blushed, "My dad has known him since they were kids Carter's age. They've always been close."
"Those are friendships that last Chase, I hope ours does, as well."
"Me too," Chase echoed, conveying much more with his eyes than his words.
I leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
Hiro appeared soon after with a pot of tea and three mugs and set them down on an elegantly simple table with a trestle type support.
"Étienne, I hope you weren't expecting a Japanese tea ceremony, this is Tetley's English Breakfast Tea. Do you like Fig Newtons?"
"I wasn't but I see you do cling to some traditions, without lumbering yourself with bygone observances that have no place in your current life."
"Wait, how old are you again?" Hiro asked with a chuckle.
"See Étienne, it isn't just me that notices how you speak."
"It's just my way, some find it odd but it's not difficult to get used to if you try," I smiled back at them.
"Chase, why don't you show Étienne the restroom so you guys can wash your hands."
"Sure Hiro. C'mon Étienne, my Sensei has spoken." Chase grinned broadly when Hiro snorted with laughter.
I washed up and Chase needed the toilet so I returned to the table and sat down.
"May I see your hands Étienne?" Hiro asked, holding out his own."
We joined hands and Hiro took on a placid look, and I realized what I was sensing."
"Hello Traveler," we both said at once.
"I'm not actually one of you, at least not yet, who can tell what will happen when this life is over. One of you saved my life and in doing so exposed his purpose, I have been detected and several Messengers have visited. So when were you last in Osaka?"
"Around three hundred years ago, perhaps a bit more."
"If you require anything I can act as your office and perform any task in my power. Please feel free to speak with a Messenger regarding my situation to put your mind at ease."
"Thank you Hiro, I think you will be among our number on your next cycle."
Chase arrived and we enjoyed our tea, and then received complete tour of his work shops including a blacksmithing forge that had belonged to his uncle. It was essentially a museum piece at that point but it looked as though it waited for the smith to return from his mid-day meal.
"Tell me Étienne, what are you looking for in a desk?" Hiro prompted.
"Something utilitarian with fine joinery such as with Chase's desk. Perhaps larger, I would like to grow into it. I have always been enchanted with the Phillip Morris forms and the Greene Brothers furniture designs along with the Roycrofters."
"You have picked up some very good influences; many people discard the old forms as soon as something new and modern appears. I will give it some thought and commit a design or two to paper so you can tell me if I am on the right track. What sort of wood did you want?" Hiro implored.
"I love mahogany but the wood should match the design, so some sort of hardwood writing surface would be best."
"Have you commissioned furniture before?" Hiro inquired with surprise.
"No Hiro, but I've seen it done, and by people who understand the subtle dance between the designer and customer."
"I won't press for detail, but I think I can come up with something that will please us both."
"Thank you Hiro, I am grateful for your efforts."
Hiro shook his head, "You really are an unusual boy, Étienne."
Chase looked from Hiro to me and back again, straining to grasp the nuance of the conversation.
"Well gentlemen, as I told Chase when he called, I must prepare for an engagement, what are your plans after this?"
"I'm going to show him some of the cooler things about the city, at least along First and our first stop will be Hokey's Diner," Chase explained.
"Oh sure, near the fire station, it looks run down but the food is great, I hope you like eating at the counter, the tables will be packed.
"I like the counter, you can look at people in the mirror," Chase said.
We shook hands and exchanged hugs with Hiro and walked to the corner and waited to cross. We didn't have long to wait and hopped a bus that quickly took us up to Atlantic. We walked back south and stopped at a four-story brick building. An ancient sign proclaimed that the building was called Hoquiam House, but the diner occupied the entire ground floor.
"This looks just like the first building by the stadium, but it had a bar on the ground floor," I mentioned to Chase.
"Yeah, Henry's Tavern, it's actually a pretty expensive place to drink or get a hotdog after a game. But they have really cool old photos on the walls of what the area looked like in the thirties and forties on up. Dad said someone was going to tear down all these old buildings and build an entertainment center to give people more to do after games and stuff."
"It would be a shame to lose the character of these old buildings, but I guess you have to balance that against land use and earthquake safety and things like that."