Toshiaki was a shy child. He would not join in with the kids in the neighborhood who were flying kites or playing with balls in the fields. Instead, he would stay at home and help his grandfather make bamboo crafts.
When he was in the third year of junior high school, his father died of illness, and Toshiaki, the eldest son, decided to help out at the greengrocer's, a family business that had been passed down since his grandfather's generation. School was in the morning, so he worked after class until late at night. He went on to night school for high school. He worked from dawn until 6pm, covered in sweat, but still attended class without missing a beat.
On Fridays, more than half of his classmates skipped classes and gathered around the school to sing and dance to popular songs, making merry and saying "Let's enjoy our youth", but Toshiaki paid no attention to them and sometimes attended classes alone. Thanks to that, three years later, he successfully graduated from high school. He considered going to college, but he decided to prioritize the studies of his 12-year-old sister and 10-year-old brother, so he gave up on college and focused on his work instead.
Ten years later, the greengrocer he inherited from his father had grown into a fine grocery store. Since stores selling Japanese food were rare, the store began attracting more and more Brazilian customers.
One day, a young woman appeared in front of Toshiaki holding a pack of fried tofu and asked, "Can I eat this as is?"
"First, blanch them, and then..." Toshiaki began, and the woman then picked up the jar of fukujinzuke and said to Toshiaki with a smile, "Wow, that looks delicious!"
"I'm glad to hear that! Please help yourself," she said, handing out a small plate of fukujinzuke for samples.
His mother, who was at the register, noticed their son's interaction. It was the first time she had seen the shy Toshiaki be friendly with a customer.
After that, the woman began coming to the store frequently. Her name was Soraya, and she told me that her paternal grandfather was Japanese, but she did not look Asian.
Toshiaki liked Soraya. She was cheerful, a good talker, called Toshiaki's mother "Mãezinha 1 " and tried hard to learn Japanese cuisine. And when Toshiaki and Soraya started dating, people around them took it as a natural thing.
Soraya's birthday was March 12th, and the couple was excited to have their engagement party on that day.
February 7th, about a month before his birthday, was the last day of CARNAVAL 2 ;, Soraya's favorite festival. For a while now, Soraya has been inviting Toshiaki to go see the samba team parade in the center of town.
Toshiaki didn't like being in a big crowd or making a lot of noise. He had no interest in samba at all. His uncle, who has been living in Japan for many years, was visiting at the time, so he declined, saying, "Soraya is going with a lot of friends, so I don't need to be there," and decided to spend the time with his uncle.
But soon after she left, she got a call informing her that she and three friends had been hit by a car and taken to the hospital, a result of drunk driving, a common occurrence at carnivals.
A week later, Soraya passed away. Toshiaki was unable to forget her and decided not to marry anyone else, so he devoted himself to his work even more.
As time passed, Toshiaki and his younger brother became partners in the store. Toshiaki's younger brother went to Japan at the age of 19 and invested the money he had saved from 16 years of working as a dekasegi worker into the store. The store was going well, but one day, Toshiaki decided to do something drastic and leave the store to his younger brother, who was more suited to business than he was.
Note
1. Mom
2. Carnival
© 2016 Laura Honda-Hasegawa
