It was my 12th summer
My first time visiting my grandma’s home
My first time seeing a large coffee field
My first time stepping foot on red dirt
My first time meeting my uncles
My first time playing with my cousins
And my first time in an ofuro (Japanese-style bath)
You go first, says grandma
Mom is chatting on the balcony
Her first trip home in decades
My first time seeing an oil drum
Is it safe to go inside?
What if it’s to hot?
Hey, if I drown…
Hey…
Outside the small window is Mr. Moon
Ahh~ it feels so good
Shortly after I got out
“AHHHHHHH!”
A scream is heard ‘round the house
Everyone gathered in front of the ofuro
Their jaws dropped in awe
The oil drum was a sea of foam
Swaying back and forth like tiny ships
The bubbles were floating around
My first ofuro was
My first big embarrassment
© 2011 Laura Honda-Hasegawa