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The Present

I'm at the dining table doing some writing and sipping red wine. Eri's getting ready to go to bed. She turns back to me and takes a breath and is about to say something, but then just looks at me for a beat.

"Nevermind. It's your birthday."

I sleep with the windows open in our bedroom. On these dog day summer nights Eri bunks with the boys so she can enjoy the air conditioner.

Last night with Kenzo gone at Friends Club summer camp it was just Eri and Osamu, who appropriated the top bunk in his big brother's absence.


A relatively quiet morning. It was weird. Osamu said he missed Kenzo, but he was also living it up being the full center of attention.


He also made a cool 30 yen helping me wash the car inside and out in the hot morning sun.


He loves using the hose. Who doesn't.


When Kenzo got off that bus from camp in a tie-dye T-shirt he made, it made my day. He went swimming, ate curry rice, had ice cream, played games, and best of all his lizards lived through it and made it home safe.


Osamu and I went shopping for meat in our jinbei, turning a bunch of heads along the way. When we got back it was miller time. Eri bought me some cans of delicious local craft beer.


Eri reminded me to get clams. Good lord with soy sauce and butter over the open flames... amazing.



The boys wolf down sausages and chicken, but they're still kinda wimpy about chewing on beef and pork. 


I told Kenzo I'd pay him 20 yen if he ran in the house and grabbed me a beer. Eri told me Osamu toiled all morning in the heat washing the car and got 30 yen so 20 yen for grabbing papa a beer is a bit much. I mumbled something about supply and demand and moved on. She's probably right.


Eri's complaints about me are totally valid. I should go to bed and wake up a little earlier and I should try to be a little more mindful of the boys' mischief around the house.

She's getting ready to go to bed and she takes a breath and is about to say something.

But suddenly she changes gears and looks at me like I got lost while using the car GPS. 

"Nevermind. It's your birthday."

I was like, "Wow, that might be the present I ever got."

She told me to cherish it, and we both laughed.

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