I heard the front door slam shut. It was unlike Takuya to bang doors. I went to greet him and see what, if anything, was wrong.
He was hanging up his jacket as I entered the hallway. His head lowered, he turned to face me.
"Takuya?... Oh my God, what happened to your face!?!" I cried, shocked at his swollen, black eye.
"I HATE IT HERE!" he shouted at me, pushing past as he stormed into the kitchen.
"Please talk to me Tak! What happened!?!" I pleaded.
He took a deep breath, obviously struggling to contain his emotions.
"Some fucking asshole started a fight with me after school!... I was just walking by a group of guys and one of them stopped me. He said I was showing off in class by answering the teacher's questions... As I tried to walk away, he tripped me! I stood up and tried to say something, but he punched me!" He began to sob as he recounted his story. "I fell on the ground and he kicked me... Everyone just watched..." he said, his voice breaking as he remembered the humiliation.
My heart broke for him. I had hoped when we moved here, he could find new friends and be happy again. But during the 18 months since we had moved to America, he hadn't made a single friend. I had been worried about him before this, now I was beside myself.
"I hate this place!... I want to go home!" he snapped.
"Oh Tak, I'm so sorry!" I said, tears welling in my eyes. "Tomorrow, I will go to your school and have a word with the principal..."
"NOOOOO!!!" he practically yelled. "You want people to think that I'm weak AND get my Mommy to fight my battles!?!"
"I'm sorry Tak! I don't know how to help! What do you want me to do!?!" I asked him desperately, a tear now rolling down my face.
"Unless we move back to Japan, there's really nothing you CAN do, is there!?!" he snarled at me. I was taken aback by his vitriol. This was no longer the soft-spoken young man who had left Yokohama.
"You know we can't do that Tak... Your father's job is here now."
"Well, I'm glad both of YOU are so fucking happy here!!!"
He stormed upstairs, leaving me alone. I called after him, but he ignored me. I heard him lock his bedroom door.
Drained and overwhelmed, I sat down and began to weep.
Tak didn't emerge again that evening. I tried knocking on his door, but he told me to go away.
I spent the whole evening worrying.
Tak's father was travelling for business, so I decided not to burden him with this news until he came home.
When I tried to sleep that night, I had dark thoughts of Takuya slowly becoming a bitter, isolated man or worse... hurting himself. I tossed and turned, my mind filled with anxious dread that only a mother can know.
I had to help him somehow.
But how?
He was right, I couldn't fight his battles for him. He was a small guy, like his father. Even in Japan, Tak's classmates were usually a few inches taller than he was. Here, they were even bigger. I had hoped Takuya would inherit his height from my family. Unfortunately however, at 5'8 I was taller than both my husband and son by at least 2 inches.
I knew I could not intervene through school channels... but there had to be SOMETHING I could do!...
I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I woke with a start. An idea had manifested in my mind. It was a long-shot and I wasn't exactly sure how to go about it, but at least it was something I could attempt on my own. And without humiliating Takuya.
I stared at the ceiling, deep in thought.
If it worked, Tak could be happy again. With luck, I'd have my bright, smiling boy back.
I turned over and managed to go back to sleep.
-----------------------------------------
The next morning, I got up early and made pancakes with strawberries for breakfast, one of Tak's favorites. He sullenly picked at them, his appetite apparently gone. His eye was almost fully swollen shut. I could only imagine how much he was dreading the day ahead, somehow explaining what had happened to teachers, while other students snickered and whispered behind his back.
"Tak, if you want, you can stay home from school today." I offered. "No harm missing one day..." It was Friday, so he would have the weekend to recover.
His uninjured eye looked at me hopefully, reminding me of the young boy he had been. "Really?..."
"Yes, it's ok."
"Thanks Mom..." He began to eat his pancakes, and I sighed inwardly with relief.
After breakfast, he went to his room to play videogames. I told him I was going to run errands and I'd be back after lunch.
At noon I drove to his school. I got out of my car and walked slowly around the building. I started to wonder if my plan wasn't quite as good as it had seemed at 3am, until I saw a male student sitting on his own, idly flicking through his phone.
He was big for his age, I thought, and appeared to be quite muscular. I guessed he was a senior and probably some kind of athlete.
He wore ripped jeans, trendy sneakers and a grey t-shirt. He had dark, curly hair, a strong jawline and light stubble.
Shit... Was I really going to do this?
I thought of Takuya's black eye. Whatever it took to protect my son, I would do.
"Hi there!" I said, timidly.
He looked up at me with dark brown eyes.
"Hi." he replied, his eyes widening slightly as he looked me up and down. He seemed surprised, he probably thought I was looking for someone else.
"My name is Akiko, my son is a student here." I said.
"Oh. You're... Japanese?" he said with curiosity.
"Yes." I replied.
"Is your son the guy who... got into a fight... yesterday?" he asked, cautiously.
"Ah... yes. I'm afraid so."
"I see. Are you looking for the principal's office?" He suddenly stood up, as if to direct me to the office. I was surprised by his height, he was probably 6'2 at least.
"Uh, no. Not exactly. It's, uh, a little complicated. I know this sounds strange, but would you mind if we spoke somewhere... more private?"
He looked at me a little suspiciously.
"I, uh... I had nothing to do with the fight... Mrs...?"
"Harada."
"Right, Mrs. Harada. I wasn't even there for it. I probably would've stopped it if I seen it, to be honest." he said, earnestly.
His answer made my heart swell with hope.
"I'm glad to hear that..."
