My Jiko (part 1)

As you have probably guessed by now, the Otaku salaryman didn't end up waiting for me in the alley. Actually I have been too preoccupied with my boyfriend. His name is Ryu. It's not actually Ryu, but he works in a famous advertising agency which you'll probably know the name of and I don't want to get him into any trouble.

Just to keep you up to date about my appearance, I'm bald. You read correctly. When my parents were finally asleep I sneaked into the bathroom with a pair of scissors and the electric clipper my mom bought to give Dad haircuts when he still cared about grooming and and personal hygiene and employment and stuff. In the cold bathroom light, I chopped off my hair in chunks. It took me a long time to cut it all off until it was short enough to buzz. I plugged in the electric clipper and turned it on. When I was done with the buzzing, I cleaned up all my long hair and hit it in a paper bag in the trash, then wiped the sink with toilet paper. I covered my bare head with my hoodie and crawled back into my futon. I look pretty good bald. Ryu thinks so as well. In fact, he's the one who made me see just how good I look. Sometimes I walk along the pavement just below the window of our room wearing his Armani suit. Girls sometimes flirt with me thinking I'm a host from a host club. I have to escape quietly and before they realise I'm a girl or they might hit me thinking I'm making fun of them.

So anyway, about my old Jiko. She is my great grandmother. My Dad's grandmother. My Dad is named after her son, his uncle, Haruki. Jiko's son was a Sky Soldier. He was a suicide bomber and died young. Old Jiko told me that he was a soft boy, a man of words and philosophy. That's where my Dad gets it from. My Dad is into Western philosophy, like Socrates and stuff. I get that part from my great uncle, too. Like how I happened upon my hollowed out À la recherche du temps perdu. Jiko's son was a great war hero, a great suicide bomber who followed out his orders to the very end. Suicide tendencies. Another thing Dad and I get from my great uncle. My great uncle was a strong and gentle soul at the same time. Something my Dad isn't. Something I value and I'm doing everything I can to make sure I am like that. I haven't been sitting zazen as of late due to all my time being spent with Ryu, though.

Speaking of Ryu, he just walked passed. He's early. Until I can write again, this is My Jiko part 1