Kasumi Saito

A short excerpt of my book "An irretrievable step".

On the next morning when Jeremy entered the class room he met last night's messenger, the young Japanese that mediated temporarily between Kasumi and him. His name was Akahiro Matsu but that was all he learned about Kasumi's young compatriot, which was not shy but nevertheless kept away from him and the rest of the students as well.

Kasumi exchanged a shy little smile with him from the other side of the classroom; she shared a desk with another female student over there far from him, and that is why he has not noticed her during the first week's of the Italian language course; he concluded watching Kasumi during the few seconds left before the Italian teacher entered.

At five pm at the drawing course classroom, when Kasumi entered Jeremy was already seated next to their desk waiting for her, like a predator ambushing its prey. She smiled to him as soon as their eyes met and uttered a hardly audible 'ciao', while turning around the desk to reach her seat. Her cheeks were covered with a slight blush.

But it must be due to excitement this time on seeing me, and it's a good sign she's glad to see me. Jeremy thought encouraged. They have exchanged a few polite words, and sat in silence up to the end of the first hour, busy each one of them with their drawings, according to the several accumulated items for a still life drawing, laid on the teacher's desk.

During the first break he learned a few more details about Kasumi Saito. She is nineteen years old born In Saporo in the Northern Island of Hokaido, while her two compatriots were about two years younger and were born and bred in Tokyo; that is why they kept a certain haughty distance from her.

'They're shocked and confused…' Kasumi said and that short remark that ended her bits and fragments monologue surprised him.

'Why should they be?' He asked her overjoyed to listen to her sweet voice, and to watch her moving lips. She seemed much more at ease in his company, though she was still blushing but it added so much charm to her delicate features.

'The blonde Scandinavian girls, ' She said with an embarrassed chuckle.

At the end of their lessons Jeremy walked her along the fifty and some yards to the dormitory.

'Will you be so kind and have dinner with me?' He asked her surprised by his own exaggerated politeness.

Well she's Japanese and that's the kind of conduct that she surely expects to be approached with. The thought flashed in his brain, as he was waiting impatiently to her answer.

During lunch breaks she sat at the academy students' snack bar with her roommate or the one that shared a desk with her at the Italian language morning lessons, thus the only way to be all alone with her was having a dinner in a far away restaurant.

'Oh thank you Jeremy it's very kind of you, but maybe at the weekend…' She added hesitatingly without ending her sentence.

He did not dare to touch even her hand; he knew very well that it was too early to treat her with such gestures. He exchanged a loving smile with her, and waited till she climbed the staircase and he lost her sight.

He had some notions about this budding affair with Kasumi on his way to the bus stop and while riding the bus to the main train terminal where he got off, and in his room.

It looks as if it was prearranged but Kasumi and her two compatriots are not aware to it, they don't have the slightest idea about the entire thing. I was the only one that was guided indirectly to this end, by Vito and his sophisticated instructions…So that must be the contribution of the Japanese intelligence to our organization, what's they got in return is none of my business of course. Jeremy kept thinking and analyzing that certain situation in which he was taking the main part. Well I've nothing to complain of, on the contrary I approve it and I adore the perfectness with which this part of the puzzle was planned and is carried out.

 

© Haim Kadman July 2013 �" all rights reserved.