| Upon arriving in Wakayama, Eke made a bee-line | | | | was. Grandpa Suki upon arrival took Eke by the |
| to her bedroom and set her luggage in the corner | | | | hand and walked her alone to the back porch |
| and without even turning on a light, landed face | | | | where he reminded her of the importance of |
| down on the mattress and was immediately fast | | | | family and the responsibilities of Japanese children |
| asleep. She didn't wake up till well past noon the | | | | to honor and obey their elders and to remember |
| next day, which was to her good fortune since | | | | the importance of saving face. (It is inbred from |
| dad was at work and so she had time to talk to | | | | an early age in the Japanese culture that family is |
| mom before he returned to get a sense for what | | | | a source of stability and strength and that in |
| she was about to face. | | | | order to reach a child's full potential, they need |
| It wasn't just her dad that was the problem. Mom | | | | the support of their family.) |
| was cooking up a storm in the kitchen as Eke | | | | Eke understood all of this and she listened |
| made her appearance. She soon found out, the | | | | respectfully. But she also knew what was in her |
| entire adult Suki family including her grandfather, | | | | heart and at the right moment, she was going to |
| was coming for dinner at six to talk to Eke. | | | | tell her father how she felt about Carlo and hope |
| "Are you hungry?" "How did you sleep", mother | | | | that because of his love for her open his. |
| Suki said to her daughter. Eke nodded affirmative | | | | The evening from that point forward consisted of |
| as she sat down at the table with elbows up and | | | | Eke listening to the adults talk to her about what |
| hands on each side of her head while she took | | | | was expected as a Japanese daughter and the |
| one last moment to gather herself before asking | | | | advantages of miai-gekkon and how "it has |
| mom "what was going on." Mother Suki could see | | | | worked for centuries in Japan" and how the |
| the anguish in her daughters face and walked | | | | western cultures suffer from such a high rate of |
| over and extended her arms as Eke started once | | | | divorce. The case was made clear and again Eke |
| again to cry saying "mom, why did dad have to | | | | listened with her head but silently thought from |
| do this? I only had 3 weeks left till graduation." | | | | her heart as she wished Carlo was at her side. |
| "Your father loves you, honey, and he only wants | | | | The evening seemed to last forever which is |
| the best for you. Just listen to him and give him | | | | often the case when we wish we weren't there. |
| time and things will all work out," she concluded. | | | | But Eke got through it. The one thing that did |
| Eke and mom talked for the rest of the | | | | concern her, though, and it was made very clear; |
| afternoon and she shared her feelings about Carlo | | | | the family had circled the wagons and convincing |
| and her American parents and her wonderful | | | | them of anything was not going to be easy. |
| experience in America. And this seemed to calm | | | | Carlo finished his breakfast and although it |
| her as her mom just listened. Mother Suki could | | | | wouldn't have been his first choice, the food was |
| tell immediately that her daughter had grown a lot | | | | filling and he was so hungry that most anything |
| since being in America and that she was fearful | | | | would have tasted good. He walked back to the |
| that Eke was not going to lie down and just | | | | hotel thinking that he needed to get a plan to get |
| accept things as they were desired by the family | | | | in contact with Eke and/or her family. If he had |
| elders. This scared her for Eke was all she had - | | | | to, he could just take a chance and catch a taxi |
| her only daughter; her best friend; her life over | | | | and go straight to the house. But then again, |
| the past 19 years. But she listened with sad eyes | | | | although that was his preference, he knew that |
| and love in her heart. | | | | might be considered disrespectful. So he was |
| That evening, everyone started to arrive and Eke | | | | going to have to find a different way for now |
| greeted them with respect and love for her | | | | since he had some time - He was prepared |
| family had always been there for her as a child | | | | financially to stay in Japan for up to 3 weeks. (... |
| and family was an important part of who she | | | | |