Cicadas' voices unobtrussively resounded in the neighborhood. Light wid quietly shuffled trees foliage. A dragon fly passed her window. Asami was taking in the serene, frleeting morning.
Once when she came home after work it was rather late. In the dark she pressed her hand to the pine that grows by the mansion-house where she lives. She wanted to touch it quickly in greeting as she usually does and go to her apartment but something stopped her. It might have been tiredness. And them.
She was standing there pressing her palm to the pine bark. It was slightly wet from the moisture in the air. It wasn't a wonder in rainy season. Following a sudden impulse she tried to detach herself from everything her head held - work, everyday routine, things she had to do and she was going to do right afterwards... She consentrated on what she felt.
And she felt a little cool air, the living body of the tree inder her hand, a refreshing very gentle gust of wind.
Gabriel...
Nathan...
She stood there. It was nice. It was so pacifying and important. To think that she had hardly done a simple thing like that in recent year... - years? To just stop and listen. And feel herself part of it.
Nathan, Gabriel, thank you.
How much do I have yet to learn from you? You never stop teaching me.
As Asami was sitting by the window and the morning sun was shining mildly on the rooftops around, she remembered yesterday's lesson.
Mai said "Teacher, can I ask something?" "Of course." "No, it's fine." "OK. Sure?" "Yes."
Asami continued the lesson but she couldn't put it out of her head what Mai had wanted to ask her. Did she have a question about the lesson or not? Did she want to ask something irrelevant? Last class she asked her if her shoes were new. What might it be this time?
It might have been a very trivial thing but Asami couldn't help wondering even when the class was over.
Well, next time let's make sure I have her ask the question, for my curiosity can hardly let things rest unspoken once they are pronounced. Let's learn from it and think positively: she isn't a girl who's likely to ask a tricky cunning question. She was wondering about something and whatever it was it'd be better to answer it - both for her and for me, Asami decided.
A new day was in front of her. Three lessons, the last one with Mr. Kobayashi.
Let's do good job today too.
Asami smiled.