My Father’s Car

 

              About seven years before my father’s death, he bought me a new car because he wanted me to drive him to the hospital as he underwent artificial dialysis three times a week. However, I was not interested in cars. I was afraid to drive, so I didn’t touch the car for a few years.

              One day, the doctor asked my father not to drive. Hence, I needed to drive the car. Later on, I found out that the hospital had shuttle services, so I only drove to the hospital a few times and just drove around the neighborhood.

              After my father passed away, I decided to sell the car. One elementary school and junior high school friend of mine ran a garage. I asked him to estimate the cost of the car. He checked it and said, “This is about $2,300 to $2,500. If you sell it at $2,300, I want to buy it right now.” Actually, we were not close friends, so I suspected him.

              I tried another company. I visited one of the most famous secondhand car shops in Nagoya. The shop was advertising on radio and TV. The clerk estimated my car from a computer and said, “This is $450.” I was shocked. I started to regret that I suspected my old buddy. I decided to get out of the shop and go to my friend’s garage immediately. I wanted to sell the car for around $2,400 to my old buddy, but the clerk kept me. He repeatedly asked me to sell the car.

              The clerk said, “Please say the price you want to sell it. Just say that. This is a do-or-die job for me!”

              “$2,600,” I finally said so we could end the conversation.

              He became silent for a while. Then he started to complain about the price. But he still bought the car for $2,600.

              I had no idea about the secondhand car industry. So I started to think that I needed friends in all kinds of industries.

Picture by Shintako

Diaper

 

              My mother has Alzheimer’s disease. I started to let her use a diaper. Generally, finding the right timing of letting patients use a diaper is one of the most difficult points in taking care of them. If it is too early, the patients get mad. Most of the patients don’t realize their disease, so it might deeply hurt their pride. In my mother’s case, the care manager recommended using diapers at a good timing. My mother agreed to use them.

              My wife and I carefully avoided using the word “diaper” in front of my mother. That word could hurt her pride. We used the word “rehab pant” instead of “diaper.” That idea was also recommended by the care manager.

              About ten years after my mother had the diagnosis, communicating with her was sometimes difficult. But we always avoided the word “diaper.” One day, because of carelessness, my wife and I used the word in front of my mother. She suddenly got mad and screamed, “Who uses a diaper? I will never use a diaper!”

              I quickly responded, “We are talking about my diaper. I still use a diaper.”

              My mother peacefully said, “You are talking about your diaper? That is OK.”

              I was almost fifty years old, but my mother never minded that. If she said it was OK, it was OK.

              An expert caregiver for Alzheimer’s disease said, “If you want to be a good caregiver, you should be a good actor.” My experiences as an actor, like doing ad-libs and improvisations, were very useful in taking care of my mother.

Picture by hermandesign2015

Scalper

 

 

In 2001, I lived in Tokyo. The most wonderful thing about Tokyo is it has many theaters and theatrical performances. I went and watched many plays almost every weekend.

 

One day, when I was on my way to a theater, I saw a scalper near the theater.

 

He said, “I have tickets. I have tickets . . .”

 

I was surprised because I have never seen any scalper near the theater before, especially in the mini-theater that I loved to visit. The scalper was also a bit strange.

 

I grew up in a house located near a big-domed stadium. I was used to seeing scalpers. Scalpers are very sensitive about the popularity of performers. For example, if there are enough tickets for a big-name artist, they never show up. They show up only if there are a few tickets left. They have bought tickets earlier and sell them later at expensive prices.

 

The performance that I was going to watch at the theater that day was not similar to an artist’s performance. I could easily get tickets. Furthermore, the scalper was selling tickets alone. I know scalpers work in teams. It was the first time I saw a scalper working alone.

 

Furthermore, his aura was different from other scalpers. He looked more like a crew member of a theatrical group.

 

The most critical clue was a black packing tape he was wearing on his belt. Black packing tape is one of the most useful items in the theater. Scalpers would never use them when selling tickets.

 

I believe he was a crew member of the theater group who just pretended to be a scalper. I guess there were some vacant seats for the show, so the theater group asked one of its crew members to sell tickets near the theater.

 

So many people visit Tokyo. Some go there for sightseeing, others for business. Some just wander around to kill time. If they find a scalper, they would be interested in him because everyone knows scalpers show up only during super-popular performances. They could buy tickets from them.

 

I already bought my ticket, so I didn’t buy from the scalper. I guess he sold tickets in reasonable prices because the theater group would want to sell all tickets. It would increase the group’s income. Furthermore, if the theater was full, the actors would be comfortable to act.

 

My dear friends, especially theater people in the local region, this could be a useful idea! If you plan to perform in Tokyo, you could sell out all tickets. However, scalping is illegal, and your crew member could be suspected by policemen.

 

Picture by Skillinformations

Disturb the Working Order

 

My mother has Alzheimer’s disease. When we lived together, she sometimes talked to some invisible persons. This is a typical symptom of the disease. In my mother’s case, she often talked to my grandmother and grandaunt who had already died. I used to listen to my mother’s words carefully. I half-believed my mother were going to the next world. She could talk to dead people. I tried to find concrete evidence about the next world from their conversations. I wrote this idea on SNS.

 

One day, my mother started to talk to me. “Your grandmother has come.”

 

I answered, “Where is she?”

 

She said, “She is watching us but is hiding herself.”

 

This was the first time she said my grandmother was hiding.

 

I asked, “Why is she hiding? If she shows up, I will give her a cup of tea.”

 

When I said this, my mother paused before replying, “If she did so, it would disturb the working order. Some people are troubled.”

 

It could be true. If dead people actually show up, our living order would completely change. Most people, including me, have done shameful things hidden from people. We would be troubled.

 

I guess my grandmother had to hide from us because I was waiting to find concrete evidence about the next world.

 

Now my mother has moved into a nursing home. She continues talking to her invisible guests. Sometimes I can’t understand what she is talking about. It is not even Japanese. I imagine some invisible foreign guests are visiting my mother. We just don’t know the language. My mother used to love guests. I am not sure whether there is a next world. It is possible to imagine many guests are visiting my mother. I just want to believe she has happy days.

Picture by Toranosuke