Chapter 1.7

Chapter 8

It was the farthest trip he had made until then in the Metro system of New York and served the purpose of glancing another part of the city. He finally got down at one of the stations in the neighborhood of Astoria in the Borough of Queens, after which he walked eight blocks guided by the GPS of his cell phone.

The building in which Aiko's uncles lived was old but in good condition, including the tiny garden in front of the building. Leandro pressed the bell on the 8th floor in the hope that Aiko would attend directly to him but in a few moments a male voice answered in what obviously was Japanese. Leandro cleared his throat before speaking to the camera and spoke in English with as much clarity as possible.

"I'm Leandro Valsecchi, friend of Aiko."

"Oh yeah! I´ll open the door." The man answered in English." Come up to the eighth floor, apartment C.

When he got off the elevator and pressed the doorbell of the apartment the door opened immediately. A man of an indefinite age and very small size let him in the apartment. As Leandro introduced himself and extended his hand the greeting of the man did not show any emotion and was merely formal but immediately Aiko appeared with a very jovial appearance followed by a woman also of short stature.

The girl kissed him chastely on the cheek in what turned out a reception warmer than the boy had expected; then they all moved into the living room, very spacious as befits the time of construction of the building. Although Leandro was not very expert in the matter he could appreciate that the furniture and the decoration were minimalist and of good taste. Many of the elements were of oriental manufacture and looked somewhat exotic to the boy who was however soon convinced that it was a comfortable and functional furniture.

Aiko decidedly took the lead in the presentations and told her uncle and aunt the circumstances in which she had met Leandro when she was performing at the hotel in Buenos Aires and gave a succinct account of what happened afterwards. After a few moments a door opened and a young girl of about fifteen appeared, small and short, obviously the daughter of the home owners.

"Leandro, I'll introduce you to my cousin. Susan is finishing middle school. Susan, he is Leandro, about whom I already have spoken to you."

The newcomer exhibited from the beginning a fresh and uninhibited behavior which contrasted with the austere attitude of her parents. She was dressed in tight jeans and her long hair showed strands of various colors from pink to violet; the whole, however, seemed harmonious to Leandro, youthful but stripped of extravagance or stridency. Susan sat next to her mother while Eiichi looked at her with a not too comfortable expression.

With the arrival of the girl the talk became animated and inclusive, except for Eiichi who scarcely participated in it. Susan exhibited a certain skill to subject Leandro to a gentle interrogation on topics that ranged from family members, his studies, groups of friends, musical tastes and social networks participation. The young man agreed willingly to answer the questions, aware that Natsuko was paying attention to his words and even Aiko heard for the first time some information that was unknown and even surprising for her. At times Susan had to translate something to her parents into Japanese and vice versa with questions from Natsuko. The tension produced by the inevitable cultural shock, the conversation between people who spoke three mother tongues and the relative stiff Japanese culture gradually gave way and by the time the housewife announced that lunch would be served Leandro felt at ease, so the inconvenience of using the Japanese tableware only produced laughter and Susan finally got up to help the visitor to pick up the chopsticks. Alcohol was absent during the meal.

After lunch Eiichi offered Leandro to show him on the screen of his television the photos obtained during his visits to Japan, particularly pictures of landscapes, gardens, folk costumes, sunrises and sunsets. The young man could appreciate the quality of the images achieved and the good taste in the selection of subjects, since Eiichi had turned the hobby of photography into a minor art. Then it was Natsuko's turn to exhibit some small miniature landscapes painted by her as well as her calligraphy sheets, essentially a Japanese art. Finally everyone moved to a corner of the living room where there was a small piano and Aiko began to improvise in the middle of the general silence. Leandro got overwhelmed by a deep feeling of love and pride, while the two elders enjoyed in silence and Susan, no doubt a very perceptive person, watched the scene interpreting the feelings evidenced by the faces of those present, in particular the rapture in the face of the visitor.

The soft melodies alternated with others with more energy and tears began to roll down the cheeks of Susan and her mother, while Leandro could barely master a lump in the throat.

Everyone lost track of time and when Aiko stopped to rest her fingers, Susan exclaimed to the visitor.

"Now is your turn."

"I do not know to play the piano."

"But you're Argentine. You surely can sing tango. You know they are popular in Japan."

"I do not know the lyrics of tangos."

"But you told us before that you liked folk music from the Argentine hinterland." Leandro realized that the girl was not going to accept a no for an answer.

"Well, I can sing some zambas."

"What type of music is that?"

"Slow, romantic and melancholic." informed Aiko." I like it. Get started and I will try to follow you on the piano."

As Leandro had already explained his work activities in his country and what he was doing in the United States, it was Eiichi's turn to refer that he owned a small business importing motorcycle parts and also musical instruments, obviously of Japanese origin, that allowed them to make a living in the competitive New York commercial world, although his company also distributed its products in New Jersey.

The afternoon continued in the midst of that pleasant atmosphere and hours flew. Finally Leandro looked at his watch and exclaimed.

"Its seven p.m.! I have to get up early tomorrow and I have a long trip from here. You will excuse me but I must return to the hotel."

Natsuko handed him his jacket and Aiko said.

"I will walk you to the Metro station. It´s only a few blocks away."

"It's getting dark and it's not good for you to walk back alone."

"Come on! I'm big girl and nothing is going to happen to me."

" As I imagined, the evening was a complete success. I have not seen my uncles so excited since I arrived in New York."Said Aiko when they were alone in the street.

"I have to admit that they had a remarkable transformation, difficult to foresee when I arrived." answered Leandro."It was from the moment in which each one began to exhibit his gifts, artistic photography, painting, calligraphy, your music."

"And you sing! I did not know you sing fairly well, you're intoned and your baritone record sounded great."

" So you find our folk music melancholic?"

" Folk music, tango ... in general the Argentine is a melancholic type."

Leandro moved his left arm that until then was placed on the girl´s shoulders to her waist and pulled their bodies closer. They were reaching a corner and heavy traffic was passing on the other street. The young couple stopped and inclining his head Leandro approached his face to the girl´s who was staring at him in the eyes. Their lips joined with an anxiety refrained for months.

"Let's walk a little farther. I want to prevent gossip in the neighborhood." said Aiko.

"Gossip in New York for a kiss? You´ve got to be kidding."

"You would be surprised. This is a neighborhood away from the center. In Astoria resides one of the most numerous Japanese collectivities in New York, as you can see by the people we meet on the street and in the names of the stores, even though they are closed today."

" What does that have to do with kissing in the street and gossip?"

"Many of these people know my uncles since they came to the United States. That's why I want to avoid gossip."

While they continued walking Aiko sighed in a perceptible way.

"What's the matter now?"

"I'm happy with the development of today's meeting."

"Me too. When can we meet again? I do not want to wait until next weekend."

"You could come to the place where I play piano and we could dine there in one of my breaks. Then you can stay to see the function until the end."

" Does it end late?"

"At 11 pm. It is very late for you?"

"I can do it. When can we then meet at that restaurant?"

" Tomorrow, Monday, I have other activities. I call you and let you know."

In the meantime they had reached the Metro station. Aiko stood on her tiptoes and again kissed the young man on the lips; then she turned around and left without looking back to avoid emotional breakdowns. Leandro stood at the end of the stairs, watching her walk away until a wave of newly arrived travelers on a train surrounded him and forced him out of their way.

The girl returned to her aunt and uncle's house with light heart and feet. When entering, she was not surprised to find his cousin Susan waiting for her with an anxious face. Without other comments, she snapped.

"Aiko Your friend is very good looking. Does he have a younger brother?"

"He does but you must go to Buenos Aires to meet him. No problem, it's only nine hours by plane."

Both youngsters burst out laughing. Susan insisted.

"But tell me. How serious are you? I want details."

Faced with the questions raised by her cousin Aiko had mixed feelings, particularly because they forced her to ask herself how serious was her relationship with Leandro, whom she had just met again. However, despite the mental effort necessary to answer that question the girl was surprised to find how much she enjoyed thinking about her private life.