“Guzen ga nai, Helfi-san…”

We were sitting next to each other on the coach. I laid myself lazily, my legs were protruding everywhere. She was putting some medicine on her back; her wet hair sketched a fresh impression on her tiny face. A struggling voice trying to pronounce several English greetings was my ‘sister’ making herself busy with the internet. The TV was left unaccompanied. My dinner laid helplessly on the table. Maybe I’d eat it in a few minutes, said my mind.

How much time of your life that you spend to just stop and think about the blessing that you have? What an unnecessary query, well, I wasn’t about to ask it, tough. I stared on my book blankly, on my ‘highly need to improve’ kanji writings. I heard her sayings on NPO thing, the past, present, cancers and ‘naruhodo’ thing. How abundant things in life that we have no clue at all in the beginning, then at the end we find ourselves mumbling—now I understand—for something that suddenly strikes our mind.

I can not help myself to stop considering life as an extremely big puzzle, consists of endless pieces it takes forever to get the frame. Only to get the frame…

A couple of weeks ago a friend posted a true story of the little things that save lives. The 9/11 survivors (OK we’re not going to spot on the conspiracy thing) were late to work because of trivial things: flat tire, coffee spills, crying baby, natural calls, early phone call… Things usually recognized as annoying turned out to be the darling saviors.

Some names and figures came to mind. The phone talks I had several days before. Fortuitousness and unexpectedness happened in sequence. I saw myself standing in a void. Gosh, I am nothing but a learner. I shut my eyes to catch the zero state.

A head popped up from behind the bookshelf.

“Helfi-san, duu—yuw-wantdo-bee—a…kuuck?” A smile was drawn ear to ear on her face.

“Kuuck-tte nani?”

I smiled back and let the two of them continued practicing. Something was throbbing. Maybe it was a sore. Maybe it was just my part. I didn’t feel like finding out. I didn’t feel like saying anything. My chichimi had gone cold. I reached the fridge to get some tomato ketchup. Bon appetit!