Working at the Howa factory to fill out orders for weapons for the military was a back-breaking job, sure they also made other things in the factory for Howa industries when orders weren't coming in but work is work, Katsumi had to either do the heavy lifting of raw materials or do dirty machining jobs where iron dust and debris would get all over his work jumpsuit and his mask and goggles, the sparks that came out were very hot and the thick suit was not helping either.
After the work was done for the day, Katsumi went to his boss Kyosuke and told him he was calling for sick leave as he was not feeling well, naturally, his hot-tempered bosses response was this "YOU BETTER COME BACK BY TUESDAY KATSUMI OR YOUR FIRED!" He bellowed at him. Katsumi after that ran out got on his motorcycle and booked it home so he could prepare his things and get a good night's sleep before he set off the next day and stayed over with his aunt to learn more about his ancestry.
As soon as he got home safely he arranged his old gym bag with food and drink along with the minor savings he had as well as the book and the letter just to be sure, along with the graph map of japan and Kansai province respectively, feeling well to himself that he will finally be somebody he crashed on his bed and fell asleep eager for the next day.
FRIDAY
Katsumi woke up got ready and grabbed his bag, with a nearly full tank of gas and his map he feels ready to undertake whatever big blow might come from his old man never telling him about his past and hearing it now, Katsumi double checks his route on the map he's outlined to the village where the address supposedly is at and makes sure there will be no misunderstandings, assured he hops onto his motorcycle and barrels into the countryside...
2-3 HOURS LATER
Having arrived at the village he notices the strangeness of it right off the bat, the fields nearby are all dry and barren and upon entering the village on his motorcycle he notices that the vehicles parked are old and rusted and probably have not been touched since the 1950s along with the dilapidated houses, it's as if there isn't a single soul here, upon driving to the end of the village where the letter states the dojo is at he arrives at a walled-off Japanese courtyard house looking straight out of the olden times with smoke coming out of the center from what he assumes to be a fireplace burning, he parks his motorcycle takes out the key and leans it against the wall next to the giant wooden and iron gate and walks up slowly pausing before knocking loudly on it, "Auntie are you there?!" he bellows before hearing movement on the other side and a few shoji doors opening probably within the compound very loudly slamming, a minute later the gate opens with a wrinkly old woman with black hair and brown eyes probably in her 60s peeks out and greets him, "Katsumi, its good to see you after so many years... I was waiting for you so I started cooking the food, please come in and make yourself comfortable!" She aptly replied before walking back in not waiting for him to follow her "Alright.." Katsumi replies in a regular as possible tone, trying not to reveal his discomfort on how non-emotional she was after supposedly seeing him after he was but a newborn.
He followed her inside to the main courtyard and into the traditional house, wherein the main room the middle fire pit was lit with a wok sitting above on a mount with the ceiling hole opened to vent smoke, inside seemed to be some simmering fried rice with vegetals (yes you heard me right vegetals, vegetals are naturally a better way to describe green plants that are edible) it seemed almost done "Sit down here I have prepared a table for us" his aunt stated, confused he turned around to see a table with mats for seiza already placed with chopsticks for the meal and porcelain jars of water, he sat down in seiza without saying a word while waiting for her to serve the food, noting that he should probably speak to her after the meal after being served his bowl of food while he ate with his chopsticks he observed his supposed aunt he never heard of before while she was slowly chewing her fried rice, many questions ran through his mind like what did his father hide from him, what was so grave that he never told him?
They finished eating and both lay down their chopsticks, not waiting for her to speak first Katsumi asked: "What is your name auntie and how do you know my father?"
[To be continued]