Kamane’s Miracle

Kamane tapped the cold metal bench he sat on. It was rather uncomfortable and hurting his rear. He had longish dark hair with bangs that fell in his eyes. His skin was unusually pale for someone is age, as he was only 21. His eyes were a dull grey color like the life and color had been sucked out of them. He sat in the bench wearing light blue jeans his legs spread apart. He wore a dark red long sleeve shirt as his elbows leaned on both of his knees. His sneakers tapped anxiously on the polished White tile floor. Everything in here was... so clean! He looked over as he heard the door open.

A male that was much taller than him but also older walks in. The man was over six feet tall while Kamane remained under six feet. He was not short though by any means! He looked up at the man as he walked over and sat down on the other side of the bench that Kamane sat on. Kamane was not good with social interaction so he looked away nervously stealing glances. The male looked over at him and thrusted our a hand for him to shake.

“Hello! I’m Mao!”

Kamane didn’t expect such a high pitch voice to come out of him. Mao was a fit guy wearing a red muscle shirt. He was huge and bulky As his massive hand swallowed his small one whole. He shook his hand and Kamane gasped. He was indeed very strong!! He let go giving him a closer examination. He had dark blue and grey hair and dark blue eyes. He had tan skin and a toothy grin plastered on his face.

“Hi... I’m Kamane”

This is where he had hoped their conversation would end while he waited to be called. But Mao was a very talkative person and when he was nervous he talked an awful lot. He then began starting up a conversation

“Yano, when I was your age I did all sorts of things! One time when I was in my dorm back in my college days, I was dared to ride down all 5 flights of stares with my mattress.”

Kamane eyes went wide as Mao started just telling him this story about his life. He was slowly coming out of his comfort zone as he listened.

“I took my mattress and walked out of my dorm! I was already on the top floor so all I needed to do was start sliding! So I got ready at the edge of the stairs and jumped! That was my mistake...”

Kamane had been drawn into his rambling. His nervous behaviors had ceased as his foot and fingers no longer tapped. He no longer bit at his fingernails and was calm. He now intensely listened only piping up to ask

“A mistake? How so?”

The man held up a weak shaky hand and continued

“How so you ask? Well when I landed on the mattress I did not slide. I wasn’t this fit 20 years ago! So I was a bit chubby! I flopped onto that mattress and flopped right off! My fat self tumbled down those stairs and put a hole in the wall!”

Kamane chuckled and so did Mao. The sight in his imagination of a chubbier Mao plunging down the flight of stairs would have been a sight to behold

“Did you get hurt??”

”No! Just chipped my tooth!”

He pulled up his top lip to show his chipped front tooth. Kamane has a smile on his face... something he hadn’t felt in a while. As they spoke more people came and went, leaving and entering the room.

“Also when I left college we had this big problem. Everyone started getting cell phones as they were just getting popular when I was your age! We all wanted to talk but it was hard when you were in a public place. it was also difficult to talk while driving or hold a phone if your hands were busy. So Dr. Jaap Haartsen and I made this device you put in your ear so you could hear people and talk without holding your phone.”

Kamane jaw dropped hearing what he was saying. That was the inventor of Bluetooth! Was this Mao guy being serious? Mao had a proud smile on as he spoke

“It was my idea to make them wireless! I hated it when you wore headphones and had long cord tangled up! it’s aggravating! Anyways we made that thing and called it Bluetooth! We called it that because we were drinking blue slushies trying to come up with a name and I got a little tipsy. only one of my teeth were blue from the slushy and we thought why not? Then we patented it! But we regretted the name later! It was stupid!”

He laughed which turned into a hoarse cough. he covered his cough with his fist and gave a smirk

“I get checks from that now and then! That’s actually where I met the love of my life! Her name was Natsumi! And when I say beautiful, oh she was beautiful!”

His facial feature softened and he had a love-sick look on his face. There was a sadness to it though he noted. Mao‘s eyes became distant before he snapped back and looked at Kamane

“Have you ever been in love?”

Kamane shook his head

“No sir I haven’t!”

Mao sighed and ruffled his hair with a sad smile

“It’s the best worst thing that could happen to ya! I met Natsumi at a club and what started out as just casual fun grew serious for me. She was a heavy drinker and did illegal activities all the time. I tried to help her by getting her away from it all and letting her live with me but, she still stayed to her ways.”

Mao still had that look on his face. Kamane knee this was a soft spot for him and he didn’t wanna press him even though he was interested in what he was talking about.

“She became pregnant. I was excited and asked her to marry me. We had been with each other over a year and so I thought she would say yes. She didn’t but we still stayed together. She continued her habits against the doctors orders. I tried my best but sadly it ended with the loss of the life inside her.”

Kamane was at a loss for words. He felt pain fill his heart imagining how Mao must have felt.

“Mao... I know we only just met but... I’m so sorry for your loss! I can’t imagine how you must feel! Or how you must have felt!”

This was bringing tears to his own eyes! Mao nodded his head accepting his condolences and continued

“Thank you Kamane. I know my baby girl is up in heaven, safe and sound. I’ll see her again”

He gave him a hopeful smile. That soon dropped as he continued

“Sadly the pressure she put in herself about it being her fault was too much for her and she did the unthinkable. My girl Natsumi never did love me really. But I never regret anything. I would have moved heaven and earth for her. I was so sad but as my mother had always said ‘The moment you stop smiling is the moment you have given up!’ So I kept on! I moved to the small town of Ridgeway away from everything I came from. It was like a fresh start!”

“I got a factory job and began saving up. That’s when I found this little kitten! She stayed under my trailers porch and was pretty skittish but I managed to lure her inside with cat food. i Was never really much of an animal or cat person but It was just something I did. I named her what I was gonna name my baby.”

He paused for a minute before showing me a picture on his phone. It was a beautiful kitten that was a light grey mixed with tan. She had dark tiger stripe markings on her front legs and face and beautiful big eyes.

“I named her Asami which means morning beauty. I love her so much! She is very big now!”

He showed Kamane a picture of her now and his eyes went wide as he stared at the image. Man that cat gained some weight! He looked more like he rolled around than walked. Mao saw his expression and laughed

“Yeah she gained a few pounds since her kitten years! I’m sorry I’m rambling on so much I’ll stop-“

Kamane shook his head and smiled

“No no! Continue! Please! I enjoy your stories it helped calm my nerves!”

Mao smiled and asked

“Why were you so nervous?”

Before Kamane could even answer a feminine voice called out From the doorway across the room

“Kamane Hadako?”

It was his time. He looked at the clock and his eyes widened. He had only been waiting six hours?? It felt like it was longer than that! He straightened up his shirt and stood up. He smiled at Mao and said

“Thanks so much for talking with me!”

Mao nodded to him with a smile as Kamane walked past the woman and through the door. He gulped getting nervous again. What would they say? He had waited all this time to hear the news. He walked down the pristine Hallway that smelled like cleaner. He sighed as they stopped at the door.

The conversation with the man not only distracted him while he waited but it gave him hope for his own situation. He opened the door and looked over at the bed. His eyes welled up as he rushed over to it taking his little girl into his arms carefully. Tears spilled down his cheeks as she held onto him.

The night before Kamane and his wife, Nari, had gotten into an argument. She was being emotional and reckless and so she declared that her and their daughter were leaving For the next few nights. He tried to stop her but she went. Being in an emotional crying mess, Nari got into a car accident which had instantly ended her life. His daughter on the other hand was found and was barely clinging on to life. All the doctors had said she wouldn’t make it. That she had zero chances of making it but Kamane demanded that they do everything they could. The doctor stood behind them and said

“She is a miracle! The condition she was in she shouldn’t have made it but she did. This is something I’ll never understand.”

Kamane turned holding his little girl close and smiled

“Sometimes Doc, we need to have a little faith.”

Mao story hit him hard earlier about his girl and unborn child. This was why. He held onto her as the doctor led them alone. His daughter looked the same as usual. She had long straight red hair like her mother and pale skin that was littered with freckles. Her bright blue eyes looked up at him as she flashed a smile that was missing a few teeth. She was almost six years old as they had her when they were young. Her name was Shoko.

“Sho, how are you feeling? Are you feeling any better? You got quite a few boo boos!”

He said looking her over. She was covered in bandages. Some were just for small scrapes and wounds but one was almost fatal. Part of the car broke and punctured her in the car. It went through her almost ruining her chances of survival. It was a miracle the vital organ it hit was able to survive. She was weak and the doctor had said she would have to be in the hospital for a long while but she was alive! Kamane hugged her again but she asked the one question he didn’t want to answer

“Daddy... where is mommy?”

He gulped and pulled at his collar of his shirt. He had tears in his eyes as his little girl’s innocent face stared up at him awaiting his answer

“Mommy... she went up to be in heaven with God. She is safe with him! Remember how we talked about that?”

The little girl nodded as her bottom lip trembled. she clung to her father who cried along with his daughter. He was grateful though. Remembering Mao story... Mao never got to marry the love of his life. Kamane lies about never loving anyone as he had been angry before he talked with Mao. Angry Nari would do something so reckless. Angry they he didn’t successfully stop her. But Mao never got to have any time with his child and never got to be with his girl for long. Kamane realized how blessed he truly was. He held his daughter who was now sleeping soundly and he smiled looking out the window. How blessed he was that God saved his child when death had her in its grasp. For that he was forever thankful.