Miso

Waiting

Chapter 1

Waiting

I slowly moved the screen aside, careful not to tear the fragile-looking paper on the Japanese shoji.

Bamboo designs were painted on the screen in coal black ink, simply yet beautifully.

It wasn't hard to tell that it was painted delicately by hand.

The fades between the ink and rice-coloured paper were natural and didn't seem like they were printed.

My art teacher taught me when I was younger how to tell the difference between real and fake paintings.

Chapter 2

Waiting

I peeked outside.

A boy in a blue and green sweater was sitting in the room across the hall from me.

He looked a few years older than me. Probably about seventeen or eighteen.

He glanced down at his watch for the sixth time since I started counting a minute ago.

Then I did the same.

1:40pm.

Twenty minutes to go.

Chapter 3

Waiting

I took another sip of and breathed in the calming scent of green tea.

I checked my watch again.

1:50pm.

Only ten minutes left. Why was I so impatient?

Time goes so fast when people are having fun, and so slow we're waiting for something.

Totoro looks back at me from my watch.

He twitches his whiskers as if to tell me to be patient.

I sighed heavily.

"Miso!"

Chapter 4

Waiting

I looked up.

"Uncle Henry! Auntie Cindy!" I called grinning widely.

Uncle and Auntie had just returned to Canada this morning and I was so happy to see them!

"How was Hong Kong?" I asked while hugging each of them.

They were wearing matching red t-shirts and orange caps. Looking all cheery, matchy, and couple-y as always.

"Same as always," chuckled Uncle Henry."

"And how was Canada?" said Auntie Cindy.

"Same as always!" I repeated after Uncle.