The Girl Who 'Went Away'

Tanagi Kato

12 October 1990

AGASE Travel Company - Kyoto

"Hello, is this Tanagi Kato? This is Ray Hanzo from Agase Travel Company. I saw your resume applying for the travel photographer position on our email."

"Hello, yes I am Tanagi Kato. I applied for the position three months ago. I will be moving back to Kyoto this summer hence the work hunting." Tanagi replied nervously.

"I see. I am calling to inform you that you application have been accepted. I assume you already an expert since you used to do this job in the past. One condition though, your will have to start a month early before summer. Since its a traveling photographer, we will have you go to Angkor Wat for your first assignment. Is it okay?"

Tanagi scratched his head as he was contemplating to answer. Accepting the job mean that he will have to leave Malaysia a month early and then have to leave to Cambodia as soon as he arrives. Meaning he only have a little time to time to sort out and clean the house before Sakura arrive to Japan a month later on her own. But this is one in a life time chances, at his age it was not easy to fullfil his dreamjob. He even have to wait for three month from one of the company that he applied in Kyoto. Sakura will have to go on a plane on her own and then used a taxi to go to the house. 'I am sure she can handle it, she is a big girl now.' Tanagi mumble to himself.

"No problem at all. Thank you so much for the opportunity. I will see you once I arrived in Kyoto. Thank you again." Tanagi smile with relief as he finally solved the financial problem he face when his only daughter suddenly said she wanted to move to Kyoto.

As a 47 years old man, it is not easy to suddenly move to another country and find a job. But he have been blessed and now can focus to his new-old job as a traveler photographer. It was this job that made him met his late wife, and now it has become the reason to go back to his home country.

Monologue

'Now I only have to wait four month for Sakura to finally graduate highschool. I moved away for good but now finally have another reason to come back. Sakura my dear, I sincerely wish that everything will be alright. It was all in the past. It just a distant childhood memories. Far away in the past.' Tanagi sigh slowly as the thought to move back to his old house bring back nervous thought and mixed emotion.

Uneasy and familiar thought shroud Tanagi Kato mind. One long forgotten place suddenly become fresh in his mind...

'Higa Shrine'.