The Leftist Order

YURI SHIMABUKURO

Yuri Shimabukuro is not your average entertainer. In fact she was a multi-talented artist and one of the so called premiere celebrities. A long list of movies and sitcoms plus a hundred commercials ranging from chocolates, bottled beverages, snacks, fabric conditioner, shampoo, body cosmetics, video game units, and even tourism, making her a very well calibrated, not to be reckoned with contract artist at just thirty two. Her rise to stardom began at the age of thirteen when her father encouraged her to attend a musical school.

Her father who was a former music teacher and town scorer exposed her to different musical mediums, so it was not a surprise that this musically gifted girl excelled in that school. Okinawa in Japan is a prefecture full of musical geniuses.

Every year, schools encourage youngsters to hone their skills in recitals and contests, which is always jam-packed with people coming from different parts of Japan to witness that fabulous spectacle. What they did is that every town and village in Okinawa held musical competitions for children (In some cases, professionals can also join). After a day of nerve breaking showdown, judges would choose the best performer via a number of votes from the audience.

The supposed winner will go to Naha City, capital of Okinawa, to participate in one of Japan's prestigious song writing and musical festivals there which was, "The Japan Grand Music Festival" which was being held every thirtieth of February. Tenjo Municipal Musical School was very strict in the selection of their candidates to represent them in the upcoming musical recital in town. The school is also known for its tough training regime. Thousands of aspiring children will try out for the training program to be admitted but only two hundred will be accepted. Unbelievably, in just a week or so three fourths of the original number will eventually quit, then before graduation only a handful will make it.

Fortunately for Yuri, her talent for singing and playing the piano is the golden ticket into the famous school in the whole town of Tenjo. The school itself undergoes their students on daily drills and practices to prepare them for the upcoming event. Their hard work is evident because for sixteen long years, Tenjo Municipal has held a large number or produced champions; seven of them were elite musicians and famed celebrities.

Yuri's father, Hiroto was very serious on this the fact that he subjected his daughter to constant after school duets. When Hiroto was still young, he dreamed of forming a quartet band. Since both of his parents were school teachers, they groomed him expecting to also become one, unfortunately, he had something in mind. At school he actively participates in recitals and music festivals he can possibly put in hands too, which he excels. In some other time, when he was in junior high, he even joined his school's mini orchestra as a violinist where they participated in the town's large concerts and recitals. At the same time, together with some friends, they formed a classical band to compete in local contests. Sadly for him, both mother and father did not approve of his being a musical aficionado, protesting that being with music will be a bad career move and cannot provide food at the table if he will have a family of his own eventually. Because of this, the relationship between them son and parents build a strain, sometimes heated arguments were exchanged wherein Hiroto defends that music is his life while the other thought he had gone astray. To take precautionary measures, his parents forbid him to play by confiscating his violin and ordered him to go straight home after school. Well, that is what they know, as most aggressive teens did like a rebellious outlaw he took drastic measures to hide his practice. For him parting from music equates to suicide, like a tough nail, the more his parents forcibly plucks him out the tighter his hold where. One night as the band was preparing for a second round of practice for an upcoming town recital, Hiroto was checking the band's music score sheet making an adjustment when they heard a commotion from outside the studio. As the gang headed towards the reception desk, a familiar face sent Hiroto dashing to the scene. His father grabbed the manager by his collar, demanding the poor man to show him the way to the studio where his son was. As the manager insisted that Hiroto and his friends were still practicing, the man who was twice his size, still holding him, clenched his fist. As his father will take a swing trying to stop him, Hiroto intervenes by holding his father's fist, grappling him, "You bozo!! Do you know who you're dealing with? I know some people in the government who can kick this shop out! Trying to hide my boy huh?!" cried his father, pointing his finger to the apprehensive manager.

Hiroto immediately volleyed it back, trying not to lose his composure, “Father, I have decided. I had been thinking about this many, many times. I tried to but-." mustering every courage he can get to get rid of this rat twitching in his chest, he continued, " Father, I really loved to play. I will-",

Before he even finished his sentence, Hiroto's father threw a jab on his left cheek, hurling him to the floor. After that his father tried to bounce back his wounded pride, cursing his son, "I don't have a son".

Then the broken man drove off. Those words instantly severed the paternal bond between Hiroto and him. As he rubbed his bruised cheek, numbness overcame his whole body, making him unable to neither hear nor feel anything. As his friends try to console him, he unknowingly brushes them off and wanders off the studio. As he was aimlessly walking downtown, he felt that the road he was taking was getting narrower and narrower as if it chokes him, when he could no longer bear the big lump on his throat, all of a sudden, tears rushed down his cheeks. Then he began to shout as if the whole town was empty of its citizens. From that moment all of his angst was accumulated into that one wail. As the youth drowned himself to Awamori (The Ryukuan counterpart of Sake or Sochu) in some Izakaya, His band mates scanned some spots in the town where he could possibly be, But even his shadow was nowhere to be seen. Late in the evening, Mr.Taira, the forty plus year old owner of a grocer's shop near the edge of the town was still up and checking lists of inventory while sipping tea. As the bachelor busied himself browsing the accountant's ledger and tracing the shop's sales, there was a loud knock downstairs. The persistent knock made Mr.Taira a bit annoyed that he immediately rose from his chair and rushed downstairs telling the surprise visitor to wait. At the exact moment when he opened the door, Hiroto immediately fell onto him. The smell of alcohol reeked the teenager's breath, evidence of drunkenness.

"I'm so sorry boss”, murmured Hiroto as he was too intoxicated to move, clamouring his boss ‘shoulders (In fact, Hiroto is working in Mr.Taira's grocery as a part time job).

"Nah, You boy, you reek of Awamori. Let's get a hangover soup tomorrow mornin", complaining Mr.Taira as he was assisting the now asleep Hiroto entering his lair

From that day forth, Hiroto never again stepped inside his parent's stead. Raising his head up high (thinking that the main antagonists of his life were already off his tracks), he heads up towards Naha City to pursue his lifelong obsession. The hard life in the City taught him many things, especially on how to fend himself through odd jobs. Though he managed to graduate from senior high, he had difficulty finding a well paid job; his only consolation was finding himself playing trot in a music club, where sometimes tipsy nincompoops beat other noses over a conversation gone wrong. One day, a customer who is also a trot player took pity on his story and proposed to him something. He asked the youngster if he wanted to apply in the same factory he'd been working at. He also added that the job pays handsomely and the company will provide his lodgings. Desperate, Hiroto agreed and rented a business suit that same day for tomorrow's walk-in interview. Luckily for him, the manager signed him a job offer and started his work the next Monday. Working in the factory went well because of the good relationship he had with his co-workers until he met Yuriko Uehara-the love of his life. After dating for three months the two hit it off and the rest is history.

Its pretty obvious that Yuri became the school's representative for the upcoming town recital since she is a prodigy in playing the piano. Through constant drills from her school plus a very supportive father, the teenager earned the hearts of Tenjo's people by her brilliant Mozart performance, and so she was declared the winner. The Japan Grand Music Festival in Naha City will be the next stop for this rising star. The festival was very intimidating in a sense that very talented singers and musicians (both amateur and professional) for different parts of Japan will participate, and adding to the effect was that seven notable composers and singers will also engage in the festival as judges. Tension was rising between each competitor that made Yuri a bit tense but gleeful. After three hours of fierce clash and Yuri pulled her Beethoven piece with no problem, the judges made their verdict using votes from the audience as their basis. As the people nervously waits for the final announcement, the MC walks through the center of the stage, lifts the queue card and yells, “Naomi Suzuki, 20 from Saitama!!!!".

The crowd cheered Naomi for solely winning the biggest music contest in the country. A large group of supporters from Saitama roared her name amongst the spectators. After that the MC also announced the winners for first place up to the fifth place, fortunately for Yuri she got the third place and cried bitterly for not winning the grand prize. Yuri became frustrated by the outcome of the competition, she desperately wanted the prize for her father who tried his luck in the competition but failed many years ago.

As Hiroto comforts his weeping daughter, One of the judges, a record producer asks Hiroto if he was willing to let his daughter sign an artist contract under his label and asks, “Can your daughter sing? Have a demo ready by next week."

As Hiroto raised his eyes in disbelief, Yuri suddenly brightened her mood and answered with excitement," Yes sir!! I am the leader of the singing club in our school there in Tenjo. And yes you will have my demo not next week but after three days."

Hiroto was dumbfounded by his daughter’s aggressive assurance and was reluctant at first, but when his daughter uses conviction to win his consensus, the man changed his mind and said yes.

In just a span of five years, through perseverance and sometimes recording while studying contradicting schedules that made her life demanding, Yuri's album made it to the gold record and in two months time became platinum. Around this time, Yuri was also signed to various companies to represent their products in an advertisement for T.V. and billboards. As more and more offers and business proposals flooded her, it became difficult for Yuri for her to do the things she loved. Indeed the road to stardom always pays the ultimate price. There was also a time that Yuri reached her breaking point wherein the young girl became physically weary and emotionally strained that oftentimes, locks herself to a room and just shedding tears for an hour.

One day Yuri dialled Hiroto to ask him how he was doing. When the latter replies that everything is fine, Yuri's voice becomes shaky and teary that she immediately changes the subject of the conversation. But Hiroto already knew what was going on with his daughter and plainly suggested that she should come home and rest. As time goes by, Yuri accepted that her life would not be the same ever again and so her journey towards the bright lights of tinsel town is now rolling.

When Yuri turned sixteen, NICOLE, a fashion magazine for teenagers signed her up for an exclusive contract to model a new line of chic and casual fashion for their autumn collection. Yuri was handpicked for this because of her tall and slender figure. A talent scout even remarked that Ryukuan women are renowned for their remarkable Junoesque appearance and since Yuri was from Okinawa, undoubtedly she too had that look that most Japanese women envied. When Yuri discussed her new endeavour over the phone, his tone suddenly changed, as if saddened, "What about our dream? Music is your destiny. Have you forgotten that?" contested Hiroto reminding her daughter of her duty towards him.

Yuri, on the other hand, became upset for her father's lack of judgement and insensitivity. She added that it is her own path now that she is taking and that her wish is to try something else other than singing. When Hiroto heard that plea, he suddenly remembered his parents who kicked him out of their house just because he wanted to follow his heart's desire. With this in mind

Hiroto told his daughter that it’s up to her now and hangs up. Her cheeks suddenly gets rosy and as she exited the telephone booth, she sang a familiar tune from her breath and gaily danced as she headed on her way back to her apartment. The magazine couldn't get enough of her and signed her as a regular model that also allowed her to grace its cover, the more exposure she gets, the more chance for her to be signed to different publishing houses just to have her picture on the cover. After getting her junior high diploma from Tenjo Municipal Musical School, she decided to continue senior high in Tokyo since her work is based there. Her school of choice was Horikoshi High school, a private school located in Nagano (Tokyo). The school is notable for its famed alumni, and because of this; she had a feeling that enrolling there would make a good resume for her future job in show business. After getting an invitation, she immediately registered that school year and paid the hefty fees using her bank savings she earned from her two year singing and modelling career. While studying she continued her modelling stint with magazines and commercials and little by little, entertainment moguls saw her portfolio and offered her a part for an upcoming action movie. When offers to different movie outlets flooded her, Hiroto suggested she should find a manager that would organize things for her(especially for striking a deal with producers and directors).After two days of careful browsing through accumulated offer letters, Yuri resolved this by signing an artist contract with Applause Entertainment. Signing with them is not a waste, and Yuri was very pleased that Applause Entertainment did not fail to book her many auditions for movies and sitcoms that made her a household name for RomCom (Romantic Comedy).After years with Applause Entertainment, when she saved enough money to experience to set up her own agency for artists, she parted with them, leaving no hard feelings and regrets but only tears of happiness, happiness of being with them all these years that taught her a lot of ins and outs of the entertainment industry. Also around this time, Yuri is not only an admired celebrity but also known for lending a hand to the needy and the poor. She and her father often set up a soup kitchen for the homeless and used her fame to attract volunteers to organize various charity programs for the indigent and orphans of the country.

As she nearly enters her thirties, the desire to meet the man who would become her lifelong partner gets stronger and stronger as her known acquaintances and close friends sign their marriage contracts one by one. Her busy schedule and wanting to doze off during her breaks impede her from talking to a male confrere or even blind dates (Mostly arranged by her father).

In 2001 Yuri and her co-star Ken Takano, a known guitarist turned actor and producer, who made his name by playing various roles in different Tokusatsu shows (a genre of Japanese shows that is very popular among children particularly boys), met and got well acquainted. To avoid the prying eyes of the press, the couple discreetly enters each other's apartment block to enjoy simple things like, chatting, watching their favorite movies, and whipping up something in the kitchen. When the relationship between the two blossomed, Ken decided to move closer to Yuri by renting an apartment block one floor away from her unit. This bold move allowed some paparazzi to snap a picture of the two together that graced the Friday night headlines which divided the overreacting fans into two: the pro couple and Yuri, the most desired girlfriend of all. The managers of the two decided to release a press statement that the rumors of them dating was false and that the two co-stars were just friends, but some people did not buy that and continued to monitor the activities of the couple.

When the scandal reached Hiroto, he immediately asked Yuri to come home. Precisely, Hiroto vehemently opposes to the match. He added that he heard rumors that the forty year old man she's dating is a known flirt and a lothario. Yuri defended Ken by stating all of his good qualities to her father. She also added that Ken is a very responsible man and wanted to meet him as soon as possible.

Though reluctant, Hiroto eventually gave up and supported the couple because in reality he just wanted to avoid any confrontation with her daughter and retain a piece of mind. After two years, the couple decided to announce their marriage to the press and decided to contract a marriage in June that same year. Yuri happened to bumped into one of her close friends from Tenjo Municipal Music School. This friend of hers, who is now a successful Geriatric Specialist (Doctor), wanted to build a nursing home in Fukui.

As the good doctor laid out all of her plans to Yuri, a strong desire prompted Yuri to become a shareholder for the establishment of the facility. The two finalized things by letting Yuri become one of the facility's financial shareholders. When the nursing home was finished, The Doctor decided to hire care workers from the Philippines via the joint government's Special Skill's Visa that allowed Japanese employers like her to import foreigners as their employees. The good doctor with the help of the labor department of the Philippines, makes contact with various manpower agencies that will send her thousands of applications to be screened, unfortunately, her perfectionism only permitted a handful(Her target was 3000 but she only took 1000 because of her strict conditions). When things got very tough on her Yuri lent a hand using her philanthropy. As one of the benefactors to some orphanages and technical schools funded by charity, Yuri produced thousands of resumes from these reliable institutions. The doctor is very pleased to know that most candidates that Yuri picked possessed the qualities of a good nurse and care worker. Since the good doctor trusted Yuri's good judgement, she allowed her to be in charge of the whole screening process.

One night as Yuri reads each folders and envelopes containing letters of application and resumes, a set of envelopes caught her attention. The set of envelopes was from Little Angel's Robe Orphanage. As she recalled, she encouraged this institution to hold a poem writing contest that will showcase the writing talents of its residents. When she opened one of the envelopes at random, she pulled out a long yellow pad paper from it. To her amazement, a beautifully handwritten poem about love and hope was ascribed to it, it reads,

“And when one day you find your soul has weakened

Take courage, take heart - you are loved!

Your form and grace has been dearly desired

Your light shines through a thousand times

And never will it die down nor disappear

You are as precious as the stars above and the ocean below...”

As she poured her eyes to it, she savored every word and sentence that kindled her heart. The poem was very powerful indeed that it really touched her vulnerability; making tears flowed constantly from her cheeks. As she finished reading, a familiar name struck her like lightning, the poem was signed, “Juan Carlos Santos".

As she browsed back to the already screened, she pulled out a folder from Makati International Language School which contains the resume of Juan Carlos Santos, a thirty year old graduate of Caregiving who wished to apply as a Careworker in the facility. Yuri jumped to the conclusion that the applicant and the author of the poem where the same person.

Back home, Yuri was deeply troubled by the rumors that her husband was seen in various places talking to this same young woman. When she confronted Ken about this, He vehemently denied every bit of it by saying she was just his co-worker and that they would just be talking about a proposed musical he was planning to finance. Because of their busy schedule and the painful thought that her husband is having an affair, Yuri called it quits and filed for divorce which immediately signed by Ken, unrepentant.

Yuri's world shattered like a glass. The thought of Ken who easily signed the papers leaves Yuri to imagine that he just used her, then discarded like a piece of crumpled paper. The incident made Yuri very bitter and depressed that she formed a deep desire to quit the entertainment industry to save face. One evening as Yuri sheds tears because of her recent break-up, she suddenly remembered the words of Juan Carlos' poem about love and hope. Those comforting words made a source of inspiration to Yuri not to lose hope and continue to live by loving yourself first before others. From this moment on, Yuri became an instant fan of Juan Carlos and decided to meet him personally to express her gratitude for the help, to stand up again.

That same day Yuri opened her laptop and typed her resume to be forwarded to Makati International Language School whose objective was to apply as a Japanese Language Teacher. She then proofread it and immediately mailed it to the Philippines.

After a month she received a phone call from the school's president Mr. Marcus Deakin, inviting her for an interview this instant. After a lengthy talk the two agreed and in just a month, Yuri finds herself entering Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

For the time being, in an office located outside the city, a man seated at a beautifully crafted manager’s table talks sternly to a tramp, whose shabby clothes matched his soot coated arms and untidy hair which made the man in the table repulsed to look at him, “You know why you’re here? Your brother failed. And for that, you should correct all of his mistakes.” instigated the proud man as he subconsciously twirls his pen with his right fingers.

“THAT F@#%&@G ASSHOLE!!! HOW DARE HE MOCK ME!!!!” roared the tramp as he clenched his fist so hard that it bled because his untrimmed nails scratched the skin on his palms.

Then the man on the table pointed his pen unto him and said, “You know what to do. He’s Snow White for Christ sake. “

Upon hearing the name Snow White, the tramp suddenly enlivens his mood and smirks, “Oh!! Snow White you say? The White Robe’s famous lap dog. HAHAHAHA!!! Just give me a day or two; I’ll spread his guts all over Makati for the boss to see.”

As the tramp arrogantly assured him of his total victory against their greatest threat to their existence, the man on the other side was a bit dubious, “How can you be so sure? Just be sure he doesn’t know our other plans.”

When the tramp was about to leave, his pupils turned to red as he stared back at the man and remarked, “I’ll make sure that Snow White dog keeps his food supply full while you enter the back door and kill his master. HAHAHAHAHA!!!” Then he added, “That way the body will be useless, when its head is already gone. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You know me. I kill two birds with one stone.”