Chapter 22
The perfect loving traditional Japanese wife, Sayomi, has a splendid afternoon getting...
*
Late morning, Tuesday, August 7th
The Nakamura residence
Bobby....
A little after eleven o'clock, a grey Lexus and a white BMW 335xi sedan made the long drive from the street and after parking, two ethnic Japanese men and a black woman walked up the wide black volcanic stone steps to the front of the house. By the time they had reached the top, Kaito and I were looking out the wide picture windows.
The woman knocked on the door and then deferentially stepped back behind the two men.
I stood to one side while Kaito opened the door. The people on the porch bowed in respect and one offered his business card to my father-in-law who I now thought of as my father in fact.
"Daisuke Saito, gentlemen... I am the manager for the Bank of America in Honolulu."
"What may I do for you, sir?" asked Kaito, as intrigued as I was.
"We are here on behalf of the Crowell Corporation in Malibu, California and wish to speak with Lieutenant Robert Osborne and Miss Sayomi Nakamura... I apologize, we know that she is now married, but have no other name for her."
Kaito and I looked at each other in a bit of a surprise. "Please, come in."
Our three guests removed their shoes and slipped on blue plastic shoe covers on their feet the woman provided from her business case. As they sat down in the living room, Sayomi's two aunts appeared with tea and strawberry cookies as a pretense to discover what was happening. Setting the tray down, they served tea to the bank people, anxiously looking for any excuse to stay.
While I appreciated the tea ceremony rituals, my impatience with both the bank officials and Sayomi's two aunts was chewing my mind. Sayomi and her mother finally entered the room and the visitors respectfully rose as one.
When everyone was settled again and courtesies exchanged, the bank manager began to speak. "If we may see your identification, please?"
The two aunts had hovered in the kitchen doorway, anxious to hear what was said.
Saito stood waiting while the woman quickly compared the two identification cards with the computer copies that Mary Tybal had sent her from Malibu. Satisfied, she handed them back to Saito who in turn returned them to Sayomi and me.
"Do you wish to be called Miss Nakamura or Mrs. Osborne?"
Sayomi....
That was something I had never thought of. While I had gladly and rapidly changed honorifics for Bob and myself, what my last name was never crossed my mind. I used Osborne with the jeweler but this was a legal matter.
I leaned over and whispered to Bob, "Anata, what shall I do?"
"Kimi," he answered back, "until it's legally changed, go with Nakamura." He kissed my cheek softly, aware that public displays of affection weren't well accepted by traditional Japanese even if we were our own home. "If you please," he said, "let us stay with Nakamura right now."
I could see my two aunts smiling, as if thinking there was still a chance of breaking us up.
"Will we need a lawyer?" Bobby asked.
I could just sense my aunts listening harder.
"Oh, no. I assure you everything is fine and in order. All the legalities have been vetted by our bank's legal firm as well as the Corporation's.
"Miss Nakamura, in appreciation for the courtesy extended to Colonel Maria Paras, the Crowell Corporation wishes to present you with a small gift for your kindness. If you would please sign here, acknowledging receipt."
I really was surprised that a bank manager and two assistants would drive out to present an envelope. After he handed me the envelope and a small box, I read the enclosed letter:
Dear Miss Nakamura,
I wish to personally thank you for your help in our time of need. While I am sure you would have helped anyone as you did, your phone gave us the opportunity to discover what was happening. From both a corporate as well as a most personal heartfelt thanks, please accept this token of our gratitude for you kindness. Everything's been taken care of.
Alessa Jennifer Lane
Executive Assistant
The Crowell Corporation
I looked inside the small box, expecting to see some jade trinket or a similar token. Instead, I saw a pair of keys and a remote. Keys to a Beemer! Oh, totally sweet!
Although I tried to act in a nonchalant manner, as soon as I reached the front door I was off like a rocket, flying down the steps toward the car. Somewhere behind me, the rest followed at a more sedate pace while my two miserable aunts stayed on the veranda forming a very sour look on their faces.
The white BMW opened with a push of the car's remote as I ran my hand over the smooth roof of the car. Sliding in and sitting behind the wheel, I saw another envelope addressed to me laying on the dash. Tearing it open I found a cashier's check for $100,000...
"Bobbi! Bobbi! Look what I've found!"
Bobby....