Ben-Toes: The new Kingdom 12
Satou stood infront of the super he had intended to visit and stared up to the large sign above the door. His heart was pounding hard enough to have him feel it shake his body all over. Nerves of steel wavered and fluttered like withering petals in the wind. It took a deep sigh to take the one step to open the sliding doors. A gentle bell rang to indicate another costumer had entered the store.
Striding in a straight line he went over to the bento selection and looked around to see the old man.
A squeak attracted Satou and he turned his head around to the spring door that was parted open. Through the door came the old man with a cart and a stack of bento to refill the stock. Satou started to think of how he should start the conversation as he was greeted by the old man.
“Ha, youngster, I had been awaiting for this encounter. Please hold a moment while I restock the bento.”
His smile was gentle and even behind his glasses he opened the squinting eyes. They were filled with sparkling stars and left Satou to the point of being speechless.
“Thank you, Take you time, please!” With a firm step back Satou watched the super attendant do his thing.
He took his time to place all the bento back and organize by flavours of meat, fish and vegetable. As he laid the last one in its place he took the handle of the car in his hands and looked over his shoulder as if to tell Satou to folow him.
Both men entered thought the squeaky doors and ended up in a small office. Nothing but a desk a cabinet and two chairs sandwiched between wall, with barely enough room to go around. Looking out not to bump his head the old geezer took a seat on his chair. Receipts and pieces of paper wavered from the brush of his shoulder.
He turned around and from the cabinet picked up the kettle and poured two cups of tea. While smiling he looked up to Satou, “Please take a seat!”
With a blank stare Satou sat down and cupped the tea, gazing at the floating stalk.
“You seen Oshiro have you not. Or rather his late ghost.”
With eyes popping from its sockets, Satou looked up with a big surprise. “You knew Old man. You know his story right? Wait do you see him to?”
“Haha.” The old man could not help but laugh with vibrant joyish sheen covering his face. “I can see that old fart clear as day. But yes I know his story and I will share it with you as he seems to have found a worthy successor. I was surprised to be honest, but there was one person who told me to keep an eye on you.”
He nodded with a gentle smile sipping from his tea. “You youngsters thought you were the first to test your strength for the half priced bento, but the truth is rather an unlikely story of how it all got started.”
To be continued…
