Full Cicada Moon (18 page)

Our cousins left this morning for the bus stop

early, as the sun painted the snow

in rose and flame.

We walked our family to the Malibu,

and after Papa got them settled in,

Mama handed Shelley a box

wrapped in a spring-colored
furoshiki
.

“You didn't have to pack us a lunch,” Auntie Sachi said.

And Mama said, “It's a long bus ride to the airport.”

“Bye-bye,” we said to our cousins, and waved

and bowed as Papa backed out of the driveway.

And even though Sharon and Shelley and I are a year older,

we made pig faces

until Mama and I could see only a tail of exhaust.

It's what we'll remember until we see them again.

Now our house, with only three of us,

feels twice as big as it did at sunrise.

It's funny how people can take up so much room

in your heart

but you still have plenty left

for someone else.

Timothy knocks on the back door, his eyes wide,

and asks, “You up for an adventure?”

and Papa says, “Let's be ready in five minutes,”

like he knows a secret.

Mr. Dell is waiting out front in his truck.

Mama and Papa sit in the backseat.

“Where are we going?” I ask Timothy, beside me up front.

“You'll see.”

We're flying

in Mr. Dell's plane!

Timothy is sitting behind me.

And I'm sitting beside Mr. Dell—

in the copilot's seat.

Below us

lies Hillsborough,

the holiday lights,

the drugstore,

Dr. Haseda's house,

the college and Papa's office,

and a huge Peace sign shoveled in the quad.

There's the Trailways bus stop outside the diner,

my school,

Stacey's house,

and the web of roads

connecting all the places and the people in this town.

Mr. Dell banks right, turning us

away from the sunset

and toward a blueberry sky glittering with stars.

“You fly now,” he says.

“Me?”

“Take the yoke,” he says, and gives me a thumbs-up.

I grip it tight

to steady my shaking hands,

and we fly the plane together.

Then he returns us to the airfield.

Papa and Mama are by the hangar,

jumping and waving.

But I wave harder, my heart fluttering

with joy and peace and love.

I am

a daughter

a neighbor

a friend

a scientist

a poet

a future astronaut.

The stars and the moon,

the sun and all the planets,

every cell, every atom,

every single snowflake

belong in this universe.

And I,

Mimi Yoshiko Oliver,

belong here, too.

This year

I reached for the stars.

One day

I'll touch the moon.

But tonight

soaring.

am

I

The story of
Full Cicada Moon
came to me nearly fully written, told by Mimi Yoshiko Oliver, a sensitive, intelligent, determined, and courageous girl. If you asked Mimi who this story is written for, she'd say it's for anyone who has big dreams but is short on courage.

I wrote Mimi's story in wonder and terror and awe, not knowing if I could or should write it. But along the way, the following people gave me the special encouragement and support I needed to turn Mimi's story into a book:

Josh Adams, my agent, who with one phrase gave me the courage to keep writing this story.

Namrata Tripathi, my editor, whose enormous gift, vision, and love for story sharpened and shaped Mimi's.

Keiko Higuchi, who generously and enthusiastically read the manuscript, answered my myriad questions, and shared her stories with me. And Caroline Moore for sharing her heart.

Amy Cook, Julie Dillard, Kristen Held, Ellen Jellison,
Craig Lew, Sarah McGuire, and Hazel Mitchell—the Turbo Monkeys—and Celeste Putnam and Dene Barnett, for helping set this manuscript in the right direction at a very early stage. And Marcy Weydemuller for the editorial feedback that kept it on track.

Sarah Twiss Howe Clark, my great-grandmother, for faithfully recording the weather and temperature (along with the day's events) in her diaries for most of her life. When historical weather information wasn't available, Gramma Clark's 1969 diary was.

Randi Ring Simons, my heart-sister since our year of tea in Kyoto, for her linguistic advice and her forever friendship.

My children, Julia, Emily, and Andrew, for giving me insight into Mimi's heart by sharing theirs. And, simply for being.

My husband, Leon, for his steadfast support and his suggestions that added authenticity to Mimi's story.

And everyone whose courage isn't quite tall enough for their big dreams. Facing uncertainty and fear, but taking that first small step anyway, isn't only Mimi's story—it is everyone's.

Glossary of Japanese words in
FULL CICADA MOON

Mimi uses many Japanese words in this book, and this glossary explains what they mean. First, here are some tips about how to pronounce them.

• Give each syllable the same emphasis or accent.

• There are five basic vowel sounds in Japanese, and you pronounce them like this:

a
sounds like m
a
m
a

e
sounds like r
e
d

i
sounds like m
e

o
sounds like r
o
be

u
sounds like t
u
be (This sound is sometimes almost silent.)

• Some vowels have a line above them (called a macron), and you pronounce them like this:

a
means say the
a
sound a little longer, like “
aah
!”

o
means say the
o
sound a little longer, like “
ohh
!”

WORD LIST

“Akem
ashite omedeto gozaimas
u.”
– “Happy New Year!” Or, “The new year has opened—congratulations!” You say this the first time you see someone in the new year (and not before January 1). You can also say “
Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu
,” which means “Please treat me this year as well as you did last year.”

Amerika
– America or United States of America.

“Arigato gozaimasu.”
– “Thank you very much.” A more polite way of saying this is “
Domo arigato
gozaimasu
.”

baka
– Foolish or silly.

“Bikkurishita!”
– “I was surprised!” or “I was shocked!”

chan
– An endearment added to a young child's name.
Chan
is used for girls and boys, and
kun
is used for boys.

furoshiki
– A square cloth, made of silk or other fabric, that's used for wrapping packages or gifts. You lay the
furoshiki
flat and place the item on it. Next, bring two opposite corners together on top and tie them in a square knot. Then tie the other two corners.

gofukuya
– A tailor who makes and sells
kimono
.

hatsuyume
– The first dream of the new year. It's believed that a good
hatsuyume
will come true if you don't tell it to anyone. The best
hatsuyume
have Mount Fuji, a hawk, or an eggplant in them.

hinomaru
– The Japanese national flag. It's also a food made by placing a pickled plum (
umeboshi
) in the center of a bed of white rice to look like the flag.

kappamaki
– A kind of
sushi
made by rolling rice and slivered cucumber in sheets of dried seaweed (
nori
).

kimono
– A garment that's wrapped around the body and fastened with various ties and an
obi
(a sash that women wear at their waists and men wear below their waists).
Kimono
are made from various kinds of fabrics, such as silk or cotton, and in various styles for different events and seasons.

kotatsu
– A low table with a heater attached under the tabletop. In winter, a quilt with a hole in the middle (for the heater) is placed between the tabletop and the table's frame and draped to the floor. People sit at the
kotatsu
and stay warm and cozy.

makisu
– A mat made of slender bamboo sticks that are woven with string. It's used to make rolled
sushi
(
makizushi
) and other foods.

maneki-neko
– A cat figurine with one paw raised to look like it's waving or calling. It's said that
maneki-neko
bring good luck.

“Nani?”
– “What?” or “Yes?”

nengajo
– Greeting cards for New Year's Day. In Japan, the post office delivers all the
nengajo
on January 1, when people read and enjoy them.

Nihon-teki
– Japanese-like or Japanese style. For example, clothing, furniture, or even the way a person behaves can be
Nihon-teki
. (
Nihon
means Japan.)

norimaki
– A kind of
sushi
made by wrapping ingredients, such as fish or vegetables, in seasoned rice and sheets of dried seaweed
(
nori
).

ob
aa
san
– Grandmother. (Grandfather is
ojiisan
.)

obento
(or
bento
) – A meal made of small portions of different foods and served in a container with sections.

“Ohay
o gozaimasu.”
– “Good morning.” You can say this greeting until noon. In the afternoon, you say “
Konnichi wa
.” In the evening, you say “
Konban wa
.” And at night or bedtime, you say “
Oyasumi nasai
.”

oishii
– Tasty, delicious.

omiyage
– A gift. It is good manners to bring an
omiyage
when you visit someone.

omochi
(or
mochi
) – Rice that has been pounded until it's smooth, soft, and sticky. It's used in many kinds of foods.

oshogatsu
– The New Year holiday. In Japan, people celebrate
oshogatsu
for three days, January 1–3. To prepare for the holiday, people clean their homes from top to bottom, inside and out, and make special foods (
osechi
) during the last few days of December.

ozoni
(or
z
oni
) – A special soup that's eaten during
oshogatsu
. It's often made with
mochi
, fish cake (
kamaboko
), and vegetables.

sado
– The Japanese tea ceremony (which is also called
chado
). It is a way of making, serving, and drinking powdered green tea (
matcha
) using special utensils.

sake
– A drink made from fermented rice and often served hot in small cups or glasses. During
osho
gatsu
, many families drink
sake
from special cups, one person at a time. Gold flakes are sometimes added to that
sake
to celebrate the new year.

san
– A term of respect for an adult or older child. You say it after the person's last (family) name.

sukoshi dake
– Just a little.

sushi
– Seasoned rice shaped in small mounds and topped with other foods (like raw or cooked fish, sweet egg omelet, or vegetables), or wrapped or rolled with other ingredients (like cucumbers, mushrooms, or fish, and dried seaweed).

tempura
– Lightly battered and deep-fried vegetables and seafood

Toshiro Mifune
– An actor who played roles in many movies. In Japanese, the last (family) name is said first, so his name is Mifune
Toshiro.

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