The train moved forward at a moderate speed. The constant soft swaying caused by the train's movement made him feel a bit drowsy. Kei leaned his head against the train's window. He closed his eyes for a moment, only to open them again, choosing to look at the view outside instead. The sun had started to set, and the sky gradually changed colour from bright orange to a darker hue. Lights came up one by one outside, showing that there was life inside. Some spots on the road also lit up, some bright and some dim. Fields and forests slowly transitioned into dark shadows.
Such a view would never be seen if he stayed in the big city, Kei mused. It seemed that he made the right decision to come by this mode of transportation. It took a lot of time than taking the plane, but the view and the tranquility were worth it (not to mention that he didn't have the budget for plane ticket). Also, he could somewhat understand why this place was so precious that it hold his father's heart hostage.
A soft, gurgling like sounded nearby. Kei immediately put a hand over his stomach, looking around in slight embarrassment, hoping no one heard it. Making sure that no one did, he sighed. Now he regretted a bit not obeying his mother's advice to buy an ekiben at the station before his train departed. He thought it wouldn't take that long. Who would have thought that after the three-hour shinkansen ride, he still had to change into a regular train two times more?
He peeked into his backpack, checking every pouch and section inside. His eyes widened happily when he found a half-opened pack of cookies. Kei took a bite, and his nose crinkled in distaste as he found it already a bit stale, but better than nothing. Probably he could buy something when he arrived at the station later.
Kei's eyes wandered as he slowly chewed on his snack. The train was practically deserted for this time of the day. In the big city, it would be packed like tinned sardines. However, other than himself, there were only an elderly couple, two school girls in uniform, and a salaryman. The car in front also didn't seem to have that many passengers either. Yup, the train he was on only had two cars. Such a situation was new and strange for him as a boy who grew up in a big city all his life. At the same time, he thought that this way was nice, too. You didn't have to fight people just to get in and out, or being squeezed from all angles.
He frowned when he reached into the biscuit pack and found it empty. He was still hungry. He pulled out his phone and checked how much longer it would take to arrive. It should be another three stations. He considered sending his father a message to let him know that he was coming much, much earlier than the time he mentioned in the email he sent him. His mother was confused why he had to change his plan, but Kei just wouldn't wait, so his mother didn't say much. Actually, he felt a little guilty leaving his mother alone, but Kei didn't have any choice. He thought this was the best and, after a long talk, his mother agreed to let him go. Kei would go to college in the spring the year after next year, so sooner or later, he had to move out anyway.
When the train finally arrived at his designated station, the sky had turned dark. A signboard outside told Kei that it was indeed the right station. He stood up, carefully taking down the suitcase from the overhead compartment, then arranged it to it was easy for him to get off with his luggage. The train finally came to a stop. One of the two school girls and the salaryman were already lining up near the door. Kei then waited behind them, patiently waited for the train door to be opened.
The station was small. Like, really, really small. There was only one platform and there was a small building which functioned as ticket box, office and waiting room. There was almost nothing around the station as far as his eyes could see, only fields and small forests. It was so quiet, too. Kei's hope of finding at least a food stall nearby immediately got crushed. The station master (probably the one working there), nodded at him as soon as he noticed Kei's slightly lost look.
"Are you waiting to be picked up, young man?" he asked, his voice friendly.
Kei walked up to the elderly station master. He nodded politely. "Excuse me, is it far from here to town?"
"Not at all, only fifteen minutes on foot. Usually there's a taxi waiting over there but there's a festival today, so everyone is there. Where are you heading, young man?"
Kei fished out his phone to check the name and address his mother gave him. "Umh… Hummingbird Inn?"
"Ah! In that case, you don't need to go to town. It's close from here. Just turn left over there, then follow the sign toward the hill, about three hundred meters," the station master told him helpfully. "Hm? Usually when there's a guest, Tokui-kun would come with the car. Did you forget to tell them, young man?"
Kei shook his head while smiling faintly. He thanked the station master who offered his bicycle if Kei didn't want to walk all the way to Hummingbird, but Kei had to politely refuse. After all, it would be too hassle with his suitcase. Not to mention, if he took the bicycle, then how would the station master get home later on? Anyway, if it was only three hundred meters, then it was not far, so Kei followed the direction the station master gave him earlier.
Slowly, he walked along the road going uphill. Thankfully, it wasn't too much of a hike. The road was well-lit, and cypress trees and evergreens were lining on both sides. He heard some noise behind him, and when Kei turned to see through his shoulders, he saw a group of people around his age going uphill on their bikes. They passed by Kei, one of them grinning at him. They laughed and talked on top of each other. Kei heard them mention a festival. The station master also mentioned the same thing earlier, Kei remembered. He looked at his surroundings, and finally, his eyes fell on a pamphlet pinned on an electricity pole. There was indeed a festival going on.
A festival in the middle of winter? Kei mused. He has heard that some regions indeed had this kind of festival. He never thought that this town would have one. Kei was intrigued. Moreover, a festival meant there would be a lot of food, right? And he was hungry. But then again, going to a festival while totting a big suitcase was such a hassle. What if he accidentally bumped into someone? He was also sure there wouldn't be a place where he could store his suitcase over there.
He was still busy musing when suddenly he saw the top of a blue-tiled roof springing in between the tips of trees. The closer he got, he could see the building slowly revealed, softly illuminated by the street lights and the lamp hanging near the gate. Kei immediately hastened his steps.
His breath came out uneven as he panted, stopping in front of the white picket fence. There was a signboard near the gate; the word 'Hummingbird' in cursive lettering was carved on it with a silhouette of the small bird hovering over the word. The yard was quite spacious; there was a path about ten or fifteen meters from the gate leading toward the front door. There was a garage beside the building, and you could easily park two cars in the yard, so Kei frowned a bit at the car parked not far from the gate. His eyes then fell on the main building itself. It wasn't grand but big enough in Victorian style. There was a chimney on top of the roof; thin smoke wafted out from it. Kei frowned as he realized that he couldn't see any sign of people living inside. A squirrel jumped passed by, quickly climbing up the next tree. Other than that, Kei didn't see any kind of life form beside himself.
Were they closed? Kei wondered. If they were and no one was there, then it would be a problem for him. He decided to try, anyway. He pushed the gate open, luckily it wasn't locked, so it was a good sign. He walked toward the front door. There was a small bell hanging near the door, so Kei pulled on it. Nothing happened. Kei tried twice again and still no one came out. He tried to peek inside through the small windows on the door, and only then did he notice a note plastered there in a very neat handwriting.
[Dear guests,
We are currently at the festival behind the hill and will be back around 9 P.M. If you happened to return before we do, please feel free to wait at the side porch. We have prepared some refreshments and snacks while you wait.
Sincerely,
T & K]
The young man scratched the back of his head. At this point, he really considered leaving his luggage there, then went to the festival, but his curiosity brought his legs toward the porch mentioned in the note. After looking around, he found it. There was indeed a porch at the side of the house. The space was an enclosed porch with glass walls all around, and the room was brightly lit, so Kei could see a set of cozy-looking armchairs and a sofa. Kei tried to push open the door. Sure enough, it wasn't locked.
Kei placed his suitcase safely out of the way while looking around. There was an electric wood stove in a corner. Kei thought there would be no harm lighting it on, so he fumbled with it for a while. It wasn't hard with the help of the internet, and soon enough, the room became warm. Kei loosened his jacket and turned his attention to a table of refreshments placed near the stove. There was a set of coffee and tea machines, already brewing and were on warming mode. There were also plates of small sweet bread, tartlets, hams and cheese, assorted jams in tiny jars, and a butter dish. There was a note plastered on the coffee maker.
[Please help yourself. Plates and cutlery are inside the drawer.]
Watching the simple spread of food, Kei then decided that this was more than enough for him to pad his stomach compared to walking toward the festival. He was already quite exhausted from the long journey anyway, and he didn't know the exact location of the festival venue. Getting lost in such a condition wouldn't be fun. Moreover, snow had started to fall outside. Kei piled up a few things into a small plate, poured himself some hot tea, then settled himself in one of the plush armchairs. He took out his phone to send a message to his mother, telling her that he had arrived.
The food may be simple, but they were delicious. The tea was also good. Warm and full, Hei leaned back against the armchair and raised his legs on a nearby ottoman. He looked up; the ceiling of the enclosed porch was also made of glass, so the night sky was visible through it. Kei couldn't see anything, not one speck of light, but somehow he thought he could see various shades of dark colour. Compared to the night sky in the big city, in which you could only see darkness and that was it, this was already a change for Kei. He wondered if he would be able to find some peace here.
*****