The sound
from the television filled the other wise silent room. Its only current
occupant, Yamato Sasaki, sat watching the day end news surfing around the
various news channels. His wife and his son were already to bed. It was around
eleven thirty in the night. Mr Sasaki continued to surf channel after channel
to get a hold over the important events all around the world. Working in equity
research for the last fifteen years had made him realize the importance of
global news from all around the world that would have an impact on the next day
stock market indices.
It was only
ten minutes later when he finally settled on a channel and listened to the host
with utmost interest. At exactly five minutes to twelve, the door- bell
suddenly rang bringing back Mr Sasaki’s attention out from the television news.
He looked at the watch and found it surprising that someone would come to his
door at that point in time.
He stood up
and before walking towards the doors, clicked the mute button on the television
remote. He walked hurriedly and opened the door. He was astonished, partly
shocked but majorly surprised looking at the person standing outside the door.
“Uncle?” he
said surprisingly.
“Hi Yamato,”
the man called Mr Sasaki by his first name.
Yamato had
almost gone blank looking at the person. He was the last person on the planet
he had ever imagined to see standing outside his door at mid night.
“What
happened uncle? Is everything alright?” Yamato asked inquiringly almost
forgetting to let the person come inside.
“Nothing,
Son. I just came to say sorry to you and your wife.”
“Uncle?” Yamato
said.
“What
happened uncle? Why are you saying all these things?”
“It has
been my fault all these years, son. In the greed of the family property, I went
to court against you and your wife. I shouldn’t have done it. Forgive me, son.”
At that
brief moment, the last fifteen years almost floated around in front of Yamato’s
eyes. The person who had visited him that night was his father’s brother, Mr Hashimoto
Sasaki. After his father’s death, there was a property dispute among the family
members. Due to this, Mr Hashimoto had filed a case in the court against Yamato
and his wife. The court case continued for years and was still pending to be
concluded.
Yamato went
silent for a second. “Please tell me that you have forgiven me, son. I have
made all the arrangements to withdraw the case. You will not have to go through
all this anymore.” Hashimoto said.
“Yes,
Uncle. You don’t have to say all this. I have never had any ill feeling towards
you.”
Suddenly, a
voice appeared from behind Yamato. “Who is it there Yamato?” his wife, Akira
spoke as she walked towards the door.
As she saw
the person standing outside, she was surprised and shocked.
“Akira, I
have come here to apologize for the court case that I had put against you two.
I made all the arrangements to withdraw the case. You don’t have to worry now.
Have a peaceful life ahead.”
“Uncle,
please come inside. We will talk inside.” Akira said looking at Mr Hashimoto.
“No. I am
in a hurry. I have to leave. I had come here only to meet you two once. I will
leave now.”
As Yamato
and Akira looked on, Mr Hashimoto walked towards the lift and got into it.
Yamato closed the door. Both, he and Akira
walked inside towards the drawing room. Both were just about to come to terms
about the visit when the Yamato’s cell phone buzzed.
He looked
at the caller. It was his brother Keigo
calling. “Why is Keigo calling at this hour?” Yamato said looking at Akira as
he attended to the call.
As Akira
looked at Yamato while he spoke, she observed his eyes turning almost in shock.
“What are
you saying, Keigo?” Yamato uttered shockingly looking at his wife.
“What
happened Yamato?” Akira asked.
Yamato held
the phone, and looked at Akira “Keigo is saying that Hashimoto uncle passed
away today night at ten.”
“What?” a
shocked Akira couldn’t find any other word to utter. She looked at the watch.
It was around 12.20 in the night. It was only some time back that Hashimoto
uncle was standing outside their door.
She walked
towards the intercom and pressed the security number.
“Security,
was there a visitor to our flat sometime back?” she asked while she looked at
Yamato.
A second
later she kept the phone down. “The security informs that there was no
visitor.”
Both Yamato and Akira look at each other.
At that
moment, as Yamato continued to hold his cell phone and Akira sat down near the
intercom, they both realized that it was the last goodbye visit from their
uncle’s soul to finish the only incomplete thing in his life before his soul
would leave forever.
Like us on Facebook
