With love from Japan. Soft music. Like the romantic tunes off the Top Gun soundtrack. Home kitchens. Family establishments. The beer man is the cousin of the owner's brother. Greasy aprons and bands wrapped around foreheads. Special sauce. A cigarette out back. Water machines. Ice cubes. Slurping noodles. The radio announcer. A businessman sits alone and reads the paper. Obama is on TV. The channel is turned to the baseball game. I am alone. Grateful to be alone for a minute. To not be answering questions about what each ingredient is or isn't. To not have to speak at all. To just be able to nod and give small smiles and point and enjoy something hot, and something cold. To know that I'm taken care of here. Feeling completely safe. Not many people are on the
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