Ean’s Rare Gift – Chapter 9

Ean

“Okay, the Morinas are all squared away,” Karina says, approaching the front porch of the main building on the Ginmori estate. She plops down on the edge and stretches out, her hands clasped above her head. She looks to the side and sees the sweat on her shirt. “Ew. I’m gross.” She laughs, dropping her arms back down.

“I ordered us some food. It should be here soon.”

Handing the last sheet of plywood off to a volunteer, I run my hand through my sweaty hair. It’s a good thing I keep it short, or it would be dripping. The air is now so thick with moisture I could cut it with a knife. I pull out my mini-tab and navigate to the Orihimé Weather Service. It should start raining soon, according to the radar.

I sigh as I zoom out and study our small continent, floating in a giant planet-wide sea. Back on Earth, before the wars, weather prediction was a science that had benefitted from testing stations, satellites, and eyes on every corner of the globe. Here on Orihimé, we’re not as lucky. There’s too much water on this world and not enough satellites in the sky. We’ve been working hard to deploy them for the last thirty years, but we’re still woefully behind.

I sit next to Karina and show her what I see. She gasps.

“It’s as big as the continent. Fuck. Are they serious?” She takes the mini-tab from my hand and scrolls through the weather report. “How did they miss this?”

“They didn’t, really.” I shrug. “The storm was half the size two days ago. It’s a freak of nature.”

“They’re predicting it may turn, but we could see a meter of rain or more?” She hands the mini-tab back to me. “We’re in a lot of trouble.” She glances over her shoulder at the area beyond the estate. A line of newly planted trees separates the estate from the mountain road that skirts along the edge of town and leads to Seki.

“Where did you bring the Morinas?”

“The couple who owns the convenience store on San-Michi had room for them. The other two families from over there” — she points to the far end of the first building — “went with Yuri Hotaka and the other neighborhood council members. I’m going to bring the Miyagis to stay at my place. Their cat is litter trained, so it’s not a problem.”

She leans forward and rests her arms over the tops of her legs. We sit quietly, listening to hammering sounds as volunteers board windows and doors on the other buildings of the estate.

“I had Charlie close up early and put everything valuable up on the counters off the floor in case of flooding. The Miyagis can sleep in my bed.” She stops a yawn. “Oof, I’m tired. Been up since four.”

I blink and assess her. “How do you survive on so little sleep? Four hours a night?”

She smiles. “It’s not every night I go out on a date and stay up till midnight. Most nights, I’m in bed by ten.” She rubs her face. “Not tonight, though. I think I’ll be sleeping on the couch.”

A crow floats down in front of us and lands softly in the white pebbled gravel.

“You should invite her to stay at your place,” it says, turning a beady black eye on me.

I gasp and sit back.

Karina laughs. “That guy at the club was right. Birds seem to love you.” She turns to me and pales. “What? What’s happening?”

“Hi,” I say to the bird.

“I’m glad you liked my gifts. I’m the one for you. Name me.”

I press a hand to my mouth to stop the torrent of disbelief and happiness raging through me.

Karina grabs my arm and squeezes with both hands. “You can hear it. Oh my God, it’s happening.” She turns to look at the crow. “You’re his pair.”

I can barely think. My brain is a blank space.

Do something, Ean!

“Are you male or female?” I ask, snapping out of my head.

“If this matters to you, I’m female.”

I like her voice. It’s very prim and proper, direct, and easy to understand. I’ve heard that birds range from hyper little chatterboxes to taciturn grumps. Most dogs have a clipped language, and cats tend to be in their own worlds.

“She’s female and wants me to name her,” I relay to Karina.

“Does this always happen?” Karina looks between us.

“No. Some animals already have a name when they pair. Not all, but some. Suzie already had a name. She had been living with three other families before she found me.”

I close my eyes and think for a moment.

“Do you have a favorite tree?” I ask the bird.

She laughs, and it sounds like yak-yak-yak. My insides light up with glee. “I have raised my babies in the trees beyond this place for years.”

In the forest behind us, pine trees and bamboo cover the hill as far as I can see.

Pine trees and bamboo. Wait. I remember something.

“Shōchikubai.”

“What’s that?” Karina asks, looking between the bird and me.

“Uh, it’s an auspicious grouping of elements. Pine trees, bamboo, and plum — the three friends of winter.” I turn to the bird with a smile. “Your name is Ume, like the plum trees. Together with the pine trees and bamboo, you’re a promising and welcome sign.”

Ume hops forward, flaps her wings, and lands on my knee. Karina pulls back to give us some space. “I wasn’t sure until last night that you were the one. I’ve been watching for a while. Waiting. Listening. Thank you for naming me. Plum trees are also a favorite landing spot.” She brushes her beak against my hand as I reach out to touch her. “All of my babies are gone. I will live with you.”

“Okay.” I push the word through my throat, constricted with emotion. “Okay.”

I glance at Karina, and tears stream down her cheeks. “It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” She wipes the tears away and nods. “Ean, this is a rare, rare gift to pair with more than one species. Such a gift.” Her voice cracks. She stands up and walks away for a moment, looking into the pond and wiping the tears from her face. I watch her closely as she breathes steadily in and out.

“She’s an emotional person,” Ume says, turning her eyes to Karina. “Powerful, strong emotions, but genuine, almost to a fault. She will be a perfect pair as well. She is the fire, and you are air.”

I blink and pull back, looking at this creature who just appeared to me out of the blue.

“That’s very perceptive.”

Ume laughs. “For a bird, you mean. We’re all gossips. I know almost everything about everyone. I will tell you what you need to know.” She flaps her wings. “You’ve heard about the storm already.”

“Yeah, we’re getting ready for it.”

“Rain comes soon. We should seek shelter.”

Crunching gravel signals the approach of someone. Ume takes flight and lands on my shoulder. I freeze, wondering how we will live together like this.

Ume laughs again. “Go about your business. I’ll move when I need to.”

“Delivery from Compagno’s.” A girl dressed in red unloads a bag from the back of her bicycle. She looks at the tag on the bag. “For Ean Kimura.”

“That’s me, thanks.” I grab the bag and tap my mini-tab to hers to accept delivery.

Karina turns around, and her face and eyes are calm again. I can tell she’s been crying, but it’s not as apparent as before.

“You ordered hot panini?” She sniffs the air. “Oh, good. I’m so hungry. They smell awesome.”

“I figured you’d like them. You’ve said they were a usual takeaway spot for you.” I stop just short of her as she gazes at Ume. “Are you upset about Ume?”

“Upset? No.” She seems surprised, and I relax a little. “I’m moved by the moment.” She touches her chest. “I can’t believe I was here for it. I’m thrilled I got to share in this.”

I believe her. I know how much she wants to pair, so I would understand if she was jealous. But it doesn’t seem that way.

She and Ume regard each other for a moment.

“She may touch me if she likes. She’s your partner,” Ume says in my ear.

“Well, not really. Not yet, at least.” I glance at Karina, and her attention is bouncing between us. She doesn’t understand Ume, so she’s only hearing my side of the conversation.

She must be wondering what I’m talking about. It feels wrong to talk about her in front of her like this.

“Crows see things humans don’t — bits of the future, some of the past, other places. I have information for you that you can’t get anywhere else.”

“Really? That’s surprising. I didn’t know this about crows.”

“What?” Karina asks, her eyes wide.

“You can touch her. She’s given permission. And she was just saying that crows have insights into other places and times. I don’t know how accurate this is, but it’s interesting.”

I hold still while Karina runs her fingers down Ume’s back. Ume leans into the touch and closes her eyes. I never thought a crow would be so affectionate, but she loves the attention.

“How sweet,” Karina whispers. “I’ve never touched a bird before. The feathers are much softer than I thought they’d be.”

My chest starts to buzz, seeing all the elements of my life come together in one moment. The encampment, the storm, Karina, and Ume are all a part of what I’ve been working towards for the last decade.

Karina is a mess right now — her face blotchy from crying, her hair a frizzled halo around her head and ponytail, and her shirt stained with sweat. She’s never been more beautiful.

I smile at her, and she brightens. Yep, I’m a goner.

“Trouble is coming,” Ume says, knocking me out of my thoughts.

“Where?” I turn around and don’t see anyone.

“Your father is here. On the other side of the estate. There’s a problem.” Ume takes off from my shoulder, and the absence of her presence is like a lead weight in my gut. Just like that, she’s a significant part of my life. “This way.” She flies off to the south.

I sigh as I hand the bag of food to Karina. “Hold this for a moment. Ume says there’s a problem on the other side of the estate.”

I look up and follow Ume through the winding paths and gardens. Karina trails along behind me, her curiosity always on at one hundred percent.

When I round the last building, a team of four peacekeepers and my father are talking to a group of eight people. They’re all bedraggled and road weary, carrying bags and pulling carts, their clothes old and tattered.

“What’s happening here?” I ask, catching their attention.

“Ean!” My father waves me to him. “We have a situation here.” He sighs and rubs his face. “I was on my way over to check on the evacuation progress when I came upon these two families. They’re from Izumo.” The lead adults of the group nod their heads. “They walked here over the course of three days because they heard the people of this encampment are all getting housing.”

One woman steps forward. “We’re not here to take their housing or anything. But if they’re leaving this encampment, then we will live here.” She nods once, confident this will be no problem.

I stop a groan. “You can’t take their spots because once they’ve vacated, we’re tearing down this estate to make room for apartments, a hotel, and three businesses. We need this space.”

“We need housing more than you need this space.” She folds her arms over her chest. “And you can’t stop us from squatting here.”

My jaw drops. Her brashness is uncalled for.

Dad glances sideways at me. “After this storm, the property will be condemned. You’ll be moved by force if necessary.”

The peacekeepers stand firm, and the woman looks at each one.

“We’ll sue,” she says, lifting her chin.

I hold out my hands. “Look, it doesn’t have to come to that. We can compromise and find something that will work for everyone.”

“No.” Frustration peaks in her voice, and she swipes down with her hand. “We’ve come too far not to have a roof over our heads. If you think we’re going to camp in the woods, then you’re sorely mistaken.”

“That’s not what I’m suggesting.” I sigh. “Regardless of your long-term plans, you cannot stay here tonight. This estate is old and falling to pieces. It will not survive the storm.”

She waves to the nearest buildings. “You’ve boarded up the windows and put tarps over the holes in the roofs. We’ll be fine.” She turns to her group. “Let’s go.”

They pick up their bags and carts and start to move. The lead peace officer looks at my father.

“What do you want us to do?” he whispers. “We could take them in, but the central station is in the mandatory evacuation zone. We moved our two detainees to the precinct in Mino.”

Dad pulls his mini-tab from his pocket and looks at it. I swear two new gray hairs pop up in his unruly coif. “Don’t do anything. I have to go deal with more issues.” He jerks his head at me. “It’s Ean’s problem for now.”

He turns and stalks off, kicking up white pebbles along the way.

“That was rude,” Karina says, watching him go.

I look up at Ume, perched on the edge of a nearby roof. She turns an eye on me but says nothing.

Rude or not, this is big trouble, and I’m unsure what to do next.