The official

Our group has been working with various city and prefectural government officials in order to go through the proper channels and get things done Japanese style.  One such official, a city council member, has become my adopted father.  We finish each other's sentences.  It's beautiful and creepy at the same time.  We need something?  I call him.  I ask politely, of course.  I was raised with manners.  He always comes through, at which point I thank him profusely, as is only proper.  He moves mountains for us.  His house is unlivable as well.  I haven't asked him where's he's staying, mostly because if he is in a shelter, I don't want to embarrass him.

We were at a distribution center today doing some work there and ended up eating lunch with the volunteers who were there.  He's in charge of the conversation (of course) as everyone defers to him.  He's a big shot but isn't obnoxious about it.  I like this about him.  He tells me the names of those who are sitting around the table and when we get to a young man of maybe 20, the official says, "this man lost his mother."  We all go silent.  I offer condolences.  The young man looks down for a minute, then looks up and at me, smiles and says, "I'm alright."  It's at this point I do not break down.  Thank you very much.  I'm giving myself tomorrow night to go take a long walk and cry myself silly.  I'm holding everything in until then.  I'm turning phones off and will make myself unavailable for an hour or so.

I think about this official a lot.  His phone rings every 10 minutes.  I kid you not.  He's always rushing from City Hall to one shelter to another.  Everyone knows him.  People call out when we're walking around, he bows and smiles and it's genuine.  People like him and I like that.

He hasn't shaved in days.  He says he's lost weight and says that's the only good thing that's come out of this.  (We all have lost weight.  It's a good thing I brought a belt!)

Tomorrow we go muck out a house.  I'm going to bed and am hoping for no aftershocks tonight.  It's been a shaky day all day today.  This is supposed to go on for months but I'm not going to think about this tonight.  My sleeping bag and mat are calling.