He had a good reason

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

It was two years ago to the day. When a Japanese man, let us call him Taro, made a mistake. A mistake that would cost him his life.

Taro was of average intelligence. Barely a man but still a boy in many ways, he had just entered university. His major: The Science of Concrete. He was what most women would call "cute like a retarded puppy". Though always falling short of the mark, he forever tried his best and had somehow managed to save enough money to rent an apartment and pay for classes. He worked as a bagger at the local Value Super Market.

His mistake was to fall in love with a woman. A woman!.... of ill repute.

This woman, we shall call her Reiko, was a woman of very little virtue. She was beautiful beyond limit and used her beauty for personal and immoral gain. Unfortunately, her limitless beauty lead her down roads well traveled, resulting in a massive debt to the local Yakuza. Not just any Yakuza either! Oh no. The debt was to THE Yakuza boss...and it was personal.

Reiko was frightened and drowning in a torrential sea of worry when she first met Taro. She was fruitlessly struggling to pay back her massive debt by working in various bars, when she looked across the room and saw Taro. It was truly love at first sight. Their eyes met and fireworks burst above their heads.

Despite Reiko's baggage and Taro's many short comings, from that day forth, they were inseparable.

Over the next two years, Taro and Reiko's love grew stronger and stronger every day. They moved in together and created a cramped by welcoming home. Taro quite school and began working full time to help Reiko pay off her debt. Unfortunately, Yakuza debt, like quicksand, can have you sinking to your neck before you realize that you're most likely in over your head.

Still, Taro and Reiko kept their heads high despite their debt growing steadily larger and larger. As was mentioned previously, the debt was to THE Yakuza boss. And also as previously mentioned, it was personal. THE Yakuza boss would regularly check on the couple to collect his money. After the two years, he had become more and more demanding until finally he began to make death threats.

On one particular day in early winter, let's say November 16th, 2008, THE Yakuza boss condescended a visit upon Taro and Reiko. When Taro said that he would have the money in a day or so, an excuse he always gave, THE Yakuza boss, in a fit of rage, grabbed Reiko and held a gun to her head. In very colorful Japanese, he demanded his money in 30 minutes or Reiko would be tortured and killed as per Yakuza policy.

Taro, fearing for the future of Reiko and his happiness, bolted out the door to barrow money from his parents. Unfortunately, they lived across town and Taro was too poor to own a car or bike.

In utter frustration he spotted an old red bicycle with a basket in the front and a cute little black bell on the handle bars to warn pedestrians of it's approach. He could tell the brakes were most likely shot and the light no longer worked properly. He knew it to belong to the local foreigner whom he had seen happily riding it every so often. She always seemed to have a smile whenever she sat upon this red bicycle's seat.

Hurriedly, he borrowed the bike without permission and silently vowed to bring it back to it's rightful owner. He raced to his parents house where he found two Yakuza thugs waiting for him. In an instant, he was down on the ground, bleeding to death from three shots to the chest. What Taro had never known was that THE Yakuza boss was truly infatuated with Reiko and when he no longer cared to collect any more petty money from the unfortunate Taro, he had him killed. Poor Taro, he had been played with like a toy.

And no one ever knew of the borrowed red bicycle that belonged to the happy foreign girl. It was never returned and she never saw it again...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Which is how I'm sure it really happened because there is no other better excuse for some dickhead to steal my bike while it was parked safely at my own apartment.

The stolen bike
RIP