June 2023
“The boys are coming for the summer holidays with their mum.” The announcement came one evening from Shujin who had clearly been talking with Ken, his older brother.
“What, Yumi is coming too?” Whilst the kids were jumping for joy and cheering at the news, I was in disbelief. Yumi never wanted to visit this place ever again. Could she really be coming??
“That’s what Ken said!”
“Wow. How long will they stay?”
“Five weeks.”
“WHAT?! FIVE WEEKS????” I wasn’t so concerned about the length as I was in disbelief. “Are you sure?”
“That’s what Ken said!”
I couldn’t believe it. Yumi was really coming? And for five weeks?
It had been several years ago now, that our family, and Ken’s family had both come to visit the grandparents, in this house-built-for-two. We didn't all stay in the house, just Ken’s family (we certainly couldn’t all fit!), but during that week that Ken and his family had been there, his wife, Yumi, had asked me about the length of stay.
“Do you feel uncomfortable about staying so long?” Yumi enquired.
“Oh no, it doesn’t bother me at all,” I lightly responded.
She looked a little surprised, and then quietly confessed. “One week is so long. My friends can’t believe we are staying for a whole week!”
“Oh really?” It was my turn to be surprised.
“Do you do this kind of thing in Australia?” She asked.
“Oh yes, it’s no big deal. People visit their grandparents or relatives for a week at a time. Grandparents visit their children’s family for even longer. It’s not unusual.”
“Really? Wow. We don’t do that kind of thing in Japan. When we visit grandparents, we only stay overnight. And we sleep in a motel!”
Shujin’s family, on the other hand, happily lived like sardines. At one point, their family of six had lived in a two bedroom apartment and the grandparents visited them for 3 months. I honestly thought that was the Japanese way. This particular incident really opened up my eyes to realise that what Shujin’s family does, doesn’t necessarily equate to what Japanese do!
So now I stood in disbelief, that Yumi would really come. Staying a week last time caused her enough suffering. She wouldn’t come, would she? And certainly not for five weeks! Surely! Maybe it was Ken’s great idea to stay that long, but in reality, they wouldn’t stay so long.
Despite being in disbelief, I was also excited. I hoped that Yumi would come. I always felt a special connection. The two of us were outsiders, marrying into this crazy family. I had no other sister-in-law. Each family has its unique culture, habits and behaviours. Shujin’s family was no exception. It was nice to have another “outsider” to commiserate together speak to about it!
When I was at work next, I shared the news with Aunty Yoko, a resident at the aged-care facility and the matriarch of Shujin’s family.
“Whaaaaat?!” She exclaimed in her 80-something year old voice. “They’re all coming for the summer break? And they're staying at your house? Where will they fit?” Aunty Yoko was clearly in disbelief like me, but for different reasons!
“Shujin is planning to build triple bunks for Bob and the boys, and Yumi can have Bob’s bed.” We’d already been talking at home about how on earth we would squeeze an extra three people into our house-built-for-two that was already filled with six people! And for longer than just a weekend!
“Whaaaat?!” She exclaimed again. “He’s going to build bunks? Where?!” She started laughing. “Your house is going to be a bee hive!”
And that it was. Their imminent arrival spurred us on for preparing the house. They wouldn’t arrive til the end of July, and I was keen to finish my renovations that I had started last year. Our house-built-for-two has old, sand walls. I had started to paint glue over them last year, to prepare them for plastering, but when the weather kept getting colder and colder I stopped. It was too cold to work with the windows wide open, and too cold for the glue to dry in a reasonable time!
I’d almost forgotten about this project, so many months had gone by! But there’s nothing quite like upcoming visitors to give motivation!
Outside, the farmers were planting the last of the rice in their flooded fields.
Inside, I got to work. This room was soon going to have fresh, white walls!
A beehive is the perfect way to describe the house! I love it 🐝