Misfortunes' Windfall

By John Jeng

At thirty, Tabitha is a self-defined failure. Japan was supposed to be the chance for her to reinvent herself, but her insecurities continue to plague her. Recently fired from her teaching job and facing an uncertain future, Tabitha makes a wish at an Inari shrine.

The encounter with an eccentric shrine maiden keeps Tabitha on her toes. Then a mysterious man transports her to a hidden village in Nagano. As she grows aware of the supernatural forces surrounding her life, she realizes that the opposite of accepting fate is choosing it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Jeng
• Release date: Nov 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370878826

John Jeng

John Jeng graduated with a B.A. in English Literature from the University of California San Diego in and a M.A. in Teaching from the University of Southern California. His hobbies are trying ethnic cuisine, climbing mountains (the highest so far being Mt. Fuji), and exploring big cities. He lives in San Jose, CA.

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Misfortunes’ Windfall

Published by John Jeng at Smashwords

Copyright 2016 John Jeng

Cover design by www.viladesign.net

Misfortunes’ Windfall

By John Jeng

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Table of Contents

Part 1: The Wind Knocked Out

Part 2: Christmas Eve

Part 3: Someone Who Needs Me

Epilogue

About the Author

"How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot!

The world forgetting, by the world forgot.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d."

—Alexander Pope, Eloisa to Abelard

Sasuke Inari Jinja is a Shinto shrine in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture and the site of the Hidden Village of Kamakura. Visitors pass through a series of vermilion torii to reach the worship hall guarded by a pair of fox statues called kitsune.

Part 1: The Wind Knocked Out

Tabasa, based on your performance reviews from the teachers at Iwai Girls' School from the last six months, we regret to inform you that your services are no longer required. The nondescript recruiter spoke the practiced lines evenly, not meeting Tabitha’s gaze. Tabitha had suspected this might happen, yet hearing the words still surprised her. A shiver traveled down her spine and hands tingled with cold sweat. She had to say something fast.

Won’t you please reconsider? I really need this job. I mean, I admit the situation caught me off-guard, but I’d know how to handle it now. It won’t happen again.

The recruiter shuffled some stacks of papers and stood up. I’m sorry, Tabasa, it’s out of my hands. As per the employment contract, your apartment lease will be terminated at the end of the year. Please shut your keys in the mailbox when you vacate the premises.

The end of the year? But it’s already Christmas Eve! That only gives me a week.

I'm sorry, Tabasa, the recruiter repeated with a tone of finality, ushering her outside. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Japan.

The door slammed shut in her face, and just like that, the exit interview was over. Tabitha’s chest tightened and blood rushed to her head. A roaring tiger was trying to claw its way out of her stomach; a mix of indignation and anxiety seethed out of her ears. She gritted her teeth and resolved not to let getting fired bother her just yet. She slapped her cheeks twice to perk herself up for her next task and walked around the corner toward a local café.

Tabitha swung open the door and the door chimes reverberated upon her entry. She never could get used to how narrow Japanese spaces were—how the café parlor’s acoustics always seemed to amplify the cacophony of people chitchatting. Finally, she reached the end and sat down on a wooden dining chair which groaned under Tabitha’s girthy frame. Mrs. Ishida, a slight, dainty woman in her fifties smiled at her from across the table. For the past three months, Tabitha had been teaching her basic English conversation. Mrs. Ishida, however, never relinquished her special seat in the parlor’s innermost corner.

Hello, Tabasa, how are you?

Not bad, how about yourself?

I’m fine, thank you.

Christmas is tomorrow. Do you have any plans? Tabitha asked loudly over the din, steering the conversation.

Mrs. Ishida’s eyes swam as she searched for the right words. When she spoke, it was in the Japanese staccato accent Tabitha had never quite gotten used to. "I’ll go to... how I can say... onsen? She made a breaststroke motion in the air. Hot water?"

You’ll go to the hot springs? Tabitha guessed.

"Yes. I’ll go to a hot spring with my husband. Then we will eat kentakkii furaido chikin for dinner."

Wow, I didn’t know Kentucky Fried Chicken made Christmas dinner. Is that popular?

"Yes, too popular! My husband made… how I can say… yoyaku in English?" She mimed picking up the phone and dialing a number.

Oh, you mean a ‘reservation.’ The KFCs in America are all closed on Christmas.

"Yes, but do you know this television CeeEm? Mrs. Ishida sang the jingle ‘Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!’ She paused to take a sip of tea. Do you like furaido chikin, Tabasa?"

Love it. I have a lot of fond memories of KFC. My folks and I used to get a bucket of the colonel’s original recipe all the time and eat it in front of the TV.

Mrs. Ishida was eyeing