Lighthouse

By Tico Yang

What happened right after World War 2 when the octogenarian Yusei as he met young Andrew and consequently Akio? Together, theses three “friends” navigate the subject of responsibility and relationships, with the help of a Japanese girl, usually with hilarious progress and unexpected results. As time goes on and days pass by, they flew over many different countries and experienced many different cultures. As the 21st century approaches, not only people’s ideas about things change, relationships experience a subtle change. Attitudes are more different, as seen in the change towards certain characters view of life. How did two guys and a girl meet, what love parked between them and what made then protect each other, even to live-and-death? What did they experience together? What effect did they have on each other? This book addresses a thrilling physical story about: different tasks that can even cause round-trips around the world! Want to know the details? Read this book to find out!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781984577962

Tico Yang

Bo Jun (Tico) Yang is a young, 14 year old author who currently lives in Changchun, China. As a travel enthusiast, he has travelled in many countries around the world, like Germany, Greece, Spain, and Italy, and never forgot to take selfies of himself against different backgrounds. Aside from traveling and marveling at different cultures and landscapes, Tico is also a bookworm who has read all types of genres of books, from Wings of Fire, Percy Jackson, Sherlock Holmes, Wonder, Scorpions, Harry Potter, and so on. He has even liked books about Chinese and World history. He is also a Special reporter for "Campus Culture"—Jilin Province Youth Writers Association 2017 Outstanding Star Member who has written pieces for the association like: “Autumn”, “Tiny me in a big city”, “Flood”. This novella is his first attempt to create his own manuscripts and put down all of his learning into his writing. Still an 8th grade student in school, he is especially interested in coding, biology, and composing poems. Lastly, he has a loving brother and sister who lives with him together in a big family.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 by Tico Yang.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 05/14/2020

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1     Boom! Bang! Roar!

Chapter 2

Chapter 3     Looking at the News

Chapter 4     What?

Chapter 5     The Trial

Chapter 6     Troubling Adventures

Chapter 7     The Collapse of the Cavern

Chapter 8     Shiny Blue Things

Chapter 9     Leftover Pancakes

Chapter 10   True or False?

Chapter 11   The Bigot at the Jewelry Store

Chapter 12   What’s Going on in Her Head?

Chapter 13   Don’t You Be Scared

Chapter 14   We Are Experiencing a Bit of Turbulence

Chapter 15   Sleepyheads

Chapter 16   Good Thinking! You Are Judicious

Chapter 17   The Perfect Day

Chapter 18   Bad Days

Chapter 19   The Bone Which Shattered the Bullet

Chapter 20   An Unknown Rainforest

Chapter 21   The Big, Huge, Mammoth, Gigantic, Enormous, Titanic, and Tremendous Rainforest

Chapter 22   OMG, Is That a Python?

Chapter 23   Индигеноус Пеопле

Chapter 24   Life from an Old Man’s View

Chapter 25   Where Am I?

Chapter 26   Chips … Chips

Chapter 27   Okaihee and the Wahanda

Chapter 28   The Titicorondogas

Chapter 29   Wooden Poles

Chapter 30   The Guilt That Traveled Overseas

Chapter 31   Hello! You’re Gonna Stay Here for Some Weeks!

Chapter 32   Twist and Turn

Chapter 33   Miracles … Don’t Always Happen

Chapter 34   Aero Plane

Chapter 35   The Ultimate Request

Chapter 36   Rehearsal Time!

Chapter 37   Slovahaski

Chapter 38   I Like Your Reaction

Chapter 39   Creamy Coke Contest!

Chapter 40   Whooooo (Got a Fish!)

Chapter 41   The Talk between Three

Chapter 42   One Day After

Chapter 43   A Great Dream (Don’t Let Me Wake Up)

Chapter 44   Third Mission

Chapter 45   Dinner!

Chapter 46   Nice Python, I’d Like More Noodles, Please

Chapter 47   The Talk between Two

Chapter 48   El Loco Hermano

Chapter 49   Nice to Meet You—Oh, Not That You

Chapter 50   Wow … You Can Really Dance

Chapter 51   Hey, Let’s Talk

Chapter 52   Nice, Long Talk

Chapter 53   Hey, That Wasn’t Very Nice

Chapter 54   The Walking Dead

Chapter 55   The Forest Fire

Chapter 56   Wait, What?

Chapter 57   The Feast or the Fire

Chapter 58

Chapter 59   Run, Don’t Eat!

Chapter 60   RUN! NO RUN!

Chapter 61   Flight Back Home!

Chapter 62   Separated

Chapter 63   Oops, I think We Have Here a Reunion

Chapter 64   HELO-Copter

Chapter 65   Motel, Motel, a Night in the Motel

Chapter 66   What Can I Say about This?

Chapter 67   The Boat Body?

Chapter 68   Hey, Man, Here’s the Body

Chapter 69   No No No No No No No No No No No, Wait

Chapter 70   Woah

Chapter 71   Talking

Chapter 72   OK, This Is Interesting

Chapter 73   Oh No

Chapter 74   Come on Funeral

Chapter 75   What!

Chapter 76   Hello, ’Tis Me

Chapter 77   Nice to Meet You

Chapter 78   Suah

Chapter 79   The Wedding

CHAPTER 1

Boom! Bang! Roar!

Yusei Gozuma sat on his brown leatherette chair with a bowl of caramel-buttered popcorn on his aging lap. He was in the middle part of the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, enjoying the scene when Hans and Leia on board the Millennium Falcon were trying to evade capture and had hidden on an asteroid field.

Suddenly, another BOOM! BANG! ROAR! A loud sound rocked the still air and reverberated as something had just exploded and collapsed.

Oh no, he thought, could it be happening again?

Startled, he switched to a local news channel, GTV-Japan. Yusei’s suspicion was compounded when the news anchor, a local celebrity named Shinto Abejiro, announced that a nuclear meltdown was in progress, threatening Yusei’s town with a downpour of radiation.

He started making his way out of his house, carrying only the survival kit he had packed a couple of years ago. In it were several liters of water, first-aid kit, batteries, a flashlight, candles, matches, several plastic packs of dried food, etc. Just as he made it out of his house, he bumped into a British reporter from BBC, Andrew Jackson.

Yusei noticed Andrew’s physique. How did you get those burly muscles?

Andrew replied, Before I was a reporter, I was a firefighter in Brighton. I lost a friend, Pete Johnson in a fire so I decided it was too risky for me and changed jobs. Name’s Andrew Jackson.

Yusei noted Andrew’s distinctly British accent and thought he talked a little funny.

Have you ever been in a similar disaster to this one? inquired Andrew.

Yusei was dumbfounded by the question, transporting him back to a sunny day on August 5, 1945, the day when life for Yusei changed.

Yusei’s routinely early-morning stroll in Yimei Gardens in Hiroshima gave him a pleasant feeling, smiling at the beautiful day ahead as it had been for him. He was barely out of his teens and making small talk with older friends who were absolutely unaware of the pending disaster that was about to destroy their lives.

KABOOM!

He looked up and saw an unforgettable sight etched in his mind forever—a giant mushroom cloud rising from the eastern horizon near Yuxford Street. Everyone in the park marveled at the malevolent sight, ignorant of the perils that would befall the city.

Yusei sensed that something was amiss. He, being vigilant, watched the cloud for a few more seconds then in a flash, it hit him.

He was always an adroit student in school and had looked up and paid careful attention to lectures and research on atomic bombs. This was the very same mushroom cloud they make!

Being intrepid, he shouted as loud as he can, RUN! and immediately there was a throng of people trampling the delicate flowers and sturdy park benches. Of course, a lot of people were going to die that day.

Fortunately, Yusei got out with barely a scratch as he hid himself inside a refrigerator and waited until the roaring-hot wind was all but quiet. He had mild radiation poisoning which he still took medication when he got nauseous. But the shock for him was when he learned that his best friend, Kansami Yokushima, whom he had a rather interesting exchange earlier, did not survive.

Though August 6, 1945, had blemished the annals of history, Yusei’s experience was a painful reminder he would never ever forget.

CHAPTER 2

Yusei Gozuma opened his eyes, the morning light shone through his ramshackle window, and birds were chirping their high-pitched songs. Everything looked normal, he brushed his calcified, discolored teeth, washed his years-altered face, and went out to take his usual weekend morning stroll.

In spite of his sixty-five years, he jogged over to Yimei Gardens, his best choice for his early-morning walk. Nature’s abundance and beauty abound. The sight of the park calmed him, and there were always people to talk with. Everything was normal when he reached Yimei Gardens as he caught sight of his best friend Kansami Yokushima who had apparently decided to take a walk as well.

Hi, Kansami.

Hi, Yusei.

Their greetings were always simple but would always prolong to an interminable chat. This time, however, a strange, baffling sound cut their conversation topic short.

What was that? Yusei asked, pointing to a small dot in the blue, Hiroshima sky.

Nah, it’s just a plane. But Yusei was still watching when something dropped from it.

Look …

What …? Kansami strained his eyes, searching but never saw the thing.

Yusei was following his gaze and watched the thing fall to the ground near Yuxford Street.

KABOOM!

It was the loudest sound he has ever heard. Both he and Kansami were thrown off the asphalt and tumbled into the grass, Yusei knocking off the Do Not Walk on the Grass marker.

As they struggled to get up, they could clearly see a big mushroom cloud forming in the sky above them.

Do you know what that is? Kansami queried.

For a few, long seconds Yusei didn’t reply. He did not even know the answer. And just as suddenly as the object hit the ground and let out its screaming groan, it hit him. This wasn’t a joke, it was an atomic bomb, and everyone should get out of there … FAST!

Everybody, RUN! he screamed and immediately there was a throng of people running around in every direction.

Kansami struggled to keep up with him. He must have realized it too as he began his sprint and knew his life depended on where his finish line would be.

Too late! They weren’t going to outrun the annihilating heat expelled from the blast. It would be impossible.

In a desperate plea, Yusei yelled, Take cover!

But no one was listening. He burst into an opened apartment, found the kitchen and a refrigerator. He emptied the contents, scattering organics and paste on the floor and squeezed himself inside.

On the very moment he managed to shut the fridge’s single door, WHOOSH!

What happened next was like a ride in an amusement park. The hot wind lifted everything around like an angry monster and indiscriminately juggling houses, cars, and refrigerators around. The weightlessness Yusei felt it reminded him of a show he would be watching years later.

After what seemed like a short eternity, Yusei felt his whole body slam on the side of the fridge. He must have concussed because when he opened his eyelids and saw darkness; he remembered where he was. He listened and it was eerily quiet. Slowly, carefully, he pried open the fridge door, and what he saw was a landscape he would never, ever forget.

It was a feeling of being misplaced in the middle of the desert, and some alien civilization decided to build skeletal structures to resemble what we would call buildings. Where Yimei Gardens was, was now a junkyard littered with heaps of soil and debris.

He was starting to feel nauseous and he knew he has radioactive poisoning. He was sure of it as he was sure he read it in one of his school books.

A thought occurred to him. He didn’t have much time and if he was to survive, he needed to act now. He dashed and leaped over scattered debris, and it wasn’t long when he glanced at a humongous plastic dome, Rescue Center!

He still had some distance to cover, and there were no lookouts. He had to reach the center by himself. His sprint slowed down to a jog, the jog weakened to a walk, the walk became a stagger, finally collapsing to a pitiful crawl, and he blacked out.

Waking up for the second time on the same day, he realized he was at an army hospital. Nurses and doctors, soldiers, and civilians were rushing around in a cacophony of movements.

Where am I? How long was I out? Yusei implored for answers.

A young nurse came over. Don’t worry. You’re safe now. She checked the amount of his IV drip and smiled at him.

Yusei was still feeling dizzy and nauseous, but he had to ask one more question.

Is there a Kansami Yokushima who made it here?

Let me ask the registration desk just outside the tent, the young nurse replied politely.

But Yusei already knew the answer. The nurse returned and with sadness in her eyes, she confirmed, Kansami is dead.

Andrew Jackson was fleeing for his life; a nuclear meltdown was happening, and he had to be fast. Alongside him ran his new friend Yusei, who is older than him. He seemed to be deep in thought; he wondered what Yusei was thinking.

Boom!

One of the houses had caught fire. Instinctively, Andrew’s body twitched. He was a former firefighter, and the sight of a burning house brought him back to the day when he lost his best friend.

He remembered the first day when he had just joined the Brighton Firefighters. He had just come out fresh from his university and was looking for work to do. The guys on the team were his friends, but Pete Johnson, the group’s leader, was especially more. They would hang out and be at every mission together.

That particular day, they received an emergency call from their station. It wasn’t a drill; it was a serious emergency. They’ve had their training, so he thought it would just be one of those days fighting fire together.

On the way to the fire, they were all talking and laughing at each other’s jokes and riddles.

Hey, Andrew, what were you doin’ that night with Patty?

Uhh, nothin’, nothin’

Nothin’ but having a crush on her?

No no no, I would never think of it.

Pete put his hand on Andrew’s shoulder.

A big fire coming up ahead, huh, you ain’t scared?

Nah.

Good, remember, you carry a lot of responsibility as a firefighter. This ain’t gonna be a small one, if anything happens to me, be sure you stay brave, okay?

OK.

Promise?

I promise.

He regretted this thought the moment he saw the fire. The billowing mass of red and orange was like a huge monster hungrily masticating on the building. They got to work as they’d always practiced in their drills: get the hoses out, straighten the ladders, and pray for the best.

However, this fire was too big to put out like in their drills, and there were also a number of people inside. They had to switch to plan B, which Andrew loathed.

Basically, he and Pete had to run inside the building with the other firefighters, but their job was to get all the people in the building to safety.

They ran into the building and had checked every room.

Suddenly, the roof above collapsed raining down ashes and ember as well as a fiery monster!

Pete found himself trapped in the room. There was no way out and the fire was already gutting the whole room. Andrew was safely outside the room shouting for help, but it never came. All he could remember from Pete’s last words to him, RUN!

Now, Pete’s voice was still ringing in his ears as he leapt over debris and ran for his dear life.

CHAPTER 3

Looking at the News

Yusei and Andrew sat on a comfortable couch in front of a television, sipping hot coffee, feeling very cozy. A chatty atmosphere hovered in the air, but their focus was on the little television on the desk in front of them. They had escaped the city and the radiation with barely a scratch. Thanks to Yusei’s fantastic navigation skills, they managed to stumble upon the survivors’ camp in a safe zone. They didn’t need bandaging or healing; they just wanted to know the severity of the disaster and how it had affected their city. Actually, Yusei wanted to see the news for another reason, a reason that he had not even told Andrew, and he had hoped that the manager of the power plant, Akio Hase, would come, and with him, a person that was very, very important to him. The nuclear plant explosion has caused a least one hundred people to die and another two hundred people that got radiation sickness, the economic damage was huge … the new reporter babbled on and on, seemingly interminably. The words rattled in his head, he shook his head, in the means of clearing it. However, this movement caused him to remember the first time he met her. He was on a vacation to Nagasaki when he saw her. She gazed at him in amazement too, and he did the same. The gaze, it seemed to him, went on for one hour before another man (Yusei figured it was her brother) broke it and gave him a scowl. That man was the manager that he hoped would come and bring with him that girl.

Knock, knock, could it be? Yusei almost screamed out in excitement; the door opened with a creak and he saw the manager, but he also saw a girl dressed in black, with a dress. Could it be—

Hello, I am called Suah, the girl said shyly at the sight of him and Andrew. Yusei didn’t know what to say; no words came out of his throat because it was the girl, the exact girl.

Hi, I am Yusei, he managed to sputter. Andrew looked on in amazement; however, the manager of the nuclear plant didn’t hesitate to break the awkward silence. Survivors of the nuclear meltdown, eh? Did you see it up close?

No, we were just running and heard a deafening sound.

Then you are no use to me, the manager scoffed at him, but I will have to look at the news, make space for me.

Yusei and Andrew had to make space for him. They didn’t show their dislike about the man, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. They silently waited for the manager to go, and when he did, with Suah, they unleashed their feelings.

Looks like a dupe to me. Andrew was not intimidated by the man’s behavior.

Yeah, me too. Yusei spoke, hoping that by using this topic he would be able to distract Andrew from asking about Suah, but his hopes crashed as Andrew asked, How did you know Suah?

Suah was shocked to see both Andrew and Yusei together at a safety camp after the nuclear meltdown. She had wanted to be a Red Cross volunteer because she had nothing to do lately and wanted to go with her brother to see the effects on the nuclear meltdown. However, she did not like her brother. In her point of view, her brother would restrict her to do all sorts of things. She could still clearly