Hold On, Bek — a layover journal
Tokyo
Episode 1 — Tokyo
Nine million people, and the city keeps none of them.
You arrive, and the arriving is not an event. Not to Tokyo.
He was too tired to be amazed. He was amazed anyway.
CURIOUSThat one's shaped like a fish. Why is it a fish?
LAMEIt's a restaurant. The fish is the food.
CURIOUSBut why a fish—
The last train is where cities tell the truth.
Even the loud one went quiet.
He didn't have the language for thank you, or table for one.
BEK...arigatou.
CURIOUSOh. This fixes everything.
To everyone else — a tired man talking warmly to no one.
The city stopped being enormous and started being his.
Just — his, for one morning.
There was a ceiling eleven inches from his face.
BEKOne more.
CURIOUSWhere next? Where next—
HOLD ON, BEK
Some cities you visit. Some you just survive until dawn.