The Business Trip – Day 1 (1)
The Wells-Brown family arrives in Mt. Komorebi the morning after Egg Day. Merlin has secured a lovely two-bedroom, two-bath rental not too far from where he and Jalisa were married. The triplets are extra excited and chatty about the change of location.
Jalisa: We’re going to go inside, and you all get to pick your beds and make yourselves at home.
Jamelia: Do we live here forever now?
Merlin: No, just for three days.
Jalin: Are we in another country?
Jalisa: We are, and we need to be very respectful of the local traditions. Okay?
Jalin: *quietly to Jamelia* What are traditions?
Jamelia: *shrugs shoulders* I don’t know, ask mommy. She’s the one that said it.
They all enter the rental.
Melisa: Whoa, it’s big!
Jamelia: We might get lost.
Merlin: It’s not that big. Let’s see, according to what I saw online, you all will be sharing a bedroom to the left, and our bedroom will be right next to it.
Jalisa leads the way towards the bedrooms.
Melisa: There’s no TV, daddy.
Merlin: We don’t need a TV. We’ll entertain ourselves by seeing the sights. That’s why we’re here.
The triplets find their bedroom.
Melisa: Look! We have bunk beds just like we have at home.
Jalin: I want the top bunk!
Melisa: Nope…too slow. It’s already mine. *begins climbing up*
Jalin: That’s not fair! I’m telling mommy!
Melisa: *relaxes on bed* Tell her. She’ll see that I got here first.
Jay gives up and sits down on the bottom bunk across from Lia.
Jalin: I’m already bored.
Jamelia: I saw a pool. Let’s ask if we can go swimming.
Jalin: Yeah!
Lia leads her siblings to their parent’s bedroom.
Jamelia: *opens door without knocking* Can we go swimming?
Jalisa: No, it’s too cold out.
Melisa: But mommy –
Merlin: Mommy and I are having a moment, so go away, or you’re about to see a lot of kissing. *kisses Jalisa*
Melisa and Jamelia: Ewwww!
Merlin: Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The triplets escape their parent’s displays of affection by going out to the courtyard in the center of the house.
Jalin: *mocks Merlin* Go away – or you’ll see a lot of kissing!
Jamelia: That wasn’t good. Now I’m traumatized.
Melisa: Yeah, gross. I’ll never kiss anyone my whole life.
Jalin: Me either. If someone tries to kiss me, I’ll poke them in the eye – like this! *demonstrates with his hand*
Jamelia: Same here!
Melisa: *giggles*
***
Merlin: With all these glass doors and three nosey kids, I guess there will be no romance while we’re here. Want to go hiking instead?
Jalisa: *laughs* I guess we might as well.
The family travels to the nearby Senbamachi neighborhood, which has some beautiful hiking trails. During their last visit, Jalisa and Merlin hiked the bamboo trail, so they decide to try a different one this time.
Merlin: Okay, so we can visit a cave shrine or a temple.
Jalin: *confused* Temple? Like where mommy sometimes gets headaches?
Merlin: No, son, this temple is a historic religious building.
Jalin: The cave sounds more interesting. Maybe there will be a bear inside!
Merlin: *chuckles* Let’s hope not.
Merlin: So, according to the map, we’ll have to cut through this old graveyard to get to the cave.
Jalin: Are there ghosts in the graveyard?
Jamelia: There’s no such thing as ghosts, right, daddy?
Merlin: I’ve never seen one.
Jamelia: Have you, mommy?
Jalisa: No, I haven’t.
Jamelia: See Jay – mommy and daddy are old, and if they’ve never seen a ghost, that means that there are no ghosts.
Jalin: Maybe it’s the kind that only kids can see.
Jamelia: *slightly afraid* There’s no kind like that. *to herself* I hope.
The talk of ghosts makes Me-Me a bit unsure, so she stands back until she realizes that she’ll have to pass the graveyard alone if her family leaves her there. She speeds up to catch up with her siblings.
After they’ve walked a bit longer, Merlin suddenly stops.
Merlin: Okay, the cave should be somewhere around here. I’m wondering if we made a wrong turn.
Jalisa: *deep sigh* I knew we should have grabbed a map, Merlin. My feet hurt in these boots. I don’t want to wander around here aimlessly all day.
Merlin: Don’t worry. We just need to look for a red bridge.
Jalin: There’s a red bridge behind you, daddy!
Merlin: *turns to look* So there is! The cave is right across the bridge and up a few stairs.
Merlin turns to lead the way.
Jalisa: It better be, Merlin.
Merlin: Trust me, and once we get there – it’ll be worth it!
They make it to the bridge. Merlin stops once again.
Jalisa: Don’t tell me this isn’t the right way.
Merlin: Shhh, do you hear that?
Jalisa: Hear what?
Melisa: I don’t hear anything.
Merlin: Something is moving.
Suddenly a giant centipede appears on Merlin’s shoulder. Everyone watches helplessly as Merlin tries to fight it off. Once it’s gone, Merlin is left with a bite and a pounding heart.
Jalisa: I’m ready to go back to the rental. Hiking is overrated, and now it’s dangerous.
Merlin tries to get some feeling back into his neck by moving his head back and forth.
Jamelia: Are you okay, daddy?
Merlin: Yee, daddy, is just fine.
Jalisa: You might have been poisoned, Merlin.
Lia looks to her dad for reassurance.
Merlin: I haven’t been poisoned. I promise all of you! I’m fine.
Everyone perks up again once they arrive at the shrine.
Merlin: Here it is, family!
They walk up to the cave entrance.
Merlin: If you shout, you’ll hear your echo come back to you.
Lia tries it out.
Jamelia: Hello!
Echo: Hellooo, hellooo, hellooo!
Merlin snaps a selfie with the whole family.
Jalin: Where to now, daddy?
Merlin: It’s still early, and there’s supposed to be a Festival of Snow starting up in about an hour.
Jalisa: Count me out, Merlin. This was fun and all, but my feet hurt, and now I’m traumatized. I’m going back to the rental.
Jalisa leaves.
Merlin: I guess it’s just us then.
BDC: After the Costumes Summaries | read from the beginning
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