“Where’s Daddy going?” Minka asked curiously as she waved to her father’s retreating form.

“He has to work. It’s just the three of us for now.” 

Neve watched as her giant of a husband wandered off. His new shirt slowly disappearing into the crowd. Always the journalist, she thought ruefully as she readjusted her the toddler in her arms and tightened her grip around her daughter’s wrist. The American ignored the occasional stares the locals gave her as she led her daughter towards one of the game stalls. She studied each of stalls carefully before ushering the little girl towards the [i]Kingyo-sukui[/i]. 

“What’s this game, Mama?”

“It’s a fishing game, sweetheart. You gotta catch those fish with a paper net.” 

“I will catch all of them.” 

“All of them?” Neve asked as she pretended to gasp. 

“Yes! Then Antti can play with them in the bath tub.” 

Neve chuckled. “I think the fish won’t like the soap… Konbanwa!”

The mom faltered as she struggled to find the appropriate phrases. She had conveniently left the tourist phrase book in the hotel room when she was packing the diaper bag. The stall keeper returned the greeting and rattled off in Japanese as he pointed to a sign. Neve stared blankly at the characters. She could make out a ten and a five, but nothing more. She pointed to the children trying to catch the goldfish with paper nets and attempted to communicate using a mix of Japanese words and simplified English. The old man merely shook his head. 

Minka tugged at Neve’s sleeve till the mommy obligingly kneeled down. The little girl whispered rather obviously into her mom’s ear. The chubby toddler flailed even harder as he tried to reach for his sister. Neve set him down gently but held onto his collar. 

“Sorry, Mommy didn’t hear you.” 

Minka looked in the stall keepers direction before whispering again, this time even louder. “I think he wants us to pay first.” 

“Why didn’t Mommy think of that? You’re a really smart girl. Wait for me by …. that basin, okay? I will bring the nets over.” 

“Nee?” Antti called out hopefully as he saw his sister run off. 

The little brunette paused and spun around. Her pink lacey skirt flared out and spun round. She ran back to her mother and little brother. She kissed her younger sibling on his head and then took his hand. Her warm brown eyes met her mom’s briefly. Neve nodded and Minka beamed. The girl then led Antti towards the blue plastic basin in the far corner. Both children stared at the goldfish swimming around lazily in the warm water. The fish gleamed as the light from the lanterns above bounced off their sleek scales. Antti babbled excitedly in a mix of Finnish and English as he tip toed to reach for the darting goldfish, but his fingers remained several inches away above the shimmering surface. Minka instinctively grabbed the back of his sailor romper. She didn’t want her veli (brother) to get wet or he might get sick. 

Neve’s eyes remained fixed on her little brood, as she held out a hundred yen note. The stall owner exclaimed and tried to explain, but his protests were lost in translation. The American turned to him and smiled nervously as she pointed to the group of children closest to her. She hemmed and hawed till finally a sole phrase surfaced from the deep recesses of her mind. 

“Haraitai no desuga?”

The elderly man ran his fingers through his snow salt and pepper hair, but Neve had turned her attention back to the two children. Realizing that there was no point trying to explain the rates to the tourist, the owner tucked the bill into pouch strapped to his waist and went to retrieve five pon. He handed it to Neve and smiled. As the woman left, he motioned for his grandson to follow her. The middle school student kept the pon he was making and moved towards the group as instructed. 

Antti flailed his pudgy fists about in the air as he sat on Mommy’s knee. Neve smiled as she waved the paper net teasingly in front of her 3-year-old son. Minka yelped as the goldfish broke through her net once more. The little fighter remained undeterred, but when she checked, there were no more nets left. She had finished all four of them, and Antti was playing with the last one. The girl pouted. Ko held out a new net in front of Minka, and the little one exclaimed happily. Antti joined in. The teen laughed. He took out a pon and joined in. Within five minutes he caught one of the fishes and placed in the water filled bowl in his hand. Minka’s eyes sparkled with delight as she watched the fish swim round the small bowl. 

“Domo arigato!” the eight-year-old cried out. 

Ko beamed and replied in heavily accented English. “Wericome.” 

Neve continued holding on to Antti as she observed the passing crowd. J-P should have called by now. She hoped he didn’t forget his phone again. Another half an hour, and the three of them should head back to the hotel. Antti would be impossible to handle once it was past his bedtime. Even Minka was starting to yawn. Neveah was so busy trying to spot her husband among the throng of people milling round the various stalls that she didn’t hear her phone chime. She had just received a new email.