Chapter 9 – Jiji meets Tomoko

SOME PEOPLE didn’t like the old wooden houses. They said they were unsafe in earthquakes and lacked modern conveniences. But just seeing her grandmother’s house—smelling it, hearing it, touching it—made her feel loved and safe.
    Tomoko served snacks to Kiki as Jiji investigated the living room. “Don’t you dare pee in the house,” Kiki warned. “Tell me and I’ll take you outside.”
    Tomoko was fifty-eight and looked younger. Kiki often lulled herself to sleep at night doing the math: If Grandma was really as young as she looked, she could easily be her mother.
    “I don’t have any dog food, but do you think she’d like a tuna? Kiki made a face.         “Come on, Grandma. You’re spoiling her.”
    “But I spoil you, don’t I?” Tomoko said, smiling.
    “Yeah, spoil me,” Jiji grumbled, nose aquiver. She smelled the sashimi and tiny paws tattooed the tatami and she raced over to Tomoko. Licking her lips furiously, she crouched in involuntary deference, excitement and canine gluttony.
    “Jiji! What did I just tell you?”
    The puppy flattened herself the tatami, making a good show of doggie shame and humiliation, but all the while keeping both eyes on the food.
    “That’s all right,” Tomoko said. She wiped up Jiji’s accident and placed a bowl of raw tuna in front of her.
    “How come you never give me any of this,” Jiji complained in mid-bite. “It’s a whole lot tastier than that stuff you give me.”
    Kiki settled down on a zabuton. “For a couple of reasons. One, that stuff I give you is good for you. And two, at the speed you eat, I’m surprised you can taste it at all. That sashimi costs a fortune.” Kiki smiled at her grandmother and stuck her tongue out at Jiji. “It’s too good for you.”
    Tomoko sat on a cushion next to Kiki and gave her granddaughter a hug. “You’re papa said you spoke to the dog all the time. Do you think she understands you?”
    Kiki laughed. “Better than you would believe, Grandma.”
    Tomoko made tempura for lunch, Kiki’s favorite. It was, as usual, just perfect.
    Crouched, sulking next to the short table, Jiji mimicked Kiki. “Oh, Grandma, it’s so wonderful. Umm, I bet Jiji would just love it, but she’s too young for fried food.” The smell was driving her crazy. She growled as Kiki placed the last bite in her mouth. She chewed slowly and the lip-smacking was cruelly overdone.  Kiki giggled and Jiji placed her paws over her face and moaned.
    “Here,” Kiki said, pulling a couple of pieces of puppy kibble from her pocket and rolling them across the tatami. “Eat this. We gotta get going. Dad’ll kill me if we don’t get home before dark.”
    Jiji pounced and gobbled. Kiki hugged her grandmother and kissed her goodbye. Satisfied, Jiji even gave Tomoko an affectionate lick on the toe.
    Jiji was very tired and slept on the train home. She really didn’t wake until Kiki put her down in her doggie bed. “Uhh,” she cleared her throat and blinked. “Is it dinner time yet?”
    Kiki smiled and pointed at her food bowl. “Why don’t you go look?”
    After finishing dinner—a thirty second endeavor—Jiji dragged herself back to her bed, crawled under her blanket and soon the living room was filled with the soft sound of a contented snoring puppy.