The car finally hit the road.
Harumi drove with the posture of someone trying to tame a wild horse.
The car shook.Her mom was already nervous, praying.Her dad tried to breathe under the suitcases.Izumi was a human sandwich between her father and the door.Mei slept sitting up.And Takeru stared out the window, calmly accepting his fate.
Five minutes of silence.
Then, of course, Harumi opened her mouth.
— Mom…
— What is it now?
— I need to tell you something.
Her dad sighed so deeply even the suitcase trembled.
Her mom, genuinely afraid.
Harumi gripped the steering wheel tighter.
— I… kind of… scheduled…
— What? — her mom's pulse rising.
— A…
— A what???
— A thing.
— HARUMI, SPEAK.
— A banquet.
The entire car froze.
Her dad blinked.Izumi raised an eyebrow.Her mom slowly turned her head, like a robot about to malfunction.
— …A banquet?
— Uh-huh!
— Harumi. For whom?
— For the city.
— FOR WHICH PART OF THE CITY?!
— The whole thing!
Everyone had helped her, and now she wanted to repay them with a BIG banquet.
Her mom clutched her chest.
— You did WHAT?!
— I invited the entire city!!
— Harumi…
— Mooooom, it'll be fun!
— DO YOU HAVE FOOD FOR THAT?!
— That's just a detail…
— WHAT?!
— None.
— NONE?!
— NONE!!
Her mom collapsed back against the seat, horrified.
— Makoto, did you hear this?!
— Regina… you'd do the same.
— EEEY!! — both women shouted.
Mei woke up from the yelling, confused.
— Are we there yet?
— No… — Takeru muttered, half-asleep.
Izumi finally spoke, mixing Portuguese and Japanese:
— Harumi… you invited the entire city to eat what? Air?
— I'LL IMPROVISE!!
— You can't even improvise breakfast, genius!!
Takeru crossed his arms, catching only one word.
— We have instant rice.
— THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR A BANQUET, TAKERU! — her mom snapped.
Harumi inhaled deeply, very serious.
— Mom… LEEEAVE IT TO ME!!
— No. You can't.— replied her mom with brutal Brazilian honesty.— First, you don't know how to cook.— Second, you don't have ingredients.— Third, you're my daughter and I know you.
Harumi pouted.
— …Wow.
Her mom pulled out her phone.
— STOP AT THE MARKET.
— But mom—
— HARUMI.
— …Yes ma'am.
Harumi pulled into the parking lot.
Her dad opened the door, two suitcases almost fell out, and he finally breathed.
Her mom jumped out.
— EVERYONE OUT!!
— Mom—
— I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! We're shopping!!
— But the car—
— WE'LL DEAL WITH THE CAR LATER!!
— But mom—
— L-E-T-S G-O.
Inside the market: Chaos 2.0
Her mom ran through the aisles like she was on a timed TV show.
— We need beans!
— Mom, they don't have beans like that—
— THEN WE USE WHAT WE HAVE!!
— Mom—
— Rice, meat, fish, vegetables, flour, sugar, oil, sauce—
— MOM THAT DOESN'T FIT IN THE CAR.
She stopped.
Looked at her daughter.
— Harumi.
— Yes?
— You invited the entire city.
— Yes…
— HOW did you expect to feed everyone?
— With… a lot of… effort? HEHE…
— AAAAAHHHH!!
She kept filling the cart.
Izumi laughed with a hand over her mouth, like watching a live comedy show.
Takeru carried a full basket, resigned.Mei hugged a bag of bread, smiling happily.Her dad… had already given up on life.
Harumi looked at the groceries.Looked at the trunk.Looked at God.
— Mom… it won't fit.
— Then we'll make it work!
— It REALLY won't!
— Are we Brazilian or not?!
— YES!! THAT'S RIGHT, MOM!!
— THEN LET'S GO!!
They solved it.
No one knows how.No one ever will.
But the groceries fit.The people fit.The luggage fit.
The laws of physics cried.
They arrived home.
Her mom stepped out of the car, looked at the house—
And stayed silent.
For five long seconds.
— …Harumi.
— Yes?
— This is your house?
— It is!!
Her mom slowly turned to her dad.
— Makoto.
— Yes?
— Did you know about this?
— Harumi said she was moving and… no, I didn't.
— MAKOTO!!
Izumi burst out laughing.Mei stared in awe.Takeru already imagined the post-banquet cleaning.
Harumi opened her arms proudly.
— Mom, welcome to my house!!!
Her mom crossed her arms.
Sighed.
And with a heavy São Paulo accent, said:
— Okay.
— Okay…?
— Okay.
— Mom…?
— To the kitchen.
And she went in—ready to save the banquet,her daughter,and possibly all of Japan if necessary.
And thus began the true war:ORGANIZING THE BANQUET.