"She's not going to be able to do this. There are too many requirements for passing classes and graduating. She'll never be able to read all the material and write essays and reports. She was already balking at the homestay family's rules. I left her crying at the airport and she has no family and no friends to lean on."
It was a gloomy ride back home from the bus station but Tetsu comforted me (and himself) by saying,
"So... Even if she doesn't complete the three years, it will be an experience and she'll gain something from however much time she is there. We'll just have to hope she'll make friends and be strong enough to keep on trying."
Leiya would occasionally let us know about classes (hard, but the school was letting her focus on art), and the home stay family (strict, but ever going out of their way to give her new opportunities) and friends. FRIENDS!!!! Leiya has made FRIENDS!!!! I don't know when I've been more relieved!
Leiya's best friend was Erin. and from quite early I heard about Erin and Erin's family. Pretty soon Leiya and Erin were going to the Asian supermarket after school, or Leiya was staying overnight at Erin's. One year passed, two years passed. Tetsu and I finally met Erin and her family when we went to Ohio for Leiya's high school graduation. Yes!!! Leiya really blossomed (with lots of help from friends, neighbors, church members, host family, teachers, counselors etc.) and she was able to graduate on schedule and be accepted to a college.
(Leiya and Erin during their high school days.)
Even though Leiya and Erin went to different colleges, they stayed in touch and Erin's family have let Leiya stay with them during vacations (and taken Leiya with them on vacation!), given her a summer job, and have made the trip to see Leiya's art at college exhibitions. They've advised her and comforted her and helped her in numberless ways.
I am absolutely positive that without Erin's friendship and her family Leiya would not have had such a fulfilling high school life and may not have even completed American high school.
And now Erin is in Japan!!! She is working here for a year and her mother is visiting for two weeks. AND the two of them came up for a day trip to Nikko!!
Not that much time to show them around and repay them for all they have done for Leiya. The best I could do was show them Leiya's Japanese life. We drove by Leiya's kindergarten and elementary school and jr. high school. I took them to visit Tetsu at the convalescent home (a surprise visit for Tetsu. He didn't know that they were coming!) We ate the specialty of the town... pot stickers... not the most glamorous of meals...
They visited the house and met all the cats and the dog and they saw Leiya's bedroom (though it is now my sewing room). We did make one tourist stop to the shrines of Nikko and we did visit Leiya's favorite cracker shop where we sampled lots of rice crackers. And then back to Tokyo they went.
It was wonderful that I finally got to spend time with two people that are so close to Leiya! I wish we had had even more time together!
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