Chapter 5

Mitchell had sent a job application to a school in Vietnam. Through word of mouth at the college, he’d heard about an opening- English language institute in a University outside Ho Chi Minh City- and thought why not see? Acted on a whim, hadn’t mentioned the thing to anyone, certainly not Akemi, whom he was just getting close to then. And why should he have? This was for himself only. He’d wanted to see what response would come.

And wouldn’t Akemi have thought it strange if he’d told her he was thinking of taking up work on the other side of the world at the moment they were starting something together?

Mitchell thought it very unlikely he’d take the job even if offered.

He had all but forgotten about it when months later, during the separation began, he realized the school hadn’t sent an answer, no response at all had come, and it occurred to him that maybe they’d rejected him out of hand because of his age, they wanted someone in their twenties or thirties who the students could more easily relate to, and he wondered: Had he reached that stage of life, that reality, inevitable, irreversible?

He was definitely serious about Akemi, felt the time for playing around was over.

During that period, shortly after he dropped by her room unannounced- another instance of his acting on impulse and in this case probably unwisely, as the surprise visit violated their agreement not to meet for the time being- Mitchell had to go to an out-of-town convention for work. He wasn’t into it at all, could barely pay attention to the activities, events. After the first day’s morning and afternoon sessions, wearying, he was back at the hotel room and thought, Hell, let’s go out take some photographs, take a walk. Better than hanging around in here going crazy. The whole night remained.