Chapter 3

I woke early and found I had a note from Rachel, telling me about O-Bon. It's the "Festival of Souls," the "Festival of the Dead" or the "Festival of Lanterns" – like All Souls Day. Rachel's grandfather is a devout Shinto. The spirits of the dead, who are never far away, return to their earthly homes for a visit. The house had to be cleaned for the occasion, and they went to the cemetery so ensure that the family graves had been carefully tended. Paper lanterns and incense were burned in the graveyards; at night all during the festival, lanterns shed a subdued light throughout the house. On the last day, okuri-dango (farewell rice dumplings) are offered to the spirit-guests to cheer their departure to the Meido - the mysterious celestial world of the dead.

Rachel told me about how her grandmother made the okuri-dango out of two kinds of rice flour. I hadn't known there were kinds of rice flour. There's a lot I don't know. Two kinds of rice flours are used here. Jyoshinko is made from regular Japanese rice and Shirotomako from sweet or glutinous rice flour, mixed with a little corn starch or potato starch. The combination apparently makes a dumpling that is chewy and bouncy but not too sticky. Sounds good.

I was writing about Rob being here when I heard someone coming downstairs. It was Dad. I said "good morning," finished my email and logged out. He was starting coffee.

"Want anything?" he asked.

"Cereal and milk," I guess. "Is there any fruit?" He waved at the bowl, where there were some very brown bananas.

"There may be something in the refrigerator bin, too."

There were two slightly withered apples. I took one and the milk and put them on the table. Then I got a bowl of dry cereal and a spoon.

"Well, Patrick, what's your take?"

"Rob needs help. Does Mum know a psychoph... ?" I couldn't recall the word.

"Psychopharmacologist?"

"Yeah. That's it."

"I don't know. There's the Marian Centre in Subiaco, but they need a psychiatric referral before you can get an interview."

"If you drive me and Sarah to school, Mum can spend the morning calling and maybe taking him somewhere." I poured some milk on my cereal. Dad got himself some coffee and poured a mug for Mum, putting some milk in it.

"Right. I'll take this upstairs and talk to Weena a bit."

I finished my cereal, put the bowl and my glass in the sink and went to wash up and brush my teeth. Then I got dressed and went back to my computer. I read some uninteresting stuff about depression and treatments. It looked as though people preferred to drug old folks, not really do anything to make them better.

I heard Mum getting Sarah up and went back to the kitchen. I got another bowl and spoon and the multi-coloured kid stuff that Sarah liked. I looked around for my books and packed my bag. Sarah came downstairs and I got the milk back out. She thanked me. I've never understood it, but we've never fought the way brothers and sisters seem to do.

"Sarah?"

"Mmmm?"

"You know Rob's not happy."

"Mmmm."

"We're going to have to help. I've got a plan. When you get home, ask him to play cards or a board game with you. After a while, I'll ask him to help me with something. There's bound to be something that needs explaining for school. We'll keep him busy for a while."

"Okay. Will you 'splain later?"

"Yes."

Dad came and asked whether we were ready, we said yes and went outside. We both got in the rear and buckled in, and we were off.

"You're off at noon, right?"

"No, daddy, I'm full-day now."

"Oh, I'm not thinking. I'll be there. So you're both out at sixteen?"

"Right."

"Okay. I'm not sure when Rob and Ween will be going out nor when they'll be back. So behave."

"Yes, daddy."

"Of course. We'll help, you know."

"Right. But this won't be easy."

School was school. Mr. Simmonds said my comment in my journal was "snarky." I told him that respectable people didn't read others' journals. He sputtered and most of the class snickered. He didn't threaten to send me to the library, as I'd hoped. I wanted to read more about depression.