Chapter 12: Cheri's Choice

The calendar was cleared for the following weekend. Gwen and Chrissie had taken Mr. Yakimoto's visit to heart and were using it as a run through for how to accept VIP's visiting the recording studio. A limo was stationed at the airport, the best suites in town were rented, all meals and tours planned down to the minutest detail.

Once cleared through customs in Atlanta on Friday afternoon, Mr. Yakimoto's entourage was whisked to a waiting Gulfstream III and flown to Savannah. From there they were taken to their suites at the Hilton and the limo was placed at their disposal for the duration of their stay.

Breakfast on Saturday morning was catered by the hotel on the open back deck of Kalliste. Tony was in no mood to have their first meeting on neutral ground.

The conversation was begun by Mr. Yakimoto over tea after breakfast. "So Mr. Smith, I am dutifully impressed. The amenities are first class, a private jet, breakfast on a beautiful yacht. There is a statement there you are making is there not?"

"It is my understanding sir, that you are a man of means. It would not be hospitable for me to host your visit in a style you are not comfortable with."

"It sounds like you know who I am. How does a young man come to know so much about me?"

"Prudence sir. It would seem we are somewhat at legal odds. One must investigate such things to understand them better," Tony replied. "That, and you are the uncle of my daughter, so to speak. That, at least in a legal sense, makes us family, does it not?"

Mr. Yakimoto was somewhat taken aback by that statement. "I was unaware we were at legal odds at all Mr. Smith. What makes you think that?"

"Sir, I am the legal guardian of your niece, Cheri. Her welfare isn't just an important thing to me. It is the most important thing to me. That needs to be understood. I am the only parent she has at this moment. Until a couple of weeks ago the legal course seemed very clear to me. Now it is not. Your legal motion is at direct odds with what I believe is in her best welfare.

"In any case that is for the lawyers and the courts," Tony continued. "I like to think that we are both on the same side where it really counts. We both want what is best for your niece. The fact that we disagree on exactly what that may be is something that civilized men can come to an agreement on. I believe we have a meeting with all the parties involved tomorrow at my mother's law firm. I just wanted to welcome you to Savannah and see to it that you are well cared for and enjoy your stay." Tony stood up.

"Mr. Smith if you know a fraction of what you claim to know about me then you will understand that I'm not in the habit of being dismissed quite so curtly."

"Dismissed? Oh, I do apologize, that was not my intention. The girls are here." Tony pointed toward the hotel behind Mr. Yakimoto where Cheri and Rebecca were walking towards Kalliste. "Perhaps we can continue our conversation later. I thought you'd like to spend some time with your niece this morning. By all means spend the morning aboard. We aren't leaving for a few hours. If you're up for a short cruise you're welcome to join us then when we take Kalliste home."

"Home?"

"Yes, she normally docks at our home. We have to make arrangements to dock at the hotel and they have another boat due in this evening so we have to give up this slot."

"So it doesn't belong to the hotel?"

"No, we leased the aircraft and the limo for your use during your stay; this is my private vessel."

The girls boarded the yacht and approached the two before Mr. Yakimoto could respond. Cheri had never met her uncle, but before she faced him, she pulled Tony into a hug and kissed him on the cheek. She was, no doubt, seeking a bit of reassurance before dealing with the foreign man. Before he could give her more than a quick squeeze in return, she released him and wheeled on Mr. Yakimoto.

"You must be Uncle Mori," she said, smiling at him. "I'm Cheri. It's nice to finally meet you." Her posture wasn't exactly challenging, but it was far from demure. Cheri had come a long way in her dealings with the male half of the species.

"Mr. Yakimoto," Tony said. "This is also your niece in a way, Cheri's cousin Rebecca."

Rebecca put out her hand to shake and said "Welcome to Savannah Mr. Yakimoto." She stared straight at him while he held her hand. There was no doubt those huge green eyes were having the desired effect in her first round at wrapping another VIP around her finger.

"The pleasure is all mine and thank you. The city, what I've seen of it, is beautiful," he replied.

"Cheri, why don't you spend some time getting to know your uncle?" Tony asked. "I'm going to run inside and check on weather for the trip home and make sure the hotel knows when we're leaving."

"Sure Tony, you won't be gone long will you?" Cheri asked, hiding her nervousness.

"No, ten minutes, tops. Can I get you anything before I go?"

"Tony!" Cheri giggled. "I do technically live here. I think I can find what I need."

Tony smiled back at her. "That you do baby-girl. That you do. OK, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Rebecca followed him off the yacht and they walked hand in hand toward the hotel. "So, how did it go?"

"Well, it wasn't Pearl Harbor at least. Somehow I don't think Mr. Yakimoto will be joining the New Jersey Chapter of the Chaos Fan Club anytime soon though."

Rebecca's tinkling laughter made him smile. "So really though, what's he like?"

"He's a self-important, arrogant asshole. Believe me I know. It takes one to know one they say."

"Tony! You aren't arrogant or self..."

She stopped because Tony had quit walking and was looking down at her, his head tilted slightly to the side.

"OK, OK there are times when you're really serious and it's something really important and ... oh boy! Were you at least civil?"

"I was cultured, civil, deferent, and polite to a fault. I'm surprised he didn't choke over his breakfast. Truth is he seemed to expect it."

"You know Tony, you do have to try and get along with him."

"I know, and I'll try very hard to be civil." Tony bent down and kissed her on the lips then continued walking. "I just don't do obsequious well."

"Is that a bad word?" Rebecca asked. Tony wasn't quite sure if she was serious.

"It means I'm not very good at kissing ass."

"Oh you do quite well with mine; I find you do besequous very nicely at times."

Tony stared down at her.

"Oh you can be so gullible at times you lug! I know what the word means."

"Is there anything I can get you Uncle Mori? More tea perhaps?"

"Yes, Cheri, please."

Cheri took the teapot below and with the simple expedient of re-heating it in the microwave oven in the galley returned quickly and poured her uncle a cup. She used the heating time to grab a glass of orange juice for herself.

Mr. Yakimoto simply stared at the steaming cup for a moment before saying, "So Keishko was correct. You forget your culture. You cannot even serve tea properly to a gentleman."

"Uncle Mori I forget nothing. The sugar is in that bowl, the cream is there. If you prefer, lemon wedges are on a serving dish before you. Americans find they can flavor tea or coffee more to their liking if they do it themselves."

"But it is not our way Cheri, you know this."

"It is not your way Uncle Mori. I am an American girl. I was born in the state of New Jersey to an American father and a Japanese-American mother. Did you know my mother was a naturalized American citizen? Even she is no longer Japanese in the legal sense. Daddy insisted on it."

"I see now why you were considered a rebellious child. You are quite impertinent."

"Well I can see why my stepfather would think so, though in his case it was normally how much foam ended up in his beer that I poured. Tell me Uncle Mori, do they whip girls in Japan if there is too much or too little foam in the beer that is poured?"

Mori Yakimoto sat for a second. "There are cases when corporal punishment is used to correct a child, certainly."

"To the point that bones are broken Uncle Mori?"

"Keishko, she worries about you. She is sick with worry," he said, changing the subject.

"Uncle Mori I do love my mother. But she is completely dominated by that man. She stood by and simply allowed him to abuse her own daughter and when abusing her daughter wasn't enough she allowed him to abuse her. She won't be forgiven for that. She could have stopped it; she could have thrown him out. It was our house we were living in anyway."

"It is not a woman's place to..."

"It is in America!" Cheri shouted.

"And you lower yourself even further child by addressing an adult in such a manner," Mr. Yakimoto said calmly.

Cheri sighed. "Uncle Mori I really do appreciate you coming all this way for a niece you've never met. I certainly don't seem to be one you can become overly fond of. I know, and everyone else knows, that mother sent you here. She thinks her rich brother can just show up and make things alright for her. Well it can't be done, at least not to her satisfaction. Now I don't know a whole lot about all the legalities of all this, what I do know is that my mother is legally unfit to be a parent. If she was to have another child the State of New Jersey wouldn't let her take it home from the hospital. That's a fact.