Friend Lost in Japan

It was the our final night in japan we had been on the train most of the day and the whole group was tired. We had just gotten off the Shinkansen, (Japan’s bullet train) ad arrived in Tokyo the whole group was tired and ready to quickly leave and get to our hotel. The whole group moved quickly going through the train station and then into the streets moving pretty fast, right, left,left, right was the way to our hotel from the train station not too far but enough so that is someone was left behind they wouldn’t know how to reach the hotel. We reached the lobby and we started to wait to get our room keys. Something was off however I had a weird feeling that we were missing someone, I kept on looking over the group over and over I was trying to see who was there and who wasn’t. Finally my friend came over and goes you notice someone is missing I agreed with him and we kept looking over the group trying to find out who it was we knew the group consisted of 12 kids but no matter how many times we counted we came up with 11. We still had no clue as to who was missing, and we hoped that someone would come out of the restrooms and we kept checking to see if anyone else knew. We started joking around would anyone notice if we didn’t say anything it didn’t look like it. Finally after awhile we finally figured out who it was Keyliah the one who was always behind and late this was not new of her but a trend, she would constantly wander off and get lost. We decided since we now had a name to inform the chaperones now handing out our room card that we were missing Keyliah, to which one of our chaperones Davis now chose me and another boy Michael to go run off with him down the streets and to find her.

We exited the building at a brisk pace it was approaching 9 so it was cool out but not cold, the smell of everything was different from before the streets more empty. It was a clear night and the sounds of the city and traffic all blended together into one noise as we ran. And the smell a mixture of car fumes, food and people it was amazing. As we ran I hadn’t felt more alive but also saddened as I realized that I would soon be leaving Japan. My time in Japan had been an interesting adventure of fun, sadness, struggle, and friendship in which connections to people where made and broken and lasting times will always be remembered in my heart. Now as we ran I teared up some knowing that soon this would all end one of the greatest times of my life while also being one of my darkest.

I didn’t have time to think through all these thoughts as suddenly we were at the train station and there she was , standing with this big grin on her face as we approached not worried in the slightest about being alone in a huge city, she trusted that we would come back to her. On our walk back we found out that Louie my friend that had come up to me about not seeing someone, had seen her stuck at a turnstile but decided to wait and see how long it would take before anyone would notice. While we joked about it on the way back I couldn’t help but think how I would have reacted in a similar situation, who knows it never happened.

My mind now goes back to that time the problems I faced then the friends I lost and my experience gained through that experience. Good or bad all the experiences there have improved me as a person and helped form who I am today. I will never forget Japan and the people there and I will also never forget Keyliah’s grinning face as we came up to her to take her back to the hotel.