Wayside - 1920s Japan Dramedy

"We're throwing out these shoes right now! A pair of sullied shoes is as good to a woman as a man with no job." Missus Morris dangled the bag carrying Yuko's ruined poop-stained shoes as far away as her pudgy arms would allow her.

Yuko had to hold back a laugh as they climbed the minimal flight of stairs to the Palmer House lobby, Missus Morris' round cheeks red and puffy as her short legs toddled their way past Chicago's finest.

"And to think, after spending over fifty dollars on a new pair from their store they couldn't even be bothered to take these off our hands. Excuse me-!"

Yuko's hand flew up to her face on instinct, her tiny palm fruitlessly trying to shield herself from Missus Morris' growing number of onlookers.

A sigh of relief left her chest once the poor pageboy turned and left with her smelly shoes in one hand - the other pinched his nose.

"Oh Yuko, the world today." Missus Morris shook her head as the pair were led into the dining area. "I'm getting much too old to be walking here there and everywhere. Oh! I forgot to ask you-"

She grabbed Yuko's hand once they were seated.

"Did those children on the street take anything from you?"

"No of course not!"

Yuko was shocked Missus Morris had the gall to even consider something so awful. Hadn't she seen those poor children's faces? Their shaking bodies? They wouldn't have the strength to ward off even a butterfly!

"I'm not trying to fault them." Missus Morris pat Yuko's hand from across the table. "Heavens, I wouldn't even blame them! So many children have lost their way before they even had a chance to find it in the first place. The parents are to blame, of course. Most prefer paying a premium for a bottle instead of food for a child's belly. The world today - disgraceful!"

Yuko locked eyes with the waiter who came to take their menus and fill their glasses, a lanky young man with skin as tan as her own. She thought him very handsome and would have loved to ask him where he was from, but the older woman's animated babbling scared him away as soon as their menus were in his hands.

Yuko remained wholly silent for their entire meal, simply smiling her plastered smile and nodding her head at all of Missus Morris’ woes and opinions.

“I wholeheartedly agree with your aunt Yuko! Forgive me, but your father did shell out quite a bit of money for you to be here. You should find a man to repay him!”

It was humiliating, and when Yuko was asked a question rather than thrown an unsolicited jab in the heart, she could only muster up one-word replies.

She had decided that was all Missus Morris was worth.

The walk back home should have been brief and uneventful. It was, until Missus Morris insisted they turn a corner three blocks too early to avoid a group of rowdy working men paving a sidewalk.

“The last thing you need is any more of those,” She sniffed.

But alas, the world seemed to be at odds with Missus Morris and in Yuko’s favor, because the next corner they turned, the pair stumbled into an even larger mess of construction with an even rowdier group of men.

It didn’t take long for the hoots and whistles to travel through the site once Yuko came clear into view.

“Heavens above, Yuko,” Missus Morris huffed, picking up her pace and grabbing the younger woman’s shoulder with an iron grip. “This - this is your sign to listen to your aunt and snatch a good man!”

Yuko hummed and gave a light nod. She was too embarrassed to keep her head up in front of these men, let alone speak! So many words she didn’t understand were being howled her way, and for once Yuko didn’t want to know what these English words meant - it didn’t take a genius to gather they were filthy and of no use to her studies.

Her cheeks were on fire, and she was ashamed to admit that more than anything or anyone, Yuko wished for Alfred’s help.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two women at last reached the next corner to cross the street.

“Come along, dear.” Missus Morris began her escape to the next block with Yuko’s wrist in hand, only for an automobile to speed past just short of their noses. “Gracious!”

Yuko was certain the entire city could hear Missus Morris in her state of surprise. Turning her head to cough away the motor fumes, a familiar face caught her eyes. “Alfred?”

Yuko tried to hold back the joy in her voice, but from the wide smile slowly snaking across Alfred’s dirty face as realization overcame his doubts, she knew it was a lost cause.

“Yuko? Is that you? Yuko, what are you doing here?” Alfred’s smile left just as quickly as it came. He grabbed her hands as if they were a treasure he had lost long ago. What on earth was she thinking, waltzing down a street crawling with construction workers? Alfred would sock every single one of them in their disgusting mouths if he ever got the chance.

“And what are you doing, sir?” Missus Morris yanked Yuko aside. “She may be a foreigner but she's still well above your pay grade, make no mistake about that!”

“Missus Morris, please!” Yuko begged as a crowd of curious workers collected around them.

“I’m not stupid, lady.” Alfred held up his hands in defeat and laughed. “I know a gal out of reach when I see one. It was clear as day the moment we met!”

Yuko felt her heart twist at Alfred’s nonchalance. He wouldn’t even give her a chance?

“It was you that night!?” Missus Morris’ cheeks puffed up to a beet red. “Well, I never-! Yuko, come along.”

Yuko pulled her arm away from Missus Morris’ grip, her shoulder bumping into Alfred’s chest. “No, please, just let me-” Missus Morris crossed her arms and shot her a knowing look.

With wobbly knees and burning eyes, Yuko mustered one last look at Alfred, and in a voice only he would hear, she pleaded.

“Alfred, I want to see you again. Please-”

Don’t walk away from me. Don’t put me on a pedestal.

How on earth could the world be so cruel? Why couldn’t she ever have the man she wanted?

“You want to see me again?” Alfred’s usual chirpy tone broke Yuko out of her daze.

She nodded and, after quickly ripping off a pearl earring and pressing it into Alfred’s gray, dirt-stained palm, Yuko was led away to city streets less sullied.