Episode 4

Hyde drove into the rest area and parked the car under the shelter of a scant grove by a group of bushes. He stopped the engine, turned the headlights off and turned on the weak light inside the car.
He crawled awkwardly to the back seat, where his brother remained sitting.
“I’ll stay in your arms, Sakura… I can’t keep driving tonight. We’re running out of gas again, the next gas station is a little far and I’m out of money. I hope to get there tomorrow morning. I’ve your credit card, so don’t worry.”
Hyde curled himself on his brother’s legs and brushed his face on Sakura’s stomach.
“Say you love me, Sakura… say it, please.” Hyde supplicated crying. “You know you couldn’t get engaged with her… you know it. You know I wouldn’t let you do that. Just say you love me, and I’ll be able to sleep tonight… please, Sakura…”

Only silence wrapped the brothers-lovers. Only silence and darkness.

“Good night, Sakura...”

Daisuke was a robust man. Stout, sturdy... of olive skin and dark hair snowed in thin and greasy lines of gray.
Like every morning, he got up at four, he washed his face, shaved and walked out of his house in the back of the gas station to walk the short way to work.
He put some coins in the vending machine, waited a few seconds and took the warm can of coffee in his calloused hands.
The sun was barely peeking beyond the horizon.
Daisuke watched the same scenery he had been watching for years in solitude, and used to the silence of absences he turned on the TV, his only source of human company.
If it weren’t for that artifact, the world could very well come to an end without him noticing. He lit up a cigarette, uncapped his can of coffee and turned up the TV volume with the worn out remote control.
At that early hour there wasn’t much to choose from. He watched the same old show. The enka music show where perfect amateurs went on stage to sing their favorite traditional melodies. He had dreamed once of being a star… having, if only for a few minutes, the chance to be surrounded by glitter and glamour… and the clattering sound of applause. But there was the gas station… Who would take care of it if he decided to pursue his dreams?

Daisuke sat down and sipped his coffee slowly.
Far from waking him up, caffeine made his eyelids heavy, and the increasing summer heat sank him in a drowsiness that defied his perception to the point of not knowing if he was seeing the room or merely dreaming it.

The sound of a car engine panting in the distance woke him up. After all this years, Daisuke could hear a car kilometers away.

He straightened his clothes, and got ready to welcome the client with a smile.

Hyde got out of the car puffing out of breath.
“Good morning!” He greeted with unconcealed effort.
“Welcome. How can I help you?”
“Gas. Fill the tank. My brother is sick from the heat and we are on our way to the hospital. I’ve a credit card… I hope it’s OK… you know, this is an emergency.”
“Of course, of course.” Daisuke nodded and opened the car’s hood.
Hyde scratched his pockets looking for some coins. “I think I’ll buy a can of iced tea.” He said smiling. “It’s already very hot, and it’s only half past seven.”
“Oh, please, go ahead.” Daisuke smiled while he activated the loading system. He took a glimpse at the inside of the car, just for curiosity. The man sitting on the back seat, with his head hanging forwards and slightly bent towards the window, really looked bad.”
Daisuke took a couple steps towards the car and he stopped in revolt. The stench coming out of the car was nauseating.
“Boy… what are you carrying in that car? It smells horrible!”
“Oh!” Hyde was startled and hesitated for a moment. “It’s just that... we went hunting… yeah… hunting… and… well… the trip’s ruined… With this heat, maybe I should get rid of the game…”
“Hunting?”
“Well, er... fishing, actually...” Hyde answered nervously. “Will it be long? I’m worried about niichan.”
“No… it won’t be long.” Daisuke answered watching Hyde suspiciously. “Will your brother be able to sign the credit card receipt?”
“Eh... I think… yeah… I’ll ask him…” Hyde answered uneasily and he stood in between Daisuke and the car window.
The gas pump clicked indicating the conclusion of the loading process. Daisuke disconnected the hose and Hyde gave him the credit card. He watched anxiously as the stout man walked slowly to the counter inside the gas station cabin.

“I could sign for you, Sakura, you know I could... but this guy has set an eye on us. It’s better to flee. I’ll think of something later.” Hyde jumped inside the car and turning the ignition key, he pulled out at full speed towards the road. Daisuke came out of the cabin running as soon as he heard the engine, with the credit card on one hand and the telephone mouthpiece on the other.

“Son of a bitch! Come back here! This card is not valid!” Daisuke yelled uselessly, watching the yellow sedan disappearing in a cloud of dust along the road. He spat and cursed in irritation and went back to the gas station cabin where he started dialing the road police number.

“The pursuit of the yellow sedan used by 14-year-old Takarai Hideto to ran away still goes on. The young man who murdered his older brother Sakura yesterday when the latter was about to be engaged to his college girlfriend is still nowhere to be found. The police don’t seem to have clues as to his whereabouts, and it is highly suspected that the boy is heading west in a desperate attempt to escape...”

Daisuke dropped the mouthpiece while he watched, mouth gaping and incredulous, the news show on the TV screen.

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