The White Mansion Part One

 

 I often used to write facing the balcony and the only thing in view was the rear of a single gleaming white mansion house across the road.  I referred to this house as the ‘White Mansion celebrity house’ though I had no idea who actually lived there.  Whenever I walked past this house I studied its construction.  Access to the car parking area was via a stainless steel door like a large version of those used to secure shops.  I could tell at a glance that no expense had been spared in its construction and the place was designed with security firmly in mind with discrete cameras built in to cover every possible approach.  The front of the house could be viewed from the very bottom of the hill as it overhung a steep hillside and therefore had uninterrupted views.  I once saw a white Mercedes with blacked out windows drive out but that was the only sign I saw of what you might refer to as human habitation.  I never saw any rubbish bags or anything on the various collection days so I assumed it was only occupied when the owner was in Okinawa.

The house fascinated me and I began to fantasise about living in it by myself surrounded by the latest gadgets entertaining my friends and swimming in the pool when I felt in the mood.  I began to take walks in the evening and would make sure to walk slowly past the house several times taking in every detail.  I also took several digital pictures that I would blow up and enhance then slowly pan across the screen looking for any detail or flaw in the design that I might have missed.  I began to try to think of excuses for knocking on the door as more than anything else I wanted to have a look around the inside to see what kind of layout it had.  I imagined that it was full of excellent modern design classics combined with selected original art works arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way.  The owner was without question someone of impeccable taste.  I just couldn’t think of any good reason to knock on the door that didn’t sound like I was a stalker or a burglar.

It was while I had the house under surveillance that I became aware that I was not the only one who was interested in the house or more likely what or whoever was inside.  I began to see the same individual hanging around near the house or walking past it.  He or she was good but I soon switched my surveillance to them.  Whoever they were they might know more than me so I kept a close eye on them.  I tried to follow them a couple of times but they seemed to disappear as soon as I got anywhere near them.  In Okinawa it is relatively easy to disguise yourself completely as local joggers and dog walkers are often covered up from head to foot and wear full face visors.  Darth Vader could walk down the street and no one here would bat an eyelid.  So in the guise of a jogger with a severe UV aversion I set out to get nearer to the White Mansion stalker.

The first two sorties failed miserably.  No sooner had I spotted them they gave me the slip.  They obviously didn’t want to be seen by anyone.  I decided to increase the authenticity of my disguise by actually jogging.  I tried to do this at about the same time every day.  My plan was for them to ignore me and to get on with what ever they were doing.  I would then follow them and try to find out what they were up to.  After a couple of weeks of sweaty jogging I was getting nowhere and I thought they must have rumbled me for sure.  They seemed to have disappeared completely but I kept up my routine just in case they were observing me.  Somehow I was convinced that they knew I was on the look out for them.   I was beginning to think that I had failed again when I had a bit of luck.

It was a Tuesday afternoon and very hot I had been jogging as usual and had had a cold shower and changed clothes.  A café had recently opened near the apartment some time ago and I had been going there almost every day.  I was the only customer today and the owner was a well rounded Okinawan woman called Mina who was anxious to look after me as one of her regulars.  The coffee there was excellent and I sat reading Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami.  I have to be in the mood to read Murakami.  I went to the toilet and when I returned I noticed that there was another customer talking to Mina.  I sat down and picked up my book paying little attention to anything else. 

I drank some coffee and when I looked up I was surprised to see a very beautiful young woman standing in front of the table taking off a large pair of Gucci sunglasses.  The first thing I noticed about her was how thin and fragile she appeared and the fact that her eyes and hair were so black and her skin so pale that it was almost translucent.   I immediately thought of the legend of the snow woman.  She sat down at my without being asked.

‘Sorry, I need to talk to you.’ I looked at her more closely and saw that she was not wearing any makeup but her skin was flawless like ivory.

‘Do I know you?’ She looked surprised.

‘A lot of people know who I am but very few people know me.’

‘Well you have me at a disadvantage as I really don’t know who you are.’

‘I am known as Momo and I am a singer, TV presenter, and actress.’

‘I see.  I don’t really watch much TV and my interest in J-pop is almost non existent.’ 

I could see a slight look of disappointment in her eyes as I said this but fame really doesn’t mean much to me.

‘So you won’t listen to me?’

‘I didn’t say that, it’s just that I wanted to know who I was talking to before we started chatting.’

‘OK I guess that’s fair.’

‘As far as I am concerned you are just a stranger who has joined me for a coffee.  By the way are you having anything to drink?’ 

Without waiting for an answer I ordered two coffees from Mina who was hanging on every word.

We waited in silence until the coffees arrived which wasn’t very long at all.

‘Is it private enough for you here?’

‘Mina already knows all about it.  She suggested that I talk to you because she said you were a very calm and sensitive person and would know what to do.’

‘OK try me.  I can’t promise you that I can fix things for you but I’ll give it my best shot.’

‘Thank you.  Do you mind if I ask you your name?’

‘No, not at all I’m called Morris.’

‘Thank you Morris I think I can trust you.’

‘I hope so.’

‘The problem is that I think there is someone hiding in my house.’

‘OK, well isn’t that what the police are for.  You just call them up and they look around and take care of it.’

‘I don’t want to call the police.  If I do it will be on the front page tomorrow.’

 ‘Well that’s OK surely your publicists would love that.’

‘It’s not OK.  I think I know who it is and I really don’t want him to be arrested.’

‘Who do you think it is?  If you know who it is surely you can just have a quick word and the matters sorted out.’

‘It’s not that easy, he’s the sort of person who doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.  You could say he is a little obsessed with me.’

‘What is he some kind of stalker?’

‘Yes I’m afraid so.  If it is who I think it is then he used to work for me as my hair stylist.’

‘So what happened to him?’

‘When I stopped touring and moved into acting and presenting I no longer required his services and I had to let him go.  He was a bit upset to say the least.  I few months ago I started getting phone calls and anonymous letters saying strange things like I was in love with him but I was in denial.’

‘I take it you don’t love this man?’

‘Not at all was he a good hairdresser and that’s as far as our relationship went.’

‘So there was nothing that you can remember doing that might have given him the wrong message?’

‘Well I always said I loved what he did with my hair but I can’t remember anything else.’

‘OK I think I understand.  You just want me to come to your house and have a look around?’

‘Yes, that’s all I want really.’

‘What’s his name?’

‘Yukihiro Yenshin.’

‘Let’s go then.  By the way where do you live?’

‘I live in the white house just along the road.  Do you know it?’

‘Yes, think I might have passed it once or twice whilst out jogging.’ I smiled inwardly at my relatively good fortune.

I paid Mina and we set off for the white mansion which was about 10 minutes walk.  I have to admit I was quite excited to see inside and also hopefully meet the person I had been playing cat and mouse with these last few weeks.  I really didn’t know what would happen but I wasn’t particularly worried probably because I was thinking how dangerous could a hairdresser be.  What was he going to do threaten to give us a bad perm?

To be continued…….. hopefully………

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