Title: Ten Yen Tokyo
Author: Christina St. Clair
Amanda Armstrong
ISBN: 978-1-62420-272-8
Genre: Spiritual Fiction
Excerpt Heat Level: 1
Book Heat Level: 2
TAGLINE
A fast-paced miracle story about a runaway mom who goes to Tokyo to find
herself, but discovers the strength of family and the power of love.
BLURB
Seagull wanted to soar just
like her namesake, didn’t she? When she heads to Tokyo in search of herself,
she is drawn into a world of mystery and miracles. Encountering many colourful
characters as she travels, she is caught up in a dark underworld that forces
her to question her scientific mind as well as her family values. Can Seagull
believe in the unknown and can she lay the ghosts of her past to rest so that
her future can begin?
EXCERPT
I can't believe
I'm doing this. What kind of person am I? Leaving my own baby behind and him
not yet two weeks old. It's not that I'm leaving him in a basket by the river,
or putting him in a fire truck and turning on the alarm to alert the firemen. I
am leaving him with a caring father who is gaga over him and four grandparents
who think he is the most precious baby they have ever seen. My mom and dad act
as if he's the reincarnation of the baby boy they lost.
Mom keeps hugging him and saying,
"You are so precious, so perfect," in a hushed voice. It makes me
wonder if she thought I was going to birth a kid with the sort of severe birth
defects her baby had. My brother. He
only lived a few hours after birth. I've not said a word to Mom about how I was
almost twenty years younger than she when she had Stephen and how her age might
have been part of the reason for his pitiful physical condition. I admit,
though, during my pregnancy, I did have a few pangs of fear and was glad when
the amniocentesis was okay. Lucas is thriving and healthy.
I simply cannot become gaga over him. When
I said I didn't want him during the pregnancy, everyone ignored me or patted my
back and told me not to worry. As soon as I saw him and held him against my
breast, they said I'd fall in love. But I knew I wouldn't. And I didn't. I
wanted a girl. In fact I want four baby girls who will love to dance and sing,
who will straighten one another's hair, who will giggle at night after I turn
the lights out. But now I'll not have any more babies, because what man will
want to bond with me if he finds out I abandoned my first child. And I want
honesty in my relationship. I don't want secrets between my man and me.
I could, I suppose, change my name. But
how will I manage that? Unless I really am the person behind the name, it will
be a big lie. I need to travel far away. I think I will go to the west coast,
maybe to Seattle. I could get lost in a big city easily enough where no one
will ever find me. I can keep my name and social security number and get a job.
Will John try to find me? Perhaps he'll
send the police after me. They might locate me. I'll have to leave a note
telling John I have left. Forever. Explaining my love for John wasn't enough,
and I have no love at all for this baby boy. I told John to name him whatever
he likes—he wanted me to choose, but I didn't care enough. I could not come up
with one single name—which is a sure sign of the depth of my feeling of, well,
disinterest. I am not interested in caring for this infant. He should have been
a girl and things might have been different.
How will I cope without my parents? They
will be so hurt, so worried, but they have my twin sister. She is not identical
but she is much more pleasant than I've ever been. A bit controlling maybe, but
usually no trouble. Me, I was always a rebel, always giving mom and dad grief.
I could change my name from the awful one they stuck with me that gave me
nothing but misery growing up. Seagull.
Can you imagine being called such a thing! I hated it as a child when other
kids would raise their arms like wings.
But now, I see, it was right for me. I am
Seagull. I am about to fly.
Oh yeah, my twin sister's name is Sarah.
Of course. She will, like the Biblical Sarah, have a baby she adores when she's
in her nineties. I suspect she may have quite a few sooner since she just
married Doug who is her dream guy. Okay, he's not an athlete, but she loves him
for his geeky glasses, his sweet smile, his puny arms.
My John is so macho, so masculine. He
matches me.
But I must fly. I must fly.
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