The Frozen Heart

Excerpt:
Dappled sunlight fell in through the window, returning the warmth and light that the night had stolen. Alex Roberts frowned as he shielded his eyes. Damn it, why couldn't someone invent a dimmer switch for the sun? This shit of waking up to sunlight in his eyes still annoyed him, even after all this time.

Thinking back to the night before only worsened his mood. Just how much Sake had he drunk anyway? Come, to think of it, how the hell had he even made it home at all? The previous night was an entire blur, dim and hazier than he would have liked. His aching head made him wonder when he would learn to cut back on the booze.

Since being forced to move to Japan six months ago, Alexander had spent more time drinking than he had since his college days. This could not have been what his grandfather had in mind. His mind drifted back to the reading of Clayton, his late grandfather's will.

“To my grandson, Alexander I leave the bulk of my wealth, provided he meets one condition. He must relocate to my home in Komaki Japan, where he is to remain for no less than one year. Prove to me that you can follow through on one thing in your life and everything I own is yours.”

Clayton Roberts had left behind a huge estate, one that would have Alex set for life. All he had to do was stick it out here for two more months. How hard could it be?

True it had been a bit on the boring side, but at least there would be some excitement today. Apparently, every March 15th, Komaki had a huge celebration called Hounen Matsuri. Alex had no idea what it meant, but the entire town had been preparing all week, so it had to be a big deal for the town.

Stretching his lanky frame, Alex decided it was time to get ready for the day. A small tingle ran through him, something told him that today was going to be a day to remember.

He hurried through his breakfast and quickly dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt. Pausing, he glanced in the mirror before heading out the door. His reflection made him stop for a moment. Maybe the drinking really had been taking its toll on him. He'd lost more weight than he thought. Prior to his move to Japan, he'd been a bit on the bulky side, that had changed. Now, he was nowhere near as bulky. His normally vibrant eyes held none of their former luster, and the dark circles under them weren't what one would call attractive.

A frown creased his brow as he studied his reflection; he'd always hated those guys who looked angst-ridden. He shuddered at his appearance, that was it, no drinking tonight.

He stopped by the door and grabbed his shoes and a flannel shirt before dashing out the door. There was a party going on, he could worry about what he'd seen in the mirror later. The celebration was supposed to begin at Tagata Jinja, a Shinto temple. It was close enough, that there was no need to bother with a cab he could easily walk it.

The air was filled with the scent of baked goods and cherry blossoms; the very smell of the air was enough to lift his mood. How could one possibly be down or angry when the air itself was filled with cheer?

Passing people on the streets, Alex noticed that he was certainly not the only one in a good mood. The chattering of happy people filled his ears, bringing a true smile to his face for the first time since he arrived in Japan. The women in their silk kimonos drew his eyes. There were definitely parts of Japan that he liked. The women made up the majority of those parts. There was something about the long silky black hair and almond shaped eyes that drove him insane with desire.

As he approached the temple, he noticed something that stopped him in his tracks. Alex had done a lot of traveling in his life, seen countries that others had only dreamed of seeing. He thought he'd seen it all, obviously, he'd thought wrong. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of six drunken priests, reeling around trying to carry a two feet wide, six- foot long wooden penis.

Alex rubbed his eyes and then looked again. The sight was the same as before. It was definitely a wooden penis. Behind the priests stood a line of women, all of whom were carrying two- foot long wooden penises in their arms while dressed in their finest. He watched his mouth open in shock as the women wove in and out of the crowd, tapping people playfully with the penises. His shock deepened as a woman approached and tapped him on the head with the wooden phallus. She winked at him as she moved on to the person behind him.

Alex pinched himself sharply on his arm, no, he wasn't dreaming. Stepping closer he saw a rack of pamphlets, grabbing one he skimmed it. He wasn't seeing things, there really were dicks all around him.

Hounen Matsuri, he read, is a fertility festival. His mind reeled, since he'd come to this country he'd seen prim and proper people who did everything with a sense of decorum unlike he was used to. He damned sure couldn't imagine seeing priests carry a six foot long penis down the streets of San Francisco, that was for sure.

Ignoring the smaller print on the bottom of the pamphlet, Alex let it drop and with a grin made his way to the Sake vendors. This was definitely his kind of festival. What harm could one little drink do? It wasn't like he was planning to get falling down drunk, besides, it would be rude to not have one little drink with his new friends.