One
I was told that the house has not been occupied for twenty years just because a woman died there, she was found hanging in the kitchen from an apparent suicide.
A Jiko Bukken is a property where a murder, suicide or cases where the body was not found for a while took place. There is been an estimated of over a million Jiko Bukken houses in Japan and the numbers are growing each day.
Many are still eagerly waiting for new occupants.
Wallpapers start peeling from moisture, mold start forming in crevices, and a heavy musky smell hovered. It makes one wonder if that was the smell of death, lingering.
But beggers cant be choosers, I am a woman with little money and a past. With a baby in my belly, I have little to no choice.
See, for the desperate ones, Jiko Bukken is one of the cheapest in town. The houses are huge but the rent is small. Owners just want to get rid of it, for the curse comes down to their pockets, as no one wants them.
“So do you want it? I’ll send a guy to repair the walls for free. One month deposit only.” He was tapping his feet, just outside of the house. I saw a baby cot in the small room. It was made out of rattan, which swings side to side. My heart was set.
“I’ll take it. Tonight.”
I scrubbed the sink and the floors from the mold. I aired the mattress and curtains and change the lights to the brightest bulbs in the store.
The house is now a home. With its shadows of its past gone. Anytime now, the baby will be born. And just in time, I smiled.
I make homemade tofu to get by and sell them to vendors at the market. They love my tofu, it is the only thing I knew how to do from my mom. Every morning, I will take a taxi to travel to the market. I will wait there till all my tofu are collected and go home with a much heavier pocket. It was not much but enough to get by. The vendors started to give me extra because they saw how big my belly was getting.
“Good Morning, miss! We are here to repair the walls.” Two men appeared on my doorstep. They looked at me then around the house. I could already see they cant wait to start their work as soon as possible.
“Take all the time you need.” I said.
“We will be done by sundown.” They hurried to their task. Just as the sun sets, they were gone. I smiled at the new walls.
I turn on the radio while making a new batch of tofu for tomorrow.
“It’s been a while since the kitchen lights up in this house!” I looked up to the voice.
The kitchen window overlooks the pathway and standing there is a tall man with a smile on his face. He looked like he just returned from work. I saw his clothes were a bit dirty, I think from labor work.
“Oh are you my neighbor? I just moved here. I’m Tomie.”
“Call me Koki. I live two houses down. Welcome to the neighborhood! Let me know if you need any help.”
Just when I wanted to invite him in, he started to walk away and wave goodbye with a smile on his face. He must want to rest after a long day, I thought.
Finishing up the tofu, I heard light footsteps walking down the pathway. I saw an old woman with cane. She saw me looking up. “You must be new! It has been a while since I saw the kitchen light up in this house.” She looked around the house.
“Well apparently its been 20 years.”
“Has it been that long? Oh my! Well my house is at the end of the street. You have a good night, dear.” She walked away with the cane tapping along. I turned off the radio and I heard my next door neighbor humming. Gathering from the voice, its a lady lazily rocking in her rocking chair. This place sure feels like home to me already. I smiled.
