Woke around 0815. Got up and made tea. Did a bit of work at the computer, anticipating a call from Aki, but she sent text message to say she was at her mum's bedside and might be some time. I made a packed lunch and set off for west London again around 1100. Not too busy out there, but sat nav took me by a circuitous route, avoiding a couple of traffic blackspots. Stopped at Tesco on the A312, and picked up a coffee from the drive-in Starbucks round the corner. Also managed to get some more petrol...I'm good for 300 miles! Got a text message around 1330 from Aki saying her mum had gone. The photo to the left was taken yesterday. Very sad...it seems she had waited it out for as long as possible so that Aki could fly over to say her goodbyes. Aki was lucky enough to spend a good six or seven hours with her in her room this afternoon, but had nipped back to the flat in the evening to have some dinner when the call came from the Care Home.
Nobaru met Aki at the Care Home, and Toshiko was washed and dressed before being put in a casket and driven to the flat Aki is staying in nearby. Aki said she had gone ahead of the casket to organise the bedroom to help accommodate her mum when a strong earthquake struck, sending alarm messages to her iphone to evacuate the building! She went downstairs to help walk her mum in to find it pouring with rain outside...Shakespeare couldn't make it up!!! Anyway, her mum is now at peace in the flat and Aki will spend a last night or two with her in Chiba before the cremation is organised. Aki sounded pretty good on the phone...very accepting of the turn of events, and let's face it, it was our hope that her mum would pass while Aki was nearby. I finished inspections at 1700 and headed back home through appalling traffic. I was forced to take a detour through Greenford, and didn't get in till gone 1830. Cooked some vegetables and warmed my fish pie in the microwave, and joined the Tower Theatre BHM gig zoom meeting with knife and fork in hand. David appeared briefly to say hello, but he was at the theatre, having forgotten that he was watching a production of Carmen tonight! Kess the keyboard player dialled in from his local barbershop, where he was sat in the barber's chair having a trim! So we didn't get much done...don't know where everyone else had got to! Learning there songs, I hope! Aki called as I was running my bath. She was up making a morning tea, and showed me Toshiko lying in state in a white casket in the bedroom, a small shrine positioned above her head with incense, a Buddhist bell, and some family photos. She looked very at peace.
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