Is there a classical text that inspired your writing?
My writing was not particularly inspired by a classical text but followed a similar design to Dido's Lament, a short story we read in class by Tessa Hadley following the reunion of two ex-lovers who parted ways. The story was based off of the tale of Dido in the Aeneid.
Were there other mythological stories you read in the class that give (or might in the future give) inspiration for other stories?
The text following the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice was wonderful both in plot and writing and could provide inspiration for other stories. I thought the general idea was captivating; a follow up to the tale (as shown in Orpheus Alone by Mark Strand) would be interesting to write.
starting out
Everything was a disaster, and there was nothing Jasmine could do about it. Standing in the middle of the airport near a sign she supposed read “baggage claim”, she was clutching her leather backpack strap, eyes flitting from person to person as she tried to spot Alex. The two had been split up in a crowded section of the airport while leaving the plane, and, given that Jasmine couldn’t read Japanese, she had no idea where she was supposed to be or how to get there.
Haneda Airport was well-run, there was no doubt, but it was crowded and not particularly amenable to non-Japanese speakers. Alex knew how to navigate the place, given her knowledge of Japanese and generally reliable sense of direction, but Jasmine didn’t. She had never been to Japan before, had absolutely no idea where she was going, and was thoroughly bewildered.
Of course, the two should have planned what might happen if they were accidentally split up, but they didn’t, and were now faced with a situation that wasted both time and energy. Jasmine scanned the crowd. No sign of Alex. Not even a glimpse of her dyed platinum-blonde hair, which should have stuck out in a crowd. With a growing sense of panic in her stomach, she tentatively approached the person nearest her. She was nervous, and didn’t want to make a fool of herself to someone who didn’t speak her language. But it was the only option she had.
“Excuse me,” she started, her voice barely audible. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Excuse me, do you speak English?”
The person stared at her, brows creased in confusion. Jasmine mustered an apologetic smile and left without a word, panicking despite her reassurances that it wasn’t a big deal. It was just an airport, after all, and her friend was bound to call at some point. But Jasmine didn’t have cell service at the moment, so they were stuck.
Nervous and discombobulated, Jasmine whirled around and only succeeded in knocking into the person to her left.
collision
It wasn’t a neat collision. It was an unglamourous crash to the floor, one that might involve a bruised tailbone or a ripped seam in one’s shirt. One that involves embarrassment from both the person standing and the one who fell. The girl was on her feet in an instant, as though her current defensive stance contradicted the fact that she had just been on the floor. He was apologizing over and over, but she didn’t seem to understand what he was saying. If she did, she took no notice of it. Her dark hair was coming out of its once-neat ponytail and her eyes flitted across the room, as if nervously scanning who had seen her fall.
It was a habit he knew only too well.
It couldn’t be true, but …
“Jasmine?” he asked, before he could stop himself.
Jasmine was a friend of his from college. Perhaps more than that. Shun had always liked her in a way that confused him, liked her in a way he had never liked anyone before. In fact, the main reason he moved to Japan was to get away from her and to redefine the hope that he would never see her again. Or so he told himself. The two had been in a relationship together, a relationship that ended before it had the chance to begin.
He glanced at her, assessing her quietly.
Jasmine looked harsher than she did in college, but only slightly. She looked just as small as before, but had a defensive air that was unfamiliar; an air that came with the inevitable hardships of life.
He wondered how she might view him. Whether she might relinquish her original impressions of him and start anew. But when he looked at her, he didn’t see the same person. All he saw was a person with a smile plastered on her face, eyes cold and unreadable. Her smile was fake, unrecognizable, unnatural. A smile that was nothing like the Jasmine he remembered.
“Shun!” She addressed him like she was greeting a close friend. The two of them had been anything but close at school. “It’s so great to see you!”
At least her voice remained the same, even if her tone was fake.
“How’s everything going with you?” she asked, reaching inside her purse for something.
He smiled back at her, but the corners of his mouth stretched uncomfortably. Unnaturally. “I’m doing pretty well. You?”
“I’m good! Just visiting here with my friend.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “What are you doing here, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Oh, I moved here just last year, actually.”
Her eyes widened. “To Tokyo?” Her voice was laced with shock, with surprise.
Shun had been reckless at school, complaining constantly about his relatives in Japan and describing his country none too kindly. They knew how much he hated it. Anyone would, if they heard him at school. And now he had moved here, and Jasmine was staring at him with her large brown eyes even wider than usual.
Shun nodded. “Yeah. Change of plans, I guess.” He resisted the urge to look at her, focusing his gaze on the wall across from him instead.
“Cool.” She paused, gaze averted. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah.”
She bit her lip, glancing at him again. “Why did you move here? I thought you hated it.”
“Family reasons.”
The lie was poised on his tongue, and slid off smoothly. He had thought up a reason a while ago, in case he ever experienced a situation such as this. There was always the voice in the back of his head, the reckless voice that insisted he tell her everything. It was always there, even at school, whenever they were talking or exchanging civilities.
But there was a sinking feeling in his chest today. The feeling of being unsatisfied, of wishing there was more substance to the conversation that he had dreamed of for a year now. A longing for things to be as genuine as they once were.
But as they parted, he couldn’t help but feel relieved.
leaving behind
Jasmine met up with Alex about fifteen minutes later as they finally received enough cell service to communicate. Her friend grinned at her, shorn white-blonde hair bouncing around her face. Jasmine smiled at her, but it felt forced. Unnatural. Just as it always did.
Meeting Shun was strange. As it should be, but this time seemed a little more forced than usual. They had started on unsteady terms and parted on worse, all because of Jasmine’s own insecurities and problems. She made him feel like she was indifferent towards him, like she didn’t care. But she did care. Just not in the way he wanted her to.
“Everything okay?” Alex asked. It was a courteous question, one that held little substance and only one correct answer. She said it lightly, carelessly, as though only half paying attention to her question and its answer.
Jasmine sighed inaudibly, but kept her smile. She didn’t want Alex to ask questions. “Yeah. Everything’s great.”