"How are they always right?"
A small smile touched the corner of his mouth, but he kept his eyes on the path. "The world is older than people understand and layered in ways most never learn to see."
"But you see it?"
“I do, but others could. Human beings carry more than they understand. Their bodies know things the mind has not been told. A scent on the wind."
I smiled. “That’s funny.”
“What’s funny?”
“You say human beings like you’re not one.”
He snapped his view to me. “Did I?”
“Yes.”
“Just a simple mistake. Of course I’m a human being too.”
“Interesting.”
“What is interesting?”
“For some reason, I don’t think you make many mistakes.”
“I do.” He frowned. “Like just now.”
“Hmmm.”
He lowered his view to the soul pin that Reo had given me. “Now that’s even more interesting.”
I touched the pin. “Why is this more interesting?”
“When did Reo give you that?”
“Today.”
“And he told you what it represents?”
“His soul.”
“That’s an understatement.”
I parted my lips. “Then. . .what else does it represent.”
“When he was young, his mother died. He sat with her on the bed and held her hand and when she took her last breath, Reo took that pin from her dress and never let it out of his sight. All know this.”
“This is his mother’s pin?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t keep this.”
“He gave it to you.”
“But. . .this is too important to him.”
“Reo would never have that pin too far away which means he never plans for you to be too far away from him either.” Yoichi shrugged. “Look at it sort of like. . .the Roar marking you and telling everyone on this island that your voice is just as important as his roar.”
