Blessings Come in Threes

By Fr Eamon Horgan SSC

Some years back, during my sojourn in Wakayaka-Kefl, Japan, for reasons I'll never know, I was asked by the Osanaki Iesusu-kai Sisters to teach a course in Comparative Cultures (Hika-ku-Bunkaron) to the young ladies of the senior class at the Shin-al Tankidai (Junior College), near Wakayama City. Taken by shocked surprise and unable to think up a quick enough excuse in self-defence, I reluctantly consented. For better or worse, depending on who is telling it, I was to occupy that 'stool' for the final three years of my Wakayama assignment.

Hard to describe the panic and feverish efforts that went into trying to find and assemble material that might be even slightly helpful in fulfiling the needs of the course. The Department of Education as part of it's 'Kokusaika' (Internationalisation) campaign of the time had recently been emphasising the need for young people to be introduced to cultures other than their own. Inexplicably, no guidelines or texts had yet been provided. I have no doubt that, when I started my researches, I was at least as unschooled in the subject as any of the young ladies I was about to 'educate'. However, Collier's Encyclopedia, the Internet and some NHK (Japan National Broadcasting) videos proved of substantial help in assembling what I hoped was a reasonably accurate body of information.

My first encounter with my young charges was awesome. Divided into three groups, all those about to graduate that year, no matter what their major, were required to take the course during a one hour class period each week. Thus each period saw what seemed like countless bright young well-groomed and neatly uniformed damsels arrayed in front of a visibly nervous and insecure 'sensei' (teacher). Just to get their attention while the home-room teacher called the roll was a formidable challenge. To launch them into discussion of ancient civilisations and cultures would have taxed the powers of the most choleric drill sergeant. However, an occasional few seemed interested in what their trembling 'professor' tried to convey. One young lady in particular was especially attentive. Indeed, somewhat to my dismay, she kept taking copious notes. She even asked a question — a rare occurrence in a Japanese abode of learning. I kept hoping she would not go to the trouble of checking my 'facts', for authenticity.

The second period brought more or less a repetition of the first. The only puzzling detail was the reappearance of my very diligent listener from the first period. Imagine astonishment, tinged a little with vanity, when the same young lady appeared in the same seat for the third period. Failing to contact her personally at week's end, I decided to next time round.

Came next week, and sure enough, there sat the young lady, for three sessions in a row, diligently jotting down what her puzzled, if somewhat flattered, tutor was endeavouring to expound..

This time, at the end of the third session, I managed to waylay my young admirer and compliment her on her application in attending all three sessions. 'Oh', she replied, laughing, 'those other two are my sisters. You see, we're triplets'! Well, what could I say? So obvious an explanation had never occurred to me.

The young lady promised to introduce me to her sisters. A week later she did. I had encountered identical twins and triplets before, but the resemblance between these three was startling. Not alone facially but in voice and even in mannerisms they really were indistinguishable..

Over the subsequent weeks we four became good friends. Along the way, during the opening semester, as I got to know my numerous charges better, I had invited any and all of them to visit in smallish groups my idyllic Ryüjin mountain home where, where, with consent of school and parents, they could enjoy a break from city and college life in reasonable comfort and in breath-taking scenic surroundings.

During the May Golden Week mid-term break my triplet friends accepted my invitation and found their way by train and bus to my Enchanted Valley. Clad in less formal attire, they were now easier to tell apart. Their enjoyment of the break was total. Much of their time was spent splashing in the sparkling waters of the crystalline river bounding the property, and later relaxing in Ryüjin Spa, one of three hot-springs, Japan-wide, (Nihon San BUm), supposed to enhance feminine beauty — for my three young guests, a totally superfluous feature. Ryüjin Tomo No le, 'Friendship House' provided comfortable accommodation and a chance for the young ladies to exercise their considerable culinary talents.

After two nights, refreshed and happy, they departed for home, and school.

Some days later the postman delivered a letter addressed in unfamiliar handwriting. It was from the girls' mother profusely thanking me for recently accommodating and entertaining her daughters. She followed her thanks with a very tragic story which had, however, a happy ending. Early in her marriage, her husband had died in a freak accident, leaving her pregnant with triplets. Her condition was proving difficult so her doctor reckoned that in her questionable state of health she could not safely continue the pregnancy to term. So he recommended that she abort at least two of the foetuses to make sure that one would be born healthy to a healthy mother. Outraged by the doctor's suggestion, she consulted with another gynaecologist who happened to be Catholic. He assured her that he would see her through to a safe delivery. The happy upshot - three healthy baby girls needing no incubation.

Though not Christian, the relieved mother resolved then that her daughters, from kindergarten upwards, would be educated exclusively in Catholic schools. She was never to regret her decision. Her living reward was my three comely and cultivated young visitors - happy proof of the wisdom of that decision. She would forever be grateful to the Catholic doctor for her precious girls and to the Shin-ai Sisters for helping her raise them as genuine young ladies who had never given her a day's trouble.

At school-year's end I was privileged to be a guest at the graduation party of my three young friends. There I met their mother in person for the first time. She proved to be exactly as I had imagined her.

The girls had already found employment with prestigious firms. To my keen regret and shame, I have not kept in touch with them or their mother since then.

I must do something about that.

Fr Eamonn Horgan SSC has served as a missionary in Japan since 1954.

[Far East Magazine]