Owabi

The man who drove into Tod last week called to check up on him and asked if he could come to make a formal apology – owabi. Tod told him it wasn’t necessary, but of course it really was important to Ootusbo-san.
So today we invited him into our house and sat with him for a few minutes. I wasn’t sure what to expect; Tod hadn’t given me any sort of description of him. He is my age or maybe a few years older. His hair is short and simply cut; his skin is tanned from outdoor work. He wore all white, like a spiritual pilgrim: white pants, new white sneakers, a white cap and a white t-shirt with a heather blue sweater vest over it. He had his keitai tucked into his back pocket, with various colored straps and characters hanging from it.
I think he didn’t quite know what to expect, either. He came into the living room and commented on our stack of zabuton cushions. We put them to use, sitting on the floor at our low table. After presenting us with a box of rice crackers and dorayaki, Ootsubo-san gave us his account of the accident. He was driving back from a job in Kofu, Yamanashi prefecture, and exited the highway to escape the Friday evening congestion. In Otemachi, he turned at the intersection, then slammed on the brakes when his passengers all shouted “Abunai!” They had seen Tod in the crosswalk. Thank goodness he used the brakes. He asked several times after Tod’s various body parts, all of which are healing fine, and apologised to me for causing me worry and trouble.
After the sembei and the chat, Ootsubo-san passed Tod an envelope. “It’s really not much,” he began. Tod tried to refuse the money, but Ootsubo insisted. “It’s not about the money. It’s about my own feeling. Please accept it.”
Then he asked Tod if he could snap a photograph of the bicycle and explained that his car insurance company needed to see it so he could get the van fixed. He said they might call to verify the circumstances of the accident. Apparently Tod left a pretty big dent in the van. So Tod and Ootsubo-san went outside together, but only after Ootsubo-san gave us a deep bow and a pro forma “I have no excuse. I’m very sorry.” I think he really was glad that it all turned out alright.