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I stepped off the train, into the busy Japanese station. I could not see ten feet in front of me, for there were so many people. “Grandmother?!” I yelled. “Grandmother?!” Then I heard in the distance, “Koa?!” It was her. I started off in the way I heard my grandmother’s voice. “Koa?” KOA?!” There! My grandmother was hobbling toward me, looking flushed. “There you are! I’ve been searching high and low for you!” “Grandmother, I just got off the train!” I said puzzled. “I know, but these trains are so busy, I could have lost you in seconds!” she explained. “Now let’s get going, or another train will come.” My grandmother was a sweet, old lady. She had long silky black hair that was always tied in a bun. Her eyes, full of life, were a dark chocolaty brown. She always wore one of her traditional Japanese kimonos. My grandmother led me out of the bustling train station, into the morning streets of Fuji. The tall Mt. Fuji was looming ahead, its snowcap glistening in the sun. “It looks beautiful this morning,“ I said to my grandmother. “Yes, but the snow is melting, and our creek has flooded,” she replied. As we headed up the road toward the summit and grandmother’s house, something caught my eye. It was a new shop on the main road. “What’s this?” I asked. “Oh! I must have forgotten to tell you! Someone has set up a new craft store; they give origami lessons,” my grandmother stated. A new shop? Origami lesson? I hadn’t heard about origami since Grandfather died! I wonder if Grandmother will take me while I’m staying… “Come along, Koa, we must get home before I starve!” When we reached Grandmother’s house, she immediately went to fix us a lunch of dried fish and rice. While she was cooking, I was setting the table. My grandmother had one small, low-to-the-ground table that had no chairs. She always said that was how her father ate. “Finished!” I heard my grandmother call from the kitchen. She came in carrying a wooden tray filled to the brim with fish. “Fuji has changed since your last visit, Koa, “my grandmother said. “Yes, have you been into that new store?” I asked. “No, would you like to go tomorrow?” she asked. “Of course!” came my reply. After we finished the lunch of dried fish, my grandmother and I walked down to her creek. It really used to be a beautiful setting. But now, now it was overflowing with melted snow. The creek did that every year in the spring. The melt water really made the ground soft, so my grandmother and I took off our shoes. “Koa, would you like to see something?” my grandmother asked. “Sure, what is it?” I replied, wondering what on earth my grandmother might have brought with her. “Watch,” she said as she pulled out her kimono’s sash a small slip of paper. “Mr. Zagatowi, the man who opened up that new origami shop, showed me how to do this,” my grandmother said, folding the paper’s corners. She made sure to really crease them. Then she started folding the paper long ways and short ways, up and down, this corner to that corner, all until she had an elegant small paper crane. “Grandmother! I had no idea you had such talent!” I cried. “Like I said, Mr. Zagatowi taught me how to do this,” she replied. I asked her, “Do you think he will show me how to make a crane?” “That, and so much more!” was her reply. The next day Grandmother brought me down to the origami craft shop, where we were greeted by Mr. Zagatowi. “Hello, and welcome to my store! Would you like any lessons?” he asked Grandmother and me. “My grandson would,” she said. “Then let’s get started!” Mr. Zagatowi exclaimed. “What would you like to make?” I looked at my grandmother. “Tell him, “ she said. “I would like to learn how to make a crane!” I burst out. I was so excited, I could hardly hold it in. “Ahh, just like your grandmother,” Mr. Zagatowi said. “First you have to decide on what kind of paper to use. Thick or thin?” “What’s the difference?” I asked. “Well, the thick is sturdy, but doesn’t fold as easy. While the thin is easy to fold, yet is quite flimsy,” he informed me. “Thin,” I decided. “Good choice, the paper crane requires many folds. Thin is the better way to go,” Mr. Zagatowi said. After that, Mr. Zagatowi took my grandmother and me to one of the tables sitting off to the side. “Sit down,” he said. “I’ll show you how to do this one-on-one!” “Neat,” was all I could get out. “Okay, first you need to fold your paper in half,” he instructed. I did so, carefully lining up the corners. “Now, unfold it and crease it in half the other way.” I did that, too. “Fold your paper from corner to corner,” Mr. Zagatowi explained. I did so, but as I was creasing the thin sheet, it ripped. “That’s okay the thin paper does that sometimes. Here,” he said, handing me a new sheet, “try it again.” I did everything Mr. Zagatowi told me to do, but again my paper ripped along the crease. “Grandmother!” I said, frustrated. “How did you do this so easily?” “Why don’t you try the thicker paper, Koa?” she replied. “Okay, Mr. Zagatow, one thicker sheet of paper, please!” I said. “Yes sir!” he said, handing me a new, thicker sheet. “Now do everything I told you, then wait.” I did. “Then unfold it from that cornered position and stop.” Which I did. “Fold the paper cornered up the other way.” My paper wasn’t ripping! “I thought you said thinner paper was better!” I exclaimed. “Well, I wanted you to learn on your own,” Mr. Zagatowi explained. “Now, lay the piece of paper with the creases up. Yes, like that!” he continued. Hey, I was getting pretty good at this! “Now point the opening of the paper toward the left and fold the corner toward the center line,” he instructed. I did exactly as he said. “And repeat that step with all the other sides.” My paper was getting smaller and smaller. “You need to fold that top flap down now. Then do the same thing on the other side.” The sheet was turning into a tiny triangle. “Now open everything up, and lay it flat!” Mr. Zagatowi said. “Then you need to lift the bottom end of your triangle.” “Yes sir,” I said. “And repeat the last two steps on both sides,” he continued. I did as he told me to do. After that Mr. Zagatowi had me fold in four flaps to the center line, and fold my almost-crane onto one side. “Now let’s see your crane,” he said. He took it and held my folded sheet to where three of his fingers were pressing on it. He just pushed them in, and presto! My crane was complete! “Grandmother! Look! We did it!” I yelled happily. “Yes, you did! You must show your mother when you get home,” my grandmother congratulated me.
Paper Crane
Antagonist: Koa Protagonist: Koa Climax: Koa deciding to use the thick paper. Point of View: 1st Percon Type of Conflict: Person Versus Self Theme: Never Give Up/Perservere
