A client bought me omiage. It means travel memento. It was a sweet cake from an earthquake-devastated town. When I bit into it, the papery crust crackled, suddenly soft inside. He showed me photos of swollen roads and fallen homes. So sad, I said, and pushed more in my mouth.

Meredith McLean is an Australian writer now living in Japan. She has been published in magazines such as Aniko Press, Sojournal and Denizen’s Digest. You can visit her Linktree.