A lover with Japanese, he is from Pakistan

It was Saturday night. That must have been 20 years ago. Late that evening, I was on the train. On the train on my way home from work, I was a little drunk because of a party with my colleagues that day.

I got on the usual train at Nagoya Station and headed to Gifu, where I live. Nagoya is the third largest city in Japan, so many foreigners also live there. After the train had been running for about 15 minutes, the number of passengers on board became thinner.

“Is there a hotel I can stay at in Gifu?”

A young man near me spoke to me. He wasn't Japanese.

Normally, I would just answer the question briefly and call it a day. After all, my commute to work takes four hours every day. That's why if I talk for a long time, I'll arrive home late.

But this day was different. I was drunk and feeling liberated. I felt relaxed. So I wanted to have a little talk with this young man. I started chatting with him.

“I’m coming to Japan from Pakistan,” he said. I didn't know if he was in this country for his job or to study abroad.

Apparently his girlfriend lives in Gifu. So he had made an appointment to meet her. The date was scheduled for the next day, Sunday, so he had to stay alone at a hotel that day.

When the train arrived at Gifu Station, we got off the train.

There are many hotels near Gifu Station, but in order to find one that has a vacant room, you must first look up the hotel's phone number in the telephone directory and then call and ask. After all, that was 20 years ago. I didn't have a cell phone yet, and the Internet wasn't as developed as it is now.

There was a house near Gifu Station where my parents lived. For now, I decided to take him there. My parents were surprised when I suddenly brought a Pakistani with me late on Saturday night. Mother served us tea.

I looked up the hotel's phone number in the phone book and called to see if there was a room available. Fortunately, I quickly found a place for him to stay for the night.

He wasn't fluent in Japanese, and I didn't speak his native language. So I didn't know the details. However, I understand that his girlfriend seems to be Japanese, that he encountered her in Tokyo or somewhere, and that they have arranged to meet in Gifu.

Then my father drove the car and I took him to the hotel. It was almost 12 o'clock at night. He thanked me and left us.

I don't know what happened after that. It is unclear whether he was able to successfully reunite with his girlfriend who lives in Gifu. However, I was feeling a bit good because I could help him with his international romance.