The man we call "Hero"

Good day, mate!
This is Kubota, from Kugajuku, Kamiitabashi.
Yes I know I have posted my blogs in Japanese, but for this one, I prefer using English… 'cause this article is about the man I met in Australia.
His name is… well for now, let's call him Peter.
As I mentioned, he is like a hero to me, so let’s just go with the name of Spiderman, shall we?

I first met him in Australia when I was 23.
I was kind of bold at that time… So bold that I even decided not to do a job hunting but to go abroad and live there for a year.
In Japan, it is really important to find a job as soon as you graduate from uni. I don’t know the reason, but that is what it is! So I decided to take a working holiday visa and go to Australia. I googled a lot, and I thought, “Hmm… living in Sydney or Melbourne also sounds fun, but it doesn’t feel like me… I want to choose somewhere else… not too country-ish, but not too city-ish… Perth! Perth, it is!” That was one of my smartest ideas I ever thought, I think.

Before my departure, my dad tried to gather some information about Perth, and gave me an opportunity to talk with someone who was born in Perth and lived in Japan at that time. And that man introduced me to his friend, who actually was living in Perth. That was Peter, and just after I texted him, he offered me to be a host family for a while.
Hey isn’t it unbelievable? He had never met me, and he even barely knew me, but he offered that!!
He welcomed me at the airport with his son on the first day of my journey. He gave me a room, food, everything I needed at that time. He helped me to open a bank account, and to contract a phone, to find a place to live, to get a job… almost everything I got was thanks to him!

But this is not the only reason I call him “Hero.” He is the kindest and the gentlest man on earth, I think. Every time he tried to speak with somebody, the way he speaks was just beautiful. With a clerk at the cellphone shop or a banker, a lady on the street who asked us to take a photo… he always says things like “Beautiful!” “Sweet!” “Lovely!” “Gorgeous!” “Wonderful!”

I have never seen such a man who uses this amount of compliments while talking. Even if the other person is a bit rude!
He says it like he’s breathing. Instead of saying just “sure” or “okay,” he says “Thank you!” “Great!” “Lovely!” and that really impressed me. Nobody gets hurt when they get these kind of words, right?
From these experience, I secretly called him a “Hero” in my mind.

But as I wrote in the title, now “we” call him a hero. Who’s the other person calling him that? My mom.
My parents once visited me in Perth, and Peter took care of everything while they were there. He offered a comfortable home, a car to drive around, and took us to many famous places. One day, we visited a beautiful sand dune. We could enjoy sand skiing there, and we decided to try that. My mom was so scared to slide down, so when we cheered her to try, she screamed and could not move for a while. At that time, we heard something. A couple near us found that screaming annoying, and a man complained about it. My mom couldn’t understand English, but she sensed something uncomfortable was happening, so she apologized and went down the hill with her sled (but still screamed and it was quite funny).
It was not only us screaming there, because that was a major attraction and everybody was screaming and shouting while enjoying! But that man actually made me feel bad. Well, if you were there, what would you do? I think many people choose not to do anything.

But that is not what Peter does. He stood up, and talked to the man with a gentle smile, “Sorry sir, is anything bothering you?” The voice has no aggressive tone. I and my parents got a bit nervous. Usually in Japan, when we face that kind of situation, we just ignore it or even say sorry and leave the place quickly even if we are pretty sure we do nothing wrong.
I know it is better if I could do the same thing, but I didn’t know how to deal with that situation without hurting somebody's feeling. However, Peter did! He talked with the man for a while, and explained that my mom was enjoying just like others so she didn’t deserve any complaint behind her back. The talk continued a bit, but at last the man said “Alright” and left there.

I’m sure it was not comfortable for Peter to do that, but he said “Thank you sir, I appreciate that.”

WHAT!?!? I couldn’t believe my ears. I explained my mom what just happened, then she said, “He… he is a hero,” and thanked him in English.  Yes that was a moment I and my parents started to call him a real hero.

The reason why I’m writing this is… my parents are going to Australia today!
He asked my parents to visit there and planed a LOT of things to do for them for 2 weeks straight.
I cannot believe such a man does exist, but he does, and he is waiting for my parents in Perth right now. He messaged me,” Don’t worry about your parents while they’re here. I will look after them very well.” I replied, “I am pretty sure you will, so there's nothing to worry about!”

This is the story of the man we call “hero.”
He’s a great man, and a dad, and a husband.
I hope I will visit him one day and thank him as much as I can!