Obon

 This is my story: I came back to Okinawa in August of 1990. We went to visit oji the 2nd of September but found him unresponsive, he just passed away while oba was gone for an errand to the store. The next few weeks the family was busy with all the traditional prayers and burial activities. Oji's ashes was sent to Miyako where they originally from and where the Chonan still lives Then everything was back to normal. I was in Okinawa straight until 2006 but never went to Miyako during obon. When I moved to California then visited Miyako the first time but never visited my Oji's tomb. The next summer I came back to Okinawa there was a feeling of I should go back to Miyako. I went to buy a ticket and the date I wanted was sold out and got the day before instead. When I arrived in Miyako, I rented a car and went straight to the hostel where I have a reservation. My cousin the Chonan met there and asked me if I wanted to come with him in his house and offer my prayer reminding me that I arrived on my Oji's death anniversary which I totally forgot the date. A co incidence why I did not get the date of the ticket I wanted? Anyway, I went to offer my prayers and afterwards we planned to visit the ohaka the next day after his work.  The next day since I have a free whole day I thought I will drive around Miyako. Since I was there the year before and has seen places I thought I will visit the museum this time. Basing the drive from the car rental magazine I configure my gps. As I drove some of the roads were familiar and I actually passed the Botanical Garden where our Taira family has a historical monument. As I passed that area farther, the gps instructed me to turn right. I ended up in a small street entering an area of tombs and at the end the street was blocked. I made a uturn and used the printed map. Continued on the main street before the gps asked me that right turn. I continued on and found the museum but it was close on Monday :( Before I drove back I fixed the GPS back to the hostel as I have to meet my chonan cousin to visit oji's graveyard. As I left the museum and driving back, the gps instructed me to turn left which I did. As I turned I was back in the same street with the tombs so I made a uturn, took a picture of the big rock with some writings ( my kanji is limited to 3rd grade so I could not read ) Since I have a couple of hours left, I went to the car rental and requested to change car as this car's gps is not accurate. They explained to me that the gps signal is all the same, it is coming from the sky station. I showed them the picture I took where it asked me to turn twice when the  street has blockage. Everyone got quite and told me they can not change my car. I went back to the hostel and waited for my chonan cousin. When he arrived I offered to drive and he can give me the instruction where to go. We stopped at the Supermarket to buy flowers and drinks offerings and back to the road. Few minutes later as he was giving me the road way, we ended up in a familiar road. With the hairs on my arms now all standing I asked, " is the tomb on the right side of this street? " He asked me how did I know? Told him I have been here twice this morning, the car gps told me to turn this way. As we entered the place, my oji's tomb is just the second line where I made both of my uturn. I cried like a baby, (I am in tears as I am typing this now) how I never visited him of all the 15 years of obon I was in Okinawa. Since then I include Miyako in my annual Okinawa trip.