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open and high。 The fragrance of the breeze； the tone of the light； the
tiny flowers in the grass； the subtle reverberations that acpanied
sounds： all these told me that autumn had e again； increasing the
distance between me and the dead with each cycle of the seasons。
Kizuki was still 17 and Naoko 21： for ever。
〃Oh； what a relief to e to a place like this！〃 Reiko said； looking all
around as we stepped off the bus。
〃Because there's nothing here；〃 I said。
As I led her through the back gate through the garden to my cottage；
Reiko was impressed by everything she saw。
〃This is terrific！〃 she said。 〃You made these shelves and the desk？〃
〃Yep；〃 I said； pouring tea。
〃You're obviously good with your hands。 And you keep the place so
clean！〃
〃Storm Trooper's influence；〃 I said。 〃He turned me into a cleanliness
freak。 Not that my landlord's plaining。〃
〃Oh； your landlord！ I ought to introduce myself to him。
That's his place on the other side of the garden； I suppose。〃 〃Introduce
yourself to him？ What for？〃
〃What do you mean 〃what for'？ Some weird old lady shows up in your
place and starts playing the guitar； he's going to wonder what's going
on。 Better to start out on the right foot。 I even brought a box of tea
sweets for him。〃 〃Very clever；〃 I said。
〃The wisdom that es with age。 I'm going to tell him I'm your aunt
on your mother's side； visiting from Kyoto； so don't contradict me。
The age difference es in handy at times like this。 Nobody's going
to get suspicious。〃
Reiko took the box of sweets from her bag and went off to pay her
respects。 I sat on the veranda； drinking another cup of tea and playing
with the cat。 Twenty minutes went by； and when Reiko finally came
back； she pulled a tin of rice crackers from her bag and said it was a
present for me。
〃What were you talking about for so long？〃 I asked； munching on a
cracker。
〃You； of course；〃 said Reiko； cradling the cat and rubbing her cheek
against it。 〃He says you're a very proper young man； a serious
student。〃
〃Are you sure he was talking about me？〃
〃There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that he was talking about
you；〃 she said with a laugh。 Then； noticing my guitar； she picked it up；
adjusted the tuning； and played Antonio Carlos Jobim's 〃Desafinado〃。
It had been months since I last heard Reiko's guitar； and it gave me
that old； warm feeling。
〃You practising the guitar？〃 she asked。
〃It was kicking around the landlord's storehouse； so I borrowed it and
I plunk on it once in a while。 That's all。〃
〃I'll give you a lesson later。 Absolutely free。〃 Reiko put down the
guitar and took off her tweed jacket。 Sitting against the veranda post；
she smoked a cigarette。 She was wearing a madras check short…sleeve
shirt。
〃Nice shirt； don't you think？〃 she asked。
〃It is；〃 I said。 In fact it was a good…looking shirt with a handsome
pattern。
〃It's Naoko's；〃 said Reiko。 〃I bet you didn't know we were the same
size。 Especially when she first came to the sanatorium。 She put on a
little weight after that； but still we were pretty much the same size：
blouses； trousers； shoes； hats。 Bras were about the only thing we
couldn't share。 I've got practically nothing here。 So we were always
swapping clothes。 Actually； it was more like joint ownership。〃
Now that she mentioned it； I saw that Reiko's build was almost
identical to Naoko's。 Because of the shape of her face and her thin
arms and legs； she had always given me the impression of being
smaller and slimmer than Naoko； but in fact she was surprisingly
solid。
〃The jacket and trousers are hers； too；〃 said Reiko。 〃It's all hers。 Does
it bother you to see me wearing her stuff？〃
〃Not at all；〃 I said。 〃I'm sure Naoko would be glad to have somebody
wearing her clothes … especially you。〃
〃It's strange；〃 Reiko said with a little snap of the fingers。 〃Naoko
didn't leave a will or anything … except where her clothes were
concerned。 She scribbled one line on a memo pad on her desk。 〃Please
give all my clothes to Reiko。' She was a funny one； don't you think？
Why would she be concerned about her clothes of all things when
she's getting ready to die？ Who gives a damn about clothes？ She must
have had tons of other things she wanted to say。〃
〃Maybe not；〃 I said。
Puffing on her cigarette； Reiko seemed lost in thought。 Then she said；
〃You want to hear the whole story； in order； I suppose。〃
〃I do；〃 I said。 〃Please tell me everything。〃
〃Tests at the hospital in Osaka showed that Naoko's condition was
improving for the moment but that she should stay there on a
somewhat longer…term basis so that they could
continue the intensive therapy for its future benefits。 I told you that
much in my letter … the one I sent you somewhere around the tenth of
August。〃
〃Right。 I read that letter。〃
〃Well； on the 24th of August I got a call from Naoko's mother asking
if it was OK for Naoko to visit me at the sanatorium。 Naoko wanted to
pack the things she had left with me and； because she wouldn't be able
to see me for a while； she wanted to have a nice long talk with me； and
perhaps spend a night in our flat。 I said that would be fine。 I wanted to
see her really badly and to have a talk with her。 So Naoko and her
mother arrived the next day； the 25th； in a taxi。 The three of us worked
together； packing Naoko's things and chatting away。 Late in the
afternoon； Naoko said it would be OK for her mother to go home； that
she'd be fine； so they called a taxi and the mother left。 We weren't
worried at all because Naoko seemed to be in such good spirits。 In
fact； until then I had been very worried。 I had been expecting her to be
depressed and worn out and emaciated。 I mean； I knew how much the
testing and therapy and stuff they do at those hospitals can take it out
of you； so I had some real doubts about this visit。 But one look at her
was all it took to convince me she'd be OK。 She looked a lot healthier
than I had expected and she was smiling and joking and talking much
more normally than when I had seen her last。 She had been to the
hairdresser's and was showing off her new hairdo。 So I thought there
would be nothing to worry about even if her mother left us alone。
Naoko told me that this time she was going to let those hospital
doctors cure her once and for all； and I said that that would probably
be the best thing to do。 So then the two of us went out for a walk；
talking all the time； mainly about the future。 Naoko told me that what
she'd really like was for the two of us to get out of the sanatorium and
live together somewhere。〃
〃Live together？ You and Naoko？〃
〃That's right；〃 said Reiko with a little shrug。 〃So I told her it sounded
good to me； but what about Watanabe？ And she said； 〃Don't worry；
I'll get everything straight with him。' That's all。 Then she talked about
where she and I would live and what we'd do； that kind of thing。 After
that we went to the aviary and played with the birds。〃
I took a beer from the fridge and opened it。 Reiko lit another cigarette；
the cat sound asleep in her lap。
〃That girl had everything worked out for herself。 I'm sure that'