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When I handed her the glass； Reiko filled it to the brim and set it on
the stone lantern in the garden。 Then she sat on the veranda； leaning
against a pillar； guitar in her arms； and smoked a cigarette。
〃And now could you bring out a box of matches？ Make it the biggest
one you can find。〃
I brought out an economy…size box of kitchen matches and sat down
next to her。
〃Now what I want you to do is lay down a match every time I play a
song； just set them in a row。 I'm going to play every song I can think
of。〃
First she played a soft； lovely rendition of Henry Mancini's 〃Dear
Heart〃。
〃You gave a recording of this to Naoko； didn't you？〃 she asked。
〃I did。 For Christmas the year before last。 She really liked that song。〃
〃I like it； too；〃 said Reiko。 〃So sweet and beautiful 。。。〃 and she ran
through a few bars of the melody one more time before taking another
sip of wine。 〃I wonder how many songs I can play before I get
pletely drunk。 This'll be a nice funeral； don't you think … not so
sad？〃
Reiko moved on to the Beatles； playing 〃Norwegian Wood〃；
〃Yesterday〃； 〃Michelle〃； and 〃Something〃。 She sang and played
〃Here es the Sun〃； then played 〃The Fool on the Hill〃。 I laid
seven matches in a row。
〃Seven songs；〃 said Reiko； sipping more wine and smoking another
cigarette。 〃Those guys sure knew something about the sadness of life；
and gentleness。〃
By 〃those guys〃 Reiko of course meant John Lennon； Paul McCartney
and George Harrison。 After a short breather； Reiko cr ushed her
cigarette out and picked up her guitar again。 She played 〃Penny Lane〃；
〃Blackbird〃； 〃Julia〃； 〃When I'm 64〃； 〃Nowhere Man〃； 〃And I Love
Her〃； and 〃Hey Jude〃。
〃How many songs is that？〃
〃Fourteen；〃 I said。
She sighed and asked me； 〃How about you？ Can you play something …
maybe one song？〃
〃No way。 I'm terrible。〃
〃So play it terribly。〃
I brought out my guitar and stumbled my way through 〃Up on the
Roof〃。 Reiko took a rest； smoking and drinking。 When I was through；
she applauded。
Next she played a guitar transcription of Ravel's 〃Pavanne for a Dying
Queen〃 and a beautifully clean rendition of Debussy's 〃Claire de
Lune〃。
〃I mastered both of these after Naoko died；〃 said Reiko。 〃To the end；
her taste in music never rose above the sentimental。〃
She performed a few Bacharach songs next： 〃Close to You〃；
〃Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head〃； 〃Walk on By〃； 〃Wedding Bell
Blues〃。
〃Twenty；〃 I said。
〃I'm like a human jukebox！〃 exclaimed Reiko。 〃My professors would
faint if they could see me now。〃
She went on sipping and puffing and playing： several bossa novas；
Rogers and Hart； Gershwin； Bob Dylan； Ray Charles； Carole King；
The Beach Boys； Stevie Wonder； Kyu Sakamoto's 〃Sukiyaki Song〃；
〃Blue Velvet〃； 〃Green Fields〃。 Sometimes she would close her eyes
and nod or hum to the melody。
When the wine was gone； we turned to whisky。 The wine in the glass
in the garden I poured over the stone lantern and replaced it with
whisky。
〃How's our count going？〃 Reiko asked。 〃Forty…eight；〃 I said。
For our forty…ninth song Reiko played 〃Eleanor Rigby〃； and the
fiftieth was another performance of 〃Norwegian Wood〃。 After that she
rested her hands and drank some whisky。 〃Maybe that's enough；〃 she
said。
〃It is；〃 I answered。 〃Amazing。〃
Reiko looked me in the eye and said； 〃Now listen to me； Watanabe。 I
want you to forget all about that sad little funeral you saw。 Just
remember this marvellous one of ours。〃
I nodded。
〃Here's one more for good measure；〃 she said； and for her fifty…first
piece she played her favourite Bach fugue。 When she was through； she
said in a voice just above a whisper； 〃How about doing it with me；
Watanabe？〃
〃Strange；〃 I said。 〃I was thinking the same thing。〃
We went inside and drew the curtains。 Then； in the darkened room；
Reiko and I sought out each other's bodies as if it were the most
natural thing in the world for us to do。 I removed her blouse and
trousers； and then her underwear。
〃I've lived a strange life；〃 said Reiko； 〃but I never thought I'd have my
panties removed for me by a man 19 years my junior。〃
〃Would you rather take them off yourself？〃
〃No； go ahead。 But don't be too shocked at all my wrinkles。〃
〃I like your wrinkles。〃
〃You're gonna make me cry；〃 she whispered。
I kissed her all over； taking special care to follow the wrinkled places
with my tongue。 She had the breasts of a little girl。 I caressed them
and took her nipples in my teeth； then slid a finger inside her warm；
moist vagina and began to move it。
〃Wrong spot； Watanabe；〃 Reiko whispered in my ear。 〃That's just a
wrinkle。〃
〃I can't believe you're telling jokes at a time like this！〃
〃Sorry；〃 she said。 〃I'm scared。 I haven't done this for years。 I feel like
a 17…year…old girl： I just went to visit a guy in his room； and all of a
sudden I'm naked。〃
〃To tell you the truth； I feel as if I'm violating a 17…year…old girl。〃
With my finger in her 〃wrinkle〃； I moved my lips up her neck to her
ear and took a nipple in my fingers。 As her breathing intensified and
her throat began to tremble； I parted her long； slim legs and eased
myself inside her。
〃You're not going to get me pregnant now； are you？ You're taking care
of that； right？〃 Reiko murmured in my ear。 〃I'd be so embarrassed if I
got pregnant at this age。〃
〃Don't worry；〃 I said。 〃Just relax。〃
When I was all the way in； she trembled and released a sigh。
Caressing her back； I moved inside her and then； without warning； I
came。 It was an intense； unstoppable ejaculation。 I clutched at her as
my semen pulsed into her warmth again and again。
〃I'm sorry；〃 I said。 〃I couldn't stop myself。〃
〃Don't be silly；〃 Reiko said； giving me a little slap on the rump。 〃You
don't have to worry about that。 Do you always have that on your mind
when you're doing it with girls？〃
〃Yeah； pretty much。〃
〃Well； you don't have to think about it with me。 Forget it。
Just let yourself go as much as you like。 Did it feel good？〃 〃Fantastic。
That's why I couldn't control myself。〃
〃This is no time for controlling yourself。 This is fine。 It was
great for me； too。〃
〃You know； Reiko；〃 I said。
〃What's that？〃
〃You ought to take a lover again。 You're terrific。 It's such a waste。〃
〃Well； I'll think about it；〃 she said。 〃But I wonder if people take lovers
and things in Asahikawa。〃
Growing hard a few minutes later； I went inside her again。 Reiko held
her breath and twisted beneath me。 I moved slowly and quietly with
my arms around her； and we talked。 It felt wonderful to talk that way。
If I said something funny and made her laugh； the tremors came into
me through my penis。 We held each other like this for a very long
time。
〃Oh； this feels marvellous！〃 Reiko said。
〃Moving's not bad either；〃 I said。
〃Go ahead。 Give it a try。〃
I lifted her hips and went in as far as I could go； then savoured the
sensation of moving in a circular pattern until； having enjoyed it to the
full； I let myself e。
Altogether； we joined our bodies four times that night。 At the end each
time； Reiko would lie in my arms trembling slightly； eyes closed； and
release a long sigh。
〃I