按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
have a look at the dorm。 There was nothing fun about the place； I told
her： 〃Just a few h undred guys in grubby rooms； drinking and
wanking。〃
〃Does that include you？〃
〃It includes every man on the face of the earth；〃 I explained。
〃Girls have periods and boys wank。 Everybody。〃
〃Even ones with girlfriends？ I mean； sex partners。〃
〃It's got nothing to do with that。 The Keio student living next door to
me has a wank before every date。 He says it relaxes him。〃
〃I don't know much about that stuff。 I was in a girls' school so long。〃
〃I guess the glossy women's magazines don't go into that。〃
〃Not at all！〃 she said； laughing。 〃Anyway； Watanabe； would you have
some time this Sunday？ Are you free？〃
〃I'm free every Sunday。 Until six； at least。 That's when I go to work。〃
〃Why don't you visit me？ At the Kobayashi Bookshop。 The shop itself
will be closed； but I have to hang around there alone all day。 I might
be getting an important phone call。 How about lunch？ I'll cook for
you。〃
〃I'd like that；〃 I said。
Midori tore a page from a notebook and drew a detailed map of the
way to her place。 She used a red pen to make a large X where the
house stood。
〃You can't miss it。 There's a big sign： 'Kobayashi Bookshop'。 e at
noon。 I'll have lunch ready。〃
I thanked her and put the map in my pocket。 〃I'd better get back to
campus now；〃 I said。 〃My German lecture starts at two。〃 Midori said
she had somewhere to go and took the train from Yotsuya。
Sunday morning I got up at nine； shaved； did my laundry and hung out
the clothes on the roof。 It was a beautiful day。 The first smell of
autumn was in the air。 Red dragonflies flitted around the quadrangle；
chased by neighbourhood kids swinging nets。 With no wind； the
Rising Sun flag hung limp on its pole。 I put on a freshly ironed shirt
and walked from the dorm to the tram stop。 A student neighbourhood
on a Sunday morning： the streets were dead； virtually empty； most
shops closed。 What few sounds there were echoed with special clarity。
A girl wearing sabots clip…clopped across the asphalt roadway； and
next to the tram shelter four or five kids were throwing rocks at a row
of empty cans。 A florist's was open； so I went in and bought some
daffodils。 Daffodils in autumn： that was strange。 But I had always
liked that particular flower。
Three old women were the only passengers on the Sunday morning
tram。 They all looked at me and my flowers。 One of them gave me a
smile。 I smiled back。 I sat in the last seat and watched the ancient
houses passing close to the window。 The tram almost touched the
overhanging eaves。 The laundry deck of one house had ten potted
tomato plants； next to which a big black cat lay stretched out in the
sun。 In the garden of another house； a little girl was blowing soap
bubbles。 I heard an Ayumi Ishida song ing from somewhere； and
could even catch the smell of curry cooking。 The tram snaked its way
through this private back…alley world。 A few more passengers got on
at stops along the way； but the three old women went on talking
intently about something； huddled together face…to…face。
I got off near Otsuka Station and followed Midori's map down a broad
street without much to look at。 None of the shops along the way
seemed to be doing very well； housed as they were in old buildings
with gloomy…looking interiors and faded writing on some of the signs。
Judging from the age and style of the buildings； this area had been
spared the wartime air raids； leaving whole blocks intact。 A few of the
places had been entirely rebuilt； but just about all had been enlarged or
repaired in places； and it was these additions that tended to look
shabbier than the old buildings themselves。
The whole atmosphere of the place suggested that most of the original
residents had bee fed up with the cars； the filthy air； the noise and
high rents and moved to the suburbs； leaving only cheap flats and
pany apartments
and hard…to…sell shops and a few stubborn people who clung to old
family properties。 Everything looked blurred and grimy as though
wrapped in a haze of exhaust fumes。
Ten minutes' walk down this street brought me to a corner petrol
station； where I turned right into a small block of shops； in the middle
of which hung the sign for the Kobayashi Bookshop。 True； it was not
a big shop； but neither was it as small as Midori's description had led
me to believe。 It was just a typical neighbourhood bookshop； the same
kind I used to run to on the very day the boys' ics came out。 A
nostalgic mood overtook me as I stood in front of the place。
The whole front of the shop was sealed off by a big； rolldown metal
shutter inscribed with a magazine advertisement：
〃WEEKLY BUNSHUN SOLD HERE THURSDAYS〃。 I still had 15
minutes before noon； but I didn't want to kill time wandering through
the block with a handful of daffodils； so I pressed the doorbell beside
the shutter and stepped a few paces back to wait。 Fifteen seconds went
by without an answer； and I was debating with myself whether to ring
again when I heard a window clatter open above me。 I looked up to
see Midori leaning out and waving。
〃e in；〃 she yelled。 〃Lift the shutter。〃
〃Is it OK？ I'm kind of early；〃 I shouted back。
〃No problem。 e upstairs。 I'm busy in the kitchen。〃 She pulled the
window closed。
The shutter made a terrific grinding noise as I raised it three feet from
the ground； ducked under； and lowered it again。 The shop was pitch
black inside。 I managed to feel my way to the back stairway； tripping
over bound piles of magazines。 I unlaced my shoes and climbed the
stairs to the living area。 The interior of the house was dark and
gloomy。 The stairs led to a simple parlour with a sofa and easy chairs。
It was a small room with dim light ing in the window； reminiscent
of old Polish films。 There was a kind of storage area on the left and
what looked like the door to a bathroom。 I had to climb the steep
stairway with care to reach the second floor； but once I got there； it
was so much brighter than the first that I felt greatly relieved。
〃Over here；〃 called Midori's voice。 To the right at the top of the stairs
was what looked like a dining room； and beyond that a kitchen。 The
house itself was old； but the kitchen seemed to have been refitted
recently with new cabinets and a bright； shiny sink and taps。 Midori
was preparing food。 A pot was bubbling； and the air was filled with
the smell of grilled fish。
〃There's beer in the fridge；〃 she said with a glance in my direction。
〃Have a seat while I finish this。〃 I took a can and sat at the kitchen
table。 The beer was so cold it might have been in the fridge for the
best part of a year。 On the table lay a small； white ashtray； a
newspaper； and a soy sauce dispenser。 There was also a notepad and
pen； with a phone number and some figures on the pad that seemed to
be calculations connected with shopping。
〃I should have this done in ten minutes；〃 she said。 〃Can you stand the
wait？〃
〃Of course I can；〃 I said。
〃Get good and hungry； then。 I'm making a lot。〃
I sipped my beer and focused on Midori as she went on cook