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I sipped my beer and focused on Midori as she went on cooking； her
back to me。 She worked with quick； nimble movements； handling no
fewer than four cooking procedures at once。 Over here she tasted a
boiled dish； and the next second she was at the cutting board； rat…tat…
tatting； then she took something out of the fridge and piled it in a
bowl； and before I knew it she had washed a pot she had finished
using。 From the back she looked like an Indian percussionist … ringing
a bell； tapping a block； striking a water…buffalo bone； each movement
precise and economical； with perfect balance。 I watched in awe。
〃Let me know if there's something I can do；〃 I said； just in case。
〃That's OK；〃 said Midori with a smile in my direction。 〃I'm used to
doing everything alone。〃 She wore slim blue jeans and a navy T…shirt。
An Apple Records logo nearly covered the back of the shirt。 She had
extremely narrow hips； as if she had somehow skipped puberty when
the hips grow fuller； and this gave her a far more androgynous look
than most girls have in slim jeans。 The light pouring in from the
kitchen window gave her figure a kind of vague outline。
〃You really didn't have to put together such a feast；〃 I said。
〃It's no feast；〃 answered Midori without turning my way。 〃I was too
busy to do any real shopping yesterday。 I'm just throwing together a
few things I had in the fridge。 Really； don't worry。 Besides； it's
Kobayashi family tradition to treat guests well。 I don't know what it is；
but we like to entertain。 It's inborn； a kind of sickness。 Not that we're
especially nice or people love us or anything； but if somebody shows
up we have to treat them well no matter what。 We've all got the same
personality flaw； for better or worse。 Take my father； for example。 He
hardly drinks； but the houseis full of alcohol。 What for？ To serve
guests！ So don't hold back： drink all the beer you want。〃
〃Thanks；〃 I said。
It suddenly dawned on me that I had left the daffodils downstairs。 I
had set them aside while unlacing my shoes。 I slipped back downstairs
and found the ten bright blossoms lying in the gloom。 Midori took a
tall； slim glass from the cupboard and arranged the flowers in it。
〃I love daffodils；〃 said Midori。 〃I once sang 〃Seven Daffodils' in the
school talent contest。 Do you know it？〃 〃Of course。〃
〃We had a folk group。 I played guitar。〃
She sang 〃Seven Daffodils' as she arranged the food on plates。
Midori's cooking was far better than I had expected： an amazing
assortment of fried； pickled； boiled and roasted dishes using eggs；
mackerel； fresh greens； aubergine； mushrooms； radishes； and sesame
seeds； all cooked in the delicate Kyoto style。
〃This is great；〃 I said with my mouth full。
〃OK； tell me the truth now；〃 Midori said。 〃You weren't expecting my
cooking to be very good； were you … judging from the way I look？〃
〃Not really；〃 I said honestly。
〃You're from the Kansai region； so you like this kind of delicate
flavouring； right？〃
〃Don't tell me you changed style especially for me？〃
〃Don't be ridiculous！ I wouldn't go to that much trouble。 No； we
always eat like this。〃
〃So your mother … or your father … is from Kansai？〃
〃Nope。 My father was born in Tokyo and my mother's from
Fukushima。 There's not a single Kansai person among my relatives。
We're all from Tokyo or northern Kanto。〃
〃I don't get it；〃 I said。 〃How can you make this 100 per cent authentic
Kansai…style food？ Did somebody teach you？〃
〃Well； it's kind of a long story；〃 she said； eating a slice of fried egg。
〃My mother hated housework of any kind； and she almost never
cooked anything。 And we had the business to think about； so it was
always 〃Today we're so busy； let's get a take…away' or 〃Let's just buy
some croquettes at the butcher's' and so on。 I hated that even when I
was little； I mean like cooking a big pot of curry and eating the same
thing three days in a row。 So then one day … I was in the fifth year of
school … I decided I was going to cook for the family and do it right。 I
went to the big Kinokuniya in Shinjuku and bought the biggest；
handsomest cookbook I could find； and I mastered it from cover to
cover： how to choose a cutting board； how to sharpen knives； how to
bone a fish； how to shave fresh bonito flakes； everything。 It turned out
the author of the book was from the Kansai； so all my cooking is
Kansai style。〃
〃You mean you learned how to make all this stuff from a book？！〃
〃I saved my money and went to eat the real thing。 That's how I learned
flavourings。 I've got pretty good intuition。 I'm hopeless as a logical
thinker； though。〃
〃It's amazing you could teach yourself to cook so well without having
anyone to show you。〃
〃It wasn't easy；〃 said Midori with a sigh； 〃growing up in a house
where nobody gave a damn about food。 I'd tell them I wanted to buy
decent knives and pots and they wouldn't give me the money。 〃What
we have now is good enough；' they'd say； but I'd tell them that was
crazy； you couldn't bone a fish with the kind of flimsy knives we had
at home； so they'd say； 〃What the hell do you have to bone a fish for？'
It was hopeless trying to municate with them。 I saved up my
allowance and bought real professional knives and pots and strainers
and stuff。 Can you believe it？ Here's a 15 …year…old girl pinching
pennies to buy strainers and whetstones and tempura pots when all the
other girls at school are getting huge allowances and buying beautiful
dresses and shoes。 Don't you feel sorry
for me？〃
I nodded； swallowing a mouthful of clear soup with fresh junsai
greens。
〃When I was in the sixth…form； I had to have an egg fryer … a long；
narrow pan for making this dashimaki…style fried egg we're eating。 I
bought it with money I was supposed to use for a new bra。 For three
months I had to live with one bra。 Can you believe it？ I'd wash my bra
at night； go crazy trying to dry it； and wear it the next day。 And if it
didn't dry right； I had a tragedy to deal with。 The saddest thing in the
world is wearing a damp bra。 I'd walk around with tears pouring from
my eyes。 To think I was suffering this for an egg fryer！〃
〃I see what you mean；〃 I said with a laugh。
〃I know I shouldn't say this； but actually it was kind of a relief to me
when my mother died。 I could run the family budget my way。 I could
buy what I liked。 So now I've got a relatively plete set of cooking
utensils。 My father doesn't know a thing about the budget。〃
〃When did your mother die？〃
〃Two years ago。 Cancer。 Brain tumour。 She was in the hospital a year
and a half。 It was terrible。 She suffered from beginning to end。 Finally
lost her mind； had to be doped up all the time； and still she couldn't
die； though when she did it was practically a mercy killing。 It's the
worst kind of death … the person's in agony； the family goes through
hell。 It took every yen we had。 I mean； they'd give her these shots …
bang； bang； x〃20；000 a pop； and she had to have round…the…clock care。
I was so busy with her； I couldn't study； had to delay university for a
year。 And as if that weren't bad enough … 〃 She stopped in mid…
sentence