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really nice。 Make sure you e back when it's winter；〃 and left the
dining hall。
〃Is he a doctor or a patient？〃 I asked Reiko。 〃Which do you think？〃
〃I really can't tell。 In either case； he doesn't seem all that normal。〃
〃He's a doctor；〃 said Naoko。 〃Doctor Miyata。〃
〃Yeah；〃 said Reiko； 〃but I bet he's the craziest one here。〃 〃Mr Omura；
the gatekeeper； is pretty crazy； too；〃 answered
Naoko。
〃True；〃 said Reiko； nodding as she stabbed her broccoli。 〃He does
these wild callisthenics every morning； screaming nonsense at the top
of his lungs。 And before you came； Naoko； there was a girl in the
business office； Miss Kinoshita； who tried to kill herself。 And last year
they sacked a male nurse； Tokushima； who had a terrible drinking
problem。〃
〃Sounds like patients and staff should swap places；〃 I said。
〃Right on；〃 said Reiko； waving her fork in the air。 〃You're finally
starting to see how things work here。〃
〃I suppose so。〃
〃What makes us most normal；〃 said Reiko； 〃is knowing that we're not
normal。〃
Back in the room； Naoko and I played cards while Reiko practised
Bach on her guitar。
〃What time are you leaving tomorrow？〃 Reiko asked me； taking a
break and lighting a cigarette。
〃Straight after breakfast；〃 I said。 〃The bus es at nine。 That way I
can get back in time for tomorrow night's work。〃
〃Too bad。 It'd be nice if you could stay longer。〃
〃If I stayed around too long； I might end up living here；〃 I said；
laughing。
〃Maybe so；〃 Reiko said。 Then； to Naoko； she said； 〃Oh； yeah； I've got
to go get some grapes at Oka's。 I totally forgot。〃
〃Want me to go with you？〃 asked Naoko。
〃How about letting me borrow your young Mr Watanabe here？〃
〃Fine；〃 said Naoko。
〃Good。 Let's just the two of us go for another nighttime stroll；〃 said
Reiko； taking my hand。 〃We Yesterday。 Let's go all the way tonight。〃
〃Fine；〃 said Naoko； tittering。 〃Do what you like。〃
were almost there。
The night air was cool。 Reiko wore a pale blue cardigan over her shirt
and walked with her hands shoved in her jeans pockets。 Looking up at
the sky； she sniffed the breeze like a dog。 〃Smells like rain；〃 she said。
I tried sniffing too； but couldn't smell anything。 True； there were lots
of clouds in the sky obscuring the moon。
〃If you stay here long enough； you can pretty much tell the weather by
the smell of the air；〃 said Reiko。
We entered the wooded area where the staff houses stood。 Reiko told
me to wait a minute； walked over to the front door of one house and
rang the bell。 A woman came to the door … no doubt the lady of the
house … and stood there chatting and chuckling with Reiko。 Then she
ducked inside and came back with a large plastic bag。 Reiko thanked
her and said goodnight before returning to the spot where I was
waiting。
〃Look；〃 she said； opening the bag。
It held a huge cluster of grapes。
〃Do you like grapes？〃
〃Love them。〃
She handed me the top bunch。 〃It's OK to eat them。 They're washed。〃
We walked along eating grapes and spitting the skins and seeds on the
ground。 They were fresh and delicious。
〃I give their son piano lessons once in a while； and they offer me
different stuff。 The wine we had was from them。 I sometimes ask them
to do a little shopping for me in town。〃
〃I'd like to hear the rest of the story you were telling me yesterday；〃 I
said。
〃Fine；〃 said Reiko。 〃But if we keep ing home late； Naoko might
start getting suspicious。〃
〃I'm willing to risk it。〃
〃OK； then。 I want a roof； though。 It's a little chilly tonight。〃
She turned left as we approached the tennis courts。 We went down a
narrow stairway and came out at a spot where several storehouses
stood like a block of houses。 Reiko opened the door of the nearest one；
stepped in and turned on the lights。 〃e in；〃 she said。 〃There's not
much to see； though。〃
The storehouse contained neat rows of cross…country skis； boots and
poles； and on the floor were piled snow removal equipment and bags
of rock salt。
〃I used to e here all the time for guitar practice … when I wanted to
be alone。 Nice and cosy； isn't it？〃
Reiko sat on the bags of rock salt and invited me to sit next to her。 I
did as I was told。
〃Not much ventilation here； but mind if I smoke？〃
〃Go ahead；〃 I said。
〃This is one habit I can't seem to break；〃 she said with a frown； but
she lit up with obvious enjoyment。 Not many people enjoy tobacco as
much as Reiko did。 I ate my grapes； carefully peeling them one at a
time and tossing the skins and seeds into a tin that served as a rubbish
bin。
〃Now； let's see； how far did we get last night？〃 Reiko asked。
〃It was a dark and stormy night； and you were climbing the steep cliff
to grab the bird's nest。〃
〃You're amazing； the way you can joke around with such a straight
face；〃 said Reiko。 〃Let's see； I think I had got to the point where I was
giving piano lessons to the girl every Saturday morning。〃
〃That's it。〃
〃Assuming you can divide everybody in the world into two groups …
those who are good at teaching things to people； and those who are not
… I pretty much belong to the first group；〃 said Reiko。 〃I never thought
so when I was young； and I suppose I didn't want to think of myself
that way； but once
I reached a certain age and had attained a degree of selfknowledge I
realized it was true after all： I'm good at teaching people things。 Really
good。〃
〃I bet you are。〃
〃I have a lot more patience for others than I have for myself； and I'm
much better at bringing out the best in others than in myself。 That's
just the kind of person I am。 I'm the scratchy stuff on the side of the
matchbox。 But that's fine with me。 I don't mind at all。 Better to be a
first…class matchbox than a second…class match。 I got this clear in my
own mind； I'd say； after I started teaching this girl。 I had taught a few
others when I was younger； strictly as a sideline； without realizing this
about myself。 It was only after I started teaching her that I began to
think of myself that way。 Hey … I'm good at teaching people。 That's
how well the lessons went。
As I said yesterday； the girl was nothing special when it came to
technique； and there was no question of her being a professional
musician； so I could take it easy。 Plus she was going to the kind of
girls' school where anybody with halfdecent marks automatically got
into university； which meant she didn't have to kill herself studying；
and her mother was all for going easy with the lessons； too。 So I didn't
push her to do anything。 I knew the first time I met her that she was
the kind of girl you couldn't push to do anything； that she was the kind
of child who would be all sweetness and say 〃Yes； yes；' and absolutely
refuse to do anything she didn't want to do。 So the first thing I did was
let her play a piece the way she wanted to … 100 per cent her own way。
Then I would play the same piece several different ways for her； and
the two of us would discuss which was best or which way she liked
most。 Then I'd have her play the piece again； and her performance
would be ten times better than the first。 She would see for
herself what worked best and bring