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〃Will you e to see me again？〃 she asked； looking at me。
〃Of course I will；〃 I said。
〃And will you write？〃
〃Every week。〃
〃And will you add a few lines for me？〃 asked Reiko。 〃That I will；〃 I
said。 〃I'd be glad to。〃
At eleven o'clock； Reiko unfolded the sofa and made a bed for me as
she had the night before。 We said goodnight and turned out the lights。
Unable to sleep； I took The Magic Mountain and a torch from my
rucksack and read for a while。 Just before midnight； the bedroom door
edged open and Naoko came and crawled in next to me。 Unlike the
night before； Naoko was the usual Naoko。 Her eyes were in focus； her
movements brisk。 Bringing her mouth to my ear； she whispered； 〃I
don't know； I can't sleep。〃
〃I can't either；〃 I said。 Setting my book down and turning out the
torch； I took her in my arms and kissed her。 The darkness and the
sound of the rain enfolded us。
〃How about Reiko？〃
〃Don't worry； she's sound asleep。 And when she sleeps； she sleeps。〃
Then Naoko asked； 〃Will you really e to see me again？〃
〃Of course I will。〃
〃Even if I can't do anything for you？〃
I nodded in the darkness。 I could feel the full shape of her breasts
against me。 I traced the outline of her body through her gown with the
flat of my hand。 From shoulder to back to hips； I ran my hand over her
again and again； driving the line and the softness of her body into my
brain。 After we had been in this gentle embrace for a while； Naoko
touched her lips to my forehead and slipped out of bed。 I could see her
pale blue gown flash in the darkness like a fish。
〃Goodbye；〃 she called in a tiny voice。
Listening to the rain； I dropped into a gentle sleep。
It was still raining the following morning … a fine； almost invisible
autumn rain unlike the previous night's downpour。 You knew it was
raining only because of the ripples on puddles and the sound of
dripping from the eaves。 I woke to see a milky white mist enclosing
the window； but as the sun rose a breeze carried the mist away； and
the surrounding woods and hills began to emerge。
As we had done the day before； the three of us ate breakfast then went
out to attend to the aviary。 Naoko and Reiko wore yellow plastic
raincapes with hoods。 I put on a jumper and a waterproof windcheater。
Outside the air was damp and chilly。 The birds； too； were avoiding the
rain； huddled together at the back of the cage。
〃Gets cold here when it rains； doesn't it？〃 I said to Reiko。
〃Every time it rains it'll be a little colder now； until it turns to snow；〃
she said。 〃The clouds from the Sea of Japan dump tons of snow when
they pass through here。〃
〃What do you do with the birds in the winter？〃
〃Bring them inside； of course。 What are we supposed to do … dig them
out of the snow in spring all frozen？ We defrost 'em and bring 'em
back to life and yell； OK； everybody； e and get it！〃
I poked the wire mesh and the parrot flapped its wings and squawked
〃Shithead！〃 〃Thank you！〃 〃Crazy！〃
〃Now； that one I'd like to freeze；〃 Naoko said with a melancholy look。
〃I really think I will go crazy if I have to hear that every morning。〃
After cleaning the aviary； we went back to the flat。 While I packed my
things； the women put on their farm clothes。 We left the building
together and parted just beyond the tennis court。 They turned right and
I continued straight ahead。 We called goodbye to each other； and I
promised I would e again。 Naoko gave a little smile and
disappeared around a corner。
On my way to the gate I passed several people； all wearing the same
yellow raincapes that Naoko and Reiko wore； all with their hoods up。
Colours shone with an exceptional clarity in the rain： the ground was a
deep black； the pine branches a brilliant green； and the people
wrapped in yellow looking like otherworldly spirits that were only
allowed to wander the earth on rainy mornings。 They floated over the
ground in silence； carrying farm tools； baskets and sacks。
The gatekeeper remembered my name and marked it on the list of
visitors as I left。 〃I see you're here from Tokyo；〃 the old fellow said。 〃I
went there once。 Just once。 They serve great pork。〃
〃They do？〃 I asked； uncertain how to answer him。
〃I didn't like much of what I ate in Tokyo； but the pork was delicious。
I expect they have some special way of rearing 'em； eh？〃
I said I didn't know； it was the first I'd heard of it。 〃When was that； by
the way； when you went to Tokyo？〃
〃Hmm； let's see；〃 he said； cocking his head； 〃was it the time His
Majesty the Crown prince got married？ My son was in Tokyo and said
I ought to see the place at least once。 That must have been 1959。〃
〃Oh； well then； sure； pork must have been good in Tokyo back then；〃 I
said。
〃How about these days？〃 he asked。
I wasn't sure； I said； but I hadn't heard anything special about it。 This
seemed to disappoint him。 He gave every sign of wanting to continue
our conversation； but I told him I had to catch a bus and started
walking in the direction of the road。 Patches of fog remained floating
on the path where it skirted the stream； but the breeze carried them
over to the steep flanks of a nearby mountain。 Every now and then as I
walked along I would stop； turn； and heave a deep sigh for no
particular reason。 I felt as though I had arrived on a planet where the
gravity was a little different。 Yes； of course； I told myself； feeling sad：
I was in the outside world now。
Back at the dorm by 4。30； I changed straight away and left for the
record shop in Shinjuku to put in my hours。 I looked after the shop
from six o'clock to 10。30 and sold a few records； but mainly I sat there
in a daze； watching an incredible variety of people streaming by
outside。 There were families and couples and drunks and gangsters
and lively…looking girls in short skirts and bearded hippies and bar
hostesses and some indefinable types。 Whenever I put on hard rock；
hippies and runaway kids would gather outside to dance and sniff
paint thinner or just sit on the ground doing nothing in particular； and
when I put on Tony Bennett； they would disappear。
Next door was a shop where a middle…aged； sleepy…eyed man sold
〃adult toys〃。 I couldn't imagine why anyone would want the kind of
sex paraphernalia he had there； but he seemed to do a roaring trade。 In
the alley diagonally across from the record shop I saw a drunken
student vomiting。 In the game arcade across from us at another angle；
the cook from a local restaurant was killing time on his break with a
game of bingo that took cash bets。 Beneath the eaves of a shop that
had closed for the night； a swarthy homeless guy was crouching；
motionless。 A girl with pale pink lipstick who couldn't have been more
than 12 or 13 came in and asked me to play the Rolling Stones'
〃Jumpin' Jack Flash〃。 When I found the record and put it on for her；
she started snapping her fingers to the rhythm and shaking her hips as
she danced around the shop。 Then she asked me for a cigarette。 I gave
her one of the manager's； which she smoked gratefully； and when the
record ended she left the shop without so much as a 〃thank you〃。
Every 15 minutes o