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live happily ever after； rolling on the floor。〃
I laughed and drank my third vodka and tonic。
〃I guess you don't really want lots of babies as tough as little bulls
yet；〃 said Midori。
〃I'm intrigued；〃 I said。 〃I'd like to see what they look like。〃
〃That's OK； you don't have to want them；〃 said Midori； eating a
pistachio。 〃Here I am； drinking in the afternoon； saying whatever pops
into my head： 〃I wanna dump everything and run off somewhere。'
What's the point of going to Uruguay？ All they've got there is donkey
shit。〃
〃You may be right。〃
〃Donkey shit everywhere。 Here a shit； there a shit； the whole world is
donkey shit。 Hey； I can't open this。 You take it。〃 Midori handed me a
pistachio nut。 I struggled with it until I cracked it open。 〃But oh； what
a relief it was last Sunday！ Going up to the laundry deck with you；
watching the fire； drinking beer； singing songs。 I don't know how long
it's been since I had such a total sense of relief。 People are always
trying to force stuff on me。 The minute they see me they start telling
me what to do。 At least you don't try to force stuff on me。〃
〃I don't know you well enough to force stuff on you。〃
〃You mean； if you knew me better； you'd force stuff on me like
everyone else？〃
〃It's possible；〃 I said。 〃That's how people live in the real world：
forcing stuff on each other。〃
〃You wouldn't do that。 I can tell。 I'm an expert when it es to
forcing stuff and having stuff forced on you。 You're not the type。
That's why I can relax with you。 Do you have any idea how many
people there are in the world who like to force stuff on people and
have stuff forced on them？ Tons！ And then they make a big fuss； like
〃I forced her'； 〃You forced me！' That's what they like。 But I don't like
it。 I just do it because I have to。〃
〃What kind of stuff do you force on people or they force on you？〃
Midori put an ice…cube in her mouth and sucked on it for a while。
〃Do you want to get to know me better？〃 she asked。 〃Yeah； kind of。〃
〃Hey； look； I just asked you； 〃Do you want to get to know me better？'
What sort of answer is that？〃
〃Yes； Midori； I would like to get to know you better；〃 I said。 〃Really？〃
〃Yes； really。〃
〃Even if you had to turn your eyes away from what you saw？
'Are you that bad？〃
〃Well； in a way；〃 Midori said with a frown。 〃I want another drink。〃
I called the waiter and ordered a fourth round of drinks。 Until they
came； Midori cupped her chin in her hand with her elbow on the bar。 I
kept quiet and listened to Thelonious Monk playing 〃Honeysuckle
Rose〃。 There were five or six other customers in the place； but we
were the only ones drinking alcohol。 The rich smell of coffee gave the
gloomy interior an intimate atmosphere。
〃Are you free this Sunday？〃 Midori asked。
〃I think I told you before； I'm always free on Sunday。 Until I go to
work at six。〃
〃OK； then； this Sunday； will you hang out with me？〃
〃Sure；〃 I said。
〃I'll pick you up at your dorm Sunday morning。 I'm not sure exactly
what time； though。 Is that OK？〃
〃Fine；〃 I said。 〃No problem。〃
〃Now； let me ask you： do you have any idea what I would like to do
right now？〃
〃I can't imagine。〃
〃Well； first of all； I want to lie down in a big； wide； fluffy bed。 I want
to get all fy and drunk and not have any donkey shit anywhere
nearby； and I want to have you lying down next to me。 And then； little
by little； you take off my clothes。 Sooo tenderly。 The way a mother
undresses a little child。 Sooo softly。〃
〃Hmm 。。。〃
〃And I'm just spacing out and feeling really nice until； all of a sudden
I realize what's happening and I yell at you 〃Stop it； Watanabe！' And
then I say 〃I really like you； Watanabe； but I'm seeing someone else。 I
can't do this。 I'm very proper about these things； believe it or not； so
please stop。' But you
don't stop。〃
〃But I would stop；〃 I said。
〃I know that。 Never mind； this is just my fantasy；〃 said Midori。 〃So
then you show it to me。 Your thing。 Sticking right up。 I immediately
cover my eyes； of course； but I can't help seeing it for a split second。
And I say； 〃Stop it！ Don't do that！ I don't want anything so big and
hard！〃'
〃It's not so big。 Just ordinary。〃
〃Never mind； this is a fantasy。 So then you put on this really sad face；
and I feel sorry for you and try to fort you。 There there； poor
thing。〃
〃And you're telling me that's what you want to do now？〃 〃That's it。〃
〃Oh boy。〃
We left the bar after five rounds of vodka and tonic。 When I tried to
pay； Midori slapped my hand and paid with a brand…new #10；000 note
she took from her purse。
〃It's OK；〃 she said。 〃I just got paid； and I invited you。 Of course； if
you're a card…carrying fascist and you refuse to let a woman buy you a
drink。 。。〃
〃No no； I'm OK。〃
〃And I didn't let you put it in； either。〃 〃Because it's so big and hard；〃 I
said。
〃Right；〃 said Midori。 〃Because it's so big and hard。〃
A little drunk； Midori missed one step； and we almost fell back down
the stairs。 The layer of clouds that had darkened the sky was gone
now； and the late afternoon sun poured its gentle light on the city
streets。 Midori and I wandered around for a while。 She said she
wanted to climb a tree； but unfortunately there were no climbable trees
in Shinjuku； and the Shinjuku Imperial Gardens were closing。
〃Too bad；〃 said Midori。 〃I love climbing trees。〃
We continued walking and window…shopping； and soon the street
scene seemed more real to me than it had before。
〃I'm glad I ran into you；〃 I said。 〃I think I'm a little more adapted to
the world now。〃
Midori stopped short and peered at me。 〃It's true；〃 she said。 〃Your
eyes are much more in focus than they were。 See？ Hanging out with
me does you good。〃
〃No doubt about it；〃 I said。
At 5。30 Midori said she had to go home and make dinner。 I said I
would take a bus back to my dorm； and saw her as far as the station。
〃Know what I want to do now？〃 Midori asked me as she was leaving。
〃I have absolutely no idea what you could be thinking；〃 I said。
〃I want you and me to be captured by pirates。 Then they strip us and
press us together face to face all naked and wind these ropes around
us。〃
〃Why would they do a thing like that？〃
〃Perverted pirates；〃 she said。
〃You're the perverted one；〃 I said。
〃So then they lock us in the hold and say； 〃In one hour； we're gonna
throw you into the sea； so have a good time
until then'。〃
〃And 。。。 ？〃
〃So we enjoy ourselves for an hour； rolling all over the place and
twisting our bodies。〃
〃And that's the main thing you want to do now？〃
〃That's it。〃
〃Oh boy；〃 I said； shaking my head。
Midori came for me at 9。30 on Sunday morning。 I had just woken up
and hadn't washed my face。 Somebody pounded on my door； yelling
〃Hey； Watanabe； it's a woman！〃 I went down to the lobby to find
Midori sitting there with her legs crossed wearing an incredibly short
denim skirt； yawning。 Every student passing by on his way to
breakfast slowed down to stare at her long； slim legs。 She did have
really nice legs。
〃Am I too early？〃 she asked。 〃I bet you just woke up。〃
〃Can you give me 15 minutes？ I'll wash my face and shave。〃 〃I