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the bed level again before taking the dishes to the corridor。
〃Was that good？〃 I asked him。
he answered。
〃Yeah；〃 I said with a smile。 〃It looked pretty bad。〃 Midori's father
could not seem to decide whether to open his eyes further or close
them as he lay there silently； staring at me。 I wondered if he knew who
I was。 He seemed more relaxed when alone with me than when Midori
was around。 He had probably mistaken me for someone else。 Or at
least that was how I preferred to think of it。
〃Beautiful day out there；〃 I said； perching on the stool and crossing
my legs。 〃It's autumn； Sunday； great weather； and crowded
everywhere you go。 Relaxing indoors like this is the best thing you
can do on such a nice day。 It's exhausting in those crowds。 And the air
is bad。 I mostly do laundry on Sundays … wash the stuff in the
morning； hang it out on the roof of my dorm； take it in before the sun
goes down； do a good job of ironing it。 I don't mind ironing at all。
There's a special satisfaction in making wrinkled things smooth。 And
I'm pretty good at it； too。 Of course I was terrible at it at first。 I put
creases in everything。 After a month of practice； though； I knew what
I was doing。 So Sunday is my day for laundry and ironing。 I couldn't
do it today； of course。 Too bad： wasted a perfect laundry day。
〃That's OK； though。 I'll wake up early and take care of it tomorrow。
Don't worry。 I've got nothing else to do on a Sunday。
〃After I do my laundry tomorrow morning and hang it out to dry； I'll
go to my ten o'clock class。 It's the one I'm in with Midori： History of
Drama。 I'm working on Euripides。 Are you familiar with Euripides？
He was an ancient Greek … one of the 〃Big Three' of Greek tragedy
along with Aeschylus and Sophocles。 He supposedly died when a dog
bit him in Macedonia； but not everybody believes this。 Anyway； that's
Euripides。 I like Sophocles better； but I suppose it's a matter of taste。 I
really can't say which is better。
〃What marks his plays is the way things get so mixed up the
characters are trapped。 Do you see what I mean？ Lots of different
people appear； and they all have their own situations and reasons and
excuses； and each one is pursuing his or her own idea of justice or
happiness。 As a result； nobody can do anything。 Obviously。 I mean；
it's basically impossible for everybody's justice to prevail or
everybody's happiness to triumph； so chaos takes over。 And then what
do you think happens？ Simple … a god appears at the end and starts
directing the traffic。 〃You go over there； and you e here； and you
get together with her； and you just sit still for while。' Like that。 He's a
kind of fixer； and in the end everything works out perfectly。 They call
this 'deus ex machina'。 There's almost always a deus ex machina in
Euripides； and that's where critical opinion divides over him。
〃But think about it … what if there were a deus ex machina in real life？
Everything would be so easy！ If you felt stuck or trapped； some god
would swing down from up there and solve all your problems。 What
could be easier than that？ Anyway； that's History of Drama。 This is
more or less the kind of stuff we study at university。〃
Midori's father said nothing； but he kept his vacant eyes on me the
whole time I was talking。 Of course； I couldn't tell from those eyes
whether he understood anything I was saying。
〃Peace；〃 I said。
After all that talk； I felt starved。 I had had next to nothing for breakfast
and had eaten only half my lunch。 Now I was sorry I hadn't eaten
more at lunch； but feeling sorry wasn't going to help。 I looked in a
cabinet for something to eat； but found only a can of nori； some Vicks
cough drops and soy sauce。 The paper bag was still there with the
cucumbers and grapefruit。
〃I'm going to eat some cucumbers if you don't mind；〃 I said t o
Midori's father。 He didn't answer。 I washed three cucumbers in the
sink and dribbled a little soy sauce into a dish。 Then I wrapped a
cucumber in nori； dipped it in soy sauce and gobbled it down。
〃Mmm； great！〃 I said to Midori's father。 〃Fresh； simple； smells like
life。 Really good cucumbers。 A far more sensible food than kiwi
fruit。〃
I polished off one cucumber and attacked the next。 The sickroom
echoed with the sound of me munching cucumbers。 Only after I had
finished the second whole cucumber was I ready to take a break。 I
boiled some water on the gas burner in the hall and made tea。
〃Would you like something to drink？ Water？ Juice？〃 I asked Midori's
father。
he said。
〃Great；〃 I said with a smile。 〃With nori？〃
He gave a little nod。 I cranked the bed up again。 Then I cut a bite…
sized piece of cucumber； wrapped it with a strip of nori； stabbed the
bination with a toothpick； dipped it in soy sauce； and delivered it
to the patient's waiting mouth。 With almost no change of expression；
Midori's father crunched down on the piece again and again and
finally swallowed it。
〃How was that？ Good； huh？〃
he said。
〃It's good when food tastes good；〃 I said。 〃It's kind of like proof you're
alive。〃
He ended up eating the entire cucumber。 When he had finished it； he
wanted water； so I gave him a drink from the bottle。 A few minutes
later； he said he needed to pee； so I took the urine jar from under the
bed and held it by the tip of his penis。 Afterwards I emptied the jar
into the toilet and washed it out。 Then I went back to the sickroom and
finished my tea。
〃How are you feeling？〃 I asked。
he said。
〃Hurts？〃
he said with a slight frown。
〃Well； no wonder； you've just had an operation。 Of course； I've never
had one； so I don't know what it's like。〃 he said。
〃Ticket？ What ticket？〃
he said。 。
I had no idea what he was talking about； and just kept quiet。 He stayed
silent for a time； too。 Then he seemed to say 。 He opened his
eyes wide and looked at me hard。 I guessed that he was trying to tell
me something； but I couldn't begin to imagine what it was。
he said。 。
〃Ueno Station？〃
He gave a little nod。
I tried to summarize what he was getting at： 〃Ticket； Midori； please；
Ueno Station；〃 but I had no idea what it meant。 I assumed his mind
was muddled； but pared with before his eyes now had a terrible
clarity。 He raised the arm that was free of the intravenous contraption
and stretched it towards me。 This must have been a major effort for
him； the way the hand trembled in mid…air。 I stood and grasped his
frail； wrinkled hand。 He returned my grasp with what little strength he
could muster and said again 。
〃Don't worry；〃 I said。 〃I'll take care of the ticket and Midori； too。〃 He
let his hand drop back to the bed and closed his eyes。 Then； with a
loud rush of breath； he fell asleep。 I checked to make sure he was still
alive； then went out to boil more water for tea。 As I was sipping the
hot liquid； I realized that I had developed a kind of liking for this little
man on the verge of death。
The wife of the other patient came back a few minutes later and asked
if everything was OK。 I assured her it was。