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The wife of the other patient came back a few minutes later and asked
if everything was OK。 I assured her it was。 Her husband； too； was
sound asleep； breathing deeply。
Midori came back after three。
〃I was in the park； spacing out；〃 she said。 〃I did what you told me；
didn't talk to anybody； just let my head go empty。〃
〃How was it？〃
〃Thanks； I feel much better。 I still have that draggy； tired feeling； but
my body feels much lighter than before。 I guess I was more tired than
I realized。〃
With her father sound asleep； there was nothing for us to do； so we
bought coffee from a vending machine and drank it in the TV room。 I
reported to Midori on what had happened in her absence… that her
father had had a good sleep； then woke up and ate some of what was
left of his lunch； then saw me eating a cucumber and asked for one
himself； ate the whole thing and peed。
〃Watanabe； you're amazing；〃 said Midori。 〃We're all going crazy
trying to get him to eat anything； and you got him to eat a whole
cucumber！ Incredible！〃
〃I don't know； I think he just saw me enjoying my own cucumber。〃
〃Or maybe you just have this knack for relaxing people。〃 〃No way；〃 I
said with a laugh。 〃A lot of people will tell you just the opposite about
me。〃
〃What do you think about my father？〃
〃I like him。 Not that we had all that much to say to each
other。 But； I don't know； he seems nice。〃 〃Was he quiet？〃
〃Very。〃
〃You should have seen him a week ago。 He was awful；〃 Midori said；
shaking her head。 〃Kind of lost his marbles and went wild。 Threw a
glass at me and yelled terrible stuff … 'I hope you die； you stupid bitch！'
This sickness can do that to people。 They don't know why； but it can
make people get really vicious all of a sudden。 It was the same with
my mother。 What do you think she said to me？ 〃You're not my
daughter！ I hate your guts！' The whole world turned black for me for a
second when she said that。 But that kind of thing is one of the features
of this particular sickness。 Something presses on a part of the brain
and makes people say all kinds of nasty things。 You know it's just part
of the sickness； but still； it hurts。 What do you expect？ Here I am；
working my fingers to the bone for them； and they're saying all this
terrible stuff to me…〃
〃I know what you mean；〃 I said。 Then I remembered the strange
fragments that Midori's father had mumbled to me。
〃Ticket？ Ueno Station？〃 Midori said。 〃I wonder what that's all about？〃
〃And then he said； Please； and Midori。〃； 〃Please take care of
Midori？〃'
〃Or maybe he wants you to go to Ueno and buy a ticket。 The order of
the four words is such a mess； who knows what he means？ Does Ueno
Station mean anything special to you？〃
〃Hmm； Ueno Station。〃 Midori thought about it for a while。 〃The only
thing I can think of is the two times I ran away； when I was eight and
when I was ten。 Both times I took a train from Ueno to Fukushima。
Bought the tickets with money I took from the till。 Somebody at home
made me really angry； and I did it to get even。 I had an aunt in
Fukushima； I kind of liked her； so I went to her house。 My father was
the one who brought me home。 Came all the way to Fukushima to get
me … a hundred miles！ We ate boxed lunches on the train to Ueno。 My
father told me all kinds of stuff while we were travelling； just little bits
and pieces with long spaces in between。 Like about the big earthquake
of 1923 or about the war or about the time I was born； stuff he didn't
usually talk about。 e to think of it； those were the only times my
father and I had something like a good； long talk； just the two of us。
Hey； can you believe this？ … my father was smack bang in the middle
of Tokyo during one of the biggest earthquakes in history and he
didn't even notice it！〃
〃No way！〃
〃It's true！ He was riding through Koishikawa with a cart on the back
of his bike； and he didn't feel a thing。 When he got home； all the tiles
had fallen off the roofs in the neighbourhood； and everyone in the
family was hugging pillars and quaking in their boots。 He still didn't
get it and； the way he tells it； he asked； 〃What the hell's going on
here？' That's my father's 〃fond recollection' of the Great Kanto
Earthquake！〃 Midori laughed。 〃All his stories of the old days are like
that。 No drama whatsoever。 They're all just a little bit off…centre。 I
don't know； when he tells those stories； you kind of get the feeling like
nothing important has happened in Japan for the past 50 or 60 years。
The young officers' uprising of 1936； the Pacific War； they're all kind
of 〃Oh yeah； now that you mention it； I guess something like that once
happened' kind of things。 It's so funny！
〃So； anyway； on the train； he'd tell me these stories in bits and pieces
while we were riding from Fukushima to Ueno。 And at the end； he'd
always say； 〃So that goes to show you； Midori； it's the same wherever
you go。' I was young enough to be impressed by stuff like that。〃
〃So is that your 〃fond recollection' of Ueno Station？〃 I asked。 〃Yeah；〃
said Midori。 〃Did you ever run away from home； Watanabe？〃
〃Never。〃
〃Why not？〃
〃Lack of imagination。 It never occurred to me to run away。〃 〃You are
so weird！〃 Midori said； cocking her head as though truly impressed。
〃I wonder；〃 I said。
〃Well； anyway； I think my father was trying to say he wanted you to
look after me。〃
〃Really？〃
〃Really！ I understand things like that。 Intuitively。 So tell me； what was
your answer to him？〃
〃Well； I didn't understand what he was saying； so I just said OK； don't
worry； I'd take care of both you and the ticket。〃
〃You promised my father that？ You said you'd take care of
me？〃 She looked me straight in the eye with a dead…serious expression
on her face。
〃Not like that；〃 I hastened to correct her。 〃I really didn't know what he
was saying； and … 〃
〃Don't worry； I'm just kidding；〃 she said with a smile。 〃I love that
about you。〃
Midori and I finished our coffee and went back to the room。 Her father
was still sound asleep。 If you leaned close you could hear his steady
breathing。 As the afternoon deepened； the light outside the hospital
window changed to the soft； gentle colour of autumn。 A flock of birds
rested on the electric wire outside； then flew on。 Midori and I sat in a
corner of the room； talking quietly the whole time。 She read my palm
and predicted that I would live to 105； marry three times； and die in a
traffic accident。 〃Not a bad life；〃 I said。
When her father woke just after four o'clock； Midori went to sit by his
pillow； wiped the sweat from his brow； gave him water； and asked
him about the pain in his head。 A nurse came and took his
temperature； recorded the number of his urinations； and checked the
intravenous equipment。 I went to the TV room and watched a little
football。
At five I told Midori I would be leaving。 To her father I explained； 〃I
have to go to work now。 I sell records in Shinjuku from six to 10。30。〃
He turned his eyes to me and gave a little nod。
〃Hey； Watanabe； I don't know how to put this； but I really want to
thank you for today；〃 Midori said to me when she saw me to