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think of； reading my new book while listening to Ornette Coleman and
Bud Powell and drinking hot； thick； foul…tasting coffee。 At 5。30 I
closed my book； went outside and ate a light supper。 How many
Sundays … how many hundreds of Sundays like this … lay ahead of me？
〃Quiet； peaceful； and lonely；〃 I said aloud to myself。 On Sundays； I
didn't wind my spring。
銆�
8。txt
Norwegian Wood
8
Halfway through that week I managed to cut my palm open on a piece
of broken glass。 I hadn't noticed that one of the glass partitions in a
record shelf was cracked。 I could hardly believe how much blood
gushed out of me； turning the floor bright red at my feet。 The shop
manager found some towels and tied them tightly around the wound。
Then he made a phone call to casualty。 He was a pretty useless guy
most of the time； but he acted with surprising efficiency。 The hospital
was nearby； fortunately； but by the time I got there the towels were
soaked in red； and the blood they couldn't soak up had been dripping
on the tarmac。 People scurried out of the way for me。 They seemed to
think I had been injured in a fight。 I felt no pain to speak of； but the
blood wouldn't stop。
The doctor was cool as he removed the blood…soaked towels； stopped
the bleeding with a tourniquet on my wrist； disinfected the wound and
sewed it up； telling me to e again the next day。 Back at the record
shop； the manager told me to go home： he would put me down as
having worked my shift。 I took a bus to the dorm and went straight to
Nagasawa's room。 With my nerves on edge over the cut； I wanted to
talk to somebody； and I hadn't seen Nagasawa for a long time。
I found him in his room； drinking a can of beer and watching a
Spanish lesson on TV。 〃What the hell happened to you？〃 he asked
when he saw my bandage。 I said I had cut myself but that it was
nothing much。 He offered me a beer and I said no thanks。
〃Just wait。 This'll be over in a minute；〃 said Nagasawa； and he went
on practising his Spanish pronunciation。 I boiled some water and
made myself a cup of tea with a tea bag。 A Spanish woman recited
example sentences： 〃I have never seen such terrible rain！〃； 〃Many
bridges were washed away in Barcelona。〃 Nagasawa read the text
aloud in Spanish。 〃What awful sentences！〃 he said。 〃This kind of shit
is all they ever give you。〃
When the programme ended； he turned off the TV and took another
beer from his small refrigerator。
〃Are you sure I'm not in the way？〃 I asked。
〃No way。 I was bored out of my mind。 Sure you don't want a beer？〃
〃No； I really don't；〃 I said。
〃Oh； yeah； they posted the exam results the other day。 I passed！〃
〃The Foreign Ministry exam？〃
〃That's it。 Officially； it's called the 〃Foreign Affairs Public Service
Personnel First Class Service Examination'。 What a joke！〃
〃Congratulations！〃 I said and gave him my left hand to shake。
〃Thanks。〃
〃Of course； I'm not surprised you passed。〃
〃No； neither am I；〃 laughed Nagasawa。 〃But it's nice to have it
official。〃
〃Think you'll go abroad once you get in？〃
〃Nah； first they give you a year of training。 Then they send you
overseas for a while。〃
I sipped my tea； and he drank his beer with obvious satisfaction。
〃I'll give you this fridge if you'd like it when I get out of here；〃 said
Nagasawa。 〃You'd like to have it； wouldn't you？ It's great for beer。〃
〃Yeah； I'd like to have it； but won't you need it？ You'll be living in a
flat or something。〃
〃Don't be stupid！ When I get out of this place； I'm buying myself a big
fridge。 I'm gonna live the high life！ Four years in a shithole like this is
long enough。 I don't want to have to look at anything I used in this
place。 You name it； I'll give it to you … the TV； the thermos flask； the
radio。 。。〃
〃I'll take anything you want to give me；〃 I said。 I picked up the
Spanish textbook on his desk and stared at it。 〃You're starting
Spanish？〃
〃Yeah。 The more languages you know the better。 And I've got a knack
for them。 I taught myself French and it's practi cally perfect。
Languages are like games。 You learn the rules for one； and they all
work the same way。 Like women。〃
〃Ah； the reflective life！〃 I said with a sarcastic edge。
〃Anyway； let's eat out soon。〃
〃You mean cruising for women？〃
〃No； a real dinner。 You； me and Hatsumi at a good restaurant。 To
celebrate my new job。 My old man's paying； so we'll go somewhere
really expensive。〃
〃Shouldn't it just be you and Hatsumi？〃
〃No； it'd be better with you there。 I'd be more fortable； and so
would Hatsumi。〃
Oh no； it was Kizuki； Naoko and me all over again。
〃I'll spend the night at Hatsumi's afterwards； so join us just for the
meal。〃
〃OK； if you both really want me to；〃 I said。 〃But； anyway； what are
you planning to do about Hatsumi？ You'll be assigned overseas when
you finish your training； and you probably won't e back for years。
What's going to happen to her？〃
〃That's her problem。〃
〃I don't get it；〃 I said。
Feet on his desk； Nagasawa took a swig of beer and yawned。
〃Look； I'm not planning to get married。 I've made that perfectly clear
to Hatsumi。 If she wants to marry someone； she should go ahead and
do it。 I won't stop her。 If she wants to wait for me； let her wait。 That's
what I mean。〃
〃I have to hand it to you；〃 I said。
〃You think I'm a shit； don't you？〃
〃I do。〃
〃Look； the world is an inherently unfair place。 I didn't write the rules。
It's always been that way。 I have never once deceived Hatsumi。 She
knows I'm a shit and that she can leave me whenever she decides she
can't take it。 I told her that straight from the start。〃
Nagasawa finished his beer and lit a cigarette。
〃Isn't there anything about life that frightens you？〃 I asked。
〃Hey； I'm not a total idiot；〃 said Nagasawa。 〃Of course life frightens
me sometimes。 I don't happen to take that as the premise for
everything else； though。 I'm going to give it 100 per cent and go as far
as I can。 I'll take what I want and leave what I don't want。 That's how I
intend to live my life； and if things go bad； I'll stop and reconsider at
that point。 If you think about it； an unfair society is a society that
makes it possible for you to exploit your abilities to the limit。〃
〃Sounds like a pretty self…centred way to live；〃 I said。 〃Perhaps； but
I'm not just looking up at the sky and waiting for the fruit to drop。 In
my own way； I'm working hard。 I'm working ten times harder than
you are。〃
〃That's probably true；〃 I said。
〃I look around me sometimes and I get sick to my stomach。 Why the
hell don't these bastards do something？ I wonder。 They don't do a
fucking thing； and then they moan about it。〃
Amazed at the harshness of his tone； I looked at Nagasawa。 〃The way
I see it； people are working hard。 They're working their fingers to the
bone。 Or am I looking at things wrong？〃
〃That's not hard work。 It's just manual labour；〃 Nagasawa said with
finality。 〃The 〃hard work' I'm talking about is more self…directed and
purposeful。〃
〃You mean； like studying Spanish while everyone else is taking it
easy？〃
〃That's it。 I'm going to have Spanish mastered by next spring。 I've go