按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
So it was p。m。 after all！ That's right； I had been stretched out on my
bed reading a book when I dozed off。 Friday。 My head started
working。 I didn't have to go to the record shop on Friday nights。
〃Yeah； I'm free。 Where are you？〃
〃Ueno Station。 Why don't you meet me in Shinjuku？ I'll leave now。〃
We set a time and place and hung up。
When I got to DUG； Midori was sitting at the far end of the counter
with a drink。 She wore a man's wrinkled； white balmacaan coat； a thin
yellow jumper； blue jeans； and two bracelets on one wrist。
〃What're you drinking？〃 I asked。
〃Tom Collins。〃
I ordered a whisky and soda； then realized there was a big suitcase by
Midori's feet。
I went away；〃 she said。 〃Just got back。〃
〃Where'd you go？〃
〃South to Nara and north to Aomori。〃
〃On the same trip？！〃
〃Don't be stupid。 I may be strange； but I can't go north and south at the
same time。 I went to Nara with my boyfriend； and then took off to
Aomori alone。〃
I sipped my whisky and soda； then struck a match to light the
Marlboro that Midori held between her lips。 〃You must have had a
terrible time； what with the funeral and everything。〃
〃Nah； a funeral's a piece of cake。 We've had plenty of practice。 You
put on a black kimono and sit there like a lady and everybody else
takes care of business … an uncle； a neighbour； like that。 They bring the
sake； order the sushi； sayforting things； cry； carry on； divide up
the keepsakes。 It's a breeze。 A picnic。 pared to nursing someone
day after day； it's an absolute picnic。 We were drained； my sister and
me。 We couldn't even cry。 We didn't have any tears left。 Really。
Except； when you do that； they start whispering about you： 〃Those
girls are as cold as ice。' So then； we're never going to cry； that's just
how the two of us are。 I know we could have faked it； but we would
never do anything like that。 The bastards！ The more theywanted to
see us cry； the more determined we were not to give them the
satisfaction。 My sister and I are totally different types； but when it
es to something like that； we're in absolute sync。〃
Midori's bracelets jangled on her arm as she waved to the waiter and
ordered another Tom Collins and a small bowl of pistachios。
〃So then； after the funeral ended and everybody went home； the two of
us drank sake till the sun went down。 Polished off one of those huge
half…gallon bottles； and half of another one； and the whole time we
were dumping on everybody …
this one's an idiot； that one's a shithead； one guy looks like a mangy
dog； another one's a pig； so…and…so's a hypocrite； that one's a crook。
You have no idea how great it felt！〃
〃I can imagine。〃
〃We got pissed and went to bed … both of us out cold。 We slept for
hours； and if the phone rang or something； we just let it go。 Dead to
the world。 Finally； after we woke up； we ordered sushi and talked
about what to do。 We decided to close the shop for a while and enjoy
ourselves。 We'd been killing ourselves for months and we deserved a
break。 My sister just wanted to hang around with her boyfriend for a
while； and I decided I'd take mine on a trip for a couple of days and
fuck like crazy。〃 Midori clamped her mouth shut and rubbed her ears。
〃Oops； sorry。〃
〃That's OK；〃 I said。 〃So you went to Nara。〃
〃Yeah； I've always liked that place。 The temples； the deer park。〃
〃And did you fuck like crazy？〃
〃No； not at all； not even once；〃 she said with a sigh。 〃The second we
walked into the hotel room and dumped our bags； my period started。 A
real gusher。〃
I couldn't help laughing。
〃Hey； it's not funny。 I was a week early！ I couldn't stop crying when
that happened。 I think all the stress threw me off。 My boyfriend got
sooo angry！ He's like that： he gets angry straight away。 It wasn't my
fault； though。 It's not like I wanted to get my period。 And； well； mine
are kind of on the heavy side anyway。 The first day or two； I don't
want to do anything。 Make sure you keep away from me then。〃
〃I'd like to； but how can I tell？〃 I asked。
〃OK； I'll wear a hat for a couple of days after my period starts。 A red
one。 That should work；〃 she said with a laugh 〃If you see me on the
street and I'm wearing a red hat； don't talk to me； just run away。〃
〃Great。 I wish all girls would do that；〃 I said。 〃So anyway what did
you do in Nara？〃
〃What else could we do？ We fed the deer and walked all over the
place。 It was just awful！ We had a big fight and I haven't seen him
since we got back。 I hung around for a couple of days and decided to
take a nice trip all by myself。 So I went to Aomori。 I stayed with a
friend in Hirosaki for the first two nights； and then I started travelling
around … Shimokita； Tappi； places like that。 They're nice。 I once wrote
a map brochure for the area。 Ever been there？〃
〃Never。〃
〃So anyway；〃 said Midori； sipping her Tom Collins； then wrenching
open a pistachio； 〃the whole time I was travelling by myself； I was
thinking of you。 I was thinking how nice it would be if I could have
you with me。〃
〃How e？〃
〃How e？！〃 Midori looked at me with eyes focused on nothingness。
〃What do you mean 〃How e？'？！〃
〃Just that。 How e you were thinking of me？〃
〃Maybe because I like you； that's how e！ Why else would I be
thinking of you？ Who would ever think they wanted to be with
somebody they didn't like？〃
〃But you've got a boyfriend；〃 I said。 〃You don't have to think about
me。〃 I took a slow sip of my whisky and soda。 〃Meaning I'm not
allowed to think about you if I've got a boyfriend？〃
〃No； that's not it； I just … 〃
〃Now get this straight； Watanabe；〃 said Midori； pointing at me。 〃I'm
warning you； I've got a whole month's worth of misery crammed
inside me and getting ready to blow。 So watch what you say to me。
Any more of that kind of stuff and I'll flood this place with tears。 Once
I get started； I'm good for the whole night。 Are you ready for that？ I'm
an absolute animal when I start crying； it doesn't matter where I am！
I'm not joking。〃
I nodded and kept quiet。 I ordered a second whisky and soda and ate a
few pistachios。 Somewhere behind the sound of a sloshing shaker and
clinking glasses and the scrape of an ice maker； Sarah Vaughan sang
an old…fashioned love song。
〃Things haven't been right between me and my boyfriend ever since
the tampon incident。〃
〃Tampon incident？〃
〃Yeah； I was out drinking with him and a few of his friends about a
month ago and I told them the story of a woman in my neighbourhood
who blew out a tampon when she sneezed。 Funny； right？〃
〃That is funny；〃 I said with a laugh。
〃Yeah； all the other guys thought so； too。 But he got mad and said I
shouldn't be talking about such dirty things。 Such a wet blanket！〃
〃Wow。〃
〃He's a wonderful guy； but he can be really narrow…minded when it
es to stuff like that；〃 said Midori。 〃Like； he gets mad if I wear
anything but white underwear。 Don't you think that's narrow…minded？〃
〃Maybe so；〃 I said； 〃but it's just a matter of taste。〃 It seemed
incredible to me that a guy like that would want a girlfriend like
Midori； but I kept this thought to myself。
〃So； what have you been doing？〃 she asked。
〃No