Light and dark

[99]

HEARING THIS, Tsuda was careful not to move his eyes. Turned away as he was, he waited for O-Hide to complete the thought. But having expressed just half of something that was likely to concern him, she quickly changed course.

“What makes you start worrying about such a foolish thing today? You have a special reason?”

Tsuda continued to look away. He wished to prevent his sister from reading his eyes. And he was affected by his own unnatural behavior. He felt somehow intimidated. At last he turned toward O-Hide.

“Who says I’m worried?”

“You’re just concerned?”

If things continued in this vein he would feel ridiculed. He went silent.

Just then the contractions that had assailed him a while ago commenced again around the wound. He endured several and was succumbing to worry that the spasms would begin recurring regularly. O-Hide, unaware of this, was unable to let the subject go. Having lost for a minute the thread of her inquiry, she thrust it at him again in a different form.

“Brother, I wonder what sort of person you think Sister is?”

“Why question me now about something like that? It’s ridiculous.”

“Fine! Then I won’t ask.”

“But why? At least tell me why you ask?”

“It seemed important.”

“Important how? Just tell me that.”

“I felt it was important for your sake.”

Tsuda looked disturbed. O-Hide continued at once.

“Because you’re so concerned, Brother, with what Kobayashi-san may have said! There’s something odd about that.”

“It’s nothing you’d understand.”

“That’s why it’s odd, because I don’t understand. Tell me, then, what sort of thing might he bring up to Sister, and what could he say about it?”

“I haven’t said a word about bringing anything up!”

“But what are you afraid he might bring up?”

Tsuda didn’t reply. O-Hide peered into his face as if to bore a hole in it.

“I just can’t imagine it. No matter how bad a person he’s become, what could he possibly have to say? I can’t think of a thing.”

Still Tsuda declined to reply. O-Hide persisted in pressing him for a response.

“What if he did say something; all Sister would have to do is ignore him, isn’t that so?”

“I know that much without hearing it from you!”

“That’s why I’m asking. What in the world do you think of Sister? Do you trust her or not?”

Abruptly O-Hide bore down. Tsuda wasn’t sure why. But sensing the need to throw his antagonist off her stride, he burst into laughter, avoiding a direct answer.

“You should see yourself glowering. I feel as though I’m being cross-examined.”

“Stop faking and say something real.”

“What would you do if I did?”

“I’m your sister.”

“What does that have to do with it?”

“The trouble is, you’re not frank.”

Tsuda inclined his head as though bewildered.

“It seems the conversation has gotten very complicated all of a sudden; I wonder if I haven’t misled you. I didn’t bring Kobayashi up with anything serious in mind. All I meant was, this is the sort of troublesome fellow who goes to see your wife when you’re not home and tells her heaven knows what.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all I have to say.”

O-Hide looked as though she felt an expectation had been betrayed. But that didn’t silence her.

“But, Brother. Imagine that someone came to see me and said something when Hori was away. Do you think Hori would worry about that when he found out?”

“I wouldn’t know about Hori-san. I suppose you’ll insist he wouldn’t worry?”

“That’s right.”

“Fine — and?”

“And nothing. That’s all I have to say.”

The conversation had led them to silence.