Light and dark

[48]

THE SCENE outside surveyed from the corridor was, as to be expected at a venue like this, bustling. Unfamiliar faces paraded back and forth unceasingly across the slatted flooring held in place by braces so that it could be removed. O-Nobu stopped at the far end of the corridor and, half leaning against a pillar, searched for Tsugiko. When she finally located her in front of the shops lining the far side of the lobby, she descended at once and moved toward her with quick, light steps across the slatted wooden flooring.

“What are you buying?”

As O-Nobu spoke, leaning forward from behind as if to peer over Tsugiko’s shoulder, her cousin wheeled in surprise so that their faces nearly rubbed as they smiled at each other.

“I’m having a terrible time. Hajime-san asked me to buy him something so I’ve been looking, but I can’t find anything likely to please him.”

Under the mistaken impression she would find a toy for a small boy, Tsugiko had gone from one item to the next, finding nothing and unable to stop until by now she was in some distress. Pausing in front of hairpins decorated with plastic flowers and bearing the crests of famous actors, wallets, hand towels, on and on, she kept glancing at O-Nobu with eyes that appealed for help. O-Nobu responded at once.

“You’re wasting your time. If it’s not a murder weapon he won’t like it, a pistol or a wooden sword, and you won’t find any such thing in these stylish shops.”

The man behind the counter laughed; O-Nobu took the opportunity to grasp Tsugiko’s hand.

“Anyway, you should ask your mother first — sorry to trouble you, another time.”

With these words to the shopkeeper, O-Nobu led a disconsolate-looking Tsugiko briskly away, half dragging her back to the corridor. There they stopped and chatted for a while, leaning against a pillar supporting the roof.

“What happened to Uncle? Why isn’t he here?”

“He’s coming. Any minute now.”

O-Nobu was surprised. Okamoto wedging his bulk into a space already cramped with the four of them would definitely be an incident.

“I’m already so skinny, if Uncle squeezes in on top of me I’ll be squashed flat.”

“He’ll take Yuriko’s place.”

“Why?”

“No special reason. It just makes more sense. It doesn’t matter if Yuriko isn’t here.”

“Really! I wonder what would have happened if Yoshio weren’t sick and he had come along with me.”

“We’d have managed — bought more space I guess, or maybe joined Yoshikawa-san.”

“Was Yoshikawa-san invited too?”

“Yes.”

Tsugiko said no more. O-Nobu had never thought of the Okamoto and Yoshikawa families as being so close, and for just a moment she was suspicious, wondering if there might be some significance in this, but as there was abundant room to view it simply as an afternoon’s entertainment people with leisure time were likely to arrange, she didn’t pursue it further. They did touch briefly on Madam Yoshikawa’s binoculars. O-Nobu went so far as to demonstrate with a gesture.

“She pointed them at me openly like this. I couldn’t believe it.”

“How rude! But that’s apparently how foreigners behave — that’s what Father says.”

“So in the West it’s not bad manners? Does that mean I’m allowed to stare at her in the same way? I should return her kind attention.”

“Give it a try. I bet she’ll be pleased. She’s always saying, ‘Nobukosan is classy.’”

As they laughed aloud, a young man came out of nowhere and halted briefly alongside them. He was wearing a plain kimono jacket embroidered with a crest in slightly darker colored thread and stylish, serge “lantern” hakama, and their eyes had no sooner met than, conveying without words an attitude of polite respect as he passed, he descended to the wooden floor and moved away. Tsugiko blushed.

“Let’s go back in.”

Prompting O-Nobu, she stepped inside.