Women On the Other Shore (35 page)

It was a letter. The little piece of paper was crammed full of characters written in blue ink. Still cradling the books she'd rescued in one arm, Sayoko reached for the note. She knew she wasn't supposed to look at anything like this when cleaning; it was one of the cardinal rules Noriko Nakazato laid down on her very first day of training. Even if she found a bankbook lying open on the floor, under no circumstances was she to peek at its contents.

But Sayoko found herself unable to resist because the handwrit-ing she'd glimpsed might almost have been her own. The overly rounded, rather foreign-looking characters reminded her very much of the way she used to write when she was in high school.

Hi, Aokins,
the note began. Sayoko immediately guessed that it was a note addressed by some unknown school friend to Aoi. She could no longer tear her eyes from the page, and quickly scanned the rest of the message.

Hi, Aokins. We just talked on the phone, but here I am already writing a letter. What'd you have for supper tonight? Nobody was home at
my place, and I couldn't be bothered making anything so I just had
some cookies. Kaola's March. I'm really into them right now.

In world history today, Matsubara amazingly let the class drift
way off topic. Did you know he's traveled all over the world? Who'd a
thunk? So Ritsuko asked him what's the prettiest place he ever went,
and guess what he said? Some place called Machu Picchu. I have no
idea where that is, do you? It's supposed to be some kind of phantom
city way up high in the sky. Like Laputa, maybe? I don't know.

Anyway, that got him started, and after that he just kept talking on
and on about his travels. Listening to him, I got to thinking. How'd
you like to go on a big trip together sometime, you and me? To France,
maybe, or Australia, or someplace like that. I don't really care where,
I just want to go. I wonder where we'll think is prettiest. It'd be fun to
find out.

If we did that, do you think we might actually get homesick for this
boring dump? Like we'll be sitting in gay Paree and suddenly we're
saying, Man, I wish I could see the good oV Watarase right now! That
would reek, but it'd be sort of nice, too, don't you think? I know that
sounds weird, but I'm just saying, I think it'd be a happy thing if you
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could actually feel that way—like you wanted to come back to this
place.

See you at our usual spot by the river. I'll bring
Fist of the North Star
and the latest issue of
Olive.
How about we stop at the office
supply store near the station to look at a globe on our way home?

Maybe we can find Machu Picchu. Unless you don't want to.

All of a sudden I'm getting a powerful craving for a tuna and
cheese crepe. I guess I'm still hungry. Maybe I'll go make something.

Sorry for rambling on and on about a bunch of nothing. Why didn't
I just wait till tomorrow? What an idiot.

Anyway, see you at the river. ByeI

Nanako

Sayoko looked up from the letter.

A scene from a place she'd never been to rose up before her as vividly as if it were a true memory.

A road runs along the banks of a river. Summer grasses grow tall and thick beside it. Two teenage girls are walking on the far bank, skirts rippling in the breeze, hair flickering in the sun, something funny making them double over with laughter. Suddenly they look across the water and spy the teenage Sayoko standing on the opposite shore. They throw their arms high into the air and wave, shouting something at the top of their lungs. She waves back, and they shout something more.
Wha-a-at? I can't hear you!
They start jumping up and down and pointing along the river in the direction they've been walking. She looks the way they're pointing and sees a bridge spanning the river. They beckon to her and dash for the bridge. She kicks up her skirt and races for the bridge, too, as if chasing after the girls on the other shore. The current flows quietly between them, reflecting the sky above.

The ringing of a phone startled Sayoko back to reality. She quickly slipped the letter back between the pages of the book.

"Oh, hi! It's good to hear from you— Not do what?... Oh, right, that. No, no, I never said I wouldn't do it. I'm not an idiot, you know.

Actually, I wanted to tell you I'm making a comeback. The new Platinum Planet is ready for launch, so please keep the orders coming thick and fast Yep, and some top-notch talent popped up on my doorstep, too, so..."

After lowering another box to the floor, Sayoko glanced across the room at Aoi. Their eyes met. Aoi flashed Sayoko a broad smile, then quickly straightened her lips and looked down at the computer.

"Uh-huh, you got it All right, then, we'll need to meet to discuss details. Today would work for me Oh, okay, tomorrow then You're kidding. Really? That's hilarious."

Aoi burst into a hearty laugh.

Sayoko looked up after flattening another box and saw that the large living room window was now almost clear. Beyond it, a sea of houses stretched into the distance, broken here and there by the sharp outlines of taller buildings piercing the clear blue sky. A narrow street that wound gently among the houses stood out like the river that had risen up before her and then vanished only a moment ago. Three teenage girls skipped lightly over the rooftops, their laughter echoing across the sky as they raced off into the distance.

Aoi hung up the phone and promptly turned to her keyboard.

"Let's have beer at three," she said without looking up. "To celebrate your return to work."

"Just so you know, I'll need something real hot and spicy to go with it!" Sayoko cracked as she continued sorting. "Nothing short of a level five's gonna do it for me today. This mess definitely takes the prize."

The band of sunlight coming through the window stretched across the cluttered floor to the threshold of the dimly lit tatami room. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Sayoko's face from temple to chin and fell to the floor.

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