The Maid by Yasutaka Tsutsui

Author:Yasutaka Tsutsui [Tsutsui, Yasutaka]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781846882548
Publisher: Alma Books

6

The Grass Is Greener

“Starting tomorrow, would you mind helping out the Ichikawas next door for a week?” Teruo Takagi asked Nanase. “Mr Ichikawa is working at home now.”

“It’s fine with me, but…” Nanase answered.

Teruo, who had a stubby neck and thick lips, frowned. “I’ve already spoken to Naoko.”

Then he returned to the medical report on his lap.

During the month Nanase had been working at the Takagis’, she had never once seen Teruo read a medical textbook while relaxing in the study-living room. He would either be leafing through thin reports or the newspaper. Otherwise he’d be watching foreign movies on TV. And yet Teruo was a doctor who ran a small clinic on the first floor of the apartment building.

Even though he was only forty, Nanase could tell that he had already lost interest in his work.

There were lots of medical texts lining the bookshelves, but Nanase wasn’t fooled. When she peered into Teruo’s mind, she found him preoccupied with his position inside the medical academy, the one and only interest he showed towards his job. His concern for his patients amounted to a momentary thought for a particularly troubling case. Needless to say, he hated emergency house calls.

Naoko came home. She had gone to have an autumn suit tailored at her favourite boutique. Since she never told her husband her plans, he had no idea where she had been.

Without a word, Naoko went into her bedroom to change. Teruo didn’t say anything either. He’d only come out with something sarcastic and then his wife would lash back with even more bitter sarcasm. Naoko treated him with contempt. But what Teruo didn’t understand was the real reason behind this contempt.

Since they lived in a three-bedroom apartment, Nanase was able to tune into their minds freely no matter what room they were in. While Naoko was changing in the bedroom, she was thinking of her next-door neighbour, Shogo Ichikawa. They had just exchanged nods at the entrance. At thirty-seven, he was the same age as herself. Shogo was an architectural designer specializing in stores and, unlike Teruo, was neither fat nor lazy. The reason Naoko, in spite of her age, blushed every time she met Shogo was because all his good qualities were lacking in her husband.

“I spoke to Nana,” Teruo said to Naoko when she came into the living room. “She says she won’t mind going.”

The nerve of ordering me to take care of such chores.

“Oh.” Naoko spoke without turning to face Nanase. “Do your best, Nana.”

“Whatever you say.” To gauge Naoko’s feelings, Nanase deliberately spoke slowly, hinting at some double meaning.

As she predicted, Naoko turned to look at her, startled. By peering into Naoko’s consciousness at that instant, Nanase learnt that she genuinely wanted her to help out at the Ichikawas’. Naoko was hoping that this would give her the opportunity to meet Shogo.

“Go inform the Ichikawas.” Teruo stared fixedly at Naoko.

He could tell that his wife was interested in their next-door neighbour. In the past she would always

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.