Strangers by Taichi Yamada

Author:Taichi Yamada
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 2023-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Back at the apartment, the table was set with a bowl of edamame beans and a plate of garnished tofu to nibble on, plus three beer glasses.

“I wish we could offer you a shower,” my mother said.

“Yeah, right,” my father retorted. “And where the blazes would you propose to put such a thing?” He stripped to the waist at the kitchen sink and began wiping himself down with a cold washcloth. Though somewhat pale, he had a firm, muscular physique.

When he was done, I stripped to my sleeveless undershirt at the sink and followed suit.

My father turned on the TV. The summer high-school baseball tournament was on.

Next to the TV, an electric fan swung its neck back and forth.

“You sit here, Hideo,” my mother beckoned. I sat down between them at the low table and held out my glass as she poured me some beer.

“Are you on the late shift today, Dad?” I asked.

“Nah, I quit.”

“That’s right,” my mother said. “He up and quit again.”

“Give me a break, will you? Have I ever let you go hungry?”

“No, but …”

“It was ridiculous. The place had a counter plus five tables, and I was the only one who could turn out decent sushi. The master was supposed to be getting out of the hospital in September so they begged me to stick it out through August, you know, but I’d had enough. You gotta think of what you’re doing to your customers in the meantime. I mean, there was no way I could fix all the orders myself, so the customers wound up with all kinds of shameless crap, and, of course, nobody was happy about it. Fortunately, customers these days are pretty meek and you don’t get them throwing fits, but just because they don’t throw a fit doesn’t mean everything’s hunky-dory.”

“Fine, dear. There’s no sense in spoiling Hideo’s visit by harping on that now.”

“You brought it up.”

I was on cloud nine. My parents had not had a TV when they died. Things like beer and edamame and tofu were much harder to come by then than today. The electric fan was new as well.

I’m so happy for you, Mom. I’m really glad you can live like this now, Dad.

“Stop being so stingy with your beer,” my father said. “The way you’re sipping at it, you’d think it was whiskey.”

“That’s right,” my mother added. “Drink up. We can afford it.”

I downed the rest of my glass in a single draft and held it out for my mother to pour me some more.

Maybe I could buy them a shower. An air conditioner wouldn’t be a bad idea either. And I could have beer hauled in by the case.

But I supposed it would all be in vain. Like on the set of a movie, no matter how normal and real everything appeared on set, I had to assume I was somewhere a long way from reality. I had to assume that the moment I departed, my parents would cease moving, grow colorless, and be robbed of the breath of life.

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