The Ruined Map by Kōbō Abe

Author:Kōbō Abe
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780224005654
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
Published: 1967-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Same day: 12:06 P.M.—Visited Mr. Toyama, the man to whom the person under investigation sold the car he had been using until two days before disappearing. Toyama was not at home, but I was told that he was expected for lunch, being under treatment for a stomach disorder. I decided to ask if I might not wait for him a while. Toyama’s house was not number 24, as my client had told me, but 42, and therefore it took me some time and pains to find it. Even so, I was obliged to wait. The silver lining to my cloud was that at least I reduced the waiting time.

It was a rather squalid corner of development housing. The fence was dilapidated. A ’63 Corona was nosed into the narrow yard. Perhaps that was the car Toyama had purchased from the missing man. It was in excellent condition and the tires almost new. Toyama’s wife is about thirty. Two children, two and four; both girls. In the yard there seemed to be something like a vegetable garden covered with vinyl—the whole complex revealed a thoroughly wholesome family atmosphere. For some time the sun had been shining and the garden was a pool of light. Since the temperature was such as to make me want to take off my coat, I declined the invitation to go in and asked if I might not sit on the verandah.

According to what Toyama’s wife said … (at this juncture there were two short toots of a horn; Toyama himself had apparently returned).

Same day: 12:19 P.M.—Toyama’s back. Since he seemed busy I took his deposition while he ate. Toyama’s meal consisted of bread and a souplike mush. He complained that he had to build up his strength a lot, that he had to watch out for his stomach, and that driving a taxi was exhausting. But he seemed genuinely concerned about the circumstances of the missing man and was most cooperative in answering my questions.

The following is the dialogue that took place between us:

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