Minae Mizumura - A True Novel

“What about your friend?” she asked as Yusuke straddled his bicycle. “Will he be there for tomorrow’s high tea ?” She seemed to take for granted that Yusuke would come.

“I somehow doubt it.”

The memory of Kubo’s face as he’d said, “Think I’ll bow outta that one,” brought a smile to his face. Watching, Fumiko understood, and gave a small smile of her own.

“All right. I won’t expect him then.”

Keys dangling from her hand, she returned to her car, which was parked inside, while Yusuke began pedaling up the rising gravel path. Soon the headlights of her car drew near, briefly lighting up his figure as he stood pressed into the shrubbery on his bicycle, before finally overtaking him and moving past.

WHEN HE GOT back to the summer house in Middle Karuizawa, there was no sign of his friend yet. Kubo didn’t get back till past midnight. Yusuke heard the front door open, then the refrigerator door open and close, the toilet flush and so on, but getting up to talk seemed too much trouble, so he just lay in bed. Soon he heard Kubo coming upstairs and moving around in the room next door. At some point, while Yusuke lay unable to sleep, he heard snoring. Was Kubo drunk? He’d never snored like that in high school. Yusuke tossed and turned, watching through cracks on either side of the shades as the sky grew lighter. That was the last thing he remembered before waking up at ten in the morning.

“So how come you slept later than me?”

When he went downstairs, Kubo was sitting on the sofa in front of the television with the sound turned off, his wet hair gleaming blackly as he turned to greet him. For someone just out of the shower, his face was puffy and slack. At last night’s party in Minamihara, just as predicted, there had been bottles of Dom Pérignon everywhere, bobbing in ice water, all you could drink. He got greedy, drank more than he should have, and so woke up with a splitting headache.

“Still, it’s up and at ’em again today.” Sitting on the sofa, he hit the back of his neck with the edge of his hand like a middle-aged man.

“How so?” asked Yusuke from the kitchen, putting the kettle on to boil.

“I’m scheduled to take the ladies out for a drive.” At the party he’d been making light conversation and before he knew it had agreed to drive to Onioshidashi Volcanic Park with his sister-in-law and her sister and mother. “While in the meantime my brother and his father-in-law will be playing a round of golf. Not fair!”

“Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee.”

Kubo turned off the TV, came over to the breakfast bar, and sat down facing the kitchen. He waited until Yusuke had poured two mugs of coffee to ask, “So, what were you doing yesterday?”

Yusuke sat down before answering: “Spent the whole day in Oiwake.”

“The whole day?” Kubo reached for the cream pitcher. “What, in the cottage where that maid lives?”

“Yeah.”

“You were there till nighttime?”

“Yeah.”

Kubo cocked his head dubiously.

“Listening to her tell her story.”

Kubo looked even more dubious. Yusuke put some cream in his mug and stirred the coffee with a soup spoon—he’d been unable to find any teaspoons—while he explained that it was a long story, that he hadn’t yet heard how it ended, and that someday when he’d heard it all he’d tell Kubo. Kubo seemed on the point of making a joke, but seeing the look on his friend’s face, he clamped his mouth shut as if he’d thought better of it. After sipping his coffee in silence he asked seriously, “So are you going to Karuizawa today for high tea or whatever with her?”

“Yeah, I think I will.”

“If you came on the drive with us, I’d make sure we got you back in time.”

“That’s okay.”

“Hmm.” Mug in hand, Kubo looked intently at Yusuke, then said without so much as a smile, “Whatever, man. Suit yourself.”

Kubo left before noon with the others. The plan was to stop somewhere along the way to the volcanic park and pick up some grilled char for lunch.

“What a perfect day for a drive!” The younger sister, a size slimmer than her sibling, made this comment to no one in particular as she drew her pink-sandaled feet inside the car. Yusuke, who had come out to see them off, glanced up at the sky. Directly overhead was the summer sun, baking the car roof. Where yesterday there had been a scattering of white clouds, today the sky was a deep, clear blue.

He went back inside and had another cup of coffee. Then he ran a tubful of hot water in the spacious bathroom where red crepe myrtle showed through the window, climbed in, and took a bath, carefully shaving his none-too-heavy beard afterward. Next he stir-fried the chicken he and Kubo had bought together at the supermarket the other day, first drizzling the chunks with olive oil and soy sauce, and ate this with bread from Asanoya for brunch. Even when he had finished washing the dishes it was still just a little past one. For once, time hung heavy on his hands. He was short of sleep, so a nap was in order, but he was in no mood to lie down again. He soon decided that he would spend the rest of the time until five, the hour designated by Harue, strolling around Old Karuizawa. Since the idea of working up a sweat on his bicycle was unappealing, and seeing that for the first time in his life he was going to a high tea , whatever that might be, he took advantage of the number on the wall next to the telephone, labeled “Matsuba Taxi,” to call for a cab.

The driver, at pains to point out that he was not a summer employee but a local, avoided the main road and took a shortcut that landed Yusuke at Kinokuniya supermarket in under fifteen minutes. Yusuke headed away from the crowds, off to the quieter, more distant areas. For over two hours he walked around from one summer house to another. He found himself searching for old Western-style buildings. There must be some somewhere, he thought, but managed to find only a few. When he did stumble on one, it was generally apparent that it had sat unused for years, the windows shut up and the yard choked with weeds. In his wanderings he covered quite a distance, as he eventually realized in dismay. He hurriedly retraced his steps, but by the time he found himself in front of the familiar lava stone gateposts, it was well past the appointed hour. The two Western-style villas stood side by side in the special, limpid twilight of a clear day.

WESTERN-STYLE SUMMER VILLA WITH BAY WINDOWS

On a day like this the famous Karuizawa mist would probably not invade.

When he went into the garden, he found a dozen people sitting outside in two groups on white wicker or plastic chairs. The trio of ladies from the other day made little squeals of welcome when they spotted him. Harue, the eldest, raised a hand in greeting and then lowered it straight to an empty chair beside her, pointing. Seated on her left was Natsue, the middle sister, wearing a broad-brimmed red hat. The youngest of the three, Fuyue, was in the other group, and waved when she recognized him, her bespectacled face all smiles.

Yusuke went up to Harue, who looked him up and down as she said, “Welcome! How lovely to have a young person join us. From the moment you came in, I could sense a difference in the air.”

Beside her, Natsue echoed the greeting: “Lovely to see you!” She stretched forward, dimpling beneath the red hat. Around her neck was a red silk scarf.

Yusuke looked down at his jeans. “Sorry I didn’t have anything better to wear.”

Without comment, Harue said, “We were just talking about you. Fumi said you were coming, but when you didn’t make an appearance, we thought you must have run away after all.”