Hiro Arikawa - The Travelling Cat Chronicles

Sugi graduated from college, returned to his hometown and, after a few years, married Chikako. Satoru came to the wedding.

History wasn’t going to be rewritten now – they’d come too far for that.

Still, sometimes Sugi would get a bit panicky when he thought of Satoru. Punishment, he thought, for having suppressed his friend’s words all those years ago.

If he took in Satoru’s cat, it would be a thorn in his side that would torment him for the rest of his life. But still.

Satoru was clearly troubled about what to do with his cat and had come to ask for his help, and since Sugi had won out with Chikako through unfair methods, he felt it was his duty to help.

It might seem weird for such a petty and cowardly guy like me to do this so late in the day, Sugi thought, but I really do like you, Satoru. You’ve had a much, much harder life than I have, yet you’ve always remained generous and kind. You blow me away.

I’ve always wanted to be more like you. If only I could be.

THE NEXT MORNING, another meeting between the dog and me was arranged.

After breakfast, Chikako left the dining room to fetch him.

‘Be a good boy this time, Tora,’ Chikako cautioned him as he stood behind the fence. Sugi, looking worried, was pacing around the dining room. Satoru looked a little worried, too. The only ones who kept their cool were Momo and yours truly.

Breakfast for me was a special tuna blend with a side of chicken breast, so I was feeling pleasantly full. Give it your best shot, you hound.

The door to the room swung open.

The dog had planted himself in the doorway and was staring hard in my direction. He avoided Satoru’s eyes.

Too damn right.

Yesterday, on several occasions, Sugi had scolded the dog, reminding him that Satoru was his good friend and that he mustn’t bark at him. That being the case, there was only one other he could turn his fire on.

You want it, pal, then I’m more than ready for you.

The dog began to bark at me in such a frenzy he looked on the verge of losing it.

Ignoring the cries of the humans, I arched my back as high as it could go and made my fur stand on end. You don’t fool around, do you? Momo murmured. High praise, indeed.

The dog would not stop barking. Satoru rushed over to hold me down so I wouldn’t leap out at the stupid dog.

As long as you’re here, the master and his wife will be thinking of Satoru! It’s painful for my master if his wife remembers him!

I don’t need to hear that. If it’s a house with a stupid hound like you in it, then I’m calling the whole thing off on my own!

If it came to a fight, I was several leagues above this mutt.

You may talk big, but I bet you’ve never been in a life-and-death scrape. Bet you’ve never been in the kind of fight over territory where, if you lose, you’ll have nothing to eat for days, have you, you spoiled, high-and-mighty hound?

I gave him an earful of the kind of spiel I’d perfected over the course of numerous scenes of carnage. The kind of rough language to which I can’t subject you polite ladies and gentlemen.

Momo, surveying all this with total disinterest from her perch atop the TV, smiled. Pardon me, I told her. My one regret is besmirching the ears of a refined lady like yourself with such language.

Go home, damn you! The hound was close to tears, and still barking his head off.

A piddling three-year-old dog who’s always worn a collar thinks he’s going to beat me? Not in a hundred years, my friend. Momo’s lived twice as long as me, and I’ve lived twice as long as you , pal.

I won’t allow someone in this house who reminds the master and his wife of Satoru! Besides—

Shut it! Say any more and I’ll make you regret it!

I had to admire the dog, though, since he still wouldn’t shut up. He really was wound up.

Besides, your owner smells like he’s not going to make it.

I told you to shut it!

‘Nana!’ Satoru yelled at me.

I had escaped from his grasp and swiped the dog with my claws.

Ruff! The dog’s scream rang out. Three neat rows of wounds now ran down his brindled muzzle, and three lines of blood were faintly oozing out.

But still Toramaru didn’t put his tail between his legs.

Several times, he looked as though he was about to lower it at least, but then he forced it up again. And growled more deeply.

‘ Stop it , Nana! You’ll hurt him!’

The fight was already won, so I meekly let Satoru pick me up. ‘I’m so sorry.’ Satoru apologized over and over to Toramaru, and to Sugi and Chikako.

‘It’s okay. I’m just glad Nana didn’t get bitten.’

Chikako, turning pale, let out a sigh. Sugi gave Toramaru a good rap on the head with his fist.

‘If you had really bitten Nana, he would have died, you know!’

For the first time, Toramaru let his tail sag between his legs. And he glared at me regretfully.

Okay, I understand. I won’t count that among my victories.

‘I’m sorry. I really appreciate you saying you’d look after Nana for me, but I’m going to take him back home.’ Satoru sounded quite sad about this. ‘It wouldn’t be good for Toramaru, either, to have to live with a cat he doesn’t get on with.’

Satoru fetched the basket. As I stepped in obediently, I glanced back at Toramaru.

Thank you, Toramaru.

Toramaru looked a little dubious.

I came here on a trip with Satoru. Not to be left behind here in this house. I was trying to come up with a plan so we could go home together, and thanks to you it has all worked out smoothly.

Toramaru lowered his eyes and tilted his head, and Satoru and I headed towards the silver van.

They brought Toramaru out on a lead to see us off. Sugi kept a tight hold of it, wrapping it a few times around his hand.

Momo came out of her own accord to say goodbye. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a fight as definitive as that, she said, paying me a compliment.

‘I’m so sorry it’s turned out this way. I’m just glad Nana didn’t get hurt.’

‘We really did hope to look after him.’

Sugi and Chikako apologized, one after the other, but that only made Satoru uncomfortable. Which was understandable, seeing as how the only one who actually hurt anyone was, in the end, moi .

As usual, before Satoru got the van on the move, the old friends seemed to find it painful to say goodbye.

Even after Satoru was behind the wheel, Chikako kept saying she had forgotten to give him this or that, and handed him one present after another: her home-grown herbs, some fruit, and more fruit.

We really had better be going.

‘Oh, by the way,’ Satoru called out of the open window. ‘When I was in high school, I really liked you, Chikako. Did you know that?’

The way he said it was pretty blasé. Sugi’s face stiffened. And Chikako said – ‘ What? ’ Then she blinked like a pigeon that had just been shot by a peashooter, and gave a little laugh. ‘That was so long ago. Why bring it up now?’

‘Yeah, I guess you’re right.’

The two of them chuckled. Sugi stood there, astonished, then gave a late-to-the-party laugh.

He might have been laughing, but he looked almost ready to cry.

The van had started moving down the drive when there was a shout.

‘Toramaru!’

Toramaru wrenched hard, struggling to break free of the lead.

Hey, cat!

Toramaru was calling me.

You can stay! The master was laughing with the missus and Satoru, so it’s all okay now for you to stay!

You idiot. I told you I had no intention of being left behind from the very start.