by Hiro Arikawa
‘I think you’ll like the sea, Nana.’
Until then, I’d only seen it on the TV in Satoru’s front room, which I used to watch from my blanket in the corner. To see it now for real was going to be amazing.
And it was! The sparkling, deep-green water was completely stunning, but more than that was the idea that underneath that water lurked all the delicacies that made up my gourmet seafood blend. Oops! I had started to drool at the thought of it.
‘If, like last time, you end up coming back with me, let’s stop by the sea properly.’
What? Stop by the sea? Might I be lucky enough to catch one or two of those delicacies?
The sea was soon out of sight, and I drifted off for a bit. When I lazily opened my eyes again the scenery had become tranquil and countrified. Now we were sliding past green rice paddies and broad fields like a whirligig.
‘Oh, you’re up? We’re almost there.’
Just as Satoru said, the van soon pulled up in the front yard of a farmhouse. It seemed functionally constructed, large and practical. Nearby was an annexe of sorts, and a shed. Beside it was parked a smallish truck.
I took the initiative and leapt on to the back seat, into the opened basket. I’ve learned that when you go into an unknown house, it’s best and safest to be in a place you’re used to, one where you can barricade yourself in.
Satoru opened the back door and picked up the basket with me inside.
‘Satoru Miyawaki!’
At the sound of a welcoming voice, I peered through the bars and saw a man in work clothes and a straw hat heading towards Satoru, hand held high.
‘Yoshimine, how have you been?’ Satoru’s voice was excited, too. ‘You’re looking good.’
‘I work outdoors all the time, so your body naturally gets strong. Haven’t you become a little thinner?’
‘Have I? Guess it’s the unhealthy city lifestyle.’
The two of them clapped each other on the back and headed towards the main house.
‘Did you have any trouble finding my place?’
‘No, the sat-nav made it easy.’
‘Still, I didn’t think you’d come all this way from Tokyo by car. Flying would have been faster, and cheaper. Going by road must have been a bit pricey?’
Absolutely. You have the tolls on the motorway, service stations, the pet-friendly little hotel we stayed in last night. By the time we got here, Satoru had opened his wallet several times.
‘But if I had flown, then Nana would have been stored in the luggage hold, which is dark and noisy. One time, I took another cat on a plane and it was terrified for the entire day after we landed. Cats can’t understand why they’re in a situation like that, and I’d feel bad if Nana had to go through it.’
Okay, I might be terrified, but I’m a little offended that he’d think that Hachi could make it, but I couldn’t. Surely I’m more intrepid than Hachi. After all, until I was an adult, I survived as a stray on the streets.
Instead of worrying about me, you should worry about all the money you’ve spent on this trip.
Inside the main house, Yoshimine showed us into the living room. Satoru placed my basket in a corner and opened the door.
Yoshimine was crouching in front of my basket.
‘Mind if I take a look at Nana?’ he said, peering in.
‘Sure, but it might take a bit of time for him to feel comfortable enough to come out.’
‘No problem.’
What do you mean, no problem? I tilted my head in puzzlement and, just at that instant, a thick arm shot into the cage.
Hey, what—?
The fat arm grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and, without so much as a by-your-leave, dragged me out, then dangled me high up in the air.
Wh-wha-what the hell do you think you’re doing, you barbarian!
‘Good! He’s a proper cat.’
What the hell do you mean by that?
‘Hey!’
Satoru, horrified, gave Yoshimine a healthy shove in the back. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’
‘I just wanted to make sure he’s a real cat,’ Yoshimine explained, holding me against him with his thick arm. I tried to kick myself free, but that thick arm just took my kicks and didn’t budge an inch.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Look, you hold him like this, see?’
‘Don’t hold him like that!’
‘If his back legs fold up when you do this, it means he’s a real cat.’
Let me go! I put my legs together and kicked off against Yoshimine’s arm, flopping around like a salmon. Finally, I was able to break free.
I twisted my body around and landed perfectly on my four paws. Keeping my belly low to the ground, I turned to meet Yoshimine’s eye, and he said, ‘Whoa!’ and clapped his hands.
‘One fine cat you’ve got here. Well coordinated, and smart, too. An outstanding cat. I underestimated him.’
‘Yeah, I guess so.’
That can’t be true. Of course I’m well bred, but still. Satoru interrupted, in sync with me: ‘But still – that’s not the point!’ Great minds think alike. ‘Why did you grab Nana by the neck like that? It startled him!’
‘The reason is, I found a stray recently that isn’t a real cat. If Nana turned out to be like that one, there wouldn’t be much point, from a farmer’s perspective, in having him. So I just wanted to check him out.’
This unpleasant guy came over to try to play with my tail, which I was waving slowly to show my displeasure.
I spun around, only to find an orange tabby male kitten beside me. He’d appeared out of nowhere and was meowing and trying to cling to my hooked tail. What a pain.
Yoshimine grabbed the kitten by the scruff of the neck and picked him up. The kitten’s legs drooped down in a line.
‘This one isn’t a real cat. See?’
True, this kitten didn’t seem equipped with the natural abilities of most cats. He was the kind – like Hachi – that would never catch a mouse. Even if he could hone his skills through training, he would never be a true hunter like me.
‘He’s still just a kitten, you shouldn’t treat him so roughly …’
Satoru reached his hand out, fluttering it in the air in a stop that gesture. Yoshimine thrust the kitten at him.
‘Here. Feel free to stroke him, if you like.’
‘I’d love to.’
Satoru was a dyed-in-the-wool cat lover, like I said. Go ahead and get all lovey-dovey with that kitten. See if I care.
IT HAD BEEN a long time since Yoshimine had received an email from his former junior-high classmate Satoru Miyawaki.
He had just been thinking about him when the email arrived.
After a few quick words to bring him up to date, Satoru issued his request.
I know this is a bit sudden, but could you take my cat for me?
He’s really precious to me, he went on, but unavoidable circumstances make it impossible for me to keep him, and I’m looking for someone to adopt him.
There were two things Yoshimine could read in this message.
One was that his cat-devoted friend had once more found a cat he loved, and two, that once again he was having to part ways with it.
When it came to cats, Daigo Yoshimine could take them or leave them. If there was one in the house, he’d notice it and look after it, but he wasn’t passionate enough about them to adopt one himself. He felt the same way about dogs and birds.
But having a cat on a farm did have its advantages. On farms, mice inevitably caused damage, and a cat was a pretty good means of control.
He tapped out a reply.
I don’t think I’d look after a cat the way you do – I treat them like cats, not like pets – but if you’re okay with that, I’d be happy to take him off your hands. If you can’t find anyone else, then let me know. Rest assured, I’ll make sure he’s looked after.
Satoru wrote back thanking him. I’ve promised to show him to one other person first, he said, but
if that doesn’t work out, I’ll be counting on you.
A month later, Satoru wrote back again, asking if he could bring the cat over for Yoshimine to meet.
And, by coincidence, it was during this time that Yoshimine happened to find the kitten.
‘I was driving down the highway in my truck when I saw him lying by the side of the road like a limp dishrag. I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if I had just left him there.’
‘I see …’
Satoru seemed to melt with the orange tabby kitten on his lap. Cat lovers have a special place in their hearts for kittens.
‘You did a good job bringing up this teeny guy. Was it hard?’
‘I needed the vet a few times. But there’re other folk in the neighbourhood who have cats, and plenty of people ready to give advice.’
Because it was the countryside, people weren’t all that particular about the way they brought cats up.
‘It was a lot easier once he started eating cat food.’
Satoru burst out laughing. ‘I’m trying to imagine you feeding a kitten milk from a bottle. You’re lucky, aren’t you,’ Satoru said to the kitten, tickling him vigorously under the chin, ‘to be taken in by such a kind owner?’
‘I’m not that kind. I was hoping he’d catch a mouse or two around the place, but he’s not a real cat and I feel a bit let down.’
‘So, now that he’s recovered, are you going to throw him out of the house?’
Yoshimine looked put out by Satoru’s teasing tone.
Satoru stroked the kitten in his lap in contented silence. Then he said, ‘I get it now. That’s why you were asking whether Nana was a real cat or not.’
‘If I bring up two of them and they’re both useless, then all that cat food is a total waste.’
‘I knew you wouldn’t turn Nana down.’
‘Well, I can’t exactly refuse a guest who’s driven all the way here from Tokyo just for a cat.’
‘I get it,’ Satoru responded, as if he didn’t really accept this explanation.
‘By the way, what’s the kitten’s name?’
‘Chatran.’
‘That’s pretty silly.’
‘Is it?’
Yoshimine had asked around the neighbours who owned cats, and one person had said, ‘An orange tabby? That reminds me of Chatran.’ He liked the name and decided to use it.
‘Since that movie The Adventures of Chatran came out, it’s become a bit of a cliché to call an orange tabby Chatran.’
‘Hmm. I didn’t know that.’
And this Chatran with the silly name recognized a real cat lover and was fully relaxing in Satoru’s lap, stretching his paw on to Satoru’s cheek.
‘This brings back memories. I used to have a cat who did this.’
Satoru never named this cat he used to have to Yoshimine. He felt that if he spoke its name aloud, all the pent-up affection and sadness would break his heart again.
And even someone who knows nothing about the universal benefit of cats could understand that.
YOSHIMINE HAD TRANSFERRED into the junior high school in the spring of his second year.
‘This is Daigo Yoshimine, who will be joining us as your new classmate.’
The form teacher was a striking woman who’d won some Miss Something-or-other contest back in college, but Yoshimine had disliked her from the start.
When she explained to the class, in great detail, why he had moved to their school, she made it sound very close and intimate and oozed sympathy.
He had gritted his teeth and let her words wash over him, but what he couldn’t fend off was the timing.
‘Yoshimine-kun’s parents are busy with their jobs, so he’s transferred here and will be staying with his grandmother. We should all admire him, for enduring the loneliness of being away from his parents. I’d like you all to be friends with him.’
He understood then that her overly intimate manner was because she felt sorry for him. And, deep down, that disgusted him.
Even to an immature class of junior-high-school students with little worldly experience, it was crystal clear that this was the worst possible way to introduce a new student to his classmates.
‘Yoshimine-kun, why don’t you say a few words?’
Yoshimine turned to face the teacher. ‘Why did you tell everyone about my family like that without my permission? I never asked you to.’
A murmur rippled through the classroom. The teacher was taken aback, her smile faltering. ‘I – I thought it would help you settle in.’
‘No, in fact it makes me uncomfortable. I want people to be friends with me without my family being a part of it.’
‘I understand, but the thing is …’ the teacher mumbled. There was no way this was going to turn out well.
Yoshimine turned to face the other students.
‘Hi. I’m Daigo Yoshimine. There’s nothing special about my family, so I hope we can just get along like anybody else.’
A deathly hush descended on the classroom. Right from the start, he’d put them off.
As for his form teacher, she looked on the verge of tears.
‘Where do you want me to sit?’
Just then the bell went, signalling the end of form time, and the teacher left the classroom in a hurry.
‘Just sit down on any empty chair.’
It was Satoru who said this, pointing to some seats at the back.
First period was over, and while his other classmates eyed the new boy warily, keeping their distance, Satoru approached him without hesitation.
The next class was science. Yoshimine gathered his textbooks and left the classroom, with Satoru leading the way.
‘Listen.’ Something was bothering Yoshimine, and he had to ask. ‘Are you being nice to me just because of what the teacher said?’
‘Not at all,’ Satoru replied. ‘I thought it was all pretty childish. On both parts.’
‘You mean me, too?’
‘That teacher likes to be super-kind to kids who have issues going on at home. She doesn’t mean any harm by it.’
Something about the way he said this – the desire to be kind and mean no harm – made Yoshimine feel he had something in common with Satoru, a kind of connection.
‘Right after I entered this school, in freshman year, she did the same thing to me, so I get where you’re coming from. When I was in elementary school, my parents died in a car accident and now I live with my aunt. But that doesn’t mean I want to go out of my way to tell everybody in class about it.’
The circumstances Satoru had so casually mentioned were so much more serious than Yoshimine’s. So surely the teacher must have put on an even more annoying display of concern.
‘But you don’t need to complain about every little thing. Just take it as it comes, be grown-up about it.’
A little too philosophical, aren’t you, for a second-year junior high schooler? Yoshimine thought, but what Satoru said made sense, so he didn’t argue.
‘Still,’ Satoru said with a grin. ‘To tell you the truth, I felt good when you said that. Back when I started school, I wanted to say what you actually did say.’
Yoshimine changed the subject.
‘What’s your name?’
‘Satoru Miyawaki. Nice to meet you.’
He didn’t have to say anything like Let’s hang out, for by this time they were already friends.
From day one, Yoshimine hadn’t got on with his classmates or his form teacher, but being friends with Satoru made life at school go more smoothly.
Satoru had also apparently straightened things out with the teacher. Yoshimine had no idea how he had won her over, but one day she stopped him in the corridor and tearfully apologized.
‘I’m so sorry, Yoshimine-kun. I didn’t understand how badly you were feeling.’
Yoshimine felt as if some huge misunderstanding was about to occur, but it was too much trouble to explain things, so, following the advice to be grown-up about it, he ended the encounter w
ith a quick ‘It’s okay.’
‘Don’t worry, Yoshimine-kun,’ his teacher added. ‘I won’t mention your family situation again.’
So it seemed there was still some major misunderstanding about his family situation, which only Satoru correctly grasped.
‘My parents,’ Yoshimine had explained to him, ‘both work really hard and love their jobs too much.’
His father was in R&D at a top electronics company, while his mother worked in foreign investment for a multinational trading company. They were hardly ever at home, and Yoshimine often went days without seeing them.
‘Since spring, they’ve both become even busier, and they can’t seem to find any time for their family. Including me.’
His parents had tried to offload responsibility for their son on to his older brother, and their preoccupation with work had quickly led to total neglect of the household.
‘So they decided to send me to live with my grandmother on my father’s side until things settled down.’
But he didn’t think it was a big deal, so he found it embarrassing when his teacher went all gushy over how sad he must be. Because there are lots of kids with much tougher backgrounds. Take Satoru, for instance.
‘Hey, Yoshimine.’ A classmate called out to him from the corridor, putting an end to their conversation. ‘You interested in joining the judo club?’
‘Nope.’
The classmate’s shoulders drooped in disappointment, though he didn’t stop trying, dangling the possibility of him being a regular on the team. ‘So – what do you say?’ he asked.
‘I say no thanks,’ Yoshimine replied.
With his sturdy build, he was continually being invited to join the school sports teams, but Yoshimine turned them all down.
‘Aren’t you into school clubs?’ Satoru asked.
‘I don’t like sports much,’ he replied. He certainly had an athletic physique, but he disliked games with too many rules.
‘What about other kinds of clubs?’
‘If there was a gardening club I might join.’
His grandmother’s family were farmers and he had always enjoyed digging in the soil. His grandfather had passed away a few years before, and his grandmother had only just been managing to keep the family plots going, so Yoshimine had been pitching in.