The KidneyShaped Stone That Moves Every Day.docx
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The KidneyShaped Stone That Moves Every Day.docx
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TheKidneyShapedStoneThatMovesEveryDay
TheKidney-ShapedStoneThatMovesEveryDay
byHarukiMurakami
TranslatedbyJayRubin
I
Junpeiwassixteenyearsoldwhenhisfathermadethefollowingpronouncement.True,theywerefatherandson;thesamebloodflowedintheirveins.Buttheywerenotsoclosethattheycouldopentheirheartstoeachother,anditwasextremelyrareforJunpei'sfathertoofferhimviewsoflifethatmight(perhaps)becalledphilosophical.Andsothatday'sexchangeremainedwithhimasavividmemorylongafterhehadforgottenwhatpromptedit.
'Amongthewomenamanmeetsinhislife,thereareonlythreethathaverealmeaningforhim.Nomore,nofewer,'hisfathersaid-or,rather,declared.Hespokecoollybutwithuttercertainty,ashemighthaveinnothingthattheearthtakesayeartorevolvearoundthesun.Junpeilistenedinsilence,partlybecausehisfather'sdeclarationwassounexpected;hecouldthinkofnothing,onthespurofthemoment,tosay.
'Youwillprobablybecomeinvolvedwithmanywomeninthefuture,'hisfathercontinued,'butyouwillbewastingyourtimeifawomanisthewrongoneforyou.Iwantyoutorememberthat.'
Later,severalquestionsformedinJunpei'syoungmind:
Hasmyfatheralreadymethisthreewomen?
Ismymotheroneofthem?
Andifso,whathappenedwiththeothertwo?
Buthewasnotabletoaskhisfatherthesequestions.Asnotedbefore,thetwowerenotonsuchclosetermsthattheycouldtalktoeachotherhearttoheart.
JunpeileftthehouseateighteenwhenhewenttouniversityinTokyo,andhebecameinvolvedwithseveralwomen,oneofwhomhad'realmeaning'forhim.Heknewthiswithabsolutecertaintyatthetime,andheisjustascertainofitnow.Beforehecouldexpresshisfeelingsinconcreteform,however(bynature,ittookhimlongerthanmostpeopletoputthingsintoconcreteform),shemarriedhisbestfriend,andsincethenshehasbecomeamother.Forthetimebeing,therefor,shehadtobeeliminatedfromthelistofpossibilitiesthatlifehadtoofferJunpei.Hehadtohardenhishertandsweepherfromhismind,asaresultofwhichthenumberofwomenremainingwhocouldhave'realmeaning'inhislife-ifhewasgoingtotakehisfather'stheorybroadly-wasreducedtotwo.
WheneverJunpeimetanewwomanafterthat,hewouldaskhimself,Isthisawomanwhohasrealmeaningforme?
andthequestionwouldcallforthadilemma.Forevenashecontinuedtohope(aswhodoesnot?
)thathewouldmeetsomeonewhohad'realmeaning'forhim,hewasafraidofplayinghisfewremainingcardstooearly.HavingfailedtojoinwiththeveryfirstimportantOtherheencountered,Junpeilostconfidenceinhisability-theexceedinglyimportantability-togiveoutwardexpressiontoloveattheappropriatetimeandintheappropriatemanner.Imaybethetypewhomanagestograballthepointlessthingsinlifebutletsthereallyimportantthingsslipaway.Wheneverthisthoughtcrossedhismind-whichwasoften-hisheartwouldsinkdowntoaplacedevoidoflightandwarmth.
Andso,afterhehadbeenwithanewwomanforsomemonths,ifheshouldbegintonoticesomethingabouthercharacterorbehavior,howevertrivial,thatdispleasedhimortouchedanerve,somewhereinarecessofhishearthewouldfeelatwingeofrelief.Asaresult,itbecamealifepatternforhimtomaintainpale,indecisiverelationshipswithonewomanafteranother.Hewouldstaywithawomanasiftakingstockofthesituationuntil,atsomepoint,therelationshipwoulddissolveofitsownaccord.Thebreak-upsneverentailedanydiscordorshoutingmatchesbecauseheneverbecameinvolvedwithwomenwhoseemedasiftheymightbedifficulttogetridof.Beforeheknewit,hehaddevelopedakindofnoseforconvenientpartners.
Junpeihimselfwasunsurewhetherthispowerstemmedfromhisowninnatecharacterorhadbeenformedbyhisenvironment.Ifthelatter,itcouldwellhavebeenthefruitofhisfather'scurse.Aroundthetimehegraduatedfromcollege,hehadaviolentargumentwithhisfatherandcutoffallcontactwithhim,buthisfather's'three-womentheory',itsbasisneverfullyexplained,becameakindofobsessionthatclungtenaciouslytohislife.Atonetimeheevenhalfjokinglyconsideredmovingontohomosexuality:
maybethenhecouldfreehimselffromthisstupidcountdown.Forbetterorworse,though,womenweretheonlyobjectsofJunpei'ssexualinterest.
II
ThenextwomanJunpeimetwas,hesoondiscovered,olderthanhewas.Thirty-six.Junpeiwasthirty-one.AnacquaintanceofhiswasopeningalittleFrenchrestaurantonastreetleadingoutofcentralTokyo,andJunpeiwasinvitedtotheparty.HeworeaPerryEllisshirtofdeepbluesilkwithmatchingsummersportsjacket.Hehadplannedtomeetaclosefriendattheparty,butthefriendcancelledatthelastminute,whichleftJunpeiwithtimetokill.HenursedalargeglassofBordeauxaloneatthebar.Whenhewasreadytoleaveandbeginningtoscanthecrowdtosaygoodbyetotheowner,atallwomanapproachedhimwithsomekindofpurplecocktailinherhand.Junpei'sfirstthoughtonseeingherwas,Hereisawomanwithexcellentposture.
'Somebodyovertheretoldmeyou'reawriter.Isthattrue?
'sheasked,restinganelbowonthebar.
'Isupposeso,inaway,'Junpeianswered.
'Awriterinaway.'
Junpeinodded.
'Howmanybookshaveyoupublished?
'
'Twovolumesofshortstories,andonebookItranslated.Noneofthemsoldmuch.'
Shegavehimaquickhead-to-toeinspectionandsmiledwithapparentsatisfaction.
'Well,anyhow,you'rethefirstrealwriterI'vemet.'
'Itmightbealittledisappointing,'Junpeisaid.'Writersdon'thaveanytalentstooffer.Apianistcouldplayyouatune.Apaintercoulddrawyouasketch.Amagiciancouldperformatrickortwo.There'snotmuchawritercando.'
'Oh,Idon'tknow,maybeIcanjustenjoyyourartisticauraorsomething.'
'Artisticaura?
'Junpeisaid.
'Aspecialradiance,somethingyoudon'tfindinordinarypeople?
'
'IseemyfaceinthemirroreverymorningwhenI'mshaving,butI'venevernoticedanythinglikethat.'
Shesmiledwarmlyandasked,'Whattypeofstoriesdoyouwrite?
'
'Peopleaskmethatalot,butit'shardtotalkaboutmystoriesas"types".Theydon'tfitintoanyparticulargenre.'
Sheranafingeraroundthelipofhercocktailglass.'Isupposethatmeansyouwriteliteraryfiction?
'
'Isupposeitdoes.Butyousaythatthewayyoumightsay"chainletters".'
Shesmiledagain.'CouldIhaveheardyourname?
'
'Doyoureadtheliterarymagazines?
'
Sheshookherhead,asmall,sharpshake.
'Thenyouprobablyhaven't.I'mnotthatwellknown.'
'EverbeennominatedfortheAkutagawaPrize?
'
'Twiceinfiveyears.'
'Butyoudidn'twin?
'
Junpeismiled,butsaidnothing.Withoutaskinghispermission,shesatonthebarstoolnexttohisandsippedwhatwasleftofhercocktail.
'Oh,what'sthedifference?
'shesaid.'Thoseprizesarejustanindustrygimmick.'
'I'dbemoreconvincedifIcouldhearthatfromsomebodywho'sactuallywonaprize.'
Shetoldhimhername:
Kirie.
'Howunusual,'hesaid.'Soundslike"Kyrie"fromamass.'
Junpeithoughtshemightbeaninchormoretallerthanhewas.Sheworeherhairshort,hadadeeptanandherheadwasbeautifullyshaped.Sheworeapalegreenlinenjacketandaknee-lengthflaredskirt.Thesleevesofthejacketwererolleduptotheelbow.Underthejacketshehadonasimplecottonblousewithasmallturquoisebroochonthecollar.Theswellofherbreastswasneitherlargenorsmall.Shedressedwithstyle,andwhiletherewasnothingaffectedaboutit,herentireoutfitreflectedstronglyindividualisticprinciples.Herlipswerefull,andtheywouldmarktheendsofhersentencesbyspreadingorpursing.Thisgaveeverythingaboutherastrangelivelinessandfreshness.Threeparalledcreaseswouldformacrossherbroadforeheadwhenevershestoppedtothinkaboutsomething,andwhenshefinishedthinking,theywoulddisappear.
Junpeinoticedhimselfbeingattractedtoher.Someindefinablebutpersistentsomethingaboutherwasexcitinghim,pumpingadrenalintohisheart,whichbegansendingoutsecretsignalsintheformoftinysounds.Suddenlyawarethathisthroatwasdry,JunpeiorderedaPerrierfromapassingwaiter,andasalwayshebegantoaskhimself,Isshesomeonewithrealmeaningforme?
Issheoneoftheremainingtwo?
Orwillshebemysecondfailure?
ShouldIlethergo,ortakeachance?
'Didyoualwayswanttobeawriter?
'Kirieasked.
'Hmm,let'sjustsayIcouldneverthinkofanythingelseIwantedtobe.'
'So,yourdreamcametrue.'
'Iwonder.Iwantedtobeasuperiorwriter.'Junpeispreadhishandsaboutafootapart.'There'saprettybigdistancebetweenthetwo,Ithink.'
'Everybodyhastostartsomewhere.Youhaveyourwholefutureaheadofyou.Perfectiondoesn'thappenrightaway.'Thensheasked,'Howoldareyou?
'
Thiswaswhentheytoldeachothertheirages.Beingolderdidn'tseemtobotherherintheleast.Itdidn'tbotherJunpei.Hepreferredmaturewomentoyounggirls.Inmostcases,itwaseasiertobreakupwithanolderwoman.
'Whatkindofworkdoyoudo?
'heasked.
Herlipsformedaperfectlystraightline,andherexpressionbecameearnestforthefirsttime.
'WhatkindofworkdoyouthinkIdo?
'
Junpeijoggedhisglass,swirlingtheredwineinsideitexactlyonce.'CanIhaveahint?
'
'Nohints.Isitsohardtotell?
Observationandjudgementsareyourbusiness.'
'Notreally,'hesaid.'W
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