Chapter 25 third quarter

Sachiko was wearing a black silk shirt, white trousers, and a black and white beret.She walked up to her brother and said to him, "Kenji, I want you to go, this will be the largest peace march in the world." Kenji smiled at his sister and replied, "I'd love to go, Sachiko. But I'm leaving in two days, and I want to stay with my parents." Their mother entered the room from the other side.As usual, she looked sad.She held a large bag in her hand and said: "Everything is packed, but I still hope you can change your mind. Hiroshima is almost becoming a madhouse. More than a million people went to watch, and half of them were foreigners. people."

"Thank you, Mom," said Sachiko, reaching for the box. "As you know, Satoko and I will be staying at the Hiroshima Prince Hotel. Don't worry. We'll call you every morning before the parade starts. Monday I'll be back in the afternoon." Sachiko opened the box, took out a delicate box, took out a diamond bracelet and sapphire ring and put it on. "Don't you think these things should be kept at home?" said her mother. "Don't forget, there are a lot of foreigners there. They may try to do something wrong with your jewelry." Sachiko smiled: "Mom, you worry too much. You always only think about bad things happening... We went to Hiroshima just to attend the ceremony commemorating the 300th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bomb drop. There are more than 300 members of the Central Committee, and Our Prime Minister is going there. There are many world famous musicians performing in the evening. It will be an enriching experience and all you can think about is someone is going to steal my jewels."

"When I was young, I never heard of two single girls traveling in Japan before graduating from university..." "Mom, we have traveled before." Sachiko interrupted her mother. "I am almost 22 years old. I will start to live independently after finishing my degree next year, and I may go to other countries. I am no longer a child. Riko and I will take care of each other." Sachiko looked at her watch and said, "I have to go, she might already be waiting for me at the subway station." She quickly approached her mother, kissed her perfunctorily, and then gave her brother a longer hug.

"I wish you all the best," she whispered in his ear. "On Mars, take good care of your lovely wife. We're all so proud of you." Kenji has never known Sachiko very well, they are 12 years apart.When Sachiko was only 4 years old, their father, Mr. Watanabe, was appointed as the director of the American office of the "International Robotics" Association.The family traveled across the Pacific to the suburbs of San Francisco.During that time, Kenji didn't pay much attention to his sister, because he was studying at the University of California and living his new life.

Sachiko and her parents returned to Japan in 2232, while Kenji stayed in the United States as a university history student.Since then, he has had little contact with his sister.Every year when he visits relatives and returns to Japan, he consciously spends more time with Sachiko.But either the sister was too busy with her own affairs, or the father arranged too many social activities for Kenji, or Kenji didn't have enough time for himself, and the siblings never got to know each other well. Seeing Sachiko disappear into the distance, Kenji felt a little sad.He thought: "I'm leaving this planet, and I don't have time to get to know my own sister."

Mrs. Watanabe stands behind Kenji, telling sadly that her life is a complete failure, nagging that none of the children respect her, and they all moved away.Now her only son has married a Thai woman, embarrassing them, and will live on Mars for another five years, unable to see them.As for her eldest daughter, she and her banker husband bore them two children, but they were as rigid as their parents. "How about Fumiko?" Kenji interrupted his mother's whining, "Can I see her and my niece before I leave?" "They're coming over for dinner tomorrow night," the mother replied. "I don't know what to prepare yet. Do you know that your sister and brother-in-law haven't taught their children how to use chopsticks yet? Can you imagine that a Japanese girl Don't know how to use chopsticks? How outrageous! I'll tell your father..."

Kenji didn't want to listen to his mother's complaints, so he hid in his father's study as if he had taken refuge with his mother's consent.The walls of the study are covered with photos that symbolize the true portrayal of a successful man's life and career.Kenji has the deepest impression on two of them: one is that he and his father are holding the "Father-Son Golf League" prize issued by the National Club; It was taken during the "First Prize of High School Academic Competition".Kenji sees a picture of Toshio Nakamura again, the son of his father's closest friend and business partner.Seeing this photo, Kenji thought of his childhood and Keiko who is now Nakamura's wife.Kenji has a sense of guilt towards Keiko.Kenji had a special relationship with Keiko when he was 16 years old.For a year, both he and Toshio were pursuing Keiko.In the end, Keiko made it clear that she prefers Kenji.The young Toshio was so enraged that one morning, he even threatened Kenji.

Kenji thought: "If I stayed in Japan, I might have married Keiko already." He looked up at the garden outside the window - it was raining.He suddenly remembered a rainy day in his boyhood. After his father told him that he was going to the United States, he quickly walked to Keiko's house.Walking into the alley leading to her house, he heard Chopin's Concerto.Keiko's mother opened the door for him and said to him sternly, "Keiko is practicing the piano! It will be over in an hour." The 16-year-old boy said anxiously, "Please, madam. This matter is very important." Her mother was about to close the door when Keiko saw Kenji from the window.She interrupted playing and rushed out, her sweet smile made the young man extremely happy.She said, "Hi Kenji, what's up?"

"There is something very important." He said mysteriously, "Can you take a walk with me?" Keiko's mother was about to lose her temper, but Keiko told her mother that she didn't want to practice piano today.The girl went back to the house and took an umbrella and walked out of the house with Kenji.When walking far away from home, Keiko took Kenji's arm.They often walk together like this. As she went up the old way uphill, she asked: "What, then, my friend, is the very important thing?" "I don't want to tell you now." Kenji said, "I don't want to be here. Find a suitable place and I will tell you." They walked into the temple they often visited, and Kenji climbed to a tombstone.

"This is where Dr. Matsuo is buried," Keiko said, pulling out her electronic notebook. "Let's read some of his poems." Keiko sat down beside Kenji, and they curled up under the umbrella.After reading three poems, Kenji said, "There is one last one, a poem written by a doctor friend." One day in June, After the buffet, We say goodbye to each other. ... When Kenji finished reading the poem for the second time, they were both silent.The boy looked very serious, and Keiko suddenly understood something and felt a little scared. "This poem is about separation," she whispered. "You're telling me..."

"There is no choice, Keiko." Kenji interrupted her and said hesitantly, "My father was ordered to go to America." Finally he mustered up the courage to say, "Next month, we will be leaving." It was the first time Kenji saw such a desperate expression on Keiko's face.She looked up and looked at him with pained eyes, and Hyun-ji felt like his heart was breaking.She hugged him tightly in the rain, and they both cried.He swore to her that she was the only love of his life.