Chôko Iida: Otane
Photos
Quotes
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Kikuko : I feel sorry for the boy.
Otane : I know. But maybe a kid like him will grow up to become something. It's said that as kids, many great men were slightly clumsy and careless, rather than extremely bright.
Kikuko : You do hear that.
Otane : And he was kindhearted, collecting cigarette butts and nails for his heartless father. He was a rather fine boy.
Kikuko : It's too bad he's gone. You miss him, don't you? You've grown to care for him a lot, haven't you? You already have affection for him, don't you?
Otane : Do I, now?
Kikuko : Of course you do!
Otane : If you say so.
Kikuko : What do you mean, "If you say so"?
Otane : I wasn't aware that I cared for the kid.
Kikuko : That's how these things go, but you do. You already have affection for him. You know, a dog starts wagging its tail without being aware of it. It's like that. We can't see them, but you and the boy have been wagging your tails. The boy's tail is thin and short. And yours is thick and long, like the tail of a tosa dog. Though you're a bit of a bulldog, too.
Otane : Stop joking or I'll hit you.
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Tamekichi : Why are you crying? You didn't much care for the kid from the beginning. Still, you miss him?
Otane : I'm not crying because I'm sad, but because I'm thinking how happy he must be. He wasn't abandoned, after all. His father wasn't heartless as I had imagined, but was a really good father. He went looking everywhere for his son. And he finally found him. When I thought that they can be together now and how happy they must be, I couldn't stop myself from crying.
Otane : [pauses to sob a bit more, then continues] His father was a nice man. He knew all the proper courtesies. He was rather refined in his manner and seemed kind. The boy should be happy with him.
Tamekichi : I see. That's good.
Otane : The boy was just a child, after all. He forgot all about the nails and cigarette butts he had collected when he saw his father, and left them behind.
Tamekichi : I see.
Otane : The father and son had a special bond. I was happy for them. I wish I had treated the boy with more kindness and love. I was hard on the poor innocent boy and pushed him around instead. Come to think of it, our mindset is very different from before. We've grown to care only for ourselves. You know, even when we get on a train we shove people aside. We don't care if other people starve as long as we get our fill. We're the ones who've become petty and careworn.
Tamekichi : Yeah, when you put it like that, I have to agree with you. You're right. I feel ashamed.
Otane : Having a child around is a blessing. The boy lived with me for only a week. But he made me rethink a lot of things. I wish he could have stayed with me for a couple of months.
