First Love(PART 2 OF 3)
He was a well-educated married man with a couple of kids. He didn't even show those magazines to his wife. Since he didn't want his wife to know that he had such "dirty" magazines, he decided to give them away.
So, did you fall in love with his wife?
No, I didn't. I was quite curious to see the naked women in the magazines, but I was totally dissapointed.
How come?
...'Cause in those days the Playboy magazines were all censored in Japan, and a black-filled circle appeared between the legs.
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Oh, Kato, tsk, tsk, tsk, ...
I tried to get rid of the ink by all means.
So, Kato, you were an extremely curious kid, weren't you?
You're tellin me.
I tried everything to remove the black ink, but to no avail. Then suddenly somebody entered my room. Since I thought it was my mother, I was almost stunned to death.Who was it?
Kiku-chan.
She was twenty-two years old.
... looks like a nice woman, doesn't she?
Yes, she does, but she was a feeble-minded girl with a mental age of seven or eight. She had never attended any school at all.
Was she your sister?
Oh, no. She was a daughter of a well-to-do family living in the next block.
Why was she in your home at the time?
Kiku-chan was treated like an outsider in the neighborhood because of her feeble mentality. Nobody wanted her company. Only my mother and I treated her as an ordinary woman. So, Kiku-chan liked my mother and me, and frequently visited my house. But at that time Kiku-chan came to my room while I was watching the picture because my mother just went shopping.
I see. Then what happened?
Well ..., she was a well-shaped healthy mature woman with a nice wholesome body.
So, Kato, you had a wrong and dirty idea, didn't you?
In any case, I showed her the picture of the naked woman. Kiku-chan seemed somehow interested in the naked woman. Therefore I said, "Kiku-chan ... you are as beautiful as this woman. So, why don't you remove your clothes as she did?"
Kato! You were such a bad boy! You tried to take advantage of a feeble-minded woman, didn't you?
Well ..., I couldn't resist the urge to see a naked full-fledged woman at the time.
Did she go naked?
I asked her to stand in the buff for me a hundred times, but she refused adamantly. Eventually she burst into tears.
How come she cried?
Kiku-chan's mother was born before the World War II, and went to a women's college. In those days virginity was golden. Although Kiku-chan didn't go to school, her mother taught her basic disciplines in an old-fashioned way. Such being the case, Kiku-chan believed that she would die if she did show her naked body to a non-family member.
Did she run back home?
Oh no, she liked me and stayed with me since I apologized, but she went out of my room after a while.
Did she never come back again?
Yes, she did. She returned with two pieces of yatsuhashi for a 3'oclock tea break.
I was so relieved to know that she didn't avoid me after all. While eating yatsuhashi, I watched the video: "Gone with the Wind."
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Gone with the wind (trailer)
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I thought that she was gone by the time I would finish the video.
Was she?
No, she wasn't. Kiku-chan was in my room even after the video was over. I started to do some homework at my desk. While reading my textboook, I noticed that Kiku-chan replayed the video.
Did she watch the same movie again?
Yes, she did. To my surprise she viewed the same scene over and over again with a touch of fascination and trepidation.
Which scene?
She watched the following famous scene:
Apparently she was attracted by the affection between the couple. I was puzzled if Kiku-chan could ever understand love. So I asked her, "Kiku-chan, do you understand why they kiss?"
How did she answer?
She nodded with a somewhat bashful smile. So I asked her again, "Kiku-chan, do you love me?"
Then how did she answer?
She nodded hesitatingly but with a lukewarm smile. So I said, "Kiku-chan, let me kiss you."
Then what?
She closed her eyes just as Scarlett O'Hara did in the movie.
Kato! ... Did you ... did you ... did you go all the way to make love?
No, of course not! I wouldn't like her to commit suicide.
Kato, you were over-reacting as usual... Anyway, is Kiku-chan still alive?
Unfortunately she died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 48.
Oh, I'm so sorry. By the way, Kato, you told me about your first love to explaine how come you brought some yatsuhashi from Japan, didn't you?
Yes, I did.
I know Kiku-chan brought you some pieces of yatsuhashi as sweets for a tea break. But that doesn't explaine how come you chose yatsuhashi for me, does it?
No, it doesn't. There is a follow-up story.
What is it? Tell me.
Well ..., Kiku-chan liked fire engines.
Fire engines? How come?
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The red-colored vehicle with a sounding siren drove her crazy. I suppose she was passionate by nature. You like re-colored vehicles, don't you?
Me? Red-colored vehicles? What makes you think so?
Well ..., you sent me the following postcard when you were in London.
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(■ From "Biker Babe")
So I thought you like red-colored vehicles, which remind me of Kiku-chan, who reminds me of yatsuhashi. So I chose yatsuhashi for you as souvenir.
What an association!
【Himiko's Monologue】
Wow! Kiku-chan reminds Kato of yatsuhashi.
Anyhow, I'm glad that Kato introduced "Yatsuhashi" to the world.
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As you see, Yatsuhashi is the famous regional product of Kyoto---my hometown where I was born and brought up, and now teaching the tale of Genji (源氏物語) at Kyoto Women's College.
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When you happen to visit Kyoto, please take a bite of Yatsuhashi---the taste of the ancient capital.
In any case, I hope Kato will write another interesting article soon.
So please come back to see me.
Have a nice day!
Bye bye ...
(To be followed)