‘Yeah, but not everybody likes the same type of cat.’
‘I forwarded those photos of Nana to her and asked her what she thought, and she said I should do whatever I like.’
‘That doesn’t sound like she’s on board with the idea.’
‘It’s the only time since she left that she’s answered one of my emails.’
Taking the cat might lure her back – Kosuke had said it as a joke, but he was actually hoping it might be true.
‘She’s not the type of woman to chuck out a cat. And if she never comes home, then I’ll look after it myself. Either way, I don’t see any problem.’
‘I see,’ Satoru said, backing down. Now it was Kosuke’s turn to ask the questions.
‘But tell me, why can’t you keep the cat any more?’
‘Well, it’s just that …’
Satoru gave a perplexed smile and scratched at the thinning hair on his head.
‘Something came up, and we can’t live together any more.’
Something clicked. Kosuke had known something was awry when Satoru, who had a nine-to-five job, had offered to work around Kosuke’s day off and come over in the middle of the week.
‘Have you been laid off?’
‘Not exactly, well – in any case, we just can’t live together any more.’
Kosuke didn’t pursue it, since Satoru seemed reluctant to talk about it.
‘Anyhow, I’ve got to find a home for Nana, and I’ve asked a couple of friends.’
‘I see. That can’t be easy.’
It made Kosuke want to take the cat even more. As an act of kindness. And besides, it was for Satoru.
‘What about you? Are you okay? Your – plans for the future, and everything?’
‘Thanks for asking. As long as I can get Nana settled, I’ll be fine.’
Kosuke sensed he shouldn’t probe any further. Resisted the if there’s anything I can do, let me know line.
‘You know, when I saw the photo, I was amazed. Nana’s the spitting image of Hachi.’
‘Even more so when you see him in the flesh.’
Satoru glanced back at the basket still sitting on the floor, but it didn’t look like Nana was intending to show his face any time soon.
‘When I first saw him, I was surprised, too. For a second I thought it was Hachi.’
That was impossible, of course, but the memory saddened him, nonetheless. ‘What happened to Hachi?’ Kosuke asked.
‘He died when I was in high school. His new owner got in touch, told me it was a traffic accident.’
Even now, this must have been a painful memory for Satoru.
‘It’s nice that they let you know, though.’
At least the two of them, who had both loved the cat, could mourn together. Satoru must have cried alone many times since.
‘Sorry, I seem to be getting sadder and sadder here,’ Satoru said.
‘Don’t apologize, you idiot.’
Kosuke made as if to lightly punch him and Satoru playfully swayed to avoid it.
‘Time goes by before you know it,’ Satoru said. ‘It seems like yesterday when you and I found Hachi. Do you remember?’
‘Remember? How could I forget?’ Kosuke smiled, and Satoru gave a little embarrassed ahem laugh.
A SHORT WALK from the Sawada Photo Studio, up a gentle slope, was a housing complex. Twenty-five years ago, this was considered an up-and-coming area, with rows of model showroom-like houses and fashionable condo units.
Satoru’s family lived in a cosy condo in the neighbourhood. Satoru and his parents: the three of them.
Satoru and Kosuke had started going to the same swimming club in second grade. Since he was little, Kosuke had struggled with skin allergies, and his mother, convinced that swimming would make his skin tougher, had made him go, but Satoru had a different reason for going. He was such a fast swimmer people said he had webbed hands, and the teachers at his school had recommended he learn to swim properly.
Always a bit of a joker, Satoru, when they had free swimming time, would pretend to be a salamander and crawl along the bottom of the pool, then playfully pop up and pounce on the other pupils. ‘What are you, some kind of kappa?’ the swimming instructor had said, irritated, and the nickname Kappa – a kind of mythical water imp – stuck. Depending on the instructor’s mood, he sometimes called him Webfoot, too.
Once lessons began, though, Satoru was in the advanced class for kids who could swim fast, while Kosuke was in the ordinary class that included all the kids like him with allergies.
Despite all the Kappa and Webfoot antics, when Satoru swam at speed down the lane he looked incredibly cool. Kosuke and Satoru were good friends, but at those times Kosuke found Satoru a little annoying. If only I could be like him, he thought enviously.
But one day he saw Satoru clowning around, diving into the water and cracking his forehead on the bottom, and he was no longer so envious.
It was early summer, and they had been going to the swimming club for two years.
They always met up at the bottom of the slope below the housing complex to walk to swimming club together, and on this day Kosuke was the first to arrive. Which is why he was the one to discover the box first.
A cardboard box had been left below the post with the map of the housing complex on it. And the box was meowing. Hesitantly, Kosuke opened the lid and saw two white balls of downy fur. With a sprinkling of tabby patches here and there.
He stared silently at them. Such helpless, soft little things, he thought. They were so tiny he hesitated even to touch them—
‘Wow! Cats!’
From above him, Satoru’s voice rang out.
‘What’s up?’ he said, crouching down beside Kosuke.
‘Somebody just left it here.’
‘They’re so cute!’
In silence, the two boys timidly stroked the fluffy fur for a few moments, then Satoru spoke.
‘Do you want to hold him?’
You have allergies, so don’t ever touch animals – Kosuke could hear his mother’s scolding voice in his head, but he couldn’t just stand and watch Satoru give them a stroke. Kosuke had been the one to find them, after all.
He scooped one of them up in his hands and placed it on his palm. It was so light!
He wanted to carry on stroking them, but they were going to be late for swimming. Reluctantly, they peeled the kittens off them and returned them to the box.
They agreed that they would look in on the kittens on the way back, and raced down the road to the swimming club. They were a few minutes late for class and the instructor slapped them both on the head.
After class, they fell over themselves to get back to the bottom of the slope below the housing complex.
The box was still there, under the sign, but to their dismay, now there was only one kitten inside. Someone must have taken the other one.
It seemed to them that the fate of the remaining kitten lay in their hands. A kitten with tabby patches on its forehead in the shape of the character hachi. And a black hooked tail.
The two of them sat down on the grass beside the box and gazed at the little kitten curled up in it, sleeping soundly. How could any child not want to take this tiny, soft little creature home?
What would happen if we did take it home? Each boy knew exactly what the other was thinking.