HerTown,HerSheep

    byMURAKAMIHaruki

    TranslatedbyKiki

    ThefirstsnowoftheyearhasstartedtofalloreetsofSapporoinnorthernJapan.Itbeganasrainagedtosnow.Itdidn’ttakelongbeforeithadgedbacktorain.HoweveroreetsofSapporosnowreallyisn’tthatromantic.It’saboutasweleasanunpopularrelative.ItisFridayOctober23.

    Wheokyoona747fromNaritaairport,IwaswearingonlyaT-shirt.ItstartedtosnowbeforeIhadfinishedlisteningtomy90-miapeonmywalkman.

    “Thatsoundsaboutparforthecourse,”myfriendsaidtome.“Wegenerallygetthefirstsnowfalloftheyearaboutnow,aurnscold.”

    “Itgetsreallycold,doesn’tit?”

    “Nokidding.Itgetsreally,really,cold.”

    WegrewupinasmallquietneighborhoodinKobeiernJapan.Ourhouseswereseparatedbyabout50meters.Weattehjuniorandsenihschooltogether.Wealsowentonschooltripsanddoubledateswitheachother.Osodrunkthatwerolledoutofthecabwhenitsdoorspoppedopen.Aftergraduatingfromhighschoolweattendeddifferentcolleges:IwenttoTokyowhilehemovednorthtoHokkaido.ImarriedoneofmyclassmatesfromTokyo,andmyfriendmarriedaclassmateofhisfromthecityofOtaruinHokkaido.That’sjustthewaylifeworksout.Wewerescatteredlikeseedsinthewind.

    IfhehadattendedcollegeinTokyoandifIhadgoocollegeinHokkaido,ourlivesmighthaveturpletelydifferent.PerhapsImighthaveworkedforatravelagency,gallivantingalllobe.HemayhavebeeawriterinTokyo.Butfateledmetowritenovelswhilehispathtookhimtoatravelagendyeteverydaythesuntioshine.

    Myfriendhasasixyearoldson,Hokuto,andhealwayscarriesthreepicturesofhissoninhiswa