The Same
in Japanese
Part 4
I wake up and turn off my
alarm. Friday. 6:00.
I get ready for work and leave the apartment without
breakfast. Too bad the cafes don't open until 10:00. A
crow flies down. It picks at some garbage, hopping away
when people walk by, then hopping back again. And
again. I try to keep away from it but suddenly, the
crow looks up at me and our eyes meet. It looks at me,
not moving, then goes back to picking at the garbage.
At Harajuku station I buy some candies, then drop them
as I try to take out my train pass. There are too many
people; I can’t stop to pick them up. I leave my
candies on the floor, go down the stairs, and get on
the train. I remember something about my dream, but
it’s gone just as quickly. I read the
advertisements above the window and on the walls
outside. They pass by my window again. And again.
When I get to Shinjuku there are police, hundreds of
them. They're taking down Box City and putting the
homeless in trucks. A woman police officer has a
loudspeaker. She is saying something to the office
workers, and as they walk by she bows deeply. She
stands up and our eyes meet. She has a big smile. Then
she starts it all again. And again.
I cover my mouth and nose and walk quickly, but it's
hard to move: too many people. Suddenly, in front of me
is a policeman pushing the chair with the samurai on
it. He still has his strange hair, but his sword is
gone.
The samurai looks up at me and I remember the dream. I
want to ask the policeman, "What is this for?" I stop.
But I don't say anything.
Somebody walks into me and my things go flying. The
policeman stops and helps me pick them up. As I look
up, I see one of my business cards is on the samurai's
leg. He picks it up and holds it out to me with both
hands. "Keep it." I say in English. "It says the same
thing on the back in Japanese."