Chapter 40 11 People who live in darkness

OK.I said. Arrived an hour earlier than scheduled.The mouse seemed sorry to say that. It doesn't matter.You can see that I have been idle. The mouse smiled quietly.He is behind me.It's almost like sitting back to back. It feels like it used to be.said the mouse. I think we must be able to talk frankly to each other when we are bored.I said. It seems so. Mouse smiled.Even with our backs to their backs in the pitch dark, I knew he was smiling.Just a little air movement and ambiance can tell a lot.Because we used to be friends.It's been so long ago that I can't remember. But someone said that a friend who kills the boring time is a true friend.said the mouse.

Maybe it's what you said? Your feeling is still so spiritual, yes I said it. I sighed.But regarding this blind rush, my inspiration is so bad that I really want to die.You gave me so many hints and I still do. no way.You're doing pretty well. We fell silent, the mouse was probably staring at his hand again I have caused you a lot of trouble.said the mouse.I feel really sorry.But I have no other choice.I have no one to turn to but you.Just like it was written in the letter. I was about to ask you about this.Because I just can't figure it out. of course.said the mouse.Of course I will.Have some beer before that though.

I was about to stand up when the mouse stopped me. I'll get it.said the mouse.After all, this is my home. The mouse walked into the kitchen with habitual steps in the dark.I closed and opened my eyes as I listened to the sound of him taking out a bag of beer from the refrigerator.The darkness of the room is slightly different from the darkness when the eyes are closed. The mouse came back and put some cans of beer on the table.I groped for a can, pulled the tab and drank half of it. Invisible to the eye, the beer does not seem to be beer.I said. I'm sorry, but it's inconvenient not to.

Let's drink beer in silence for a while All right.The mouse coughed dryly.I put the empty beer can back on the table, still curled up in the blanket and waited quietly for him to start talking.However, the next words did not continue.The only sound was the sound of rats shaking the can in the dark to check how much beer was left.It was his usual old habit. All right.The mouse said it again.Then he drank the rest of the beer in one gulp and put the can back on the table with a dry click.Let me start with why I am here.May I? I didn't answer.After confirming that I didn't mean to answer, the mouse continued.

My father bought the land in 1953.That was when I was five years old.Why did you come to such a place to buy land?I'm not so sure either.I think it must have been bought cheaply from US military relations.As you can see, in fact, the traffic here is very inconvenient. It's okay in summer, but once the snow accumulates, it's almost unusable.It seems that the occupying forces originally wanted to repair the road and use it as a radar base or something, but they gave up considering it would take too much effort and cost.Of course, the town is also poor, so the problem of road construction cannot be considered.What's more, even if the road is repaired, this place won't be of much use.So this piece of land just became abandoned land.

Doesn't Dr. Yang want to come back here? Dr. Yang has always lived in memory.That person doesn't want to go back anywhere. Maybe so.I said. Drink more beer.said the mouse. Need not.I said.Because the stove was turned off, the body seemed to be freezing to the bone marrow.The mouse uncapped the bottle and drank the beer alone. My father liked the land very much. He repaired the road and tidied up the house himself.I think it cost a lot of money.But also because of this, as long as there is a car, at least summer can lead a normal life.From heating equipment, flush toilets, shower showers, telephones to emergency automatic power generation equipment and more.I really can't imagine how Dr. Yang lived here back then.

The mouse made a sound that I don't know whether it was a hiccup or a sigh. From around 1955 to 1963, we lived here every summer.My parents, my sister, me, and the girls who help with odd jobs.Thinking about it now, it was the most normal time in my life.Although it is the same now, because of the leased pasture land, there will be a lot of sheep in the town here in summer.There are sheep everywhere.So when it comes to my memories of summer, I always get involved with sheep. What exactly it is about owning a villa is not quite clear to me.Probably will never know for the rest of my life.

But after the mid-1960s, my family stopped coming here.Partly because we have another villa closer to home, partly because my sister got married, and I have never been very close to my family, it also has something to do with it, and my father’s company has been unstable for a while. In short, because of various relationships.Anyway, just like that, the land was once again abandoned.The last time I was here was probably 1967.At that time, I came alone.Lived here alone for a month. After saying this, the mouse temporarily closed its mouth as if thinking of something. Aren't you lonely?I try to ask.

Not lonely at all.If possible, I would like to live here forever.But no.Because this is my father's house.I don't want my father to take care of it. Is this still the case? yes.said the mouse.So I didn't intend to come here.But when I came across this photo in the lobby of the Dolphin Hotel in Sapporo, I wanted to take a look anyway.It's for a bit of a sentimental reason.I'm sure you will be in the same situation. Um.I said.Then I remembered the buried sea. And there I heard about Dr. Yang.About the dream sheep with the star mark on its back.You know about this, right?

I know. Let me briefly talk about what happened next.said the mouse.After hearing those words, I suddenly wanted to spend the winter here.Only this kind of feeling can't be lost no matter what.It doesn't matter what happened to the father.So I prepared all kinds of equipment and came here.It's almost like being tempted by something. Then meet the sheep, right? right.said the mouse. ◇ It is painful to say what happened next.said the mouse. No matter what the pain is, I don't think you can understand it. The mouse crushed the empty second beer can with his hands. Can you ask me the question?I think you know more or less about the general situation, right?

I nodded silently.The order of the questions might be out of order, is that okay? It's okay. you are dead right? It took a horribly long time before the rat was able to answer.Although it may not be just a few seconds, but to me, it was a terrifyingly long silence.Mouth dry and thirsty. yes.the mouse said quietly.I am already dead.