In May 1989,
I was sitting in the high school classroom. It had been just one month since
the new school year began, so students’ seats were in order by their family
name. In front of me was Okada-kun, behind me was Oyobe-kun. I was in my third
year of high school. I had already broken up with members of the track and
field club. I had almost no friends. Most students were going to universities,
but I myself could not find out the true meaning of going to a university.
I remember it
was one Saturday morning at the end of May. It was a class of Japanese. Mr. Tamaki,
the Japanese teacher, called one student to read the text aloud and then
another student was called to read it aloud.
“Something
black, unknown and unfortunate has always depressed my mind.” I don’t remember
who read this first sentence, but it struck my mind. I felt it sounded
different from my image of the school textbook. I started reading the novel by
myself. It was no longer the Japanese textbook. It was the first experience of
feeling the power of language. Words were not for the test. They were taking me
somewhere different from the world I was actually living in. I felt as if I
were escaping away from reality. I came to know the strange power of
literature.
On
the same day, I went to a place called Jazz-kissa in Jimbo-cho. The name of it
was “Hibiki.” I remember a man reading a horse racing paper in the sea of Jazz
sound. The next day was the Japan Derby. I couldn’t bet any money, but I wanted
to create something. It was the beginning of my life.
Quiz: What’s the title of the novel?
