“Mine is no good. It was an idle piece of work,” says the youth with a stress on his words, apologetically and abashedly.
“Where is that what-do-you-call-it pond?” I asked the youth for my information.
“In the hollow of valley just in the rear of Kaikanji temple. It is a quiet lonely place. That picture.... I took lessons in school ... I just tried it to while away the time.”
“And that Kaikanji?”
“Kaikanji is the name of a temple in my charge. It is a fine place, with the sea stretching from right under you. You must come and see me, while you are here. It is not more than a mile from here. From that verandah ... there you can see its stone steps.”
“Won’t I make myself unwelcome by calling on you any time to please myself?”
“Decidedly not; you will always find me in. O-Jo-san of this house pays me visits quite often. Speaking of the O-Jo-san, O-Nami-san does not seem to be around, today. Anything the matter with her, Shiota-san?”
“Has she gone out? Has she been your way, Kyuichi?”
“No, uncle; we haven’t seen her around.”
“Out on one of her solitary walks, again, perhaps. Ha, ha, ha. O-Nami-san is pretty strong-legged. A clerical business took me down to Tonami the other day. About Sugatami bridge I thought I saw one very like her, and it was she. She almost sprang on me, taking me by surprise, with one of her outbursts: ‘Why are you dragging along, so, Osho-san? Where are you going?’ She was in her pair of straw sandals, with her skirt tucked up. ‘Where have you been in that attire?’ I asked her. ‘I have been picking marsh-parsley; you shall have some.’ Saying this, she took out a handful of unwashed mud-covered plants and pushed it down my sleeve. Ha, ha, ha.”