Ra. Senthilkumar
“How many times a day?” asked Kobayashi. All the six gathered at the short Japanese table, laughed. The newly married Kashima, hesitated for a moment whether to answer or not. Noticing that everyone was looking at him, in a voice audible only to Kobayashi, he said: ” Only once “.
Then, in a louder voice audible to everyone, he said, “It is not made of iron, is it?’, eliciting another round of uproarious laughter.
“Kobayashi San, you shouldn’t be asking such personal questions. It is not an appropriate etiquette for a Japanese” said Oishi San, with fake rebuke. He further crossed his hands and said “No” to Kobayashi.
” Oishi San, your cup is empty. How can I put this question to you? Asked Kobayashi. Everyone laughed at the same time. Taking it literally, Kashima, made an effort to fill beer in Oishi’s mug. Seeing this, Manager Shimura laughed his heart out until he choked for breath. Oishi San, refusing beer from Kashima, put his hand into his coat pocket, took out a quarter Jack Daniels whiskey, poured some into his cup and mixed a little water.
“For the second party, do you still keep stock of whiskey ?” Yamada asked with surprise. The first party started at 6 and went on till 8. Immediately, we left the bar and reached the second bar near the railway station, wobbling all the way. Girls, standing along the roadside, invited us to their den. Looking at the girl with beautiful eyes, her shop’s name written on her t-shirts and short skirt, Kobayashi said: “Let’s go to this bar “.We had booked the place for 2 hours from 8 to 10. After the first mug of beer, they were now engaged in Sake. Bamboos were drawn on the small clay cups meant for serving Sake. Salted Cabbage with lemon on top was kept on the plates.
” On the way, Oishi San bought quarter bottles in Seven Eleven” said Kashima. “A good Japanese will drink only Sake and beer. He will not buy whiskey and come to the bar like this” said Kobayashi. Everyone laughed.
“Not my fault. They serve good for nothing beer in these bars, whisky diluted with a lot of water and calling it highball. Only Jack Daniel suits me” said Oishi.
” You have not answered my question, Oishi San. Monthly once or yearly once ?” asked Kobayashi. Shimura laughed.
“Twice a month,” said Oishi San.
“Not bad. If it is twice a month, even after twenty-five years of marriage, doesn’t your wife get angry?” asked Yamada San.
“Why not? My wife gets wild and knocks the bathroom door, because I take a much more time, on those two days, as compared to other days!”
Yamada San’s laughter was so loud that those seated at other tables turned around. Understanding a little late, everyone joined the laughter. Oishi San maintained an innocently pitiable face.
Kobayashi respectfully tilted the sake bottle into the clay cups. Kashima took a cup and drank. Kobayashi then looked at me and said, ” Bijoy San must be good at these matters. He is Indian, isn’t he?” Yamada lifted his cup filled with sake and said to me, “Kampai!”
“Indians are good at mathematics. Japanese learn only till ninth table. Indians learn up to sixteen tables. They showed it in NHK TV program” said Kashima. In these seven years that I have been in Japan, many have questioned me on this on different occasions. While I was thinking as to when the program had been broadcast, Kashima asked the familiar question – “What is the product of 13 x 13?”. I took time and multiplied mentally. ” If you take so much time to multiply, how can that be called a table? Said Kashima.
” If you ask Bijoy San to multiply 8 by 8, he will answer correctly. There are a total of 64 postures in Kama Sutra, isn’t it?” Kobayashi cleverly diverted the conversation to his favourite topic. Everyone laughed.
“Do Indians really practice all the 64 postures?” asked Kashima.
“Those are meant only for looking at the pictures. If you really practice them, you would get entangled” said Kobayashi.
” Kama Sutra is not a book which speaks only about sexual postures. Apart from that, it is also a manual to understand the body of the opposite gender. Why restrict only to 64? You can create hundreds of combinations in your mind. Lust is nothing but expanding the imagination. Like the Japanese porno” I said.
A girl with a golden coloured ponytail brought a bowl of small fried pieces of lotus stem. Kobayashi thanked her in the dramatic Japanese manner. When everyone laughed, she hesitated for a moment and then touched Kobayashi’s shoulders naughtily, thanked him and left. Kobayashi picked up a piece with the chopstick. When he brought it close to his mouth, it fell down. He sought everyone’s pardon. Kobayashi doesn’t get drunk that easily. He is always ready to go for the third party, after completing the second one called “Nijikai”.
Yamada San attentively listened to me and told others, “Bijoy san never avoids these liquor parties. He loves these sessions with emotional involvement. I very much appreciate that”. Everyone clapped enthusiastically.
When I joined my job in Tokyo, I was briefed about the importance of these parties at the very outset. Nobody gets closer to those who avoided these parties. Camaraderie beyond work becomes possible only during such nights.
The miraculous transformation of the Yamada san and Kobayashi, I observe during work, into altogether different persona during these evening parties always fascinated me. The next morning, as if putting back their clothes cast off earlier, when they wear their imaginary plastic expressions and greet each other, the remnants of the previous night would have been wiped off completely without a trace. Even a small delay, beyond the scheduled time table, would not be pardoned. Reasons for the delay and explanations would be needed. Are these nights an alternative to the rigidly grim faces shown/worn during the day? Or, are those plastic expressions another facet of these nights?
“More than 5000 porn sites are there,” said Kashima. I myself must have watched at least thousand-odd sites. You should watch that video in which Amari San, as a doctor, treats the patients” he said. If you like Bukkake, watch Koharu San’s porno. You know what is Bukkake, isn’t it?”
I remained silent. Oishi San, looked at Kashima, with his intoxicated eyes and closed them again, leaning on the plank behind.
Kobayashi, taking the support of the wall behind, got up to go to the washroom. Everyone moved aside and made way for him to walk. When he jumped from the wooden floor above, he stumbled. A waiter, carrying beer bottles, held him safely. He excused himself and walked towards the washroom.
“Kobayashi is drunk ” said Yamada.
“Yes. He is getting old. He is retiring in the eleventh month of this year, isn’t he? Said Shimura.
“Is that so ?” Kashima sounded surprised.
Yamada San ordered for a beer once again. Kobayashi was wobbling and returned from the washroom talking to the ponytailed girl who brought beer. It appeared that she too was enjoying the conversation with Kobayashi.
After the girl left, Kobayashi raised the beer mug and said “Kampai”. After taking a sip and keeping the mug down, Kobayashi said, “Izumi, who comes to our office for three days a week to maintain software, did not come today.”
Izumi was taller than an average woman. She had neck – length natural hair. Slim body and long, clear, unblemished face. Has been coming to our office for the last 8 months, from a software organization. Young and Beautiful.
“Yes. Today is Friday. She comes on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, right? said Kashima.
“But even on those days when she doesn’t come, her scent prevails.”
Everyone laughed.
“We should change Kobayashi’s seat first,” said Yamada San.
“How can one feel the scent even on those days when she doesn’t come? This is nothing but Kobayashi’s illusion” said Oishi.
“The temple bell has just stopped resonating.
The fragrance of the flowers is still lingering in the air.
A pleasant evening.”
Kobayashi quoted Basho’s poetry.
” You cannot understand this Oishi San. For you, singing in the bathroom in private is enough”
“If that is so, now, and right now, you should tell what is that scent was’ said Oishi San, who felt peeved, from within.
” The scent was that of vanilla cream. That which arises when almonds are crushed.”
“The young girl passes through my seat always. I have never noticed anything” said Yamada San.
“I, for sure, have never felt any scent of vanilla cream, during weekly meetings,” said Shimura.
“No. The scent is not exactly the same as that of vanilla cream. It’s a little different. How do I explain that?”
” Check if it is this smell? Shimura took the sake Cup close to Kobayashi’s nose.
Kobayashi sniffed the sake and said, “No, No, Not this one”. Everyone laughed. The ponytailed girl, standing below, laughed, listening to the conversation which was getting interesting.
“Maybe this is the one” Yamada San held the tip of his red tie, close to Kobayashi’s nose. The ponytailed girl laughed, covering her mouth with her palm.
Kobayashi sniffs the tie hoping that it was the same scent. With his eyes intoxicated, he waved his hands, gesturing that it was not the one.
Now everyone joined together in teasing Kobayashi. Kashima extended cabbage leaves near to his nose and asked whether it was the same scent. With his eyes still intoxicated, with a smile on his lips, Kobayashi denied, waving his hands vigorously. Everyone laughed again. The ponytailed girl stared at Kashima with a frown.
Yamada San inhaled deeply and let out the smoke. Oishi San poured the last peg of whisky from his bottle and mixed it with a little water. Kashima was munching Edamame, the salted soya bean stems. He kept the seeds in his hand and the peel on the plate.
The room was filled with smoke. As it was nearing ten, the ponytailed girl enquired if we wanted to have anything else. Everyone was totally intoxicated, and I thought they wouldn’t prefer to have anything more. Kobayashi said, “One mug of beer for me please”. Everyone joined him and asked for beer for themselves as well. The ponytailed girl brought the mugs in both her hands. Handing over the mug to Kobayashi, she smiled at him.
Kobayashi San picked up the mug, gulped the beer in one go, and kept it down. ” I recollect the scent of Izumi. It is the fragrance of Sakura flowers when they bloom. Those with a nose for it alone can feel that smell. It is a divine fragrance. Will always redeem us, assuage us. My daughter used to always bathe with me, ever since she was one year old. After a good bath, we used to fill the tub with hot water, sit inside and watch the Sakura flowers blooming outside the window. That scene is etched in my heart forever. When she was thirteen, one day, she attained puberty. Since then, she stopped bathing with me. I always remember her scent, on that particular day. Izumi’s fragrance is similar to my daughter’s scent on that day. I am experiencing it now. Those who can join me now and experience it are blessed.” he said. His eyes were brimming with tears. He inhaled the smoke deeply and let it out. His face was red, and he was perspiring. His dishevelled silver hair hid half of his face. After a few seconds, he said, ” Prior to that also I have experienced the fragrance. It is the smell of my mother’s milk that I drank as a child.”
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This story is originally written in Tamil and is translated to English by Anuradha Krishnaswamy.
Born on 10th October 1960, Anuradha Krishnaswamy retired from Central government service and is currently residing in Mumbai, India. After retirement, she has taken up the translation. Anuradha Krishnaswamy started her career with Tamil magazine “Thisaigal” and subsequently moved to Central government service. Her translations have been published in Sahitya Academy’s journal “Samakaeen Bhartiya Sahitya” in Hindi and Tamil magazine Avanazhi. She translates from Tamil to English and vice versa and Tamil to Hindi.
This Translation is an outcome of a joint project by Kanali கனலி- கலை இலக்கிய இணையதளம் and FemAsia Magazine.
