?Jiro,? Ogata-San said after several minutes, ?I was just wondering. Have you written that letter yet? To Shigeo Matsuda??
I looked up from my sewing. Jiro appeared absorbed in the game and did not reply until he had moved his piece. ?Shigeo? Well, not yet. I?ve been meaning to. But I?ve been so busy just recently.?
?Of course. I quite understand. I lust happened to think of it, that?s all.?
?I don?t seem to have had much time just recently.?
?Of course. There?s no hurry. I don?t mean to keep pestering you like this. It?s just that it might be more appropriate if he heard from you fairly soon. Its a few weeks now since his article appeared.?
?Yes, certainly. You?re quite right.?
They returned to their game. For some moments neither of them spoke. Then Ogata-San said:
?How do you suppose he?ll react??
?Shigeo? I don?t know. As I say, I don?t know him very well these days.?
?He?s joined the Communist Party, you say??
?I?m not certain. He certainly expressed such sympathies when I last saw him.?
?A great pity. But then there are so many things in Japan today to sway a young man.?
?Yes, no doubt.?
?So many young men these days get carried away with ideas and theories. But perhaps he?ll back down and apologize. There?s nothing like a timely reminder of one?s personal obligations. You know, I suspect Shigeo never even stopped to consider what he was doing. I think he wrote that article with a pen in one hand and his books about communism in the other. He may well back down in the end.?
?Quite possibly. I?ve just had so much work recently.?
?Of course, of course. Your work must take precedence. Please don?t worry about it. Now, was it my move??
They continued their game, speaking little. Once I heard Ogata-San say: ?You?re moving just as I anticipated. You?ll need to be very clever to escape from that corner.?
They had been playing for sometime when there was a knock at the door. Jiro looked up and threw me a glance. I put down my sewing and got to my feet.
When I opened the door, I found two men grinning and bowing at me. It was quite late by then and I thought at first they had come to the wrong apartment. But then I recognized them as two of Jiro?s colleagues and asked them in. They stood in the entryway giggling to themselves. One was a tubby little man whose face looked quite flushed. His companion was thinner, with a pale complexion like that of a European; but it seemed he too had been drinking, for pink blotches had appeared on each of his cheeks. They were both wearing ties, loosened untidily, and were holding jackets over their arms.
Jiro seemed pleased to see them and called to them to sit down. But they remained in the entryway, giggling.
?Ah Ogata,? the pale-faced man said to Jim, ?perhaps we?ve caught you at a bad time.?
?Not at all. What are you doing in these parts anyway??
?We?ve been to see Murasaki?s brother. In fact, we haven?t been home yet.?
?We came to disturb you because we?re afraid to go home,? the tubby man put in. ?We didn?t tell our wives we?d be late.?
?What rabble you are, the pair of you, said Jiro. ?Why don?t you take off your shoes and come up here?
?We?ve caught you at a bad time,? the pale-faced man said again. ?I can see you?ve got a visitor.? He grinned and bowed towards Ogata-San.
?This is my father, but how can I introduce you if you don?t come in??
The visitors finally took off their shoes and seated themselves. Jim introduced them to his father and they began once more to bow and giggle.
?You gentlemen are from Jim?s firm?? Ogata-San asked.
?Yes, indeed,? the tubby man replied. ?A great honour it is too, even if he does give us a tough time. We call your son ?Pharaoh? in the office because he urges the rest of us to work like slaves while he does nothing himself.?
?What nonsense,? said my husband.
?It?s true. He orders us around like we?re his dog?s bodies. Then he sits down and reads the newspaper.?
Ogata-San seemed a little confused, but seeing the others laugh he joined in.
?And what?s this here?? The pale-faced man indicated the chess-board. ?You see, I knew we?d interrupted something.?
?We were just playing chess to pass the time,? said Jiro.
?Goon playing then. Don?t let rabble like us interrupt.?
?Don?t be silly. How could I concentrate with idiots like you around.? Jiro pushed away the chess-board. One or two of the pieces fell over and he stood them up again without looking at the squares. ?So. You?ve been to see Murasaki?s brother. Etsuko, get some tea for the gentlemen.? My husband had said this despite the fact that I was already on my way to the kitchen. But then the tubby man started to wave his hand frantically?
?Madam, madam, sit down. Please. We?ll be going in just a moment. Please be seated.?
?It?s no trouble,? I said, smiling.
