?No, madam, I implore you? ? he had started to shout quite loudly ? ?Were just rabble, like your husband says. Please don?t make a fuss, please sit down.?
I was about to obey him, but then I saw Jiro give me an angry look.
?At least have some tea with us,? I said. ?It?s no trouble at all.?
Now you?ve sat down, you may as well stay a while,? my husband said to the visitors. ?Anyway, I want to know about Murasaki?s brother. Is he as mad as they say he is??
?He?s a character all right,? the tubby man said, with a laugh. ?We certainly weren?t disappointed. And did anyone tell you about his wife??
I bowed and made my way into the kitchen unnoticed. I prepared the tea and put onto a plate some cakes I had been making earlier that day. I could hear laughter coming from the living room, my husband?s voice amongst them. One of the visitors was calling him ?Pharaoh? again in a loud voice. When I returned to the living room, Jiro and his visitors seemed in high spirits. The tubby man was relating an anecdote, about some cabinet minister?s encounter with General Mac Arthur. I put the cakes near them, poured out their tea, then sat down beside Ogata- San. Jiro?s friends made several more jokes concerning politicians and then the pale-faced man pretended to be offended because his companion had spoken disparagingly of some personage he admired. He kept a straight face while the others teased him.
?By the way, Hanada,? my husband said to him. ?I heard an interesting story the other day at the office. I was told during the last elections, you threatened to beat your wife with a golf club because she wouldn?t vote the way you wanted.?
?Where did you pick up this rubbish??
?I got it from reliable sources.?
?That?s right,? the tubby man said. ?And your wife was going to call the police to report political intimidation.?
?What rubbish. Besides, I don?t have golf clubs any more. I sold them all last year.?
?You still have that seven-iron,? said the tubby man. ?I saw it in your apartment last week. Maybe you used that?
?But you can?t deny it, can you, Hanada?? said Jim. ?It?s nonsense about the golf club.?
?But it?s true you couldn?t get her to obey you.?
The pale-faced man shrugged. ?Well, it?s her personal right to vote any way she pleases.?
?Then why did you threaten her?? his friend asked.
?I was trying to make her see sense, of course. My wife votes for Yoshida just because he looks like her uncle. That?s typical of women. They don?t understand politics. They think they can choose the country?s leaders the same way they choose dresses.?
?So you gave her a seven-iron,? said Jiro.
?Is that really true?? Ogata-San asked. He had not spoken since I had come back in with the tea. The other three stopped laughing and the pale-faced man looked at Ogata-San with a surprised expression.
?Well, no.? He became suddenly formal and gave a small bow. ?I didn?t actually hit her.?
?No, no,? said Ogata-San. ?I meant your wife and yourself? you voted for separate parties??
?Well, yes.? He shrugged, then giggled awkwardly. ?What could I do??
?I?m sorry. I didn?t mean to pry.? Ogata-San gave a low bow, and the pale-faced man returned it. As if the bowing were a signal, the three younger men started once more to laugh and talk amongst themselves. They moved off politics and began discussing various members of their finn. When I was pouring more tea, I noticed that the cakes,
despite my having put out a generous amount, had almost all disappeared. I finished refilling their teacups, then sat down again beside Ogata-San.
The visitors stayed for an hour or so. Jim saw them to the door then sat down again with a sigh. ?It?s getting late,? he said. ?I?ll need to turn in soon.?
Ogata-san was examining the chess board. ?I think the pieces got jogged a little,? he said. ?I?m sure the horse was on this square, not that one.?
?Quite probably.?
?I?ll put it here then. Are we agreed on this??
?Yes, yes. I?m sure you?re right. We?ll have to finish the game another time, Father. I?ll need to retire very shortly.?
?How about playing just the next few moves. We may well finish it off.?
?Really, I?d rather not. I?m feeling very tired now.?
?Of course?
I packed away the sewing I had been doing earlier in the evening and sat waiting for the others to retire. Jim, however, picked up a newspaper and started to read the back page. Then he took the last remaining cake from the plate and began to eat nonchalantly. After several moments, Ogata-San said:
?Perhaps we ought to just finish it off now. It?ll only take a more moves.?
?Father, I really am too tired now. I have work to go to in the morning.?
?Yes, of course.?
Jim went back to his newspapers. He continued to eat the cake and I watched several crumbs drop on to the tatami. Ogata-San continued to gaze at the chess-board for some time.
