?You just stay there and relax. You?ve only just sat down. I?ll get you some lunch.?
?No, that?s all right.?
?Now, Etsuko, if you don?t eat here, you won?t eat lunch for another hour. You know how important it is for you to eat regularly at this stage.?
?Yes, I suppose so.?
Mrs. Fujiwara looked at me closely for a moment. Then she said: ?You?ve everything to look forward to now, Etsuko. What are you so unhappy about??
?Unhappy? But I?m not unhappy in the least.?
She continued to look at me, and I laughed nervously.
?Once the child comes,? she said, ?you?ll be delighted, believe me. And you?ll make a splendid mother, Etsuko.?
?I hope so.?
?Of course you will.?
?Yes.?! looked up and smiled.
Mrs. Fujiwara nodded, then rose to her feet once more.
The inside of Sachiko?s cottage had grown increasingly dark ? there was only one lantern in the room ? and at first I thought Mariko was staring at a black mark on the wall. She reached out a finger and the shape moved a little. Only then did I realize it was a spider.
?Mariko, leave that alone. That?s not nice.?
She put both hands behind her back, but went on staring at the spider.
?We used to have a cat once,? she said. ?Before we came here. She used to catch spiders.?
?I see. No, leave it alone, Mariko.?
?But it?s not poisonous.?
?No, but leave it alone, it?s dirty.?
?The cat we used to have, she could eat spiders. What would happen if late a spider??
?I don?t know, Mariko.?
?Would I be sick??
?I don?t know? I went back to the sewing I had brought with me. Mariko continued to watch the spider. Eventually she said: ?1 know why you came here tonight.?
?I came because its not nice for little girls to be on their own.?
?It?s because of the woman, It?s because the woman might come again.?
?Why don?t you show me some more drawings? The ones you showed me )ust now were lovely.?
Mariko did not reply. She moved over to the window and looked out into the darkness.
?Your mother won?t be long now,? I said. ?Why don?t you show me some more drawings.?
Mariko continued to look into the darkness. Eventually, she returned to the corner where she had been sitting before the spider had attracted her attention.;
?How did you spend your day today, Mariko?? [asked. ?Did you do any drawing??
?I played with Atsu and Mee-Chan.?
?That?s nice. And where do they live? Are they from the apartments??
?That?s Atsu? ? she pointed to one of the small black kittens beside her ? ?and that?s Mee-Chan.?
I laughed. ?Oh, I see. They?re lovely little kittens, aren?t they? But don?t you ever play with other children? The children from the apartments??
?I play with Atsu and Mee-Chan.?
?But you should by and make friends with the other children. I?m sure they?re all very nice.?
?They stole Suji-Chan. He was my favourite kitten.?
?They stole him? Oh dear, I wonder why they did that.? Mariko began stroking a kitten. ?I?ve lost Suji-Chan now.?
?Perhaps hell turn up soon. I?m sure the children were just playing.?
?They killed him, I?ve lost Suji-Chan now.?
?Oh. I wonder why they did a thing Like that.?
?I threw stones at them. Because they said things.?
?Well, you shouldn?t throw stones, Mariko.?
?They said things. About Mother. I threw stones at them and they took Suji-Chan and wouldn?t give him back.?
?Well, you?ve still got your other kittens.?
