In the Woods of Memory

I weren’t blind, I’d kick your asses.... Come on, that’s enough! Let’s get out of here. If we don’t knock it off, there’s gonna be trouble.... Seiji, if you try to act tough next time, we’ll beat you to death and dump you in the ocean. . . . Oh, forget it! Leave the guy alone. Let’s get going.... They knocked me down, and I couldn’t get up. The ground was so cold against my back, Sayoko.... Check it out! He looks like a frog run over in the street.... My face was swollen, and I couldn’t open my mouth.... His lips are twitching.... I tried to spit out the blood, but there was too much of it.... Ugh, red slobber is dribbling from his mouth! Disgusting! ... Don’t go near him. Pretend you don’t notice.... I tried to get up, but I couldn’t move my arms or legs. Just like when the Americans shot me.... You’re an idiot for fighting with kids who are just goofing off.... Sayoko, I’m so tired. I just want to sleep.... You can’t sleep here! You’re causing a nuisance. . . . Who are you?... It doesn’t matter who I am. Get up. I guess playing the sanshin and drinking are your only pleasures in life, huh? . . . Thank you.... Don’t misunderstand. I’m only helping because you’re in the way.... Sayoko, I can play the sanshin, even though I’m blind. If we meet again, let me play you a song.... Hey, mister, what’re you doing?... I’m playing the sanshin.... Wow, you’re pretty good.... Kids are so cute, Sayoko. They’re happy to talk to anyone, even me.... Mister, are you blind?... Mister, why do you have those cuts on your face? ... If only I had kids like this.... Mister, you smell! Have you been drinking?... Mister, don’t those cuts hurt?... Sayoko, do you have any children?... Mister, what are these bugs called? . . . Mister, why are you barefoot?... Kids are soft and smell nice, Sayoko.... Mister, is it true that sprites live in this banyan tree? . . . Yes, it’s true. . . . What’re sprites?... Little creatures about your size, but with red hair.... So they have hair like our friend Sāchi?... But you’re blind, so you wouldn’t know.... Do sprites eat people?... No, but they eat fish eyes.... That’s weird.... Why do you say that? Fish eyes are delicious.... I heard eating them makes you smart.... Really?... Is it true that sprites kidnap kids and throw them in the ocean?... Are sprites scary?... They run away if you fart, so if you’re scared, just let one go.... I can’t fart on command! ... Well, then, if you see a sprite, call me. I’ll show you how it’s done.... Mister, that stinks! ... That made me laugh, Sayoko. The only time I ever laugh is when I’m with kids.... Mister, were you really shot by the Americans?... Yeah, the bullet went in right here.... Wow! It’s all lumpy.... Let me touch it, too.... Does it hurt, mister?... Not anymore.... Are those cuts on your face from the Americans, too? ... Yeah, they also hit me.... Why’d they hit you?... Why did they shoot you?... I don’t know. I can’t remember. . . . Did you do something wrong?... No, I didn’t.... They hit you even though you didn’t do anything wrong?... And shot you?... That’s right. I didn’t do anything wrong.... You’re lying! You must’ve done something really bad. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have hit you.... Or shot you.... I didn’t do anything wrong!... Seiji, stop talking to the kids.... What did that guy do to you? Tell us.... There’ve been a lot of complaints, and the ward chief warned me.... He did something strange to you, didn’t he? Tell us what he did.... He didn’t do anything.... Stop lying and tell the truth! ... I am telling the truth!... The villagers are watching you, Seiji.... We can’t understand when you’re crying. Settle down, and tell us what he did to you.... You’re blind, so you can’t tell, but everyone’s watching.... Scary, isn’t it? I always thought he might do something.... I heard he touched Kinjō’s kid, too.... He’s your brother, isn’t he? Can’t you take care of this? ... If he does it again, I’m calling the police.... Seiji, is it true that you touched a girl?... If I don’t touch them, I can’t tell what they look like, or how tall they are.... Is it true that you wouldn’t let go, even though she was crying?... She wasn’t crying.... So you admit that you touched her?... Where did he touch her?... She’s a kid, so she was crying and couldn’t say.... I heard he put his finger in her, and that she was bleeding.... Unbelievable! That’s horrible! ... The girls are scared and can’t go outside.... I haven’t done anything wrong.... Seiji, if you do it again, the police are going to arrest you.... I haven’t done anything wrong.... The open area near the banyan tree is a place for kids to play. As ward chief, can’t you drive him away?... That’s been his reserved spot for years and years now.... He blasts his radio from the crack of dawn.... I’ll ask him to turn it down.... We feel bad that he’s handicapped, and we don’t really want to complain, but there were those incidents with the kids. . . . Don’t let him off just because he’s blind. . . . Ward chief, don’t let these women say whatever they want.... We’re not gonna sit here and listen to these groundless accusations. . . . Would Seiji really do such things?... We’re just protecting our children.... If we wait until something horrible happens, it’ll be too late.... Seiji, go ahead and play your sanshin as much as you like. And listen to your radio, too.... Hey, Seiji! You molest another girl, and we’re gonna break your arms!... I haven’t done anything.... A scumbag like you? Those