With that comment, Matsumoto reached over, picked up the water, and took a swig. Then he cleared his throat and continued:
—Okay. So this is Jay’s father talking: You know, son, I was really torn about whether to give you that pendant. When a man’s cornered, he wants to cling to something. And in Vietnam, I clung to that pendant and prayed several times. But such peace is only temporary. Clinging to a pendant provides some relief, but getting out of trouble ultimately depends on two things: luck and your own strength. Well, son, I guess you already know all that. But, uh, the real reason I’m calling is this. I’ve thought about it, and I can’t help thinking that my father’s death was somehow connected to that pendant. Like you said, maybe something happened during the fighting in Okinawa. And maybe that’s why he was always in a bad mood and always getting drunk. The only thing I ever heard about the war was about that pendant. So I don’t want to speculate any more. When he gave it to me, he never said anything about passing it on to my own son. But I sensed that that’s what he wanted. And that’s why I gave it to you. But before I did, I wondered if I was doing the right thing. And I still have doubts. And then, when you asked about his death, those doubts grew even stronger. And that’s why I called. You see, I feel bad about it now. I know I should’ve kept my doubts to myself and saved you all the unnecessary anxiety. However, I think it’s best to return that harpoon head to where my father fought. So, listen, son. If you ever have children of your own, I don’t want you to pass it on to them. I want you to go to Okinawa and throw that pendant into the ocean yourself...
I paused the tape, grabbed another beer, and then pressed the play button again.
—So that was the phone call from Jay’s father. As he was listening, Jay realized he felt the same way about what to do with the pendant. As he pointed out, there was just no way for them to find out about his grandfather’s war experiences in Okinawa. But he knew that his grandfather must’ve really valued that good luck charm made from a young Okinawan’s weapon. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have held on to it all those years. Or passed it down to his grandchildren. Yeah, there must’ve been some really powerful emotions involved. Especially considering that he survived, while his buddies died.... But the fact that Jay agreed with his father didn’t mean he made any specific plans to take care of it. I mean, he wore the pendant all the time, but he was pretty busy with work, so the idea of going to Okinawa just passed out of his mind.... What got him thinking again was that, uh, incident. You remember, don’t you? About ten years ago, shortly after I met you, three US soldiers raped an elementary school girl in Okinawa. When you’re living in New York, you don’t hear too much about Okinawa, you know. But not surprisingly, Jay heard about the rape. He was shocked to learn that there are still huge US bases in Okinawa and over 20,000 troops stationed there. He said he couldn’t believe the US military was still there after all this time.... After that, Jay was on a mission. He researched about Okinawa in the library, started questioning all his Japanese acquaintances, and, uh, yeah, I was one of them. Don’t think we Japanese were too helpful, though. I mean, I couldn’t even answer half his questions. I could tell he knew more than I did. Jay also mentioned that he wanted to go to Okinawa some day. Said he wanted to see where his grandfather fought with his own two eyes. And that if that young Okinawan who stabbed his grandfather was still alive, he wanted to meet him....
Matsumoto cleared his throat several times, took some of his medicine, and faced the camera once more.
—Long story, wasn’t it? Of course, I didn’t hear it all at once. No, I pieced it together from the many discussions Jay and I had at the bar and his apartment. I told him that if he ever had the chance to come to Japan, to let me know before heading down to Okinawa.... However, Jay never got that chance.... Well, I’ll tell you about that next time. Sorry, but I’m too tired for today.... Talk to you later.
The smile on Matsumoto’s face was a strained one. He waved with his right hand, and the video broke off. He reappeared a moment later. Though sitting in the same place, he now wore a cream-colored polo shirt. Sunlight streamed through the window and fell across his face, making his complexion look healthier. His expression and voice seemed more energetic, too.
—Well, I watched what I recorded up to this point. But you know, it’s not easy talking into a camera like this. Nothing like talking face-to-face, which would’ve been much better. I mean, I could’ve gotten your reactions and answered all your questions. Unfortunately, this was the only way.... So anyway, about Jay. After I returned to Tokyo, we lost contact with each other. Oh, I suppose we could’ve kept in touch, if we really wanted to. Long-distance phone calls, mail, whatever. But I guess our relationship wasn’t that close. I got busy with everyday life and rarely thought of him. And just like that, five years passed by. Until one day, I suddenly got a packet in the mail from Jay’s wife, Kate. It
