Similar to being unable to imagine any literary adjective for the raging waves of the ocean or the violent winds of the desert, the rocks or water in treacherous places in Honshu are simply terrifying. I looked away from those places and walked only staring at my feet. Around thirty minutes later we arrived in Tappi, I weakly laughed and said, "We're finally here. It would have been nice if we saved some sake. I doubt there's sake at an inn in Tappi. And I'm freezing," I grumbled in spite of myself.
"I had that thought, too. We can go a little further to the home of an old friend who may have sake rations. No one drinks at his house."
"Please try."
"Okay, we cannot be without sake."
His friend's home was in the hamlet right before Tappi. N removed his hat and entered the home. In a short time, he came out with a face trying not to smile.
"Looks like our luck has not run out. He filled one water bottle for me. It's close to a liter."
"The reason is the charcoal remained. Let's go."
We had a little further to go. We bent over against the strong wind and jogged to Tappi. N thrust his head into a chicken coop where the road seemed to be narrowing. I didn't understand why at the time.
"This is Tappi," said N in a changed tone.
"Here?" I said unperturbed and looked around. It felt like a chicken coop, namely, the hamlet of Tappi. The small houses stood in a firm clump against savage winds and rain and protected each other. This place was an extreme end of Honshu. After leaving this hamlet, there are no roads. There's only a drop into the sea. The road vanishes. This is Honshu's dead end. Reader, do not forget this. My friends, when you walk north and take a road somewhere and go uphill. If you keep climbing, you will always reach the Sotogahama Road, and the road finally narrows. If you go further up, you will fall into a mysterious world resembling these tightly packed chicken coops. All roads end there.
"Anyone would be surprised. When I first came here, I even considered entering a stranger's kitchen because I was getting cold," said N.
This is critical land in the nation's defense, so I must avoid saying any more about this hamlet. An old woman came out and led us to a room. The room in this inn was also surprisingly neat and tidy, and the construction was not flimsy. We changed into the quilted nightgowns, sat cross-legged with the hearth between us, and regained tranquility.
"Excuse me, is there any sake?" N asked the old woman in a wise, measured tone. Her response was unexpected.
"Yes, there is," said the woman graced with an oval, elegant face. Relieved by her answer, N smiled and said, "In truth Ma'am, we'd like to drink a bit."
"Go right ahead. Drink as much as you like," she said smiling.
We exchanged glances. I suspected this old woman may not have known how precious alcohol was around that time.
"Today, we have rations. Since most of the homes nearby don't drink, I collect them," she said and moved her hands as in gathering and then spread her arms as if holding many half-gallon bottles, "Before I had this much."
"That much is a lot," I said quite relieved, "I'm sorry to bother you, but could you warm the sake in an iron kettle and pour it into four or five, no, six bottles and bring them as fast as you can."
I thought it'd be better to have her bring many more before she changed her mind.
"We can eat later."
As requested, the old woman brought six bottles of sake and placed them on the tray. Before we finished off two bottles, she came with the meal.
"Here you are. Enjoy."
"Thank you."
The six bottles of sake were gone in no time.
"They're all gone," I said in shock, "Gone in a flash. That was too fast."
"We drank that much," said N looking doubtful and shook an empty bottle, "It's empty. Well, it is cold, and we gulped them down."
"Each bottle nearly overflowed with sake. We drank them so fast, if I ask for six more, she may suspect we're supernatural beings. We can't create unneeded fear by asking for more sake, so let's warm up the sake we brought with us. We'll wait a bit and then ask for only six more. Why shouldn't we drink the night away in this inn at the northern tip of Honshu."
I proposed this queer strategy, which became the foundation of my failure.
We transferred the sake in the water bottles to the sake bottles but drank as slowly as we could. N quickly got drunk.
"I can't do it. Tonight, I may get drunk."
May get drunk? He was already plastered.
"I can't do this. Tonight, I'm getting drunk. Okay? Can I?"
"It won't bother me. I intend to get drunk tonight, too. Let's take our time."
"Why don't I recite a poem? You've probably never heard me recite. I seldom do. But tonight I want to recite one poem. Hey, you can recite one, too."
"I guess I'll have to listen," I said and prepared myself.
N closed his eyes and softly began to recite the usual poem by Bokusui about going to mountains and rivers. It wasn't as bad as I imagined. I listened without a word and was touched.
"Well? Was it weird?"
"No, it was a bit sentimental."
"Well then, another."
Now, this one was awful. His startling, harsh voice shouted, "Did I come to an
