The Salaryman's Wife(105)

“Stop it!” I ordered Hugh, then turned on my relative. “Tom, I must to warn you that Hugh can’t take jokes. He has a very undeveloped sense of humor.”

“Hugh-san, please let me do my work.” Tom picked up Hugh’s foot and pressed gently on his big toe. “Do you feel any pain?”

“Nothing,” Hugh said, although I saw him wince.

“You still have plenty of swelling, which is probably caused by your walking around on crutches. If you rested, the swelling would subside and we could finally apply your cast.”

“Wait a minute. Dr. Endo gave me another excuse. He told me I couldn’t have a cast until next Monday because that’s when the orthopedic surgeon’s available. Low priority, that’s what I am!”

“We are very busy here, it’s true. And it is no problem for you to spend more time in the hospital. We prefer to make sure the patient is fully recovered before release.”

“So what you’re saying is it’s the Japanese way to over-hospitalize and run up big insurance bills?” Hugh looked innocent, but his words hit their mark.

“You are good at arguing, neh? A real lawyer.” Tom shook his head and replaced Hugh’s foot in the sling. “Well, you’ll get some action tonight, since you’ll be going down to X ray again to see if you’ve done yourself any more damage. Rei-chan, your wig is in a Mitsutan shopping bag at the nursing station. I recommend that you wear it. And I’m off at eleven again tonight—I don’t want you traveling home without me like you did yesterday.”

“Actually, I’m going back to my own apartment this evening. I already talked to Aunt Norie about it.”

“You’re staying in my flat,” Hugh cut in.

“You think my cousin would sleep in your apartment?” Tom paused, seeming to struggle for words. “Hugh-san, I must explain to you that in Japan, that kind of behavior is not good for a young girl’s image.”

“Tom, I’m old enough to sleep where I want. How can you, a cousin I’ve met less than five or six times, tell me what to do?” I sniped.

“Tanin yori miuchi,” Tom said under his breath.

“What’s that?” Hugh asked.

“He says relatives are better than strangers.” I scowled at my cousin, who delivered a similar expression back.

“I’ll be a bona fide relative someday, I reckon,” said Hugh, his smile almost an insult. They were both ridiculous, talking about me like I was a possession. I was gearing up to tell them both off when a nurse with a boyishly short hairstyle darted in, someone I could have sworn had long hair the day before.

“Shimura-sensei, do you think Mr. Glendinning is well enough for another visitor?” she chirped, all the while gazing at me.

“Who is it?” Hugh interrupted.

“Nakamura-san from Sendai Limited.”

“That’s fine. I need to get on with my rounds.” Tom swept out without looking back. I knew he was furious.

“Ta!” Hugh waved after Tom and then whispered to me, “Please stay. I’m useless without you.”


Seiji Nakamura had aged a decade in the three weeks since I’d first seen him at Minshuku Yogetsu. His skin had a sallow cast, and the bags under his eyes had deepened into pouches. I had written off the lines around his mouth to smoking but now realized it was due to his deep, permanent frown. He delivered it to me like a present before bending solicitously over Hugh.

“Glendinning-san has had so much trouble lately.” He made a sudden movement with his hands, which he had kept behind his back. I laughed inwardly as he set down a leather briefcase and proffered the real gift: a box of five jumbo-sized peaches, each cosseted in a protective foam girdle. What had I been expecting, a knife?

“These are grown in a special hothouse, but probably Glendinning-san does not care for peaches…” He was going through all the right motions, showing the obvious value of his gift while deprecating it, the hated ritual I knew by heart.

“Rei will like it. She just eats fruits, nuts, that kind of thing,” Hugh said instead of thanking him in a straightforward manner. I took the peaches, since Hugh appeared unwilling to, and placed them on the tray alongside the Indian carryout meal.

“I read the newspaper this morning. I was sorry to hear about my friend’s terrible injury,” Nakamura said.

“Being here’s really quite pleasant and relaxing,” Hugh replied. “When I was searching for Yamamoto on the slopes and then thrown into prison in Shiroyama, that’s when I needed a friend.”

“Circumstances were difficult for me—”