Darkness and White Ceiling – 1
1989/9/30
Two motorcycles race across the newly constructed Yokohama Bay Bridge. One is my best friend Kobayashi’s RGV-Γ, and the other is the DUCATI I’m riding.
Cars are parked all along the shoulder. The far-left lane is a mess of traffic, while the far-right lane has cars speeding far above the limit. The center lane is chaotic with cars darting in and out of the slow left lane and the fast right lane. Through this lawless Bay Bridge, the two motorcycles head towards Daikoku P.A.
I was juggling the design of a plant for Brazil and another for Yokkaichi at the same time, so I hadn’t been able to take a proper break or spend time with friends. It seemed like my busy days would continue for a while longer, but since the Bay Bridge had just been completed, we decided to take a late-night ride.
After spending a short time at Daikoku P.A., we set out for home. We crossed the Bay Bridge again, passing Shin-Yamashita, where I saw the Taiyo submarine cables ahead, then turned right and opened the throttle. The engine roared, and using the downhill slope, I quickly picked up speed. Kobayashi’s RGV-Γ flew past me at an overwhelming speed. As expected, Kobayashi had done some fine tuning.
We enjoyed a few minutes of tandem riding before parting ways on the expressway with a wave of “See you later.”
1989/10/21
“Let’s go somewhere.”
I picked her up near her workplace, where she had been working on her day off, and at Tokyo Station, I said those words.
My work for Brazil and Yokkaichi had finally finished, and for the first time in a long while, I could take a long vacation. I had ten whole days off, which was rare. But after this break, I’d be back to working on plant piping design, and with an offer from a research institute coming up, it seemed like I’d soon be back to a life without rest.
We had been meeting to commute together to and from her job, but I hadn’t had any time to take her anywhere, leaving her feeling lonely.
I put my arm around her, and instead of the usual Yokosuka Line, we boarded a waiting Tokaido Line train from the ground-level platform. We rode it to the final stop at Atami and transferred to a train heading even farther. Looking at the schedule, it seemed that the last train would take us to Numazu.
Once we arrived in Numazu, we searched for a place to stay. I found a small, cozy hotel after making a few calls from a phone book in a phone booth. She smiled with mischievous eyes, different from her usual sleepy look. We took a shower together in the small bathroom and embraced in bed. She smiled gently, her soft body in my arms.
The next day, a misty drizzle fell. We took a bus to Numazu Port and boarded a boat to Heda5. A light rain was falling on the sea as well. We stood on the deck, getting wet without bothering to use an umbrella. The cool autumn rain and the scent of the sea felt refreshing.
We sought warmth in a run-down coffee shop in Heda. Both of us were soaked, and we exchanged glances. Sipping coffee, I watched her smile.
As we returned to Yokohama and prepared to part ways, she asked,
“And tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, I’ll rest. It’s been a long time since I had a break.”
I replied.