Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 47 Mountain Climbing

Chapter 47 Mountain Climbing
The black leather cover was cracked, and large words were written in blue ballpoint pen on the yellowed pages.

From back to front, Natsume Shiro wrote down his memories and his life.

……

I’m 74 years old and I can’t remember anything. They say I’m getting stupid.

I'm old. I want to write things down.

Don't cry, Silang. Mom told me not to cry.

……

Hanako passed away suddenly at the age of 69. I owed her so much, why didn't I compensate her, why didn't I take her to Mount Fuji.

At the age of 68, Hanako was ill and wanted to see Mount Fuji. I said I would take her there when she recovered, but she never did.

At the age of 66, Yuno was admitted to university and I wanted to send her to school. But the ticket was too expensive, so I didn't go. She is a good child.

I fell off my bike when I was 55. It was too expensive to put in a nail, so I didn't have the surgery, and I can no longer ride a bike.

When I was 49, a highway was built next to the town. Cars are much faster than my bicycle, and bicycles cannot go on highways.

At the age of 43, the third child died. He was only 11 years old.

At the age of 40, I bought a bicycle. Now I ride to work every day. It’s very convenient.

When I was 32, the brick factory went bankrupt. My family needed money urgently, so I tried to find ways to make money. Later, I worked as an apprentice in an izakaya, earning 900 yen a month.

At the age of 27, I married Hanako. I became a father. She was born in 39, and I said I would take her to see Mount Fuji when I had enough money.

At the age of 25, working in the brick factory was too hard. Yuxi's family found a way for her to work as a formal worker in the city. She asked me to go with her.

I couldn't leave. I had no money and knew no one.

I wrote to her and she said she was getting married, and we kept in touch after that.

When I was 23, I met (unclear handwriting) Yuxi. She was two years younger than me and very pretty. She taught me how to write.

At the age of 22, I went to work in the factory. I studied very hard. I was a contract worker. The conditions in the brick factory were tough, but I just wanted to get paid. Once I had money, I could leave here.

At the age of 20, I worked on a fishing boat with my second uncle. The sea is endless. When I have money in the future, I want to go to the other side of the sea to have a look.

My mother passed away when I was 19. She never enjoyed anything in her life. I have not been in touch with my brother and sister since then.

When I was 15, I made an appointment with my friends to climb a mountain. Whoever could climb the mountain would be successful and make a lot of money. But I didn’t go the next day.

I have to go harvest wheat and can't leave.

I cut rice for many days. I always felt that there was still a lot of time left. The mountain was there, and I wanted to climb it when I had time. But I didn't go.

Never in your entire life.

I clearly didn’t go hiking, but why do I feel like I’ve been hiking mountains all my life?

If I had climbed that mountain at that time, would I not have had so many regrets?

……

I want to go hiking.

……

The rice has been harvested.

The bike is scrapped.

I am free now.

The children have grown up.

What needs to be done has been done.

I am as old as a camel.