Until about a montting translations t I -to-be translated Murakami s stories. Most of t, and I t maybe I sry somettle longer. I started paging t;Lexington no Yuureiquot; (ton Gs), and it seemed like tories t one, called Koori Otoko (ts a tle story, and I dont knoe o make of it. Ill be curious to see s fairly long, Im going to divide it up into pieces, and serialize it over a couple of days. Enjoy!
P.S. As ale any criticism or advice, especially from terate.
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the Ice Man
I married the Ice Man.
I first met t t el. I guess ts t to meet an Ice Man. In terous el lobby, croting in a c t possible remove from tly reading a book. t o me t t of ter morning still lingered around s t at t time, I in t really kno kne ed and of ice. ts a g or somebody agious disease or something.
tall, and from looking at ly. ill, but t te, like it ed snoo of cold, coating of unmelted on ot t muc from a normal person. just jab you s. It ood out. ransparent look, like an icicle on a er morning. t toget made o sparkle. I stood t and gazed at t t lift moving so mucinued reading. It o persuade t anybody at all around him.
t day, tly t to teria to get luncting in top of a page of t day gree, and tly as ter outside the window, reading his book alone.
On ternoon of te excuse and didnt go out to taying beel, I for an afternoon skiing, ted like a g to, and trange, dank smell mixed in . It racking snoo tel on ttom of ts and tting by t sloed off. I stared vacantly out to tarted a conversation. Im normally a very s at all in t of talking to total strangers. But at t time, I really ed to talk to tter nig el, and I t t if I let it slip aalk to an Ice Man.
Dont you ski? I asked trying to sound as casual as possible. my face . ly s ski. Im fine just reading a book and ctle V screen. I could literally see ly brus t ed on his fingers.
I didnt knoo say after t. I just stood to smile a little. But I really sure. Did just a feeling? ont you sit dos tle conversation. Youre curious about me, rig to knole. Its OK. to . You catcalking to me.
to talk to tting side-by-side on tcion proceeded ingly. I ordered some cocoa and drank it. t as bad a conversationalist as me. In addition, really o talk about. At first, alked about tel really, I responded. My girlfriends invited me to go skiing Im not very good at it. I really ed to kno of ice or not; type of t t seem to to talk about dare to broac eit doesnt like to talk about stuff like t, I t.
Instead, alked about me as a believe it, but, for me: ttended, t all from beginning to end. me t I ten about them.
I dont understand, I said, blus me? I asked. Can you read peoples minds?
No, it is not possible for me to read peoples minds. But I kno kno like seeing somet you, I could see all kinds of t you clearly.
Can you see my future? I asked.
I cant see ture, t interested in ture at all. to speak more precisely, I of ture. Ice ure. It just captures t. It captures everyt as it otally fresotally clearly. Just as it is. ts ts true quality.
Good, I said. I laugtle. Im relieved to . I dont to kno my future.
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After o tokyo, togetly. Eventually, on dates nearly every go out to movies togeto coffee s even o parks toget on a bencalk about stuff. e really talked about a lot of different stuff. But as al say anyt ? I asked alk about yourself? I to kno you--s o be an Ice Man. t my face for a moment. t knoe breato t . I kno. I preserve all t. But I myself dont . I dont knos if I sa even kno even know even know w.
ted as an iceberg in t.
And gradually I came to love t and no future, t. And I loved just t Ice Man, a past and a future. to me. e even began to speak of marriage. I turned ty years old. And t person to inspire suc imagine t in t meant to love t if, ically, t been my partner, but someone else instead, I her, I guess.
My moter rongly opposed to me marrying too young to get married, t even kno to you marrying suc s? t really understand it, but marriage is a big responsibility. Do you really t youre capable of ty of marrying this Ice Man?
But t like tually made out of ice. cool like ice. melt if s too c from ice. And t robs ot.
So married. No one celebrated our my friends, or my parents, or my sisters: no one . e didnt er, even apply for a marriage license. e just jointly decided t toget ent of our meager ed a little apartment, and t a job at a meat storeo cover our expenses. , and no matter tired. even stop muco eat. Naturally, t bot, ogether.
of t, still iceberg t existed in some far off place. I t t t iceberg iceberg in t it of t ice to t first, ted, but after a o it. I even came to love it. As alalk about all. Not even ill iceberg. tirety of past events of tored pristinely, just as it ice.
In our married life, t really any problems t could properly be called problems. e loved eac. e unfamiliar ence of Ice Men, as time passed, little by little to talk to to say. But in ts ted ed t I o type of ter ime passed, t chasm could never be filled.
to of mixing ic. In any event, since ime. Id take care of t after t to do. I didnt o talk to, or to go someers, still mad t I speaking to me. t even anyone to call on telep toreayed at ening to music. I generally prefer staying at o going out any trial. But in spite of till young, and tition any variation began to get me do t got to me. t bear ition. In t of t endless repetition, I felt kind of like my own shadow.
So one day, I made a proposal to my rip togetrip? me. ake a trip? Arent you h me?
Its not t, I said. Im perfectly s just t Im bored. I to go someo breatand? And any on a y of money in taking a fe trip somewhere would be nice.
tallized. -covered fingers toget to go on a trip so badly, Im not particularly opposed to it. I dont ts suco take a trip, but if it , go o go. taking a vacation s t o go?
tured. I c terested in a cold place. And besides, Ive aled to go to time. I ed to see ts, and penguins. I imagined myself tac up by the aurora borealis.
raigo my eyes. blink even once. pierced to t silently for a moment, and finally said Its fine, s to do, o ts to do?
I agreed.
In about take a long vacation. e can probably make all tions before t be a problem.
I couldnt respond rig me icicle gaze, it he inside of my head.
ime, I came to regret t I up to t kno someter t accumulated on ubborn and reticent. Noing anyt all. All of terribly uneasy. Five days before o depart, I boldly made a proposal to my s call off trip, I said. Ive t about it a little, and its so cold, it will probably be bad for me.
It just seems like it ter idea to go some Europe is really nice; o Spain instead? e could drink paella, and cs. But my respond. For a little ared at some place far a my face. o my eyes. t look, I felt as if my body, just as it o not to go to Spain, my s not fair to you, but Spain is too and dusty for me. And too spicy. Anyickets for t a fur coat for you, and a pair of fur-lined boots. e cant afford to e all t. At t, we o go.
t scared me. I , if to t o recover. I errible nig ime. In taking a rapped inside t ice, I could see t I couldnt move even a single finger. It erribly strange feeling. I understood as moment by moment t co t. I ure. t kept piling up irreversibly. And everyone kept staring at me. t t. I passing scenes.
And t to me. breat all. Just like I loved tart to cry. My tears a dream, . t from ture. t you imprisoned tand?
Yea I convinced.
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Eventually, my a good enougo cancel it. t and teo totally silent. I really ed to look at tside t t see anyter a silently read a book all t ement or sense of anticipation t usually accompanies going on a trip. I going t of pre-determined motions.
stepped off to tremble violently. It ime t it takes to blink, so no one noticed; and my so muc an eyelas I couldnt miss it. Sometly, alt. opped t tared at ook a deep breathe land of your dreams, he said. Yeah, I said.
t of my premonitions. Almost no one lived t one little featureless too one little featureless el. ts to see. t even any penguins. You cant see ts. Occasionally, I抎 set about trying to ask people o see penguins, but t sly. t comprery to draure of a penguin on a piece of paper. But of course, t sly. I ook one step outside of to ice. t any trees; t any flo, t ice. Frozen eland stretc as far as tion.
And yet my e breat groiation. tive speec land quickly returned to ions o rang as alked toget a time, understand at all alking about so earnestly. My ely delirious in t place. t entranced first, tated me. I felt as t be neglected and betrayed by my husband.
Eventually, t all of my strengt of t desert o be upset. It o realize, t I of t of t color-starved eternal er. After my senses all gone, I understood only t my former t o Ice Man t I met at t t anyone t it. All of t understand my speece breat greold ted tes, and sang taring blankly at ted mystery of Soutering it.
t trip. After t us ly took off again, t been even one single arrival. tually become buried in a t like my .
inter s a very long er. No planes he spring, he said.
After I . I knele Ice Man. My uterus ic fluid kne le fingers. And I just kne ce mass of ternal past. No matter ried, we would never s off.
No not of my former self. My natural imes I forget t I ever even . And yet someill cry. I am truly alone. I am in a colder, lonelier place turn my tears to ice. takes tears in s tongue. I love you, s not a lie. I understand t tirs and bloo t. I cry. Icy tears stream doh Pole.