January 24, 1997 Walking Along the River
© 安岡喜晴 (JoyShine)
I woke up after noon.
I lay in bed for a while, and stared at the ceiling.
Just after two o'clock, I went outside.
Leaving the room near Horikawa Shimochojamachi, I started walking north along Horikawa Street.
The cold air touched my cheeks.
Bare trees lined the street.
I continued walking north along the road.
Partway through, I turned east and continued walking.
I emerged onto the road alongside the river.
I continued walking north along the road.
I was humming "Let It Be".
The melody just came out naturally.
I didn't think about the distance.
I hadn't decided on a destination.
I let my feet carry me forward.
Before I knew it, I had reached Kitayama Street.
I went into Volks and had lunch.
I ate steak.
Afterwards, I went outside again.
On the way back, I walked along the west bank of the river.
There was still snow along the riverbank.
As I walked, I hummed "Angie", "Ruby Tuesday".
My future. Every time I tried to think about it, a slight unease stirred deep within my chest.
I stopped and scooped up some cold snow into my hands.
I gently tossed it towards the birds on the opposite bank.
That action stayed with me, strangely.
At around six o'clock, I returned to my room.
Nothing special happened.
I walked, ate, hummed songs, touched the snow and walked again.