3. Home
Giovanni came back with alacrity. It was a small house in a back town.
To the far left of its three entrances, purple kale and asparagus were planted in boxes.
Two small windows were left covered by the sunshades.
"Mother, I'm home. Are you OK?"
Giovanni said as he took off his shoes.
"Oh, Giovanni, you've had a rough day at work. It's cooler today. I'm feeling much better."
Giovanni went up, and in the room near the entrance, his mother were resting with a white cloth on her head.
Giovanni opened the window.
"Mother, I bought sugar cubes for you today. I thought I'd put them in your milk."
"Oh, you go ahead. I don't want yet."
"Mother, when did big sister go home?"
"Yeah, she went home around three o'clock. She did a lot for me."
"I wonder if milk for Mother is still not coming."
"I also wonder, still not coming."
"I'll go to get it."
"Oh, I'll eat later, you go ahead. Big sister made something out of tomatoes and left it there."
"So, I'll eat."
Giovanni took a plate of tomatoes near the window and munched on them for a while, along with some bread.
"Hey, Mother. I think Father will be home soon."
"Yeah, I'm sure he will. But why do you think so?"
"Because I read in the newspaper this morning that the fishing in the north was very good this year."
"Yes, but, maybe he was not going out fishing."
"He maybe went out fishing. I'm sure he didn't do anything so bad that he would go to jail.
The big crab shell and reindeer horn that Father brought to school the other day are all still in the collection room.
For the sixth grade classes, the teachers take them to the classroom one by one during class.
On a school trip the year before last [a few spaces]"
"Father said he'd bring you a sea otter's jacket next time."
"People say that when they see me. They say it to tease me."
"Do they say bad things to you?"
"Yes, but Campanella would never say anything bad. Campanella feels sorry when people say that."
"Just like you and him, from childhood, he has been Father's friend."
"Yes, that's why Father took me to Campanella's house. That was a good time.
When I was on my way home from school, I would often stop by Campanella's house.
There is a train that ran by alcohol ramp at Campanella's house.
It had seven rails that formed a circle with poles and signals attached to it.
The light on the signals turned blue only when the train passed by.
One day, when we ran out of alcohol, we used oil, and its furnace was completely sooty."
"Was that so?"
"I still go there to bring the newspaper every morning. But it's always quiet in the house."
"You're early."
"There's a dog named Sauer, whose tail is like a broom. He sniffs after me when I go there.
It follows me all the way to the corner of town. Sometimes it follows me farther.
I heard that tonight they are all going to float the lights made of Japanese snake gourd down to the river. I'm sure the dog will follow them."
"I remember. Tonight is the festival of galaxy, isn't it?"
"Yes. I'm going to pick up milk and then to watch it."
"Yeah, go ahead. But don't go in the river."
"Yeah, I'm just going to watch from the shore. I'll be back in an hour."
"Go and have some more fun. If you're with Campanella, there is no worry."
"Yes, I'll be with him. Mother, Shall I close the window?"
"Yes, please. It's cooler."
Giovanni stood up, closed the window, put away the plates and bags of bread, and put on his shoes with vigor.
"I'll be back in an hour and a half."
He said and walked out of the dark doorway.
- To return to table of contents of Night on the Galactic Railroad
To the far left of its three entrances, purple kale and asparagus were planted in boxes.
Two small windows were left covered by the sunshades.
"Mother, I'm home. Are you OK?"
Giovanni said as he took off his shoes.
"Oh, Giovanni, you've had a rough day at work. It's cooler today. I'm feeling much better."
Giovanni went up, and in the room near the entrance, his mother were resting with a white cloth on her head.
Giovanni opened the window.
"Mother, I bought sugar cubes for you today. I thought I'd put them in your milk."
"Oh, you go ahead. I don't want yet."
"Mother, when did big sister go home?"
"Yeah, she went home around three o'clock. She did a lot for me."
"I wonder if milk for Mother is still not coming."
"I also wonder, still not coming."
"I'll go to get it."
"Oh, I'll eat later, you go ahead. Big sister made something out of tomatoes and left it there."
"So, I'll eat."
Giovanni took a plate of tomatoes near the window and munched on them for a while, along with some bread.
"Hey, Mother. I think Father will be home soon."
"Yeah, I'm sure he will. But why do you think so?"
"Because I read in the newspaper this morning that the fishing in the north was very good this year."
"Yes, but, maybe he was not going out fishing."
"He maybe went out fishing. I'm sure he didn't do anything so bad that he would go to jail.
The big crab shell and reindeer horn that Father brought to school the other day are all still in the collection room.
For the sixth grade classes, the teachers take them to the classroom one by one during class.
On a school trip the year before last [a few spaces]"
"Father said he'd bring you a sea otter's jacket next time."
"People say that when they see me. They say it to tease me."
"Do they say bad things to you?"
"Yes, but Campanella would never say anything bad. Campanella feels sorry when people say that."
"Just like you and him, from childhood, he has been Father's friend."
"Yes, that's why Father took me to Campanella's house. That was a good time.
When I was on my way home from school, I would often stop by Campanella's house.
There is a train that ran by alcohol ramp at Campanella's house.
It had seven rails that formed a circle with poles and signals attached to it.
The light on the signals turned blue only when the train passed by.
One day, when we ran out of alcohol, we used oil, and its furnace was completely sooty."
"Was that so?"
"I still go there to bring the newspaper every morning. But it's always quiet in the house."
"You're early."
"There's a dog named Sauer, whose tail is like a broom. He sniffs after me when I go there.
It follows me all the way to the corner of town. Sometimes it follows me farther.
I heard that tonight they are all going to float the lights made of Japanese snake gourd down to the river. I'm sure the dog will follow them."
"I remember. Tonight is the festival of galaxy, isn't it?"
"Yes. I'm going to pick up milk and then to watch it."
"Yeah, go ahead. But don't go in the river."
"Yeah, I'm just going to watch from the shore. I'll be back in an hour."
"Go and have some more fun. If you're with Campanella, there is no worry."
"Yes, I'll be with him. Mother, Shall I close the window?"
"Yes, please. It's cooler."
Giovanni stood up, closed the window, put away the plates and bags of bread, and put on his shoes with vigor.
"I'll be back in an hour and a half."
He said and walked out of the dark doorway.
- To return to table of contents of Night on the Galactic Railroad