3. Home
by Kenji Miyazawa
Giovanni returned briskly to a small house in a back alley. To the far left of the three entrances was an empty box planted with purple kale and asparagus, and the two small windows were covered with awnings.
"Mom, I'm home! I wasn't feeling bad," Giovanni said as he took off his shoes.
"Giovanni, your work must have been hard. I've been feeling much better today because it's cool," his mother replied gently.
As Giovanni stepped into the entrance, he immediately saw his mother lying in bed, covered with a white cloth. He opened the window.
"Mom, I bought some sugar cubes today. I'm thinking of putting them in your milk."
"Oh? But I'm not hungry yet, so you go ahead and eat first."
"Mom, when did my sister come home?"
"Oh, she came back around three o'clock. Everyone is helping out."
"Has your milk not arrived yet, Mom?"
"It might not have come."
"Then I'll go get it."
"It's fine, I'm okay taking my time, so you eat first. Your sister made something with tomatoes and left it there."
"In that case, I'll eat it."
Giovanni took the plate of tomatoes from the window and began to munch on them with some bread.
"Hey, Mom. I think Dad will be home soon."
"I think so too, but why do you think that?"
"Because this morning's newspaper said that the fishing in the north was very good this year."
"But, your father might not be out fishing."
"He must be. Dad wouldn't do anything so bad. The large crab shell and reindeer antlers that Dad brought and donated to the school the other day are still in the specimen room. The sixth graders even have the teachers take them to their classrooms in turns during class."
“Your father said he’d bring you a sea otter jacket next, didn’t he?”
“Everyone says that when they see me. As if to tease me.”
“Do they say bad things to you?”
“Yes, but Campanella never says such things. Campanella looks sorry when everyone says those things.”
“Campanella’s father and our father were friends since they were little, apparently.”
“That’s why Father took me to Campanella’s house too. Those were good times. On the way home from school, I often stopped by Campanella’s house. Campanella’s house had a train that ran on an alcohol lamp. When seven rails were combined, it became a circle, and there were utility poles and signal posts, and the signal post lights would only turn blue when the train passed. One time, when the alcohol ran out, we used kerosene, and the can got all sooty.”
“Is that so?”
“I still go to deliver newspapers every morning. But the house is always quiet.”
“Because it’s early.”
“There’s a dog named Sauer. Its tail is just like a broom. When I go, it snorts and follows me. Sometimes it follows me all the way to the corner of town. Tonight, everyone is going to float snake gourd lanterns down the river, they say. The dog will surely follow too.”
“That’s right. Tonight is the Festival of the Galaxy.”
“Yeah, I’ll go see it while I pick up the milk.”
“Ah, go ahead. But don’t go into the river.”
“It’s okay, I’ll just watch from the bank. I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Go play more. I won’t worry if you’re with Campanella.”
“Yeah, I’m sure we’ll be together. Mother, shall I close the window?”
“Yes, it’s gotten cool now.”
Giovanni stood up, closed the window, put away the dishes and the bread bag, and then vigorously put on his shoes.
"Well, I'll be back in an hour and a half," he said, and then walked out the dark doorway.