09.01.2013 Views

murakami, haruki - Norwegian wood

murakami, haruki - Norwegian wood

murakami, haruki - Norwegian wood

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Tokyo to live with me, the way I suggested before?"<br />

"Oh, Toru, thank you. I'm so happy that you would ask me to do<br />

something like that!"<br />

"It's not that I think there's anything wrong with this place," I said.<br />

"It's quiet, the surroundings are perfect, and Reiko is a wonderful<br />

person. But it's not a place to stay for a long time. It's too specialized<br />

for a long stay. The longer you're here, I'm sure, the harder it is to<br />

leave."<br />

Instead of answering, Naoko turned her gaze to the outside. Beyond<br />

the window, there was nothing to see but snow. Snow clouds hung<br />

low and heavy in the sky, with only the smallest gap between them<br />

and the snow-covered earth.<br />

"Take your time, think it over," I said. "Whatever happens, I'm going<br />

to move by the end of March. Any time you decide you want to join<br />

me, you can come."<br />

Naoko nodded. I wrapped my arms around her as carefully as if I had<br />

been holding a work of art delicately fashioned from glass. She put<br />

her arms around my neck. I was naked, and she wore only the<br />

skimpiest white underwear. Her body was so beautiful, I could have<br />

enjoyed looking at it all day.<br />

"Why don't I get wet?" Naoko murmured. "That one time was the only<br />

time it ever happened. The day of my twentieth birthday, that April.<br />

The night you held me in your arms. What is wrong with me?"<br />

"It's strictly psychological, I'm sure," I said. "Give it time. There's no<br />

hurry."<br />

"All of my problems are strictly psychological," said Naoko. "What if<br />

I never get better? What if I can never have sex for the rest of my life?<br />

Can you keep loving me just the same? Will hands and lips always be<br />

enough for you? Or will you solve the sex problem by sleeping with<br />

other girls?"<br />

"I'm a born optimist," I said.<br />

Naoko sat up in bed and slipped on a T-shirt. She put a flannel shirt<br />

285

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!