murakami, haruki - Norwegian wood

egin living together then. You could go back to university, too, if it
worked out well. If there's a problem with us actually living together, I
could find a flat for you in the neighbourhood. The most important
thing is for us to be always near each other. It doesn't have to be
spring, of course. If you think summer is better, that's fine by me, too.
Just let me know what you're thinking, OK?
I'm planning to put some extra time in at work for a while. To cover
my moving expenses. I'm going to need a fair amount of money for
one thing or another once I start living alone: pots and pans, dishes,
stuff like that. I'll be free in March, though, and I definitely want to
come to see you. What dates work best for you? I'll plan a trip to
Kyoto then. I look forward to seeing you and hearing your answer.
I spent the next few days buying the things I needed in the nearby
Kichijoji shopping district and started cooking simple meals for
myself at home. I bought some planks at a local timber yard and had
them cut to size so I could make a desk for myself. I thought I could
study on it and, for the time being, eat my meals there, too. I made
some shelves and got in a good selection of spices. A white cat maybe
six months old decided she liked me and started eating at my place. I
called her Seagull.
Once I had my place sorted out to some extent, I went into town and
found a temporary job as a painter's assistant. I filled two solid weeks
that way. The pay was good, but the work was murder, and the fumes
made my head spin. Every day after work I'd eat at a cheap restaurant,
wash it down with beer, go home and play with the cat, then sleep like
a dead man. No answer came from Naoko during that time.
I was in the thick of painting when Midori popped into my mind. I
hadn't been in touch with her for nearly three weeks,
I realized, and hadn't even told her I had moved. I had mentioned to
her that I was thinking of moving, and she had said, "Oh, really?" and
that was the last time we had talked.
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