tival

    by MURAKAMI haruki

    translated by Kiki

    I am smoking a cigarette after a simple lunco my apartment. I  my front door t really anyt  is just an ordinary sea lion. I mean  . Actually  Chinese.

    ”Good afternoon. Nice to meet you,” says trust t I’m not disturbing you. Is time?”

    “It’s ok, I’m not really t busy,” I say, a bit flustered.

    Sea lions are relatively ening about t doesn’t matter  door, t look any different.

    t realization is almost more disturbing.

    “If you could just give me ten minutes, I’d be really grateful.” Out of  I glance at my c t is unnecessary. I ime.

    “But it mig even take t long,” tically reading my ts. it even t it I lead o my apartment. I even offer ea.

    “You s  need to go to sucrouble.” ea in one gulp. takes a cigarette from  pocket and lig er. “It’s still really , isn’t it?”

    “t’s for sure.”

    “But at least t so bad.

    “Yea it is September after all.”

    “ournament is already finiss  clinc.Noto get , is tically finished.”

    “I guess you’re right.”

    t and looks around my apartment. “Forgive me for prying, but do you live here alone?”

    “No, I live  srip at t.”

    “Really? taking separate vacations sounds like fun.” tly cynical laugh.

    It ely my fault, and I take full responsibility. I don’t care s at some bar in So tting on t stool. I t.  else can I say but since I am a tful person, I offered it to  ’s ook it.

    Misunderstandings cause problems. It isn’t t I dislike sea lions. t anyt I e about t t I’d be torn if suddenly one day my sister announces t ss to marry a sea lion. Assuming t vigorously protest suc happen.

    o a sea lion is a completely different kettle of fis ocean. A is tablisy on sucructure. Maybe it contains a  t’s ’s t collect beads.

    “A fee of mine received your business card, I believe.”

    “Really?” I pretend to  alking about. “I ty drunk so I don’t really remember t well.”

    “But my friend ed.”

    I drink my tea, politely feigning interest.

    “I apologize again for dropping in unannounced, but I ed to take tunity to visit you. And since I his card. . . .”

    “You  something from me?”

    “It’s just a little t need some symbolic assistance, teacly teacher.”

    “Symbolic assistance?”

    “Oo akes out a business card, and  to me. “tters.”

    “Sea Lion Festival Executive Committee Che card.

    “I trust t you ion.”

    “ell, I can’t really say t I  it.”

    “For us sea lions, our festival is an extremely important event. It’s full of symbolic import. But t is also beneficial for t of the world”.

    “hmm.”

    “At t our existence is pretty marginal. But, at time …” Suddenly s amps te out in tray. “tors. e sea lions are sy for tual factor.”

    “O really, I’m just not interested in t kind of talk….”

    “e are aiming for a renaissance of sea lions. For to occur t be a corresponding renaissance all over t our festival o you  today our message to tally cival. e  our festival can serve as a springboard to ac is our message for the world.”

    “I guess I follow w you are saying.”

    “Up to noivals. Of course tiful and exciting spectacles. But  life is preparation for tival because festivals rue nature of our sea lion identity. Festivals confirm our identity: our sea lion-ness, if you ed in sucinuous action. Self-discovery is tion of tion.”

    “Confirmation of t?”

    “the grand deja vu.”

    I keep nodding my  . t’s just alk. t is on t stand back and let t it out of tem. By time t is past 2:30 and I am dead tired.

    “t’s all I ea.” Do you basically understand ?”

    “You are looking for a .”

    “No, no, ual assistance,” ts.

    I reaco my billfold and remove t of  muc tomorroion is also due.”

    “ttle bit ’s t t counts,” th his hand.

    t entitled “t” and a sticker on ion for ticker is a problem until I remember an illegally parked red Selica in t firmly in t looks like one of tickers so  rouble removing it.