The stairs led to a simple parlour with a sofa...
The stairs led to a simple parlour with a sofa and easy chairs
It was a small room with dim light coming in the window, reminiscent
of old Polish filmsThere was a kind of storage area on the left and
what looked like the door to a bathroomI had to climb the steep
stairway with care to reach the second floor, but once I got there, it
was so much brighter than the first that I felt greatly relieved
"Over here," called Midori's voiceTo the right at the top of the stairs
was what looked like a dining room, and beyond that a kitchenThe
house itself was old, but the kitchen seemed to have been refitted
recently with new cabinets and a bright, shiny sink and tapsMidori
was preparing foodA pot was bubbling, and fendi spy zucca bag the air was filled with
the smell of grilled fish
"There's beer in the fridge," she said with a glance in my direction
"Have a seat while I finish this I took a can and sat at the kitchen
tableThe beer was so cold it might have been in the fridge for the
best part of a yearOn the table lay a small, white ashtray, a
newspaper, and a soy sauce dispenserThere was also a notepad and
pen, with a phone number and some figures on the pad that seemed to
be calculations connected with shopping
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"I should have this done in ten minutes," she said"Can you stand the
wait?"
"Of course I can," I said
"Get good and hungry, then
I sipped my beer and focused on Midori as she went on cooking, her
back to meShe worked cheap tiffany's jewelry with quick, nimble movements, handling no
fewer than four cooking procedures at onceOver here she tasted a
boiled dish, and the next second she was at the cutting board, rat-tattatting,
then she took something out of the fridge and piled it in a
bowl, and before I knew it she had washed a pot she had finished
usingFrom the back she looked like an Indian percussionist - ringing
a bell, tapping a block, striking a water-buffalo bone, each movement
precise and economical, with perfect balance
"Let me know if there's something I can do," I said, just in case
"That's OK," said Midori with a smile in my direction"I'm used to
doing everything alone She wore slim blue jeans and a navy T-shirt
An Apple Records logo omega 18k watch nearly covered the back of the shirtShe had
extremely narrow hips, as if she had somehow skipped puberty when
the hips grow fuller, and this gave her a far more androgynous look
than most girls have in slim jeansThe light pouring in from the
kitchen window gave her figure a kind of vague outline
"You really didn't have to put together such a feast," I said
"It's no feast," answered Midori without turning my way"I was too
busy to do any real shopping yesterdayI'm just throwing together a
few things I had in the fridgeBesides, it's
Kobayashi family tradition to treat guests wellI don't know what it is,
but we like to entertainIt's inborn; a kind of sicknessNot that we're
especially nice or people love us omega planet ocean watches or anything, but if somebody shows
up we have to treat them well no matter whatWe've all got the same
personality flaw, for better or worseTake my father, for exampleHe
hardly drinks, but the house is full of alcoholWhat for? To serve
guests! So don't hold back: drink all the beer you want
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"Thanks," I said
It suddenly dawned on me that I had left the daffodils downstairsI
had set them aside while unlacing my shoesI slipped back downstairs
and found the ten bright blossoms lying in the gloomMidori took a
tall, slim glass from the cupboard and arranged the flowers in it
"I love daffodils," said Midori"I once sang "Seven Daffodils' in the
school talent contestDo you know it?" "Of course
"We had a folk chanel wallet purse g