Read Online Revenge by Yōko Ogawa - Free Book Online Page B

front.”
    “Yes, that might help.” She continued to test the fit—loosening the strap, rolling her shoulders, and finally striking a pose as though a microphone were in her hand.
    *   *   *
    “What’s that?” she said, pointing at a little bag sitting on the shelf above the sink.
    “It’s for the hamster,” I said as I refilled her teacup.
    “The hamster?”
    We had removed her heart from the bag and she was buttoning up her blouse.
    “I put him in it when I take him out for a walk. He seems to enjoy it.”
    “Did you make his bag, too?”
    “Of course.”
    She stared curiously at the pouch: a simple thing compared with hers, with nothing more than a few air holes in the side.
    “I never knew there were so many different kinds of bags,” she said.
    I took a sip of tea and looked out at the bright sunlight.
    *   *   *
    The bag was almost finished. The leather was a soft cream color, the cutting and stitching were precise down to the millimeter. I had hung a sign on the door announcing that the shop would be closed until further notice and had spent long hours at my worktable. A regular customer had even called to ask me to repair her makeup case, but I turned her away.
    The beauty of the heart oppressed me, but my hands were steady as I worked. I had managed to make a thing that no one else could have made.
    *   *   *
    The hamster died. It might have been the heat wave, or maybe I neglected him because I was so absorbed in my work. I fed him and cleaned his cage every other day—for three years and eight months—but he died anyway.
    He lay still in my hand, teeth sticking out from his half-opened mouth. His body was still soft, but he already felt cold to the touch. I had no idea what to do with him, so I put him in his pouch, left my apartment, and wandered the streets of the town. I walked along the banks of the river, through the park, and around the reservoir, but I couldn’t find a place to get rid of him. From time to time I stopped to unzip the pouch and check on him, but he was definitely dead.
    When I got tired of walking, I stopped in at a hamburger place. I didn’t really want a hamburger, but it was too much trouble to find a real restaurant.
    I could barely eat half the food on my plate, and the coffee was almost undrinkable. When I went to throw away the trash, I slipped the hamster out of the pouch, on the tray next to my food, and slid him in the bin. I don’t think anyone noticed.
    He must be covered in ketchup by now.
    *   *   *
    “What do you mean?” I asked her.
    “Just what I said. I won’t be needing the bag.” She took a cigarette from her purse and lit it.
    “But it will be done in a day or two…”
    “I know it seems absurd to cancel the order at this point, and you have every right to be angry. But it all happened so suddenly—I can hardly believe it myself.” She let out a puff of smoke, and I watched it float toward the ceiling. “I’ve known for some time that it might be possible to put my heart back in place, but the operation always seemed too risky. Then I found a marvelous surgeon who told me he could do it using a new technique.” She went on like this a while longer, but I wasn’t listening.
    “I’ll be going into the hospital next week, and I’ll be rid of this depressing thing forever.” She glanced down at her side with a look that was almost scornful.
    “But it’s a wonderful bag. Here, see for yourself. I’ve moved the hole for the artery and switched to smaller hooks. I’m sure you’ll like it.” I held it out for her to see. “I just want to reinforce the stitching here and adjust the strap and it will be done.”
    “I’ll pay you for it, of course. But I won’t be needing it now. I won’t have anything to put in it.”
    “But see how exquisite it is. You won’t find a bag like this anywhere else. The insulation, the breathability, the quality of the materials, the workmanship…”
    “I said I won’t be