“Hey! Kazuko! Hurry up!”
“But I’m tired!”
“Man up! Come on!”
“I don’t want to walk anymore!”
“Well, it can’t be helped! You have to!”
In protest, her face in a pout, Kazuko stops at a large stone next to the forest path. Without brushing it off, she flops on her belly, arms outstretched, hugging the rock.
“Hey! Kazuko!”
“I’m taking a nap!”
“Are you foolish?! You can’t take a nap out here!”
“I’m not walking anymore!”
“Yes you will!”
“No I won’t!”
“Well, if you don’t, then I’ll go ahead without you!”
“No you won’t!”
“Yes I will!”
“You will get in trouble with mom if you leave me!”
“… I don’t care! Bye!” Turning on his heels, he marched on.
“Fine then! I can find my way back myself!”
“No you can’t!”
As he got further and further away, he stomped louder and louder, slowing down a short distance away.
“I will do it!” he threatened.
“I don’t care!”
After several more steps, he stopped.
“I’m going now!”
Kazuko doesn’t respond, laying with her eyes shut.
“I’m warning you! You’ll get eaten by a bear!”
“Let them try!” she mumbled.
“You will lose!”
“No I won’t!”
Staring at his sister, lying there, paying absolutely no attention to her surroundings, the boy finally walks back to her. He grabs her by the arm.
“Hey!”
“You fool! You’ll absolutely lose if you sleep like that!”
He pulls her off the rock and turns his back. Grabbing the other arm, he hoists her onto his back. Offering no resistance, she only retaliates with words.
“No I won’t!”
“They’ll drag you by the leg and gobble you up before you know it!”
Slumping forward, he lowered his hands to grab her legs after he made sure her arms were around his neck.
“Then I will kick it!”
“Fool. What would your kick do to a bear?”
“I show you!” she said as she started kicking the air in front of him, almost falling back. She had to grip around his neck even closer.
“Hey! Stop it! Do you want me to drop you?!”
“Then I’ll tell mom!”
“Look, who’s doing all the work here?” he scowled through gritted teeth.
Her kicks weakened, eventually swinging to a stop as she began to fall asleep on his shoulder. Up ahead, there was a bridge that gave passage to the east side of the stream. The boy looked up as he noticed something unusual. A man, sitting on the ledge of the stone bridge, hunched forward, staring out towards the horizon. He looked old, with white hair. He paid them no attention as the boy stepped onto the bridge, even as he stopped behind him.
“Hey, old man. What are you doing?”
“… Me?”
“Yes, you. Who el—?”
“I am watching the sunset.”
The boy looked over to the horizon. He could barely see over the stone rails. Still, he could see the sun half way up the sky.
“But, the sun hasn’t set yet.”
“It will.”
“But… it’s not even close, old man.”
“It will eventually set.”
The boy believed he was lying at this point. He got closer to the ledge to peek over, standing on his toes, to see what he was truly looking at. The man finally turned his head a little.
“I wouldn’t climb up here. Not with your sister on your back.”
“Why not?”
“She must make the choice on her own. No one else can make the choice for her.”
“Heh?”
“Although, neither of you are old enough to make that choice yet.”
He grew upset at the man’s cryptic nonsense. “Look, old man. What are you saying? I am a very responsible older brother!”
The old man chuckled, his eyes twinkling as he watched the sleeping sister on the boy’s back. “I’m sure you are.”
“I am!”
They were silent for a while as the boy peeked over the ledge again, confused when he found nothing interesting.
“You’re not from around here, are you, boy?”
“No, I am. Say, there’s nothing interesting here!”
“What’s your name, boy?”
“Ichiro.”
“That’s a fine name. I haven’t seen your face before.”
“I haven’t seen you either.”
“You have never stopped by here before?”
“Eh, no, I don’t think so.”
“That is why you never see me, then.”
“Say, old man, why are you looking out at nothing?”
“I am not looking at nothing.”
“What is it you see?”
“What is it, huh?” the old man said to himself as he turned back to the horizon. He was silent again. The boy grew impatient.
“Well? What is it?”
“When I see this landscape, I see death.”
“Heh?”
The old man didn’t elaborate. The boy peeked over once again.
“Death? How could you see that with this beautiful landscape?”
“Let me ask you this, then. What do you remember about the war?”
“What war?”
The old man paused. “Mm. Your parents sheltered you well, then.”
“The ancient wars?”
“No.”
“Are you that old, old man?”
“No, fortunately not. I was not around during those, ‘ancient wars,’” he chuckled.
“Then what war?”
The old man was silent.
“What war?”
He finally shook his head. “That is not for me to say. I leave that to your parents.”
“Eh? Why?”
Silence once more.
“Tell me,” said the boy, almost threatening.
The old man sighed. “Young man, cherish your innocence while you have it.”
“My what?”
“Innocence,” he repeated.
“What’s that?”
The old man paused. “Your youth.”
“My youth? Why?”
He was silent.
“I’m not even close to being as old as you, old man.”
“Even still, cherish every day like it’s your last.”
“Why?”
The old man turned his head to face the boy once more.
“How are you certain there is a tomorrow?”
“What do you mean? Of course there’s a tomorrow.”
“Unfortunately, for many people, that’s not the case.”
“No one can stop the sun from setting.”
The old man stared at the two children in silence. The boy stared back, confused why he was saying nothing.
“Young man, a bit of parting advice you should remember when you get to my age.”
“Eh? What is it?”
“Don’t take life for granted.”
“Is that all?”
The old man nodded.
“Well, then I’m going home. You’re annoying me.”
“Farewell. Take good care of your sister.”
The boy crossed the bridge and got to the other side without looking back. Feeling Kazuko slip down his shoulders, he bounced a bit, lifting her back up his shoulders. The girl didn’t wake up. Hearing her snooze so peacefully, the boy began making plans for tomorrow already. Certain he would return to see if the old man was still here.