Blog #2 - Jan. 25th

It is raining/sleeting on and off all day. The temp. remains a constant 32 degrees. There is a power outage for 1 hr. at 8 PM. Around midnight, a dark gray mini-van drives slowly through the neighborhood from Mercy Bvld. to Katz Ave. and heads toward the overpass.





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Mr. Takuya

Mr. Takuya left today. There was no reason why Mr. Takuya decided to leave, he just felt like wandering. Down the road he wandered toward an unknown destination, pushing his three wheeled rickety cart. The red umbrella had faded and lost much of its color. Swaying in the wind, the umbrella that had once demanded attention was now an aging, worn out sight, just like its driver. Along with Mr. Takuya trailed Tanuki, the Japanese badger who had mysteriously ended up as Mr. Takuya's companion. Tanuki resembled both a raccoon and a fox; he had short stiff fur and the familiar white and black pattern around his face, and sturdy legs which helped him kept in stride with Mr. Takuya. Tanuki really hated walking, he wished Mr. Takuya wouldn't wander like this. But he continued to follow, he had to follow.

Mr. Takuya was quite used to getting these urges to wander. He never got very comfortable, there was no point in getting comfortable because sooner or later the urge to move would come back. Mr. Takuya had been all over, in hopes of recovering his memory. He had completely lost his memory leading up to the accident. The accident had rid him of his long term memory. His mother and father, where he was born, what his last name was, all these memories were lost during the accident. Every new memory he acquired would be filed into his brain, replacing the oldest existing memories. For Mr. Takuya, remembering people, events and places was similar to the red bean cakes he sold in his cart. The first batch would be put on and baked, warming up on the stove top for a while. However once they were finished baking and sold, they were gone forever. The new batch of dough was like a new memory. Some memories would stay longer than others, but eventually a new batch would take over.

Mr. Takuya and Tanuki had walked through many towns and small cities. Their feet clocking each mile, continually adding up the total mileage. Although they had no destination, Mr. Takuya would know when to stop. It happened every time he went somewhere. After a certain point, he would stop, absorb his surroundings and know he had reached the end. During this particular trek, Mr. Takuya began to get a little worried. He had been walking for hours without stopping and had yet to find his next stop. He could tell Tanuki was also getting tired, which would mean breaking for a snack rather soon. Mr. Takuya looked up into the sun and guessed it was about five o clock as the sun cast a fiery orange glow across the road. They were approaching an overpass through which Mr. Takuya could see a small and rundown city. A tall tower stood out between smaller shabby buildings; the entire atmosphere seemed dirtier on the other side of the overpass. This, Mr. Takuya announced to no one in particular, is where we will stop. Although Mr. Takuya could not read Tanuki's thoughts, he knew Tanuki agreed. The feeling they had been waiting for started to overwhelm them both, this rundown town was their destination. Stopping under the overpass, Mr. Takuya parked his cart and opened the beaten umbrella and unfolded a small chair. Together they each enjoyed a nourishing snack of red bean cakes and baked sweet potatoes, observing what they had stumbled upon from their perch on the outskirts of town.