Kuromoji-ya Cafe⑤

After all, my hands tend to stop while listening to a talk. I can't stop the ice cream melting on the plate. I turn to the ice cream to concentrate on eating it once. When I finish the ice cream, I'm surprised to see Warabi mochi (rice cakes) coming out from underneath. I was a bit nervous about the appearance because I thought it is almost the end and I am full actually, but I decided to eat it slowly while listening to the madams' story. The topics of conversation amongst the madams were unusual, after all.

Mrs. Adidas.
"You've been busy lately, haven't you?"

Mrs. Halmeku.
"No, not really. I just play table tennis once a week."

Here comes the standard way of starting conversation, "How are you these days?" ! This storytelling is usually asked at the beginning of a meeting, isn't it? They've already talked a lot. I hadn't heard it yet. It's funny.

Mrs. Adidas.
"Table tennis? Why?"

Mrs. Halmeku.
"It's something I've been doing with the Fukuoka City Women's Association, which I've been a member of for a long time."

Mrs. Adidas.
"Oh, really? I didn't know there was such a thing."

Mrs. Halmeku.
"I've been a member since I got married, so I've been a member for about 20 years now. It's a group of housewives who get together for activities. It's an association that at its peak had about 1,000 members, and it's been featured in sociological journals, so it's rather well-known. We decide on our own positions and do all the accounting and that sort of thing. Nowadays, most of them (women) work, too. So we don't have as many members anymore."

Mrs. Adidas.
"Oh, there are fewer. Are there any young people?"

I'm curious to know what it's like to be taken up in a sociological way. I'd like to know more about it. If Mrs. Adidas is going to ask this point more detail…oh alright she doesn't.

Mrs. Halmeku.
"No, they aren't. The youngest would be in her 60s."

The youngest would be in her 60s!

Mrs. Adidas.
"Oh, really? Where do you play table tennis?"

Here comes the turn of Mrs. Adidas to pose the question. Until now, Mrs. Halmeku has seemed to take the lead, but on this topic she's very active.

Mrs. Halmeku.
"At the community centre. If we can get a reservation, we can use the gym. It's not easy when it's fully booked. And even if we get a reservation, we can only put out about four tables at pandemic, whereas we used to put out eight and more."

Mrs. Adidas.
"I've seen the kind of people from the outside before. I've seen people in their 60s and 70s wearing short trousers with their thighs showing, and I felt uncomfortable."

Mrs. Halmeku.
"Oh, really?' (I, the authour, had the same reaction.) That's how I do it too, you know. It's the same with my uniform. I wear something like a sweatshirt for practice though."

Mrs. Adidas.
"Oh, I know the uniforms are like that. That's why I think it can't be helped for games and stuff. I don't know why they do that at practice. Why do they show their thighs? It doesn't feel right."

Mrs. Halmeku.
"You feel uncomfortable... I see... So that's how you feel."

I don't understand that feeling of discomfort either. What does it mean?

Mrs. Halmeku.
"You're the one who seems busy, by the way."

Oh my goodness! Mrs Halmeku, you don't pursue that! I'm wondering what's so uncomfortable about it, and what it is that's so uncomfortable about it in the first place! Don't stop it!

Mrs. Adidas.
"I've been busy. But I'm finally getting into a more age-appropriate schedule. Aikido classes, stop that one too. Yes, I used to go there for about 10 years, but I stopped. So now I try aerobics and yoga. Before, I was busy, like, today I have this, today I have that. And then I do a class where I teach simple exercises."

What is an age-appropriate schedule?

Mrs. Halmeku.
"Oh, you're a teacher!"

Mrs. Adidas.
"Yes, I am. Any time you want!"

Mrs. Halmeku.
"That's great. You do so much, it's amazing."

Mrs. Adidas.
"You're doing it too."

Mrs. Halmeku.
"I do, just table tennis. That's enough for me. It's fun."

Oh, there is always a turn to praise or lift each other up. I feel like there's a turn for every topic. When the other person is like, "I like that!" I feel like the conversation is over, like we've landed on the right foot. Maybe it's good to be able to empathise with them.

After a short pause, Mrs. Halmeku said, "It's about 15:30 already", and Mrs. Adidas said, "Oh, we have to leave now", and they both packed up and left the table. When it was time to pay the bill, they said, "This place is nice. It's got a nice atmosphere." to the waitress, "It's nice to come here alone." "Yes, it is. Let's come back. I'll have to come back." Then they left the café saying to each other. Chatting should be fun. It was an interesting moment when I learnt that.

When I heard that it was 15:30, I looked at the clock; it was already past 15:30. I had been there for almost two hours. I looked at the seats where the madams had gone and felt the urge to jot this down, so I quickly jot down as much as I could remember in the notes on my mobile phone. When I was almost finished, I checked my watch and it was almost 16:20. The male customer seemed to have finished his green tea parfait and was also smoking a cigarette and reading a book. I said thanks for the food, paid the bill and left the place, this time without the smell of cigarettes.

<Fin>

*Not everything is true, and parts of the story are complimented with the appropriate words and expression by the author afterwards.