Delivering Personalised Books (Part II)

Last Day in Japan

11:00 Call the paper shop
14:00 Hiroshi Yoshimura's Soundscape Exhibition at Kamakura
17:55 Fetch 283 sheets of A3 paper
18:20 Buy a pair of socks for baby (For 4th copy)
19:30 Mini Farewell Dinner 
22:00 Deliver 4th book 

On my last day, I ordered 282 sheets of A3 machine-made washi paper again. Usually, I can only get the paper the next morning, but I asked if I can get it end of day. Plan B - I can drop by the paper shop before heading to the airport tomorrow. Last time, the paper shop forgot my order, so I said, “Please don't forget my order! I'm flying tomorrow.”

Before the paper shop, while waiting for the traffic light. 

After I got the paper, I headed to Harajuku to buy Happy Socks for my friend's newborn baby. On the train, I texted my ex-ex-colleague, “I'm running out of battery. Can you put an iPhone cable outside the office?” Then, my phone died. 

On Omotesando, “Wuuuuu! These sasadango (traditional sweets from Niigata) were delicious. I'd love my friends to try them!” I went inside the shop.

When I arrived at the office, my friend came out with a cable, “Where's your phone?” 

“Um...It disappeared...”

“What? I thought you just texted me?”

“I think it's at the sasadango shop.”

We called exactly at 7 pm (closing time), and the call didn't go through. I sprinted through Omotesando to the sasadango shop, and my friend walked. I got there before they brought it to the police. Phew. 

After we united, I said “I want to go to Lawson.”

“You're still printing?!”

We tried five convenience stores, because the printer did not respond to my USB. 

At Dinner

“You're appear like a typhoon and disappear the same way.” Then, the Sri Lankan restaurant was filled with laughters.

I was still cutting something before the food was served...

After we said bye, when I headed to the next place, many layers of thoughts were floating in my head, and one of them was “sasa~”, ah!! I still haven't gave them the sasadango! 

“Oh? She's back. Ahaha!”

I had to deliver another copy.

Fourth Copy 10 pm

The leaf I picked up outside their house.
On top of their bed.
Dinasour socks for the new born baby.

“So, what do you guys want for the wedding present?”

“Your book”, said the husband. 

“Furniture for your new place?”, I asked. 

“your book, your book, your book, your book, your book, your book, your book, your book, your book.”

“…”

When I asked her “Your book! We will read it to Asha (new born baby)!”

“What?? Is that okay??”

“I wanna know what the fuck is going on in your brain”, said the husband. 

My two close friends, we used to danced in the rain and mud. I would understand if Pink Suitcase Lady would want my book, I was surprised that he was serious about the book too, who mostly cares about profit and money, why does he want to read my book?

How can I refuse them? I made a promise, so I delivered the book. 

The Day of Departure 

I arrived my place past midnight, I was still making the last two copies of the book until 3 am, and I slept on the sofa half my size. 

7:30 Fifth Copy 
8:30 Cancel my address at the city hall
9:00 Submit pension documents
12:00 Sixth Copy 
13:00 → 14:30 Head to the Airport
15:00 → 17:00 Mail the seventh copy from the airport
18:00 Flight

Fifth Copy 7:30 am

My another ex-ex-colleague, Long Email Lady, who is the same age of my sister.

I gave her my record player, that’s the cable she needs.
On the second hand bike she gave me 3 years ago.

At 7:30 am, I delivered the book to her new company. Somehow, the messages I sent her did not go through. I gazed at her serious working mode for 25 minutes. When she opened her drawer, now is the time! I jumped the highest and waved to the fullest I could, luckily she noticed my movements from the tip of her eyes, and finally turned around.

Then, we went for 20 minutes coffee. 

Still lecturing me... 🙄

Next, city hall, pension office, and packing. I was still drawing for the book...

Sixth Copy Noon

My dear landlord, the torch is for the dark narrow alley on your way home.

I bought sandwiches eat with my landlord and give him his copy before heading to the airport at noon. 

Still writing the letter on the fridge. I kept on making mistakes, so I had to rewrite more than five times.

At 1 pm, my landlord still didn't show up, and I had to leave soon. I rang his doorbell, called his house, and yelled his name. No answer. It's impossible for him to leave the lights and AC on and leave the house. I was so worried.

I tried calling one last time, “Yes. It's Kawada”, he answered.

“Kawada-san! Are you taking a nap?”

“Oh. You know me well. Sorry, I got tired when I was preparing my luggages for Uganda.”

Later, my 78 years old landlord sent me to the Yamanote train, and he hopped off before the train door closed. 

「大家と言えば親も同然、店子と言えば子も同然」
“Landlords are parents, tenants are children.”

Seventh Copy - Mailed at the Airport📮

I was still finishing up my last book on the train. When I was at the exit gate of the train station, eh, where's my ticket? Ah! The ticket was pink, so I glued it inside the book. I had to dig out my wrapped book, and exited the gate while opening my book, “Excuse me, I glued the ticket into my book for memories...”

After sorting out my overweight luggages, I was still drawing on an empty counter. 

Posted at 5 pm. The book will travel to the hands of the craziest fan of Toshiko Akiyoshi (chased her for 50+ years), the owner of Cafe Johnny in Morioka Prefecture. 

18 kg. Shhh. 

The next day I got home, I carried the 282 papers for test print.

“You're still printing???”, my sister asked me. 

I wanted to make some changes to the print document, so I had to do imposition again... The colour images are printed, risograph will be printed in Europe. The stack of paper travels the world, takes form, and return to Japan.