I Hear Them Cry by Shiho Kishimoto Read Free Book Online Page B

forgiven me after all!)
    At the very least, for the first time in my life, I was experiencing the sense of gratification that comes from having truly helped someone. But still, the price for this elation was a loss too big for me to bear.
    (Bring back Shigeki!)
    As I knelt there in the church, I began to take God to task. I knew now that I wasn’t alone, that there were others like Anna in the world. An echo took up residence in the corner of my mind:
    Help. Help. Somebody help.
    With the trial over, my life gradually returned to normal, except for the fact that Shigeki wasn’t there. I had been freed from my worries, but I remained lost in a darkness of desolation anddespair. My entire life had turned monochromic, and the paints I used became devoid of color.
    Then one day Alan visited the café.
    “Hey there, Mayu. Long time no see,” he called out.
    “Oh my god! Nice of you to come by. So glad to see you.”
    “You’ve slimmed down an awful lot, haven’t you?”
    “You think? Actually I’m doing fine. It’s just that I’ve been busy.”
    “You mean with Anna, right? Must have been no laughing matter to have gone through all that.” Alan’s gentle and comforting words touched me deeply.
    “So how about that road trip?” Alan asked. “The one lined with the marronnier trees, remember? We’ll drive up there tomorrow. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”
    Alan was being a bit pushy, but he was a wine dealer and I thought perhaps I might hear news about Shigeki. I accepted the invitation.
    That night I fretted over what to wear the next day. I hadn’t dealt with such an issue in a long time and I was happy to lose some sleep over it. While I never forgot about Shigeki, the fact that I had been asked out to enjoy a drive certainly lifted my spirits. In the end, I decided on a pair of blue jeans and a turquoise T-shirt. I didn’t have that many choices after all. All that time, I had been putting on airs about being poor, only to be reminded that I was, in fact, poor. But I remained proud, as proud as Shigeki was of himself. I was proud of the fact that I was following in Jean’s footsteps, emulating his life of devotion to God. But then again I still yearned to wear that big diamond ring on my finger. Why did I fear admitting it, even to myself? In truth, I wanted to plunge headlong into Shigeki’s world and never look back.
    The day turned out to be ideal for a drive. Under the clear sky we rode in Alan’s stylish red convertible. When we reachedthe countryside, Alan revved the engine, and soon we were whizzing along a road lined with the marronnier trees.
    “It’s beautiful,” I remarked.
    “If we keep going,” he said, “this road will take us all the way to Rome.”
    (Then keep going, just keep going! Especially if it reaches all the way over to the other side of the world, where I could be by Shigeki’s side.)
    I was screaming with joy inside as we sped along. But in the end, just when I thought I was being liberated from the grips of my despair and unease, the car came to a halt.
    We had arrived at a winery’s harvest festival. Joyful music filled the air and a great number of wine buyers were there, mingling with other farmers and locals. Alan took me by the hand and led me farther into the grounds where the atmosphere got merrier. People were dancing or sinking their teeth into barbecue and corn on the cob; there were glasses of wine everywhere.
    Alan started chatting with an acquaintance. I got some wine and a slice of pizza and felt myself getting in the mood. And then I froze.
    I’d caught sight of a silhouetted shadow, a shape I knew all too well. I just kept staring until it suddenly turned my way. It was Shigeki, standing there, deadpan, with one hand gripping a wineglass and the other stuffed in his pocket.
    He approached slowly. I distanced myself from Alan and the crowd. There was a barn adjacent to the vineyard. I leaned against a brick wall in a warm patch of sunlight.
    My heart