Free A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro

then I remember some odd things from my schooldays. I remember being taught all about how Japan was created by the gods, for instance. How we as a nation were divine and supreme. We had to memorize the text book word for word. Some things aren’t such a loss, perhaps."
    “But Jim, things aren’t as simple as that. You clearly don’t understand how such things worked. Things aren’t nearly as simple as you presume. We devoted ourselves to ensuring that proper qualities were handed down, that children grew up with the correct attitude to their country, to their fellows. There was a spirit in Japan once, it bound us all together. Just imagine what it must be like being a young boy today. He’s taught no values at school—except perhaps that he should selfishly demand whatever he wants out of life. He goes home and finds his parents fighting because his mother refuses to vote for his father’s party. What a state of affairs."
    “Yes, I see your point. Now, Father, I’m sorry, I must go to bed.”
    “We did our best, men like Endo and I, we did our best to nurture what was good in the country. A lot of good has been destroyed.
    “It’s most regrettable.” My husband got to his feet. “Excuse me, Father, but I must sleep. I have another busy day tomorrow.”
    Ogata-San looked up at his son, a somewhat surprised expression on his face. “Why, of course. How inconsiderate of me to have kept you so late.” He gave a small bow.
    “Not at all. I’m sorry we can’t talk longer, but I really ought to get some sleep now.”
    “Why, of course.”
    Jim wished his father a good night’s sleep and left the room. For a few seconds, Ogata-San gazed at the door through which Jiro had disappeared as if he expected his son to return at any moment. Then he turned to me with a troubled look.
    “I didn’t realize how late it was,” he said. “I didn’t mean to keep Jim up.”

Chapter Five
    “Gone? And had he left you no message at his hotel?”
    Sachiko laughed. “You look so astonished, Etsuko,” she said. ‘No, he’d left nothing. He’d gone yesterday morning, that’s all they knew. To tell you the truth, I half expected this.”
    I realized I was still holding the fray. I laid it down carefully then seated myself on a cushion opposite Sachiko. There was a pleasant breeze blowing through the apartment that morning.
    “But how terrible for you,” I said. “And you were waiting with everything packed and ready.”
    “This is nothing flew to me, Etsuko. Back in Tokyo—that’s where I first met him, you see—back in Tokyo, it was just the same thing. Oh no, this is nothing new to me. I’ve learnt to expect such things.’
    “And you say you’re going back into town tonight? On your own?”
    “Don’t look so shocked, Etsuko. After Tokyo, Nagasaki seems a tame little town. If he’s still in Nagasaki, I’ll find him tonight. He may change his hotel, but he won’t have changed his habits.”
    “But this is all so distressing. If you wish, I’d be glad to come and sit with Mariko until you get back.”
    “Why, how kind of you. Mariko’s quite capable of being left on her own, but if you’re prepared to spend a couple of hours with her tonight, that would be most kind. But I’m sure this whole thing will sort itself out, Etsuko. You see, when you’ve come through some of the things I have, you learn not to let small set-backs like this worry you.”
    “But what if he’s … I mean, what if he’s left Nagasaki altogether?”
    “Oh, he hasn’t gone far, Etsuko. Besides, if he really meant to leave me, he would have left a note of some kind, wouldn’t he? You see, he hasn’t gone far. He knows I’ll come and find him.”
    Sachiko looked at me and smiled. I found myself at a loss for any reply.
    “Besides, Etsuko,” she went on, “he did come all the way down here. He came down all this way to Nagasaki to find me at my uncle’s house, all that way from Tokyo. Now why would he have done that if he