Free Occupied City by David Peace Page A

able to leave early today. And just before one, I go back to my seat at the counter and I greet the customers and I serve the customers.
    Then, just before two, Mr Ushiyama tells us that he is not feeling well, not feeling well at all. He tells us he must leave early. He apologizes to us and he bows and he leaves.
    ‘Poor Mr Ushiyama,’ whispers Miss Akiyama. ‘He’s been sick since last week. It must be serious. He should go to the doctor. It could be, it could be …’
    I stare at the counter and I nod my head.
Something is wrong
.
    ‘And then what if it’s contagious?’ says Miss Akiyama. ‘We might all have caught it. We might all become sick. We might all…’
    I stare at the counter and I nod my head.
Very wrong
.
    But I go back to my work. I go back to my thoughts:
    Will no one save me from the Occupied City?
    Just before quarter past three and the bank has closed for theday, and now I have only thirty deposits left to check. I will be able to do them in ten minutes. In ten minutes, I will be able to leave.
    In ten minutes, I will be able to go back to my home, back to my quilt and back to my dreams.
But something is wrong, very wrong. Something is not right today …
    And then I hear the knock upon the side door. I have only twenty-five deposits left to check. I see Miss Akuzawa get up to open the side door. I have only twenty deposits left to check. I see Miss Akuzawa go into the back of the bank. Fifteen deposits. I see Miss Akuzawa go to the front door of the bank. Fourteen deposits. I see the front door open and a man step inside.
Is this the man?
Thirteen deposits. I see the man take off his boots and put on the pair of slippers Miss Akuzawa offers him.
The man who will save me?
The man is in his forties but he has a handsome, oval face.
Save me from the Occupied City?
I hear Miss Akuzawa tell the man that the manager has already left, but that our assistant manager will see him.
    I hope this does not mean extra work. I hope this does not mean I cannot leave soon. I see Miss Akuzawa lead the man past my counter and into the back of the bank. Now Miss Akiyama gets up from her seat next to mine and I turn back to the deposits:
    Twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six deposits. Five, four, three, two, one deposit, none. I have finished now.
    But something is wrong, very wrong…
    Miss Akiyama comes back to her seat at the counter. She nudges me and she whispers, ‘Did you see that man? That man is a doctor from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. I just heard him tell Mr Yoshida that the Ministry of Health and Welfare have discovered an outbreak of dysentery in Shiinamachi. The Ministry of Health and Welfare have traced the outbreak to that well in front of Mr Aida’s house. You know Mr Aida?’
    I look up from my pile of deposits. I nod my head.
    ‘That doctor from the Ministry of Health and Welfare just told Mr Yoshida that one of Mr Aida’s tenants has been diagnosed with dysentery. That doctor said that this tenant came into the bank today and he made a deposit…’
    ‘What was his name?’ I ask her.
    Miss Akiyama is shaking her head, flicking through her pile of deposits on the counter. ‘I didn’t catch it but if it’s that well, thiswill be why Mr Ushiyama’s been so sick. This will mean we could all be infected. This could mean …’
    I look back down at my pile of deposits, all checked and all finished. I start to flick through them, looking for the Aida address.
    ‘The doctor will have to inoculate everyone against dysentery,’ whispers Miss Akiyama. ‘And he’ll have to disinfect everything that may have been infected. All the rooms, all the money. No one will be allowed to leave until he’s finished …’
    I stare at the deposits and I nod again. Now I know I won’t be able to leave soon.
Now I know something is very wrong
. Now I know I won’t be able to go back to my home, not back to my quilt, not back to my dreams, for now I know those dreams are all gone.
    Mr