Nighttime Conversations
When I take my nightly walks, I never know who or what I will encounter. One summer evening years ago I was taking photos from the rooftop of the Sogo Department Store.
The sound of women’s voices distracted me from Yokohama’s cityscape. The chattering was earsplitting. The following is a loose translation of their conversational snippets.
“My feet are killing me. I stood for a month wearing that hideous wedding outfit.” “That’s nothing. For three months in the sport department the designer made me wear a backpack full of camping equipment.”
“Setsuko, you’re not supposed to move while modeling.” “I wasn’t moving.” “You were. I caught you.” “OK, I did move. I couldn’t help it. The itch on my chin was driving me nuts.”
“You guys better shape up. Otherwise you’ll end up modeling the latest in orangutan costumes.” “Yes, Ma’am!” “Hey, you, Mister!” Oh, Lord. They spotted me listening to their conversations.
“What are you leering at?” My heart was thumping. “I wasn’t leering. I just happened to be standing here.” “Well suppose you just happen to leave us alone. Or would you like us to call the manager?” I took the hint and made a beeline to the escalators.
“The nerve of the guy gawking at us.” “Alright people, back to work.”