2. Stray Kiln I had lived all by myself in this remote house on the moutain from twenty-three to thirty-one years-old. I made a kiln, by stacking bricks, to make pottery. I made countless plates, cups and many other things which are still used and loved by many people. I just wanted to become a potter of a town. Maybe I wasn't ambitious enough like most young people, but I was happy if I could create what I really wanted to create. This is my sanctuary! Who else could handle my kiln and tools, so delicately made? When I died and Mom had to make a decision to close "stray kiln", she was so upset and didn't know what to do. My Dad, who had been seriously ill from emphysema, told her to abandon everything in Tokoname because the most precious thing (my cremated body) had returned to Tokyo. I appreciate Dad's choice and I was relieved that they hadn't come all the way out here to see the evidence of my life and death. People will look at them and whisper heartless words with morbid curiosity, and I can't stand that! My Dad was a promising designer, highly esteemed. He did skilled work, but he had time to get addicted to alcohol. As a result he became critically ill. However, after he got the disease, he became really calm and thoughful like he used to be. Flying a kite, fishing, spinning tops, making plastic models ... He was good at everything, and he was always so young at heart. I wanted to bury everything in the darkness, everything I loved and cherished. I let nobody touch the precious things that belonged to me, never! This is my place, where I lived and died.
|