Prologue
The Story I Heard from You
Beneath a rainy March sky, the long whistle signals1 that the ferry is leaving port. As the ship’s enormous hull plows through the seawater, the heavy vibrations travel through my seat to the rest of me. My ticket is for the second-class cabin, the one closest to the bottom of the ship. The voyage to Tokyo will take more than ten hours, and we’ll be arriving at night. This is the second time in my life that I’ve made this very trip, on this ferry. I stand up, heading for the stairs to the deck terrace. The first time was two and a half years ago. After what happened while I was in the city, rumors about me had started circulating at school: They say he’s got a record2 and I hear he’s still wanted3 by the cops. Being the subject of gossip didn’t bother me (in fact, I’d be more surprised if I wasn’t), but I hadn’t told anyone on the island about what had happened in Tokyo that summer. I’d said a few things here and there, but I hadn’t told a soul——not my parents, not my friends, not the police——about the really important stuff. Now I’m headed for Tokyo again, with everything that happened that summer inside me. Now that I’m eighteen, I’m going to settle there for good. And I’m going to see her again.
Those thoughts always create heat behind my ribs. My cheeks are flushing, little by little. I want to be out in the sea wind as soon as possible, and I start climbing the stairs faster.
Up on the deck terrace, the cold air strikes me full in the face, bringing rain with it. I draw a deep breath, trying to drink it all in. The wind is still chilly, but it’s filled with the promise of spring. I’ve finally graduated from high school—and the reality of it belatedly strikes home, like a notification coming in late. I rest my elbows on the deck railing, gazing at the receding island, then shift my focus to the windswept sky. Countless raindrops dance through the air for as far as I can see, way off into the distance.
Just then—I shudder, breaking out in goose bumps all over.
It’s happening again. I squeeze4 my eyes shut involuntarily. As I stand there, stock-still, the rain hits my face, and the sound of it echoes in my ears. For the past two and a half years, the rain has been a constant presence. It’s like a pulse that never stops, no matter how long you hold your breath. Like the light seeping through your eyelids, no matter how tightly you squeeze them shut. Like a heart that never falls truly silent, no matter how you try to calm it.
Exhaling slowly, I open my eyes.
Rain.
Footnotes
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to be a sign that sth exists or is likely to happen 标志；表明；预示 SYN indicate This announcement signalled a clear change of policy.
这个声明显示政策有明显的改变。 The scandal surely signals the end of his political career. 毫无疑问，这桩丑闻预示他的政治生涯就此结束。 ↩ -
the fact of having committed crimes in the past 前科；犯罪记录 ↩
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being searched for by the police, in connection with a crime 受通缉的 He is wanted by the police in connection with the deaths of two people. Italy’s most wanted man ↩
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to press sth firmly, especially with your fingers ↩