01 Marimo Girls' Memories

This story was told to me when I was still a little boy.

I heard this from my uncle who lives in Lake Akan.

(By the way, my uncle passed away a while ago.)

 

When I was an elementary school student, I visited my family and my uncle's house during summer vacation.

I had no idea what the appeal of Akan was as a tourist destination, and I just had a lot of time to kill.

No manga, no TV, no games.

I wasn't particularly fond of manga, TV or games, but

When you're bored like this, you suddenly want to do it.

However, I prided myself on being a good listener,

Other relatives who were visiting during the summer vacation, like us, also sent messages.

He was praised for being "calm,"

He didn't throw a tantrum or anything.

I also thought that expressing emotions was somehow uncool,

By using polite language and smiling politely,

I thought no one would notice my boredom.

 

I thought that if I stayed the night, I could go home tomorrow.

I was looking out at the lake from the balcony, feeling bored inside.

"Are you bored in the middle of nowhere?"

My uncle suddenly called out to me.

I tried to act calm and replied, "No, that's not true."

"Shall I tell you a funny story to pass the time?"

 

Then I heard this strange story from my uncle.

Even now as an adult, I sometimes remember this story when summer comes around.

This story has allowed me to use my imagination and speculate about what happens next.

I had a lot of fun.

 

To let others experience this joy,

I would like to record this ``funny story'' here.

I hope that as many people as possible will know about this "strange story."

I think my uncle in Akan would be very happy too.

 

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Marimo's Gratitude

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In the middle of Lake Akan there is an island called Churui Island.

There is nothing else here except the unmanned Marimo Exhibition and Observation Center.

The Marimo Girls lived on this deserted island.

You will gradually understand why they live in such a remote place.

 

The Marimo Girls are a pair of little girls who work part-time as geisha in the hot spring town of Akan.

Although it's small, I don't mean small in the ordinary sense.

The size is about 25 centimeters.

He is wearing gym clothes and a green felt hat.

Every day, the two of them take a sightseeing boat from Churui Island to the hot spring town,

He made a living by performing for tourists at inn banquet halls.

 

However, the two of them have the talent,

"Three magic tricks" taught to the audience at the show

Since it consisted of only three songs that they had written themselves, it was not very popular.

 

At first, some customers came to see it out of curiosity,

They quickly get bored at the beginning and start talking loudly,

Children try to pull off the Marimo Girls' hats,

Drunk people would yell at me to be quiet,

Often, I couldn't make it to the end of the show.

 

Due to their lack of popularity, admission to all Marimo Girls shows is free.

They make a living from tips from customers,

There was very little we could receive and life was difficult.

 

The first person to understand the Marimo Girls was a chef working at an inn.

 

This was also the person at the inn that the Marimo Girls first met.

When the chef came out of the back door to go out to buy ingredients,

The Marimo Girls came to sell their products.

The chef went out into town without paying the two little ones any attention.

When I finished shopping and returned to the inn, the Marimo Girls were still there.

 

There was a big banquet scheduled that day, and the only chef there was extremely busy.

One after the other, I peeled vegetables, arranged sashimi, grilled fish, and continued cooking.

The chef had somehow managed to finish the big banquet and was cleaning up the kitchen alone late at night,

Suddenly, I wondered what the little thing was during the day.

When I went outside to smoke a cigarette, the two were still there.

"How about a nice song?" "I'll sing a beautiful song."

The chef looked at the two little ones again.

Both of their clothes were dirty and black, their faces were covered in soot, and they were barefoot.

But his eyes were completely serious.

 

The chef frowned and turned his face away.

"Ah, I guess I should drain the bath water and clean it soon," I muttered.

"It's still such clean water, it would be a shame to throw it away."

With that, the chef went back inside, leaving the door open.

The Marimo Girls cautiously went inside.

Then the chef said,

"Nowadays, I wouldn't know who was in the bath," he said.

I walked towards the large public bath at the back.

The two of them once again followed the chef timidly.

 

When the chef reached the front of the large public bath, he hung a sign at the entrance saying that it was being cleaned.

Then, she said, "I still have things to do, so let's clean up later."

I went back to the kitchen.

 

"What do you mean?"

"I don't have any money."

 

I was a little hesitant, but I thought it would be bad to look dirty, so

The Marimo Girls decided to take the plunge and take a bath.

 

When I got out of the bath, there was a small tray with food for two people waiting for me.

Moreover, the clothes he was wearing had been washed and hung out to dry.

Instead, there were two small handkerchiefs with the hot spring mark on them.

The two wrapped the handkerchiefs around themselves and sat down in front of the food.

 

Then the chef came in,

"That's strange, I've cooked too much," she said.

I went to clean the large bathroom.

 

The Marimo Girls bowed deeply before enjoying the food.

 

* * *

 

Then, with the enthusiastic recommendation of the chef,

We were given the opportunity to perform a Marimo show in the inn's banquet hall.

The landlady and the waitresses didn't look happy,

I reluctantly agreed to this in order not to upset the skilled chef.

 

The Marimo Girls show was not very popular,

On rare occasions, customers have liked it.

For university students who were able to visit from Tokyo,

As a thank you for the show, he taught me three simple magic tricks.

The best memory I have is of a beautiful woman who was impressed by our show.

As a tip, I received a real emerald ring.

The Marimo Girls were so excited that night they couldn't sleep.

 

When the show ends, the chef always

"Huh? I made two too many again," he said.

He asked me, "Do you want to eat?"

The Marimo Girls always bowed deeply to the chef before eating their meal.

I was given a place to sleep in the closet in the maid's room.

 

However, the proprietress and waitresses were unhappy with the Marimo Girls.

 

* * *

 

As always, the Marimo Girls finished their show.

After bowing to the chef, we ate our food.

He went into the closet.

And every night before going to bed, we would have a debriefing of the day's show.

 

"The singing wasn't good."

"Let's practice some more."

 

They began to sing as quietly as possible.

"♪ The marimo is green, the sky is high, the water is..."

 

"Shut up!" one of the waitresses yelled, kicking the closet.

The Marimo Girls were surprised.

 

In a small tourist spot, in an even more closed world

Minor arguments and bullying may occur.

In this case, it seems that the Marimo Girls have been chosen as the target.

 

This time, in an even quieter voice

"Let's practice handwriting," he said.

However, the practice cup that had been placed in the corner was missing.

The handkerchief that was placed next to it is also missing.

 

"Those stupid Marimo girls make me so irritated," said the waitress.

"I want to sink you in the lake," he said, and kicked the closet again.

 

The Marimo Girls thought.

Someday I'll do a trick that no one will laugh at.

Find a place where you can practice anytime.

 

That night, the two of them went to the bathroom unnoticed.

I quietly slipped out of the inn.

 

* * *

 

Marimo Girls was once taken to a restaurant by a chef.

It reminded me of Churui Island in Lake Akan.

There are regular sightseeing boats that come and go there.

And there's no one there at night.

If you come in the morning and return at night, you'll be fine for the Marimo show.

 

The two of them went to the sightseeing boat pier.

And to the lady there

"Can I get on the boat?"

"I don't have any money, but I'll help you."

 

The lady snorted and said, "Aren't you stupid?"

"Where in the world is there a free ride? If you want to ride, bring money."

"I went through a lot of hardship too, and you're saying it's free? You're kidding me."

 

The two of them trudged home.

Then the lady suddenly called out to the two of them, "Hey, you."

"What's that thing hanging around your neck? Give it to me."

It was a genuine emerald ring that I had received as a tip some time ago.

It is the Marimo Girls' only property.

The two of them hesitated for a moment, but reluctantly handed it over.

 

The aunt looked at it intently.

"Well, it's nothing special."

Although he says that, his eyes are filled with joy.

"If you give me this for the fare, I'll be so kind as to let you on."

 

Hearing that,

"Thank you very much," they said, bowing.

"Get in the luggage compartment," the lady said.

 

* * *

 

Hokkaido's short summer is coming to an end,

The trees on Churui Island were changing to autumn colors.

 

Once autumn is over, winter will come quickly.

The Marimo Girls must start preparing for winter.

First, the bed.

During the summer, I was able to find a place to sleep, but

In winter, when snow falls and temperatures drop, you need a proper place to sleep.

They'd both easily die.

 

One day, the Marimo Girls found a large, slightly dirty wooden box on the lakeside of Churui Island.

When they saw it, the two of them jumped for joy.

It was the perfect place to sleep during the winter!

I immediately cleaned the dirt off the wooden box and polished it until it was shiny.

Inside, there are many soft leaves piled up,

I put a rock on top to prevent the box from being blown away by the wind.

Finally, I placed two of my favorite pieces of furniture, fur chairs, side by side.

(This chair is a treasure that the chef gave me as a housewarming gift.)

 

The two sat in chairs and looked out at the quiet Lake Akan.

The water surface reflected the light brilliantly, creating a beautiful sight.

The two of them wanted to stay like this forever.

 

* * *

 

The Marimo Girls managed to secure a place to sleep for the winter,

There was another big goal for me when it came to preparing for winter.

I wanted to somehow save up some money before winter came so I could buy some long-sleeved winter clothes.

The two of them only had thin sleeveless clothes,

Even in the fall, I would shiver on cold days.

The show's popularity was still not that great,

Still, I was able to get some tips.

If this keeps up, I might be able to buy a blanket by winter.

 

But there was an unexpected catch.

 

As usual, the Marimo Girls were tucked away in the luggage area of ​​the sightseeing boat.

Then, an older woman from the sightseeing boat came over and took the trouble to place her luggage on top of the two of them.

"Oh, how annoying," said the aunt.

 

At that moment, the aunt did not miss the coins that fell from their hands.

"You guys have money, yet you rode the boat for free every day?" he yelled.

"The ring," Marimo said.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Do you really think you can keep riding that cheap thing forever?"

Although my aunt says it's cheap, she always wears the ring.

They both knew that talking about it here wouldn't help, so

I just bowed my head and remained silent.

"Here's everything I have, and it's the fare."

 

In this way, all the money I had was taken away.

And then the dreaded winter arrived, and I still hadn't been able to buy any winter clothes.

 

* * *

 

The end of the year is when everyone gets very busy.

Among them, chefs have to cut down on their sleep time,

I continued to work hard every day.

I also noticed that the Marimo Girls were shivering and wearing sleeveless tops.

I was so busy that I didn't even notice.

 

One day.

 

As always, after the Marimo show, we had dinner.

It happened when I bowed to the inn and was about to leave.

 

The waitresses were whispering and gossiping.

" ... It looks like you're finally being transferred, Chef."

"The head office is in Tokyo. You see, the managing director is gone."

"That's right. You have good skills."

"But, you know, it would be embarrassing to go back to the main store with a knife like that."

"What knife?"

"There are a lot of people who show off at our inn."

"That's why all chefs use shiny new knives."

"You see, he's the kind of person who doesn't care about that sort of thing."

"But in the end, that's why you were transferred."

"It's fine here, since there's only one chef."

"And it's so sudden, we only have three more days left here."

 

The Marimo Girls were surprised.

If the chef is gone, we won't be able to do the Marimo show,

I can no longer eat the extra rice that they always make for me.

And more than anything, the two of them

I was shocked to learn that my beloved chef was going to be gone.

 

The two of them were silent throughout the day.

Even when the lady on the sightseeing boat made sarcastic remarks, I just kept my head down and said nothing.

 

The Marimo Girls returned to their beds, shivering from the cold.

We started the debriefing as usual.

 

"I fell down while dancing."

"No one saw Tejina."

 

Both of them were silent.

 

"Let's make Itamae-san feel safe"

"Let's do our best in Marimo Show"

 

The two of them successfully put on a Marimo show.

I decided to give a new knife as a gift to the chef who had been so kind to me.

Once that decision is made, I will practice even more enthusiastically.

 

♪The marimo is green, the sky is high, the water is sky blue ...

 

Snow continued to fall steadily from the pitch black sky, and night fell.

 

* * *

 

The Marimo Girls came to the shop with a flyer for the Marimo Show that the chef had made for them a long time ago.

We decided to go and sell our products to other inns and hotels in the hot spring town of Akan.

 

 

 

"How about a nice sho?"

"It's a beautiful song."

 

But maybe it's a bad time?

"Oh, I'm busy, I'm back!"

No matter where I go, no one pays any attention to me.

 

I tried going around everywhere, but to no avail.

 

Still, the Marimo Girls won't give up.

We returned to Churui Island and spent the night sleeping in wooden boxes.

First thing in the morning, I walk on the snowy road in a sleeveless top and shorts.

 

I was turned down at every hot spring resort along the lake,

The two of them had no choice but to go to places away from the hot spring town to sell their products.

 

We went quite far that day, but we didn't catch anything.

It was now completely dark and they were both pale with cold.

On the way to the sightseeing boat pier to return to Churui Island,

I found an old building at the end of a side road a short distance from the lake.

The lights are on and there seems to be someone inside.

Not wanting to give up, the two headed for the entrance of the building to make their sales pitch.

 

I can't reach the chime, so I say "I'm sorry, I'm sorry"

I shouted at the entrance again and again.

No one came out and I thought it was all over, when the door opened.

She seemed like a kind old lady.

"Oh my, what's wrong, girls?"

 

"Are you sulky?"

"Mikorona Utahoteshinasu"

 

If you've been outside for long periods of time in the northern winter, you'll understand.

It can be so cold that your jaw shakes and you have trouble speaking.

The two Marimo Girls were also extremely cold, almost to the point of breaking point.

And then, the two of them suddenly fainted.

 

* * *

 

The two Marimo Girls woke up to the sound of firewood crackling.

The two of them were wrapped in the same blanket and lay in chairs in front of the fireplace.

 

Grandma was wearing glasses and looking at a flyer for a marimo show.

The two of them jumped up, seizing their chance, and began their show.

 

"Flowing, flowing, to the poor child. Marimo is in good health tonight."

I bowed deeply.

 

"I'll sing a song."

 

"♪ The marimo is green, the sky is high, the water is sky blue"

"♪ Marimo walks, totter, totter in Hinoyama ♪"

 

Grandma stared at the Marimo Girls.

The two of them were wondering what to do on stage.

I was excited.

I practiced this song and this magic trick every day.

 

Then the grandmother smiled and said:

"You guys are so cute."

"There's a Christmas party for the senior citizens' association tomorrow. Would you like to come?"

 

The Marimo Girls answered with a strong "Yes."

 

* * *

 

The next day, the Marimo Girls were surprised when they saw the stage performance at the Christmas party.

I never expected it to be such a big stage.

It was a large banquet hall in a big hotel, which was the first place we were turned down.

Amazingly, the entire place is rented out for the event.

Seeing the two overwhelmed, Grandma said,

"Are you girls okay?" he asked.

 

However, once the stage began, the Marimo show was a great success.

There were over 300 people in attendance, all cheering on the two of them.

The Marimo Girls also showed the results of their practice.

We also received a huge amount of tips.

 

Now you can buy a knife for the chef.

With the change, we can buy ourselves winter clothes and blankets.

The Marimo Girls thanked Grandma and ran out of the hotel.

The chef will be gone tomorrow.

I need to buy a knife before the store closes.

But it was already 11 o'clock at night.

The only place open at this time in this hot spring town is

There were just a few bars and hotels.

 

When I arrived at the hardware store, I shouted, "Excuse me!"

Of course, there was no reply.

So I called out, "Excuse me."

It didn't work.

This time I yelled, "Excuse me!"

 

No matter how many times I called out or what I said, no one came out.

 

* * *

 

The Marimo Girls trudged back.

"What should we do?" he said.

 

"If you bring back a frog, you'll lose your money," said another.

"But if I sleep outside, I'll die."

 

"We have no choice but to go back."

"There's a chair over there I'd like to have."

 

After much deliberation, the two finally decided to return to Churui Island.

The money was hidden in a hat.

However, the hat was puffing up unnaturally.

 

The two headed for the sightseeing boat.

"Thank you," the two said as usual.

I tried to go through the boarding gate, but I had nothing in my hand.

 

"Please wait a moment."

The aunt said.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" the woman yelled.

"Hurry and find out what you're hiding there!"

The woman was yelling with such anger that a small crowd gathered.

 

They both shook their heads in denial.

There was a clanging sound of money.

 

The woman pulled the hat forcefully.

The two tried to resist, but the snap on the neck of the hat broke.

My hat was stolen and the contents of it fell out.

 

"Just get it out quickly ... " the woman gasped.

At a glance, it looked like there were several hundred thousand yen there.

"I've been taking care of you guys for a long time."

"This is not enough!"

The aunt quickly began to gather up the money.

 

Then a voice came from the crowd.

 

"What's wrong?" It was the old lady.

The Marimo Girls thought someone was talking to them, but they were wrong.

It was aimed at my aunt.

 

The aunt's face turned pale.

"No, Chairman ... "

"Give me what you have in your hand," Grandma said.

Reluctantly, the lady handed over her hat and money.

 

Eventually, Grandma said:

"I'm a friend of these kids."

 

My grandmother is the mother of the business community that controls Lake Akan.

This sightseeing boat and the large hotel where the Marimo show was held

My grandmother was the owner.

 

And so the tip returned safely to the two of them.

 

Then Grandma forced the hardware store, tailor, and fabric store to wake up,

I managed to get a knife and winter clothes that same day.

 

* * *

 

The next day, the Marimo Girls got into Grandma's car.

We headed to Nakashibetsu Airport, where Mr. Itamae was departing from.

The two of them held the box of knives carefully.

 

At the airport, I saw a chef wearing an unfamiliar suit.

He doesn't sit in a chair, but stands and looks out the window the whole time.

 

"Itamae-san, itamae-san," the two children said together in their grandmother's arms.

The chef's eyes widened in surprise.

I never expected the Marimo Girls to come and see me off.

"Here it is," I said, handing him the knife in a beautiful presentation box.

The chef looked closely at the knife with his name on it.

Finally, he said, "It's a fine piece of work."

 

The Marimo Girls sang a song.

"♪ The marimo is green, the sky is high, the water is sky blue ... "

 

"If this was carry-on luggage, I wouldn't be able to get on the plane," said the chef.

As always, he looked away jokingly.

However, this time it was tilted slightly higher.

I also felt like my voice was trembling a little.

 

The end.

 

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"Huh? Is it over?" I asked my uncle.

Before I knew it, I was completely engrossed in the world of marimo.

 

Then, my uncle laughed a little and said,

"I'll tell you the rest when you come back," he said.

He left me and went out of the room.

 

Even though I thought it was unfair,

There's a scene where a chef gets caught in a metal detector and is taken to another room,

By continuing to imagine the content of the Marimo Girls' magic tricks,

We were able to spend our last night in Akan without getting bored.

 

My uncle's words at that time,

"I'll tell you when I come back."

I feel like I understand the meaning of this phrase now that I'm an adult.

Perhaps this kind of wisdom is necessary in tourist destinations.

 

Just as my uncle had hoped,

Since that summer, I have become completely captivated by Akan and Marimo.

Even as an adult, I still visit Akan from time to time.