People I Remember When It Rains Heavily

Today, for a change, it is raining heavily here in Southern California.
Looking outside after the 4 a.m. feeding, I see countless streaks of rain illuminated by the streetlights.

When it rains heavily, there are people I remember.

The first person was at Ueno Park.

Since I used to make Ueno my stomping ground, I was often stopped in strange places and asked,
"Which way is Ueno Station?"

By both Japanese and foreigners alike.

I was asked so often that I started to wonder if there was some kind of magic cast on the Ueno Park area that made people lose track of where Ueno Station was.
Just like Goryokaku.

It was raining heavily that day, and as I was walking with my umbrella, a petite, white-haired elderly woman spoke to me.
"Which way is Ueno Station?"

As always, I explained, "Go this way..."
The elderly woman thanked me, and as she left, she added,
"It is an unfortunate rain, isn't it."

The expression was so poetic that I felt like calling her a "noble elderly lady."

I thought to myself, please, you have already read through pure literature twice and should settle down with someone like Ryotaro Shiba.

I liked the phrase "It is an unfortunate rain, isn't it" so much that I included it in the lyrics of a song I was writing at the time.

The second person was at Fudomae Station.

Fudomae Station is a local stop on the Meguro Line.
Even though it is the next station over from the trendy Meguro, it has a somewhat common, down-to-earth feel.

I was visiting the station for work.
I had about 10 minutes to kill on the platform to adjust my schedule.

Sitting next to me was an elderly man so old his glasses were fogging up.

The light rain suddenly turned into a downpour, and the rain drummed against the station roof.

The old man spoke to me as if he had found an opening.
"Are you from around here?"

I answered his question and, like a secret technique, said,
"It is an unfortunate rain, isn't it."
For some reason, he took a liking to me as a young person who knew how to respond well, and he continued to talk as if a dam had broken.

He told me how the local prep schools had changed over time and how they were now.

He said, "I used to run a dry cleaner's, but I recently retired..."

The rapid train passed by, and then a local train arrived.

Even though it is a station where only local trains stop, the old man seemed to let it pass.
Old man, which train are you waiting for?

I instinctively said, "Take care," and got on the train.

On rainy days, I want to talk to strangers.

Well then, have a great day!