The Wall Clock Was Ticking
“Heave-ho.”
The old woman placed her hands on the low table and stood up. She walked a few steps and placed her hand on a pillar, where an old wall clock was hanging.
“You’ve gotten old too, haven’t you... How many years has it been since you came here?” the old woman asked the wall clock.
This wall clock was something her husband, Tetsuo, had bought for almost nothing from a friend’s antique shop while he was still alive. She had thought it would break right away, but it had been ticking away for over twenty years without losing a second.
“It’s become a real chore to wind your spring, too. I guess I’ve gotten old as well...” Muttering this, she brought a step stool from the corner of the room. Placing the stool in front of the pillar, she braced herself with a “Heave!” and climbed up.
For the old woman, the task of stretching her body to remove the clock from the pillar was a struggle. She finally managed to take the wall clock down, placed it on the floor, and took a breath, saying, “Phew.”
She opened the clock’s door to wind the loose spring, but because the winding key was small, it wouldn’t turn easily with the old woman’s weakened grip.
“No good. I suppose I’ll have to ask Toshio.” As she put the winding key away inside the clock, the old woman thought to herself.
The old woman’s name was Taeko, and she was eighty-five years old. She had lost her husband eleven years ago and had lived alone ever since.
She had two children. Her eldest son, Kazuo, was single and lived in Tokyo. Her eldest daughter, Yoko, had married a local man and built a house to live in right near Taeko’s home. Toshio, whom Taeko relied on, was the eldest son of this daughter, Yoko.
Her kind grandson, Toshio, took care of his grandmother whenever something came up. Even Taeko’s small troubles were nothing to the high schooler, Toshio.
“Grandma, I’ll do it for you.” He would always say this, helping Taeko with whatever she was struggling with.
“Let’s live together. Mom says she wants that too.”
“That’s true. It would surely be fun if I were with you, Toshio.”
“Then let’s do that.”
Toshio would always talk to Taeko like this. Worried about Taeko, who had a chronic heart condition, her daughter Yoko would also say whenever she could, “Grandma, let’s live together.” Yoko’s husband, Hiroyuki, even said, “If Grandma is okay with it, I don’t mind,” and they had even added a Japanese-style room for Taeko when they built their new house.
However, Taeko would say, “This house where I lived with your grandfather is the best,” and continued to live alone, as if to protect the small house she had shared with her late husband.
“Hmm... so, I press this?” Looking at the “How to Make a Call” guide Toshio had made, she called Toshio himself. Taeko still couldn’t operate the “Anti-Fraud” phone she had just had bought for her.
“Grandma, what’s wrong?”
“Is that you, Toshio? Have you been doing well?”
“I’m doing well. Do you need something from Mom? She’s out shopping right now.”
“No, I had a favor to ask of you, Toshio.”
“What is it? Are you feeling unwell?”
“That’s not it. You see, the clock has stopped. I wanted you to wind the spring for me.”
“Oh, is that all? Sure, but I can’t go right away. My friends are coming over soon, so is the evening okay?”
“That’s fine, that’s fine. Whenever you’re free, Toshio, I’d appreciate it.”
“Got it. Once my friends leave, I’ll head over.”
“Thank you, I’ll be waiting.” With that, Taeko hung up the phone.
“Old woman, what are you doing?”
“Oh my, husband. It’s not ‘what am I doing,’ the clock has stopped. Don’t just watch from there, please wind the spring.”
“Alright, alright. Leave it to me.” Tetsuo took the winding key in his hand, and while turning the spring with a clicking sound, he said,
“You’ve gotten old too, old woman—have you become unable to do even this?” and laughed, “Hahaha.”
“That’s to be expected. How many years do you think it’s been since you went over there?”
“How many years would that be... It’s probably only been about two years.”
“Don’t be silly, eleven years have already passed. Next year is the thirteenth memorial service, have you gone senile?”
“Has it been that long already? Well, then it’s only natural that you’ve aged too.”
“That’s right. Everyone is supposed to gather for the thirteenth memorial service, you know.”
“You’ve already decided things like that?”
“‘Already,’ you say? It’s next year. That’s right around the corner, isn’t it?”
“I see. Is everyone doing well?”
“They are doing well. Oh, would you like some yokan? We received some from the neighbors yesterday.” Saying this, Taeko hurriedly began preparing tea.
“Whose yokan did you get?” Tetsuo, having finished winding the spring, was looking at the shop name on the flipped-over yokan package.
“It’s from ‘Gomaya,’ your favorite. Our neighbor, Omiyo-san, bought it for us, saying, ‘It’s the equinox, so please offer it at the altar.’”
“How grateful I am. I wanted to eat this. I have to do something in return.”
“Don’t bother, you’ll surprise them.”
“That’s true, too. But it doesn’t feel right to just receive it...”
“I will properly return the favor for you.”
“If you can do that, it would be fine...”
“I can do at least that much. I haven’t gone senile yet.”
“It’s not about being senile.”
“What was that?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Now, the tea is ready. Come over here and let’s eat the yokan together.”
“I’ll hang this clock back up.”
“Be careful, shall I hold the stool?”
“It’s fine, leave it to me.”
“It’s dangerous, so I’ll hold it.”
Saying this, Taeko supported the stool. The wall clock was hung on the pillar as usual, and it began to tick, making a sound.
“Good, now I can tell the time. Thank you, husband.”
“It’s nothing, it’s not a big deal.”
“Well then, let’s have our tea.”
“Ah, let’s have tea.”
Tetsuo and Taeko sat at the round low table and ate the yokan while drinking tea.
“The yokan here is as delicious as ever. The owner must have aged quite a bit, too.”
“It seems he doesn’t make the yokan anymore.”
“Then who made this yokan?”
“Isn’t it his son who has taken over the business? He’s quite something.”
“That rowdy, playboy son is making this yokan?”
“He’s a fine successor now. He took a lovely bride last year, and oh yes, he was happy to say that a grandchild will be born next year.”
“That is a joyous thing.”
“It truly is a joyous thing.”
“But to think this yokan was made by that son... It’s exactly like his father’s taste. I thought only his father could produce this flavor, but he’s quite something.”
“Oh my, it’s rare for you to praise someone like that, husband.”
“That’s not true. I praise good things when they are good.”
“Was that so? When you were here, you were a bit of a contrarian, weren’t you?”
“Well, that’s because...”
“I know, you were just shy, husband.”
With a look of discomfort, Tetsuo ate the yokan.
“If you eat too much, you’ll get cavities.”
“I don’t even have teeth anymore.”
“Oh, that’s right. My apologies.”
“You’re the one who should be careful eating so much, or the teeth you’ve managed to keep will get cavities.”
“Oh, you’re right. It was so delicious, I couldn’t help myself.”
The two of them were happily chatting about such things.
“Well, it’s about time.”
“Isn’t it still fine? There’s still yokan left, and I’ll make fresh tea.”
“I can’t do that. It’s a promise with God. Now, you get ready too.”
“Oh, am I going with you?”
“Yes, the God over there said, ‘Bring her along with you.’”
“I never thought I’d be able to go with you, husband. I’m so happy. I have no sense of direction, so I was only worried about what I would do if I got lost on my way there.”
“We couldn’t even go on a trip together... I collapsed right after we made a verbal promise to go...”
“You worked so hard, and just when I thought we could finally take it easy, you collapsed and went over there just like that...”
“I didn’t cause you or the children any trouble. I thought I would be praised for that.”
“I wanted you to cause me trouble, even just a little bit. To think you wouldn’t even let me play at nursing you...”
“You wanted to do that?”
“I did. And yet...”
“Don’t say that. Even if you feel that way, I think it was hard for the children. Caring for an old person like this.”
“That’s not true. Even Kazuo was crying, saying, ‘You just went off on your own so quickly,’ you saw that too, didn’t you, husband?”
“That happened, didn’t it. Well, that’s in the past. Now, it’s time to go.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll get ready now.” Taeko opened an old chest of drawers and took out her favorite blouse and skirt.
The wall clock chimed three times, bon, bon, bon.
“Grandma, I’m here.” Toshio called out at the entrance, but Taeko’s house was silent.
“Grandma, are you not here?” Toshio called out as he slid open the door, and it opened smoothly.
“You didn’t lock the door again, Mom is going to scold you.” Saying this, Toshio entered the room and found Taeko slumped over the low table.
“What’s wrong, Grandma, you’re here, aren’t you?” Even when Toshio called out, Taeko didn’t move a muscle.
“What! Hey, Grandma! Grandma!” When Toshio placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her, Taeko’s body just swayed, completely limp.
Sensing that something was seriously wrong, Toshio immediately called his mother.
“Mom, come here right away! Grandma is acting strange! She won’t move at all!”
The wall clock chimed five times, bon, bon..., signaling five o’clock in the evening.
—The End—
Facebook publication date 9/17 2020
