“You can see a sky full of stars here. When I came before, I lay down on my bike and stared at the night sky the whole time. I saw my first shooting star here. It was incredible…”
I am now 2,864 miles from Las Vegas. The place I’m in is Room 200 of the Village Inn motel in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. I checked in yesterday.
This motel is interesting. They charge taxes I’ve never seen before: State tax $3.51 County tax $0.29 Tourism tax $1.17 I’ve never heard of these at other motels. But I booked it immediately— I started looking for a motel a bit late today…
Now I’m sitting on a chair, staring vaguely at the forest outside, having a drink.
…Stars, huh…
Come to think of it— back when we had just started dating, I took her to Sedona, Arizona.
“There’s a view I have to show you!!”
I convinced her, even though she hesitated, and brought her to Arizona. I really wanted to see that sky full of stars with her. And I wanted to show her Sedona, a town I loved.
Sedona in the ’90s— before it became famous— was incredibly quiet. I still remember that.
How many years have passed since then…? We were young back then… No—maybe just immature.
Somewhere in the forest, an owl hoots.
A distant memory… A memory I had long forgotten. A memory I had buried deep inside. A memory I thought I had burned away.
…A “memory”…
What triggers memories to return? A smell…? A certain atmosphere…?
Whatever it is, it feels like old wounds are being scraped open.
A motel in Arkansas, far, far away from Japan. Even if I physically distance myself from everything, as long as I remain “me,” these cursed memories will follow me. Maybe I’ll never escape them.
The owl hoots again.
The forest is so quiet. The only one unsettled… is me.
I slowly stand up from the chair and head toward the sink. Why the sink? Because inside it, buried in ice, is a chilled drink— waiting to be rescued from its “glacier.” (“Rescued? You’re the one who put it there,” I can almost hear someone say, haha.)
So this is my second one today.
…Come to think of it, Arkansas is known for stones, right? Power stones… crystals… It’s a famous place for that. If I find a shop, maybe I’ll go in. Maybe I’ll visit the town center too. Oh—right. I should look for a Harley shop. I’ve been buying patches and shirts in every state I visit. You can only get them by actually going to that state— they’re precious items.
Thinking about that, I take a sip of the drink I “rescued” from the icy sink.
Delicious… Perfect…
Instead of returning to the chair, I step out onto the balcony and look up at the night sky. The stars are beautiful. A North American night sky, seen alone.
In the forest, the owl continues to call.
To be continued…
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