Kino no Tabi:Volume17 Chapter12
”The End of a Journey” —Kino’s Nap—[edit]
One early summer, on a certain hill in a meadow.
Amidst the vast land covered with grass so evenly that it looked like the surface of a calm lake, was a lone, bulging hill that resembled a lump.
And on the highest point of that hill, were two trees.
For some reason or other, this pair of thick trees sprouted in just that spot, all alone in the middle of a land covered by nothing but a green carpet of grass. It reminded one of a gate, as if there was an entirely different world beyond it.
And between these two trees, was a net hammock.
“This is really perfect.”
Kino, who was sleeping on the hammock, said.
“It’s so comfy. I’m sure this is best place and time to sleep in a hammock.”
True enough, the distance between the two trees seemed to have been just for the sake of hanging a hammock in their middle.
The canopy of thickly growing green leaves and branches concealed the bright rays of the sun shining up above the blue sky, and instead offers the shade of the tree to the soul resting beneath it.
The soft breeze afforded a pleasant atmosphere and carried with it the scent of the grass and the meadows.
Kino was lying on the hammock with her jacket on and with her head resting on the makeshift pillow she made of her hat.
“Ah, this feels so good,” she said as she stretched out her arms sideways.
Meanwhile, Hermes was parked on his center stand right beside the hammock. On his luggage carrier was a travelling bag, with a cup on top of it.
Kino took the cup, and slightly lifted her head to drink the tea it contained.
“Motorrads (note: a two-wheeled vehicle, only to mean that it doesn’t fly) aren’t made to be used as tea tables,” Hermes murmured a complaint. “And what do you mean by the best place and time for a hammock nap? Not running a motorrad in this perfect weather is a sin, I say!”
Kino answered as she put down the empty cup on the grumbling Hermes.
“Likewise, it is a crime not to take an afternoon nap in a day with such fine weather.”
“Whatever. Just go and sleep on that hammock forever,” Hermes declared in resignation.
“Good idea… My journey has come to an end. Here I shall… sleep.”
“Fine, fine. It’s the end of ‘Kino’s journey’ —Ok, so what are you going to do from here on?”
“I told you I’m going to take my nap… with all my might.”
“Then? Do you plan to sleep until tomorrow morning?”
“Of course not. I’ll wake up by evening just before it becomes too cold.”
“Then what are you going to do when you wake up?”
“When I wake up… I’ll start my journey.”
“What? Start?”
“Hermes, what I mean is…”
Kino lightly placed her hat on top of her head, and covered her ears with its flaps. Only her mouth moved as she has finished her preparation for her nap.
“Pondering about ‘the end’ of my journey leads me to think that it would really be the end. And if by chance, I woke up and the next thing I do is to travel again, then that means an entirely new journey has begun.”
“But isn’t that just a different way of thinking about the same thing?”
“That’s right. But you know humans only form thoughts in one place—their heads.”
“I was sure you sometimes used your stomach to think, Kino.”
“Yeah, but there is an exception to everything. —Anyway, other than by conscious thoughts, a person’s circumstances also vary depending on his or her way of thinking.”
“Well it’s true that a situation becomes painful if someone thinks it is painful, and fun if someone thinks it is fun.”
“That’s right. Also, if you convince yourself that what you’re experiencing is the toughest ever, then you think of everything that comes after it as fun.”
“Okay, I do know that much, Kino. But so what?”
“What do you mean? That’s it.”
“Eh? Didn’t you start talking about these finicky stuff because you’re trying to prove a point?”
“Huh? Not really.”
“Then what was that about?”
“You see, when I think about complex stuff, I get sleepy…”
“In short, you only said all of that because you wanted to sleep!”
“Yeah.”
“…”
“So, my journey ends here. If this were a radio drama series, it will be the ‘last time’.”
“Whatever.”
“Once I wake up… the continuation will begin, so please wait until then.”
“Fine, I’ll wait. You can count on that! It won’t do for motorrads to not move around!”
“Don’t worry… humans can’t go around walking with all that luggage in tow either…”
“You better wake up! Once you wake up, we’ll get moving! Wake up, you hear!”
Kino grinned.
“All right… So… sweet dreams… Hermes…”
“Sweet dreams, Kino.”
And so Kino fell asleep.
Her sleeping face half-hid by her hat looked very much peaceful.
Even though he knew Kino wouldn’t hear him, Hermes whispered,
“Kino… our journey… has been so much fun.”
Roughly two hours later, Kino woke up and set off on a journey from this place—
And that is another story.
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