It had taken a long time to make it from Nakano Ward to the entrance to the Tomei Highway. He'd never been out of Nakano before, and had no idea where the highway was. He had a special pass for the city bus line he could use, but he'd never ridden by himself on the subway or train, where you needed to buy a ticket.

It was just before ten a. m. when he packed a change of clothes, a toilet kit, and some snacks in his bag, carefully put the cash he'd hidden under the tatami in a money belt for safekeeping, and then, the large umbrella in hand, left his apartment. When he asked the city bus driver how he could get to the highway, the man laughed.

"This bus only goes to Shinjuku Station. City buses don't go on the highway. You'll have to take a highway bus."

"Where can I get a highway bus that goes on the To-mei Highway?"

"Tokyo Station," the driver replied. "Take this bus to Shinjuku Station, then take a train to Tokyo Station, where you can buy a reserved-seat ticket. The buses there will take you to the Tomei Highway."

Nakata wasn't at all sure what he meant, but went ahead and took the bus as far as Shinjuku. But when he got there he was overwhelmed. The massive station was jammed with people, and he had trouble moving through the crowds. There were so many train lines, too, that he couldn't figure out which one went to Tokyo Station. Since he couldn't read the signs, he asked a few passersby, but their explanations were too fast, too complicated, and full of place-names he didn't recognize. I might as well be talking to Kawamura, Nakata thought to himself. There was always a police box to ask directions at, but he was afraid they'd mistake him for a senile old person and take him into custody, something he'd experienced once before. As he wandered around near the station the exhaust and noise got to him and he started to feel sick. Avoiding the crowded sidewalks, he found a small park set between two high-rise buildings and sat down on a bench.

Nakata was at a complete loss. He sat there, muttering occasionally, rubbing the top of his close-cropped head. There wasn't a cat to be seen in the park. There were plenty of crows, though, squawking down and rummaging through the trash baskets. Nakata looked up at the sky a few times, and from the sun's position could guess the approximate time. Because of all the exhaust, perhaps, the sky was covered in a strange color.

At noon, office workers from the nearby buildings flooded out to eat lunch in the park. Nakata ate the bean-jam buns he'd brought with him, washing them down with hot tea from his thermos. Two young women sat down together on the bench besides his, and he decided to talk to them. How can I get to the To-mei Highway? he asked. They told him the same thing the city bus driver had said. Take the Chuo Line to Tokyo Station, then a Tomei Highway bus.

"Nakata tried that but it didn't work," Nakata admitted. "I've never been out of Nakano Ward before. So I don't know how to take the train. I just know how to ride the city bus. I can't read, so I can't buy a ticket. I took the city bus here, but don't know how to go any farther."

You can't read?! they asked, astonished. He seemed like a harmless enough old man. A nice smile, dressed neatly. Carrying an umbrella on such a fine day like this was a bit odd, but he didn't appear to be homeless. A pleasant face, especially those bright-looking eyes.

"You really mean to say you've never been outside Nakano Ward?" the girl with black hair asked.

"Yes. I've tried not to ever go out of it. If Nakata got lost, there's nobody who'd come looking for me."

"And you can't read," said the other girl, the one with dyed brownish hair.

"That's right. I can't read at all. I can understand simple numbers, but can't add."

"Hmm. I imagine it would be hard for you to take a train."

"Yes, it's very hard. I can't buy a ticket."

"If we had time we could take you to the station and make sure you get on the right train, but we have to get back to work soon. I'm really sorry."

"No, no need to apologize. I'll figure it out somehow."

"I've got it!" the girl with black hair exclaimed. "Didn't Togeguchi over in sales say he had to go to Yokohama today?"

"Yes, now that you mention it. He'd help out if we asked him. He's a little on the gloomy side, but not a bad guy, really," the brown-haired girl said.

"Since you can't read, maybe it'd be better to hitchhike," the black-haired girl said.

"Hitchhike?"

"Ask for a ride from somebody. Mostly it ends up being rides with long-haul truckers. Regular cars don't pick up hitchhikers much."

"Nakata's not sure what long-haul truckers are."

"As long as you go there it'll work out. I hitchhiked once when I was in college. Truck drivers are all nice guys."

"How far are you going on the Tomei Highway?" the brown-haired girl asked.

"Nakata doesn't know," Nakata replied.

"You don't know?"

"I'll know when I get there. So I'll start out going west on the To-mei Highway. After that I'll think about where I'll go. Anyhow, I have to go west."

The two girls looked at each other, but Nakata's words were strangely persuasive and they found themselves feeling kindly toward the old man. They finished their lunches, tossed their empty cans in the trash, and stood up.

"Why don't you come with us?" the black-haired girl said. "We'll figure something out."

Nakata followed them into a nearby building. He'd never been in such a large building before. The two girls had him sit at a bench next to the reception desk, then spoke with the receptionist and told Nakata to wait there for a while. They disappeared into one of the elevator banks in the lobby. As Nakata sat there, umbrella and canvas bag in hand, office workers streamed back inside after their lunch hour. Another scene he'd never laid eyes on before in his life. As if by mutual consent, all the people were well dressed-ties, shiny briefcases, and high heels, everyone rushing off in the same direction. For the life of him Nakata couldn't understand what so many people like this could possibly be up to.

After a time the two girls were back, acccompanied by a gangly young man wearing a white shirt and striped tie.

"This is Mr. Togeguchi," the brown-haired girl said. "He's about to drive to Yokohama. And he said he'll take you with him. He'll drop you at the Kohoku parking lot on the Tomei Highway, and hopefully you'll be able to find another ride there. Just go around telling people you want to go west, and when someone gives you a ride be sure to buy them a meal when you stop somewhere. Do you follow?"

"But do you have enough money for that?" the black-haired one asked.

"Yes, I have enough."

"Mr. Nakata's a friend of ours, so be nice to him," the brown-haired girl said to Togeguchi.

"If you'll be nice to me," the young man replied timidly.

"One of these days…," the black-haired one said.

As they were saying good-bye, the girls said, "Here's a little going-away present. For when you get hungry." They handed him some rice balls and a bar of chocolate they'd bought at a convenience store.

"I don't know how to thank you enough for all you've done," Nakata said. "I'll be praying that good things happen to you both."

"I hope your prayers come true," the brown-haired one said as her companion giggled.

The young man, Togeguchi, had Nakata sit in the passenger seat of the Hi-Ace van, then drove down the Metropolitan Highway and onto the Tomei. The roads were backed up, so the two of them talked about all kinds of things as they inched along. Togeguchi was bashful, and didn't say much at first, but after he got used to having Nakata with him he started talking, to the point where it wound up less a conversation than a running monologue. There were a lot of things he wanted to talk about, and he found it easy to open up to a stranger like Nakata, whom he'd never see again. He explained that he'd broken up with his fiancée a few months ago. She'd had another boyfriend she'd been secretly seeing all the while. He said he didn't get along well with his bosses at work and was thinking of quitting. His parents had gotten divorced when he was in junior high, and his mother soon got remarried to some sleazeball. He'd lent money from his savings to a friend who didn't give any indication he'd be repaying him anytime soon. And the college student who lived in the apartment next door blasted his music so loud he couldn't get much sleep.