121."The next day，my father came to my school for me.I noticed he appeared much older just out of sudden，with plenty of white hair on his temples.That day，we held each other and cried for long.My father told me he would return to America the next day，and encouraged me to work hard and live well.And also，he promised he would return frequently to see me.
122."At that moment，I almost lost my control to follow my father and go to America with him.But I did it anyhow，following my mom's will to say good-bye once again to my father.
123."That day，I told my father，‘Don't blame me，my dear father.Please forgive me.I'll see you off，I love you，dad，I'll miss you every day.
124."Once again，my father's eyes were full of tears，and I knew they were completely for me this time.He murmured，‘You have the same individuality as your mother.You're just like her.' When he left the school，I escorted him for a long way.
125."At the moment when we bade each other farewell，my father took a key out of a pocket of his jacket，and gave it to me.My father told me that he'd bought a front shop for me，and that I could go to him for help if I had any trouble，and that he would be my father all the time.
126."My father bought this front shop just expecting I could be independent after I graduated from the vocational school.Following my father's wish，I opened this hairdressing shop after my graduation，and named it Bacon's Hairdressing."
127.With these words，Mieko took a thick pile of letters out of the book cabinet，and opened them one after one skillfully，explaining the contents of each letter in details."My father had been concerned with me all those years，and that was solicitude from the bottom of heart.Although he had shown enormous heartfelt solicitude，given numerous warm greetings，and paid visits by travelling long distances，I refused him with hatred.Every time I was so cold and indifferent.I'd hurt him deeply."
128."Then what afterwards？" Kyuutarou Hibachi asked earnestly.
129."Such situation continued until the last moment when my father was dying.In serious illness，he phoned me to tell me his last situation.Driven by my consciousness，I went to America to see my father in hospital.He was extremely weak at that time，but he held my hand，trying hard to sit up and talk with me.
130."In fact，I could tell that my father did so because he did not want me to see his poor conditions.But his efforts made me even more sorrowful.
131."Holding my hand，my father told me，‘I'm so happy you can come to see me，for there is still a gush of passion at the bottom of your heart.One reason may be the consanguinity，of course，for nothing can stop such consanguine connection.
132."I love you，my sweet daughter，but I yearn for and love your mother even much more.Your mother loved me，but since she found the medal for the Hiroshima nuclear explosion，I'd disappointed her，and she chose to leave.Not until today did I understand that she had overcome a selfish love with an unselfish one.She left me without any resentment，and without any quarrels or requests，and left this world without any hatred at heart.Your mother was looking for my lost soul，and redeemed me for my sins committed to the mankind.But it's a pity that I came to know it too late.I'd even cursed her and blamed her，now it's too late，I can only go and find her at the place of the God and repent face to face with her...
133."Two days later，my father died.Among his remains，I found a thick album，which contained many pictures of my parents when they were young.In the pictures，my mother was held by my father，with face full of happiness and passions.She knew how deeply that man loved her.
134."Watching these pictures，I would be jealous of my mother sometimes，envying her for her being deeply loved by such a man.Although she had abandoned him，although she had hurt him so deeply with her indifference，and although she had prevented him from seeing his own child，he loved her still the same.She was so happy a woman，she was so enviable.If you could love me and treat me like my father did to my mother，Kyuutarou Hibachi，I'd rather die…"
135.Before she could finish her words，her mouth was covered by Kyuutarou Hibachi's.He held her excitedly，"Don't say so，please.I'd learn the example of your father." Numberless kisses fell upon Mieko's charming cheeks，and increasing heat stripped their clothes one after another.The light was turned off once again，and the tatami twittered all night without a break.
4
136.As Mieko desired，their wedding was held at a church before long.Kyuutarou Hibachi put his mother's jade bracelet on Mieko's wrist.In Kyuutarou Hibachi's words，it would be all right no matter where the wedding was held，so long as he was the bridegroom.His words aroused laughter among Mieko's friends，who remarked enviously that he was fooling.
137.At the wedding，Mieko met man friends of Kyuutarou Hibachi.Except his schoolmates，more of them were some people who regarded him as their big brother.That scared Mieko slightly，for she finally came to knew he had a very high position among them.Stealthily，she made up her mind to dissuade him.
138.For more than one year after the wedding，Kyuutarou Hibachi loved and took care of Mieko in a style which was completely unconventional in Japan.The couple worked hard to build their common foundation of love.In Mieko's memory，Kyuutarou did not go home after idling at bistro even for once，nor did he not phone Mieko if he had to work overtime.
139.Mieko was deep in happiness.As soon as he was back at home after work，Kyuutarou would help her with her business，and she always seized tools out of his hands，pressed him into a seat and asked him to have a rest now that he had kept busy for a whole day long.