{"id":2954,"date":"2009-03-04T21:30:54","date_gmt":"2009-03-04T20:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jochenenglish.de\/?p=2954"},"modified":"2010-01-01T15:31:33","modified_gmt":"2010-01-01T14:31:33","slug":"enter-cat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jochenlueders.de\/?p=2954","title":{"rendered":"Enter Cat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Im Rah\u00admen ihrer phan\u00adtas\u00adti\u00adschen Fach\u00adar\u00adbeit<\/a> (PDF) \u00fcber den Roman After\u00add\u00adark<\/em> des japa\u00adni\u00adschen Autors Haru\u00adki Mura\u00adka\u00admi<\/a> (Ama\u00adzon) hat mei\u00adne LK-Sch\u00fc\u00adle\u00adrin Eli\u00adsa\u00adbeth Weber<\/strong> eine eige\u00adne Geschich\u00adte im Stil Mura\u00adka\u00admis geschrieben. <\/p>\n

Ein\u00adlei\u00adtend schreibt sie:<\/p>\n

After my ana\u00adly\u00adsis of After\u00add\u00adark<\/em><\/span>, I deci\u00added to wri\u00adte a sto\u00adry mys\u00adelf, that embraces Murakami\u2019s<\/span><\/span> cine\u00adma\u00adtic approach. I also tried to take up com\u00admon \u201c<\/span><\/span>Mura\u00adka\u00admi the\u00admes\u201d such as ali\u00aden\u00adati\u00adon, search for iden\u00adti\u00adty and gro\u00adwing up. It goes wit\u00adhout say\u00ading that unrea\u00adli\u00adstic ele\u00adments are included, as well as Murakami\u2019s affi\u00adni\u00adty to cats, music and refe\u00adren\u00adces to Wes\u00adtern cul\u00adtu\u00adre. Befo\u00adre I star\u00adted wri\u00adting, I read his \u201cins\u00adtruc\u00adtions\u201d:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Whe\u00adther in music or in fic\u00adtion, the most basic thing is rhythm. Your style needs to have good, natu\u00adral, ste\u00adady rhythm, or peo\u00adp\u00adle won\u2019t keep rea\u00adding your work. I lear\u00adned the importance of rhythm from music \u2014 and main\u00adly from jazz. Next comes melo\u00addy \u2014 which, in lite\u00adra\u00adtu\u00adre, means the appro\u00adpria\u00adte arran\u00adge\u00adment of the words to match the rhythm. If the way the words fit the rhythm is smooth and beau\u00adtiful, you can\u2019t ask for any\u00adthing more. Next is harm\u00ado\u00adny \u2014 the inter\u00adnal men\u00adtal sounds that sup\u00adport the words. Then comes the part I like best: free impro\u00advi\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon. Through some spe\u00adcial chan\u00adnel, the sto\u00adry comes wel\u00adling out free\u00adly from inside.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Enter Cat<\/h4>\n

Red. Cars are slo\u00adwing down, sque\u00adal\u00ading tires, hon\u00adking. The noi\u00adse aba\u00adtes. A wall of machi\u00adnes and metal. Hip-hop at high volu\u00adme. Green. The noi\u00adse is rising and the wall beg\u00adins to disper\u00adse, slow\u00adly, then fas\u00adter, until we can see the other side of the street, inter\u00adrupt\u00aded by traf\u00adfic. A girl of 15, may\u00adbe 16, is sit\u00adting at a bus stop. She\u2019s wea\u00adring Jeans, a green shirt and a black coat. We can\u2019t make out details, so we zoom in clo\u00adser and con\u00adcen\u00adtra\u00adte our visi\u00adon on her face only. To our sur\u00adpri\u00adse, there\u2019s a scar on her left cheek, but we find that she still looks pret\u00adty. Then the bus approa\u00adches and she stands up. The doors slide open and peo\u00adp\u00adle, young and old, rich and poor, are oozing out of the bus, going about their busi\u00adnesses. A woman kis\u00adses her hus\u00adband on the cheek befo\u00adre they part. New peo\u00adp\u00adle of all kinds sur\u00adge into the bus. Someone is try\u00ading to dodge the ticket, but the bus dri\u00adver, under con\u00adstant yel\u00adling, makes him pay. Final\u00adly, the bus dri\u00adves on. Sur\u00adpri\u00adsin\u00adgly, the girl is still stan\u00adding at the same spot, loo\u00adking some\u00adwhat irre\u00adso\u00adlu\u00adte. As she walks on hesi\u00adtant\u00adly, we deci\u00adde to fol\u00adlow her.<\/p>\n

After a while we rea\u00adli\u00adze that she is wal\u00adking to the beach. Slow\u00adly, she des\u00adcends the stairs that lead to the water. The rows of fold\u00aded para\u00adsols cast an army of shades that grows dar\u00adker by the minu\u00adte. Few peo\u00adp\u00adle strol\u00adling around. A life guard is on duty; next to the Ren\u00adtal & Shop<\/em> sits its owner.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi Tami!\u201d The man waves at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi Jacob. Can I have your equip\u00adment for an hour, or may\u00adbe one and a half? Please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s up with you? You know the beach is clo\u00adsing in 45 minu\u00adtes. And ever\u00ady\u00adbo\u00addy is alre\u00ada\u00addy off to the fes\u00adti\u00adval down\u00adtown any\u00adways. You should enjoy the party.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not the\u00adre, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the point. What I actual\u00adly mean to say is, I can\u2019t give it to you. In case some\u00adthing hap\u00adpens, the\u00adre won\u2019t be any qua\u00adli\u00adfied per\u00adson to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He glan\u00adces at the col\u00adlege life guard who is immer\u00adsed into a fashion magazine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you\u2019ve done that a zil\u00adli\u00adon times and I know I can trust you, but still\u2026it\u2019s my responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJake\u2026I thought we were fri\u00adends. Remem\u00adber when we went to the Mac Donald\u2019s and your ex-girlf\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, I owe you a favor. A big favor. But still\u2026Are you sure<\/em> you want to do this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. Abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly 100 % sure. Trust me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I have to then. Here\u2019s the keys\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks Jake, you\u2019re the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh shut up!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

After Tami has dis\u00adap\u00adpeared into the store, we turn to look at the red sea. Seagulls call out into the wide. Con\u00adcen\u00adt\u00adra\u00adting our spi\u00adrits, we free our minds, lea\u00adve gra\u00advi\u00adty behind and take to the ski\u00ades. Our point of view is that of a wide ang\u00adle came\u00adra tra\u00adve\u00adling through the air. Soft winds wave around, abo\u00adve, and through us. We draw in cir\u00adcles with the seagulls and gra\u00addu\u00adal\u00adly move away from the coast. The flas\u00adhing spot\u00adlight of a light\u00adhouse in the distance. The oce\u00adan below us. The land behind us.<\/p>\n

After a while, we hurt\u00adle back in one giant cir\u00adcu\u00adlar move\u00adment towards the beach, whe\u00adre we can see a slen\u00adder sil\u00adhou\u00adet\u00adte against the light, gent\u00adly gli\u00adding into the water. Whoe\u00adver it is, wears a giant back\u00adpack of some sort, and eager to find out more, we zoom in fur\u00adther, but the per\u00adson has alre\u00ada\u00addy dis\u00adap\u00adpeared into the water. In a ter\u00adri\u00adfy\u00ading run, we aim for the sea until we land on the sur\u00adface with a smack, and, ins\u00adtead of dwel\u00adling on the\u00adre, sink deeper and deeper. Fish, yel\u00adlow, white and red. Sea\u00adweed and gar\u00adba\u00adge. Darkness.<\/p>\n

Sud\u00adden\u00adly, a diver is approa\u00adching. We move back\u00adwards, con\u00adstant\u00adly wat\u00adching her. Again, we deci\u00adde to keep track on Tami, who is diving deeper, fast. The ground grows slimier, but she seems to be very used to the sinis\u00adter sur\u00adroun\u00addings. After a while, we make out a green glow in the distance. Tami beg\u00adins to swim hasti\u00adly towards it, as if pul\u00adled by a strong magne\u00adtic force. Our high-resol\u00adving came\u00adra eye makes out two distinct points of light now and after some fur\u00adther advan\u00adce, we can tell that they belong to a giant cat\u2019s face. Hor\u00adri\u00adfied, we wit\u00adness as Tami takes off her oxy\u00adgen mask and kis\u00adses the black beast on the snout. Wit\u00adhout war\u00adning, it opens up its tre\u00admen\u00addous mouth and, tog\u00ade\u00adther with Tami, we are being sucked inside.<\/p>\n

Our visi\u00adon is blur\u00adred and the jer\u00adky pic\u00adtu\u00adre trans\u00admit\u00adted to our eyes does not\u00adhing but con\u00adti\u00adnue being jer\u00adky. After a see\u00admingly end\u00adless time \u2013 like wat\u00adching a film in slow moti\u00adon \u2013 it gets ste\u00adady again. From a fixed \u2013 and hop\u00adeful\u00adly safer \u2013 came\u00adra ang\u00adle, we see Tami kne\u00ade\u00adling befo\u00adre an old man. Her head is res\u00adt\u00ading on his lap. A clo\u00adse-up of his face reve\u00adals that he is inde\u00aded very old, 85 at least. We can\u2019t see Tami\u2019s face, but our litt\u00adle micro\u00adpho\u00adne is recor\u00adding quiet sobs. We move clo\u00adser until we are able to cir\u00adcle around her face so that we can take in every detail of her skin, every sin\u00adgle tiny pore. Tears on her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen are you coming back?\u201d She is wee\u00adping hea\u00advi\u00adly, her body rocking back and forth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to come back now!\u201d We note anger in her voice. She sud\u00adden\u00adly stops crying and looks at the old man<\/p>\n

\u201cGrand\u00adpa, you pro\u00admi\u00adsed to come back! You can\u2019t just dis\u00adap\u00adpear and lea\u00adve me!\u201d<\/p>\n

The old man shows no indi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon that he has eit\u00adher unders\u00adtood or even heard what his grand\u00adchild was saying.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is so unfair. I\u2019ve been wai\u00adting for you every day sin\u00adce the day you left six weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

No reac\u00adtion. Sob\u00adbing. She sta\u00adres at him with a weird glan\u00adce. He looks like a sce\u00adne in a movie that has been acci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly pau\u00adsed. 24 pic\u00adtures per second that look exact\u00adly the same. The\u00adre is not even the sligh\u00adtest twitch of his eyes. Ten minu\u00adtes pass like this. Then Tami gets up and the giant mouth opens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI miss you. I\u2019ll be back. Good-Bye.\u201d<\/p>\n

She swims away wit\u00adhout loo\u00adking back, until we can\u2019t distin\u00adgu\u00adish her from the water any\u00admo\u00adre. Slow\u00adly, the mouth is clo\u00adsing. It beco\u00admes dar\u00adker until our came\u00adra records not\u00adhing but pitch-black.<\/p>\n

At the bus stop. Tami is sit\u00adting on the same seat as the day befo\u00adre. Jeans, red shirt, black coat, blue umbrel\u00adla. Rain\u00addrops gent\u00adly tap\u00adping on win\u00addows, cars, foot\u00ads\u00adteps. The bus arri\u00adves. Doors slide open and even more peo\u00adp\u00adle than yes\u00adter\u00adday pour out. Tami wat\u00adches careful\u00adly, but does not move. After a while, the bus lea\u00adves and Tami is sta\u00adring into not\u00adhing\u00adness. She walks on slow\u00adly, but then turns around and goes back to the bus stop on the other side of the street. Ten minu\u00adtes later she is on the bus, lea\u00adving the city behind. Through the win\u00addows we obser\u00adve our sur\u00adroun\u00addings. Cars, peo\u00adp\u00adle, trees, dogs, streets, birds, trees, more trees, a hor\u00adse, a few hou\u00adses, the ent\u00adrance to the forest. The bus comes to a halt. This is the last stop. Tami, a woman and we are the only ones left. Tami\u2019s shoes touch the ground. They rest for a split second, are being lifted up and set down again. She is wal\u00adking towards the forest.<\/p>\n

Our view\u00adpoint rises until Tami is just a tiny black dot on a field of green. We hang in the air abo\u00adve the forest. A shot. A bar\u00adking dog. Silence. Our came\u00adra noti\u00adces a second black dot which is coming from the forest, hur\u00adry\u00ading towards Tami. Worried, we zoom in hasti\u00adly and reco\u00adgni\u00adze the black cat from last night. Should we be reli\u00ade\u00adved? Should we be scared? We don\u2019t know, and wha\u00adte\u00adver the case may be, we can\u2019t help Tami any\u00adways. We are just a tool coll\u00adec\u00adting data. We can\u2019t intervene.<\/p>\n

Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, we still fol\u00adlow her as she walks into the forest. We get deeper and deeper, and the sun\u00adlight that shi\u00adnes through the trees covert\u00adly beco\u00admes less. After a while it is hard to make out the blue of the sky until it\u2019s impos\u00adsi\u00adble. To avo\u00adid stumb\u00adling, Tami rides on the cat and we fol\u00adlow sound\u00adless\u00adly, dit\u00adching bran\u00adches that cross our aeri\u00adal paths.<\/p>\n

\u201cOuch!\u201d At first we don\u2019t rea\u00adli\u00adze that it is Tami who hit her fore\u00adhead with a branch. We have to look up to her. We gain on her and sta\u00adre into two giant green eyes from below. Tami is alre\u00ada\u00addy on her feet again. She kis\u00adses the gigan\u00adtic crea\u00adtu\u00adre and is sucked insi\u00adde in a swirl. This time we deci\u00adde not to fol\u00adlow her. Ins\u00adtead we use the time to obser\u00adve in the natu\u00adre around us. Birds sin\u00adging, wild flowers in all varia\u00adti\u00adons, knot\u00adty roots, soft moss. Slow\u00adly, we move upwards, fly over the forest to the way that leads into it and wait.<\/p>\n

A girl is hop\u00adping out, car\u00adry\u00ading some\u00adthing in her arms. We know it is Tami with the cat, befo\u00adre we even reco\u00adgni\u00adze them. We move back\u00adwards, but she comes clo\u00adser fast, until the upper half of her body fills in the screen. The black cat, which has to our reli\u00adef shrun\u00adken to a nor\u00admal size, is pur\u00adring intri\u00adguin\u00adgly. They pass us and walk back to the bus stop. The next bus takes them to the city. We remain whe\u00adre we are and watch them disappear.<\/p>\n

As the the sun goes down, all is red again.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Im Rah\u00admen ihrer phan\u00adtas\u00adti\u00adschen Fach\u00adar\u00adbeit (PDF) \u00fcber den Roman After\u00add\u00adark des japa\u00adni\u00adschen Autors Haru\u00adki Mura\u00adka\u00admi (Ama\u00adzon) hat mei\u00adne LK-Sch\u00fc\u00ad\u00adle\u00adrin Eli\u00adsa\u00adbeth Weber eine eige\u00adne Geschich\u00adte im Stil Mura\u00adka\u00admis geschrieben. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[9,66],"class_list":["post-2954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alg","tag-literature","tag-short-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jochenlueders.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jochenlueders.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jochenlueders.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jochenlueders.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jochenlueders.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2954"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/jochenlueders.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2954\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4885,"href":"https:\/\/jochenlueders.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2954\/revisions\/4885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jochenlueders.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jochenlueders.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jochenlueders.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}