It was a mid-winter trip. Freezing cold, I remember.
So we had some hot noodles.
And. Uh... a chocolate-covered banana?
We borrowed this car.
All the punks staring at us made me real nervous.
The aquarium.
It was closed.
The seaside.
A seashell.
A busted light-bulb.
Man this takes me back!
The love hotel we stayed in. It was her idea, not mine
Um...
Oh. That book... Josee was always reading it.
'In a Month, In a Year'...
How many years has it been?
Hey, 'Brother'...
Sit in for me, will you?
Uh. Sure.
Boss, can I sit in here?
We don't mind, do we?
Sorry. I've got the runs.
She sure is one weird old lady...
Yeah!
I see her all the time.
About dawn, when I'm going home. This old lady shuffling along.
...pushing this falling-apart old baby carriage.
It gives me the creeps
What's she got in the baby carriage?
A grand-kid, maybe?
What are you talking about? She's been doing it for ten years!
A mummy, then.
A mummy?
Her grand-kid, who died ten years ago.
And then she lost her mind.
You're crazy.
That old lady? She's a messenger.
They say she runs stuff for some crime syndicate.
Is that true?!
That's the rumor.
She's carrying something?
Yeah?
Cash.
No, drugs.
You're kidding!
I should go check her out. Where does she walk?
Thanks man.
What?
What's going on?
'Earthly Hand' and '13 Orphans'...
A perfect hand...
The first time I've ever had one.
Why when I was just sitting in?
Tsuneo
Don't let any stray mutts get near her
Mimi's a virgin, you know.
Yeah, yeah...
And don't you go taking her to a hotel yourself.
Yeah. Right!
Kumiko!
Young man...
...see if she's all right.
Kumiko!
No!
It wasn't him!
That low-life!
That thug!
You've come out of your way
The girl's legs are bad She can't walk
Cerebral palsy, one doctor said.
Then another doctor said it wasn't
We never did find out.
But still she wants me to take her out for walks
For me...
...I don't want people knowing I have a grand-daughter like this.
That's why I always go out around this time...
...so not many people will see her.
We live here
Will you eat?
Sorry?
Breakfast
Uh, well, you know...
'No. Thanks'?
It's just that... I'm kind of at work.
Thank you.
Oh. I couldn't...
Thanks.
Thank you.
Uh...
...this omelet is great.
Sure it is.
I made it. Nothing I make tastes bad.
But you might get sick later
There's chicken shit on the eggshells.
Salmonella.
Salmonella?
Salmonella causes 40 per cent of all food poisoning cases.
You're in university and you don't even know that?
Screw-ups? They happen all the time.
Oh, damn.
The senior was looking all over for it...
...and here I was going 'Hey. Man don't look at me! '
You're funny.
Yeah?
Have you got time later?
Why?
I need to ask about something.
Me? Why?
Why not?
Here Tsuneo
The tapes you lent us. Thanks.
Yeah. Thanks a lot.
Sorry to keep them so long.
These aren't mine!
Wait, wait! Keep still!
Wait, I said!
So what was it all about?
What was what about?
Kanae.
She wanted to know if she should become a social worker.
Aw isn't that sweet! She would, wouldn't she.
So what did you tell her?
I said I thought it was a great idea.
Why'd you say that?
Well, you know... she's cute.
I just had to tell her she was a sweetheart.
Out comes the secret weapon
What's that?
She looks up at you. Tilts her head 45 degrees...
...and says, 'I'd really like to talk to you about something.'
There isn't a guy I know who could resist that.
She broke up with her boyfriend.
Now she's playing the field.
You could fuck her.
Yeah?
And she's got big tits.
What are you grinning about?
Nothing.
Don't look so happy!
Tits, huh.
I didn't touch the baby carriage.
I just went to look in it and the old woman let go.
Causing trouble again!
What was in it?
Don't know. Now I want to see even more.
Sounds like he is after the money.
I'd be careful. You might come out worse than you even do at mah jong.
Look...
...what are you old farts talking about?!
I'm just making small talk!
Next time he'll attack her.
Tell the old lady to watch out.
You ate there didn't you?
The food was great.
Who's there?
It's me
Me.
It's me
The guy who had breakfast with you the other day.
What do you want?
Did somebody go after you again?
Was it a young guy?
An old one
Not a young guy with a thick face?
A fat little old man.
What? Who's he?
But fought back with my knife
drew blood, and he took off as fast as he could
You told the police?
The police?
Maybe you should stop taking those walks.
I can't do that.
Why not?
There's things I have to see
Like what?
Flowers.
And cats.
Flowers and cats?
Don't laugh!
But flowers and cats?
Your poor Gran!
What the hell?!
I got down.
You ought to think of a better way to get down.
Who's that?
Uh, hello.
He's back for another meal
Oh, it's you again
I like cucumber.
It's not pickled yet.
That smells good.
She keeps diving onto the floor.
Diving?
It's true!
Like it was a mosh pit at a rock show.
I'm afraid she break her neck one day.
You were thinking about social work...
...so I came to you.
I'm glad you did.
Anyway...
...the hand capped should have their homes made barrier free
Handrails, no steps.
...and the bathroom floor raised to level.
Don't think they have any money.
There's government assistance.
The amount varies from person to person.
Is she registered as being handicapped?
What's wrong?
Huh?
Uh. Nothing.
Is she registered? I don't know.
I'll check things out.
You will? Thanks a lot
You got hurt. Didn't you.
In second year.
Yeah.
Was it hard to quit rugby?
I don't know... It wasn't that important.
But you liked it, didn't you?
I don't know...
I don't brood over what I can't change.
It just makes you tired.
No.
I can't.
I'm going.
See you.
I wish Mom wouldn't send all the food to my place.
She knows I'd just let it rot.
This devil's-tongue's great.
Pollack roe! Excellent!
I wrapped it for you Keep it in the fridge.
Aw, ain't that nice!
Want some carrots?
Nah.
Wait a minute. Give me some.
Why? You don't cook.
Divvy up all the veggies.
Aw, man!
Takashi!
Aren't you done yet?
Just about!
Don't you ever go back to your place? You're wasting rent.
I can't be bothered. All my clothes are here, too.
Ohu
No!
My parents sent me all this stuff.
Vegetables, miso paste.
You can have it if you want.
I don't really cook.
It's really good stuff.
Make lots of rice.
You've got your nerve!
Slice that eek
Yes, ma'am!
Don't worry I washed the blood off.
You stabbed him with this?
I'll be in trouble if they do a Luminol test
A 'Luminol test'?
A criminal might clean-up the bloodstains
But if the police lab puts down Luminol...
...it reacts with blood traces to give off a blue light.
You sure know a lot.
By the way, what's your name, anyway?
Josee.
No your real name.
'Josee'. Like I said.
Your Gran called you 'Kumiko'.
Why did you ask if you already knew?
'Josee'...
'Josee'... it's got a ring to it.
What? Taste it?
Thanks.
It's great. Really good
Thank you!
'I'm stuffed!
Gran gets them for me out of the garbage.
All of them?
Your neighbors read some weird things.
I've read them so often I've memorized them.
That's why you know a those weird things.
Tell me...
...could I buy a Tokarev pistol somewhere?
What for?
Self-defense.
No, you couldn't.
'The Chinese-made version is now so common...
'... the black-market price has fallen more than 50 per cent.'
I'm sure I could find one.
No, you couldn't!
Are you sure I couldn't buy a Tokarev?
'By Francoise Sagan'...
You know Sagan?!
Just the name.
There's a sequel to this book. Do you know the title?
No.
Ohu
You want it?
I've been waiting for someone to throw out a copy
But no one has.
Sagan. Sagan. Sagan...
'The Wonderful Clouds'.
Deleted
Oh... it's out of print.
You can't buy it?
'Fraid not.
I see
I don't know if you'd have any luck...
You'd have to check out the used-book stores.
It says right here. 'deleted'
"One day you will not love him any more..."
"...Bernard said softly".
"And one day doubtless, I will not love you any more, either".
"And we will be alone once more, and in that be alike."
'"And another year will have gone by."
"I know," said Josee.
So Josee is the heroine of those books?
She's not listening.
You found it in a used-book store?
I thought I'd try to find it, and I did. Only 50 yen.
'How old had she been?
'Fourteen or fifteen perhaps?
'She had often lain beneath that poplar...
... her feet up against the trunk...
'... gazing up at its numberless leaves swaying above her In the breeze.
'A high wind still blew as if to carry away...
'... the slender trees that bowed their heads in unison before it.'
Hey...
She smiled!
Magic marker...
Thanks.
Get in.
You go Tae.
OK?
It's the old pervert!
Yeah, the pervert!
Don't call me that or I'll touch your titties.
Look out! It's a pervert! Call him names
Pervert!
Go away!
Pervert!
Look.
You mean now?
Gran won't like it if I go out now.
She's asleep!
Come on!
How's basketball?
Good.
How did the team do in the tournament?
We got through the qualifying round.
Like it?
This is fun!
Go!
No bicycle is going to beat us!
Whoops!
Josee?
Josee? Are you all right?
Are you OK?!
Do you want to kill me?
Did you hit somewhere? Are you hurt?
You know. I'd really like to take that cloud home with me...
Here?
His name's Koji.
Go get him.
Who is he?
My son
Son?
How's it going? Where's the old lady?
Not here.
She's dead?
She's alive. At home.
It'd be no loss if the old bitch kicked off.
Your eczema better?
No, mind your own business.
Is that any way to talk to your mother?
I've got a mother and it isn't you, dumb-ass!
Listen...
...you know what a Tokarev is?
Huh? A Tokarev?
Made in China.
How would I know, dumb-ass?
Aren't they Russian?
The magazine said Chinese.
He's right. They're Russian.
You shut up.
Don't talk to him like that!
Shut up! I kick your ass!
You shut up!
Who the fuck are you?
No one. Just a friend.
Sorry.
A fine mess you could have gotten us into!
What if the neighbors saw her?
We didn't see anyone from the neighborhood.
Just who do you think you are?
You're damaged goods.
What's damaged will never be made whole.
I'm sorry, young man, but I'd like you to leave.
When a girl who's no use to anyone starts acting like she was normal...
...there's trouble!
The granny from hell!
What are you looking at?!
I'll Kick your ass!
Hey, aren't you the guy that was with Kumiko?
That girl's nuts in the head.
Years ago she just started calling herself my mother.
Why?
I don't know!
To piss me off.
We were in the same orphanage when we were kids.
I just got so sick of hearing that word...
Mommy!
'Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! '
All those assholes.
The only ones who didn't keep calling their mothers...
... were me and her.
I had enough so I decided to get out of there.
I took her with me.
Hey...
I'll be your mother.
What are you talking about?!
I'll smack you in the head!
I'll kick your ass!
Don't piss me off!
The renovations are free, I tell you!
The city pays for it.
You apply and a month later it's done.
I really think you should.
It's free!
It's too good to be true.
I'm not fooled.
OK, I'll apply for you, all right?
Gran! Gran!
Isn't it great? Things will be so much easier.
It seems like an awful waste for just one old lady...
Where's the grand-daughter?
Hiding, probably. The old lady doesn't want people to know.
Three days to do a this? You work fast.
We're right on schedule.
You said you were graduating this year, didn't you?
Yes
I was just thinking how impressed was...
...with your willingness to volunteer like this.
I wouldn't call it that...
What?
Were you here all along?
Yeah.
What's that? A textbook?
Yeah.
From the garbage?
When the new school year starts, everyone throws out last year's texts.
Gran always goes and collects them.
I didn't go to school.
'Kanai Haruki'
A guy who lives around here, I guess.
'Modern Japanese'. That takes me back.
What's this?!
It was with his textbooks
What is Kanai Haruki reading?! He's only in high school!
He probably graduated He might be in university now.
He's an idiot though His writing's full of mistakes.
Show me...
He mixes up the 'show' radical and the 'clothes' one.
And the three strokes in 'visit' slant the wrong way.
'Visit'...
Oh these three strokes...
Yeah. And then...
Hello?
What's going on?
Sorry to barge in.
Thought I might come and observe.
Oh. I see
'Observe'...
How do you do. I'm studying social work.
Come in and look around.
All right.
Ask what you like.
Thank you.
She's observing. Let her look around.
Sorry to bother you.
Your girlfriend?
Huh?
She's gorgeous!
It's not like that.
Words fail me.
I Found out a lot.
Yeah?
Oh. Hello.
That's the girl? The one with all the energy?
Uhm, ah yeah!
The one who dives everywhere?
That I'd like to see.
You going to 3rd period?
Yeah.
Who is it?
Me.
Is someone there?
What do you want?
Uh, nothing...
bought some octopus dumplings.
Josee?
Shut up!
Kumiko!
Stop it!
Kumiko!
Hello?
Josee?
Gran! Open the door!
Hello? Gran?
Gran...
Young man!
Young man please...
...don't come here any more.
The girl is damaged goods.
She's not someone...
...a man like you can do anything to help.
Goodbye.
All the best to you.
Aren't they cute?
Take some dog food, too.
What's with the tie?
Job interviews.
Here you go.
My kid is going to love this!
I appreciate you taking him.
You have to find them homes?
The puppies are easy. It's the mother who's the problem.
Yeah. Your boss doesn't love her any more.
Only virgins for him.
No wonder he's never gotten married.
Kissy-kissy!
Aren't you a sweetie!
A dog's life, huh?
There's a barbecue on Saturday...
Yeah?
You want to go?
Saturday...
Sounds like fun...