"The Blue Clock Tower" Mimei Ogawa

Sayoko had a habit of leaning against the railing on the second floor every evening, gazing out at the scenery. As the wind rustled through the vibrant green leaves, the twilight sky—blue like the sea—would begin to reveal twinkling stars. In the distance, the lights of the town flickered through the milky haze, creating a mesmerizing sight.

At the same time each day, a beautiful sound would float in from the direction of the distant town. Sayoko would listen closely, her heart captivated by the melody.

“What could that sound be? Where is it coming from?” she would mutter to herself, listening intently. As she stood there, the sun would set completely, the vast earth below would be wrapped in the colors of night, and one by one, the stars would begin to shine brightly. Gradually, the sound would fade away, disappearing without a trace.

The next evening, the sound would return once more. It was a lively melody, yet there was a tinge of sadness to it. It felt as though it stood apart from all other sounds, like a song being sung in solitude. Sayoko imagined that it must have traveled through various places, weaving its way to her, sometimes slipping past other noises. From the town, she could hear the clanging of streetcars and the distant whistles of trains.

Sayoko longed to go and find the source of this beautiful sound. However, being young and inexperienced, the thought of venturing so far from home in the evening filled her with fear, and she could never bring herself to go. But one day, before it got too late, she finally decided to muster her courage and hurriedly set out to find where the sound was coming from.

Sayoko stood still on the narrow path that wound through the grasslands, listening intently again and again. In the western sky, the clouds were faintly tinged with pink after the sun had set. When she arrived at the bustling town where streetcars clattered back and forth, the noise drowned out the beautiful sound she had been following. Realizing she had lost it, she quickly sought out a quieter place. Once she found peace again, she could hear the lovely melody more clearly, and without hesitation, she began walking briskly toward the source of the sound. Before long, night had fully fallen, and the moon rose high in the sky.

Sayoko found herself in a town she had never been to before. Western-style buildings lined the streets, and willows were planted along the avenues. Yet, despite its grandeur, the town was unusually quiet.

As she walked deeper into the town, a tall structure loomed before her—a clock tower. At the top, a large clock was illuminated by the moonlight, making the glass face of the clock glow an eerie blue. Below the tower, a window caught Sayoko’s eye. Inside, all manner of beautiful objects were displayed: golden and silver watches, rings, and gemstones of red, blue, and purple, sparkling like stars. Another window bathed the street below in a soft pink light, casting delicate hues across the cobblestones. The lovely sound Sayoko had been chasing was coming from inside this building.

The lively and warm atmosphere that seemed to radiate from the house filled Sayoko with the sense of spring, making her even more curious about what was happening inside. She approached the window and, using a stone as a step, lifted her small body to peer through.

Inside, the room was beautifully decorated. A large lamp cast a soft glow, and glass flowers, tinged with pink, hung from above. In the center of the room was a grand table, adorned with vases that seemed to be made of crystal, holding fiery red tulips and fragrant white roses.

Seated in a comfortable chair at the table was an elderly man with a white beard, his face lit with joy. Beside him were three beautiful sisters. One played a large piano, another strummed a mandolin, and the third sang with a high, clear voice. When the song ended, cheerful laughter filled the room, and everyone began talking happily. The old man, his face beaming with delight, narrowed his eyes in contentment as he looked lovingly at each of the three daughters in turn.

Sayoko realized that there are indeed families in this world that are filled with joy and beauty. She reminded herself that she needed to return home before it got too late. As she stepped away from the window and glanced back, the tall, blue clock tower was bathed in the flowing moonlight. As she left the town and retraced her steps along the narrow path through the fields, she once again heard that beautiful melody drifting toward her from the distant town, threading its way through the various noises of the night.

From the following day onward, whenever Sayoko stood by the second-floor railing and listened to the enchanting melody, she would imagine the three dutiful daughters beneath the blue clock tower, playing the piano, singing, and strumming the mandolin to bring comfort to their aging father. She would picture the beautifully decorated room, just as she had seen it before.

One day, however, the melody that usually came from the town sounded unusually sad, filled with sorrow. Sayoko, wondering what had happened, decided once again to make the journey to find out.

This time, Sayoko reached the town without losing her way. The moon was slightly waning, but its pale, flowing blue light still illuminated the clock tower, which stood tall against the night sky. Sayoko made her way to the familiar window and stood on the stone once more, peering inside. The room looked exactly the same as before, but now the old father lay on a bed beside the large table. The three daughters, who had once been so full of joy and laughter, now wore worried expressions on their faces.

The father pointed weakly toward the safe, saying something to his daughters. The eldest daughter walked over to the safe, opened it, and brought back a box filled with gold coins, placing it next to her father’s pillow. The father spoke again, then slowly lifted himself halfway out of the bed, dividing the coins among his three daughters with his frail hands.

Watching this scene, Sayoko felt a deep sadness welling up inside her. As she made her way back home, she couldn’t help but think about how, one day, she too would have to say goodbye to her father and mother.

As always, the familiar, beautiful melody drifted from the direction of the town. The milky glow of the Milky Way softly flowed across the sky like a dream, and the stars gleamed like pearls. That night, however, the music from the town sounded livelier and more intricate than ever before. Sayoko felt the urge to visit again.

She made her way to the familiar window, stood on the stone, and peered inside. The scene within had completely changed. The room was even more beautiful, decorated with even rarer and more splendid objects than before. In addition to the three daughters, there were now four or five young gentlemen she had never seen before. They played instruments and sang songs. The daughters, now dressed in even more elegant attire, looked more beautiful than ever. The room was not only filled with a variety of blooming flowers, but the lighting had also changed—besides the pink lamp, there was now a green one as well, creating a feeling of having entered a paradise.

However, there was one thing that struck Sayoko: the father’s figure was nowhere to be seen. The young men and women sang and spoke to each other in joyous voices, pulling one another into dances.

On her way home that night, Sayoko couldn’t stop thinking. “How can they all be so merry, enjoying themselves like that?” The thought lingered in her mind, filling her with a sense of wonder and confusion.

From that night onward, every time she heard the beautiful music drifting from the town, Sayoko couldn’t shake the feeling of mystery that now accompanied it.

As summer, once burning red like fire, began to fade away, the swallows prepared to cross the sea and return to the far-off land of eternal summer in the south. One evening, Sayoko went out to the second-floor railing, intending to listen to the familiar melody while gazing at the clear, cool starlight. But, strangely, the music she had grown used to was absent. The next night, too, the sound was nowhere to be heard.

Puzzled, Sayoko decided to visit the town again. When she arrived, she found the house tightly shuttered, with a sign posted at the front that read “For Sale.” The tall clock tower still stood, piercing the blue sky, and the early autumn stars reflected coldly in the glass of the clock face.