Chapter Nineteen – The Telephone Call
Evening. A view at ground level of a railway track. A passenger train suddenly roars by, the wheels clickety-clack, the stone ballast chippings on the track jump and clatter as it passes.
Cut to:
Interior of the train. Seiji and Shizuku are tired. Shizuku is dozing and cuddled up to him. Seiji wears his fretful face and stares out the window, worrying away at some problem. We see his face reflected in the glass.
Cut to:
An outside shot of Seiji's face looking at the passing countryside blankly. The train is moving a little faster than the camera that's tracking the shot and Seiji's face at the window moves more and more to the right of frame and the angle of view becomes more acute until we can no longer see him and the train draws past us. The camera slows to a trackside position watching the train recede into the distance. It has a red flashing lamp on the rear coach. It disappears into the evening twilight. The sky is growing dark. Apart from the chirping of cicadas, all is quiet and still. Then on the far side of the track there is movement. A fox appears through some long grasses at the trackside fence. It stops and sniffs the air. Then looking around it runs across the tracks stepping nimbly over the rails. It vanishes into the bushes on the near side.
Cut to:
Inside the train. Night. The train rattles along. Outside the window a huge red harvest moon has risen over the misty fields. Seiji watches it, frowning.
Seiji: "What are you? A guiding light, a lantern leading me on, or something else? Some other force I don't understand?"
Cut to:
The courtyard back in Cremona. Seiji and Shizuku are saying goodnight to the other students, who go in the school. The couple wait until the others have gone. Before they can say their goodnights, the school door opens again. The old caretaker, Signore Fabrizio is there.
Fabrizio: "Signorino Amasawa?"
Seiji: "Si?"
Fabrizio: "Presto, c'è una telefonata per voi, è vostro padre, il Signor Amasawa."
Seiji: "Grazie, grazie." (he turns to Shizuku) "My father phoned earlier, I should call him back."
Shizuku: "Oh." (she looks fearful. Telephone calls at this distance when Seiji would be home soon anyway – they can never be good news).
Cut to:
The hallway of the violin school. It's a magnificent place, all polished stone floors and dark wood panelling. On a small table at the foot of a staircase is an old style black telephone with a dial, not buttons. Signore Fabrizio offers Seiji the phone. Seiji picks up the handset, thinks a moment about the international code for Japan, then dials. He's not familiar with dial phones and messes it up. He puts the receiver down and redials. Fabrizio may be a bit mad but at least he's a true gentleman. He retires to another room out of earshot. Shizuku comes close to Seiji, worried.
Seiji: "Hello? Yes, hello, father? It's Seiji."
We hear a man's voice, tinny with distance.
Seiji: "When?"
Seiji puts one hand on the banister at the foot of the staircase, he seems to lean into it for support. We hear the tinny voice again.
Seiji: "Well, how is he?"
More voice. Seiji turns and sits down heavily on the bottom stair. Shizuku comes up and squats before him. She puts a hand on his knee and gazes up into his face.
Seiji (his voice has taken on an odd wavering tone): "I think I should come straight home. Yes? Yes, I'll come. Tomorrow – or as soon as I can get a plane seat. Alright, yes. Thank you, thank you." (he looks at Shizuku) "Yes, I think two seats. Can you arrange that for us? Thanks. How is mother? OK, well, yes. I'll be there as soon as I can."
A pause.
Seiji: "Dad? If anything happens, you know, if there is more… news… you'll phone me straight away, yes? Look, take this number…" (Seiji gives a phone number) "…yes that's the Japan Airlines desk at Milan airport. Phone there if I have left, they should be able to get a message to me. OK, dad, yes, sure, I understand. Goodbye."
Seiji puts down the phone. Shizuku looks at him more worried than ever. Seiji slowly puts his elbows on his knees, and rests his forehead in his hands. He slides his fingers up through his hair. Shizuku gets up and sits next to him on the stair, she puts an arm around him. There is a long moment of silence.
Seiji (talking down to the floor): "It's grandpa. He's collapsed. A heart attack. He's really ill. I have to leave for home right away."
Shizuku puts her other arm around the boy and holds him. Silently, his shoulders begin to shake. Shizuku holds on tight.