Fredwarshi no Ahiru

Volume 1 Part 3

Carnival Girl

Translation in English by Y.W 
natane@geocities.com 
This translation may not be 100% accurate as I tried to make the whole thing "flow" better and 
because my Japanese is by no mean perfect! :) 
8:06 AM 11/28/98

Big thank you to - Lisa Yannucci"  for informing me about the Mother Goose rhyme.

Key 

{ }  = labels placed by the author
[ ]  = action by characters
( )  = speech bubble/ thought 
< >  = sound

______________

Kevin		(The overwhelming storm like work load ended a month ago. I haven't gone out or
		work on my next story. As a writer, a holiday without purpose is tedious. When
		I want to eat, I eat, when I want to daydream, I day dreamed. I need more 
		challenge.)
		
		Owww!!

Rosemary  	[appears brandishing a duster]
		Then look for a human friend then! 

Kevin		Rosemary!

Rosemary	The only thing you've been doing is talk to yourself. 

Kevin		Me? Talk to myself?

Rosemary	If you can't remember it means you're getting old Kevin,

Kevin		(God, I'm still young) Since when did you know this?

Rosemary	Since the beginning.

Kevin		(Maybe Rosemary is the only house keeper who also happens to be a duck in this
		 world. She's also very meddlesome.)

Rosemary	You smoke too much as well Kevin.

Kevin		(Me talk to myself? *offended*)
		You didn't complain when I smoked while I was working.

Rosemary	I didn't want to bother you when you were working, but now you're resting. Your
		health is my priority...hmmm. 
		{A housekeeper's sense pride is very high}
		Go and walk some where, breathe some fresh air!
		[literally kicks him out].
		Don't catch a cold here's your jacket.

Kevin		I have low blood pressure! That's why I don't feel well in the morning. Why 
		would I want to obey your order to take a walk?!!

Rosemary	You've gained weight. (not enough exercise?)

Kevin		*FAT!* depressed

Rosemary	Bye! 

Kevin		*Find a human friend*
		(In the city, filled with other human I can't find a friend. Afraid that they will
		think I'm odd. 
		After I've moved to a quiet area and now able to open myself...no one is around.
		What Rosemary said is always right.)

town dweller	Hey that's the weird writer from the edge of the lake!

Kevin		*WEIRD!*
		(Country people are too blunt)

town dweller	Hey maybe we can grab a drink together sometime.

Kevin		Sure. 
		(I'll move to a quieter spot) 

Girl		Mother said don't play with the gypsy in the wood. 

Kevin		Who was that?

Girl		My mother said that I never should
		Play with gypsies in the wood,
		The wood was dark; the grass was green;
		In came Sally with a tambourine.

		I went to the sea- no ship to get across;
		I paid ten shillings for a blind white horse;
		I upon his back was off in a crack,
		Sally tell my Mother I shall never come back.
				(from Mother Goose)

		Would you like to dance?

Kevin		(Sharp eyes, shining black hair that reminded me of the southern countries. 
		She looks 17 or maybe 18. A girl that emanates danger.)

Rosemary	Wow, Kevin received a reply from his publisher. I better tell him soon, he's been
		waiting for this for months. 

Girl		What is your name? 

Kevin		Kevin Fredward, I'm a writer.

Girl		A writer? wow what do you write about?



Girl		Oh I know, no one buys your books! hahahaha. 
		I do know who you are, you live in that house right? 
		{Change of topic}
		You keep a white duck.

Kevin		(Housekeeper)

Girl		She looks delicious and rather tasty. 

Kevin		*shock*

Girl		My name is Sally, a gypsy dancer. I'm following a carnival, but last week I took	
		a week off and came here.

Kevin		(No wonder I've never seen here around here before).

Sally		Why don't you dance with me? 

Kevin		No, I'll pick my own partner. 

Sally		Huh!, you think if you act like that women will fall at your feet?

Kevin		(Hey that's my line!)

Rosemary	Kevin are you there? 

Kevin		(Rosemary?)

Sally		[Grabs his hand]
		I'll be here tomorrow, same time, will you come? 

Kevin		No.
		(I can't even if you look at me like that).
		Rosemary

Rosemary	Kevin

Kevin		Don't talk in front of strangers, you might be sold to the circus.

Rosemary	[Rosemary looks back from Kevin's shoulder at Sally].
		
Kevin		What is it?! I didn't do anything to that girl.

Rosemary	It's something nice isn't it? Be nice to her.

Kevin		It's not like that!! 

Letter		We are sorry to say that this present story can not be published. 

Kevin		(Again, it's been a year, but I haven't been able to publish one book. Maybe, 
		a story about a maniac who tortures people at night is easier to sell. It'll
		be easy to use my old pseudonym like before.
		
		"I went to the sea- no ship to get across;
		I paid ten shillings for a blind white horse;
		I upon his back was off in a crack,"

		Life is really like sailing the sea and wandering through the land on a blind 
		horse...never knowing when the journey ends.
		I'm interested, maybe I'll visit her tomorrow).

Rosemary	Breakfast is ready! 

Kevin		Why are you so happy?

Rosemary	It's your date isn't it? 
		[Prepares a hamper for Kevin]

Kevin		It's not like that!!

Rosemary	Kevin, be nice to women.

Kevin		I'm not cruel! (I'm popular too you know).

Rosemary	Be careful!

Kevin		(It doesn't feel right to have fun while my career is in the dump.)

Sally		I didn't think you'll come, Kevin.

Kevin		(She's not at all like she was yesterday, she looks sadder, but nevermind. 
		her expression changes like a cat's eyes, maybe because she's bothered about
		something like me. I won't question it, someone is smiling beside me, and I should
		accept it. Thanks Rosemary)

Sally		Wow, this much food! 
		Kevin you don't eat much.

Kevin		(dieting)
		[lights a cigarette]

Sally		Let me try some as well.

Kevin		You?

Sally		I just want to see the smoke,

Kevin		Smoke?

Sally		If only the smoke is not white, but blue or purple. The smoke rises to heaven 
		like velvet light, blue velvet.

Kevin		It's called purple smoke. 

Sally		It's practical isn't it? 

Kevin		Why?

Sally		It can hide your breath.

Kevin		(How did she know)
		[About to throw his cigarette to the lake]

Sally		Don't Kevin!, don't throw it to the lake. A few people had drowned in the lake.
		The weeds inside the lake grows thick, they do not want to release the bodies
		of those who drowned. 
		It's like being held by fine hair, it won't let go...
		I lived here until I was 15, so I know.

Kevin		You were born here?

Sally		Yep, near the orphanage around here.

Kevin		(Orphanage?)

Sally		Hey look there's a boat, let's go.

Kevin		We can't do that! *forced to get on*

Sally		Let's go there, come on! Stop. When I was younger, a friend of mine drowned here.

Kevin		Don't tell me! *afraid*. 

Sally		A strange child who liked to be alone. We often played  together. Some people say
		that it was an accident, but others disagreed. That girl is looking at you from
		below the lake. 

Kevin		I didn't see her.

Sally		I can, I could never forget her face. As long as I remember her, she will always
		be here with the same face she had when she was alive, right Kevin?
		Even if you die, you still lives in other's memories. Maybe this story isn't very
		pleasant for other people, but there was a rumour that a nun also drowned herself
		here.

Kevin		A nun? 

Sally		She was upset that her love was unrequited, I can understand how she feels.

Kevin		Why?

Sally		My love is also unrequited. The man I love is similar to you Kevin, not in looks, but
		in the way you act. He dislikes being close to people, he was a great dancer. 

Kevin		Have you told him about your feeling? You're different to that nun, your gaze is
		direct , don't hide your feelings towards him.

Sally		You mean, there's no harm in suffering a little for your own good.

Kevin		Yes. 

Sally		I have to go home.

Kevin		Can I see you again? 

Sally		If you want.

Town dweller	Hey writer! The lake is dangerous! what are you doing there alone!

Kevin		(Alone?!, Sally did you dive into the lake? nothing...)
		[The boat tipped and Kevin fell overboard]

Town dweller	Are you alright? 

Kevin		Rosemary! 

Rosemary	Why are you drenched? 

Kevin		Sally disappeared!

Rosemary	So she never said anything to the end? That she had died.

Kevin		What are you saying Rosemary? 

Rosemary	When I came to find you yesterday at the lake, I didn't see her, all I saw was
		an aura of a person. 

Kevin		You mean she's some sort of phantom! I don't believe that, her body was warm!
		Who was she!

		"There was a nun who drowned herself"

		Rosemary is there an orphanage nearby?

Rosemary	There was one, it was run by the church, but it was destroyed 20 years ago. 
		Kevin, maybe she wanted to be known by someone, that she is alive and exists
		in this human world. 

Kevin		(Sally, you told me that there's no harm in suffering a little, for your own 
		sake!)

Sally		I'm sorry Kevin

Kevin		Sally? 

Sally		I can't, even if the whole world loves me, I can't live if he doesn't. 
		But, I can't stand being alone, it's very lonely.

Rosemary 	*flashback*
		Kevin, don't empathize with the soul of those who died, if that happens you 
		will also be affected. You have been kind to her, to that soul like you would
		to another human being. 

Kevin		(Will she always dance alone?)
		Sally!
		(Like a wave that comes and goes, while letting herself drown in her own regret
		I met a girl from a carnival this fall... 

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