I made a big mistake on that day! I missed the appointment with Ms.E-ko, although I asked for an interview with her by myself.
Ms.E-ko, who lives in Yokohama, is a ventriloquist. She is a member of "SAVR". There is an organization "Society for the Asunaro Ventriloquism Research (SAVR)" in the ventriloquism world of Japan. SAVR has a membership of 3,500 all over Japan. Ms.E-ko is one of only ten masters in SAVR, and only one in the Kanto area, Tokyo and its neighboring districts. It is said that the member of those who study ventriloquism is increasing recently, because more people give sympathy to welfare facilities for children and old people nowadays. I know Kids and old people really love ventriloquism.
The other day, I made a call to Ms.E-ko to cover Ms.E-ko's School of ventriloquism. She gives classes of ventriloquism twice a month in H-District Center, and has 20 students in her school. She said to me "Please come to see us and write something about us in your newspaper." Then, she called all her students to let them know that the newspaperman would cover her next class, and make sure that all her students would come to next class.
But, I missed the class on that day! The appointment time was 6:00p.m of January 24th. I mistook January 24th for 25th because, you know, I ate a "King Crab" on January 23rd (What ?) So I visited the H-District Center unconcernedly on January 25th, then I found nobody was there. My face turned pale at that moment. As soon as I flew back to our head office, I looked into the calendar on my desk. It said "January 24th 6:00p.m. Ventriloquism school at H-District Center."
I didn't reconfirm my appointment because 24th was the off-day. In addition, I didn't tell her my phone # when we made the appointment. I mean, I was getting drunk at my home while Ms. E-ko and her students were getting nervous on the appointed time. They were waiting me for so long time. "Oh My Buddha !!!"
I know this is not an unusual story so far because, I believe, so many people have this kind of experiences in their lives. But, I have to say "my story actually starts here."
After I realized my stupid mistake, I called Ms. E-ko to apologize about my mistake. "I'm very sorry. I don't know how to apologize to you." I guess fellow reporters around me thought I was a little strange, because I was really obsequious to her at the time. " Well..........., it's OK." Ms. E-ko forgave me and gave a bitter smile over the phone. Although their next practice was scheduled on the later day, I had to remake an appointment with her on the next day, January 26th. The deadline of the article was almost there.
On January 26th, I visited Ms. E-ko at her home. Before that, I had only talked to her over the phone several times, I mean, I had never seen her. So, I imagined that she was like a high spirited actress "Pinko Izumi", judging from her voice. But, contrary to my expectations, I just found a pretty woman was standing in the doorway when she appeared. She was a woman who seemed to bury the passion quietly in her heart. I thought she just looked like the lovely actress "Shinobu Ohtake".
For a while, I was absentminded with my mouth wide open, like a ventriloquism doll, at the front door. When I came to myself, I finally said "I was really sorry the other day." "Never mind. That was OK." said Ms. E-ko with big smile, then showed me into the dining room.
I found there was a doll sitting quietly on the dining chair. He was a boy. "What's his name?" I asked. "Taro." She answered.
After I asked how she started ventriloquism, or how to practice right now etc, she began to give me a demonstration of ventriloquism. At that moment, unexpected thing happened. Taro, who was handled by Ms. E-ko, began to speak very offensive things to me in a rough voice.
"Hey!! Why didn't you come to see us on that day!"
This made my hair stand on end. I looked fearfully at her. But she wore a poker face and never opened her mouth. I realized that Ms. E-ko and Taro have quite different personalities in their minds.
"Everybody on my class was really looking forward to the interview of the newspaper!!!!!" said Taro.
My teeth chattered in fear. I was in a cold sweat about that. Ms. E-ko was calmly smiling. It looked like she didn't care about my shuddering feelings at all.
"You fool ! How do you apologize to my students!!!"
I clung to Taro's legs and cried.
"Sorry, Sorry. I will apologize to everyone at the next class."
"You 100 percent sure? You will come to next class!"
"Yes. Please forgive me. I am 100 percent sure."
"Well, you can play the ventriloquism in this way. You Got It ? All right ?"
Suddenly, she talked to me in her own voice. Then, she gave me a bright smile.
The essence of the ventriloquism was just brought to me. All I could do was laughing like an idiot. I still don't remember how I spent the time with her after that.
After coming back to our head office, I wrote the article about that. However, it was only natural that the article was really terrible. I decided to attend next class to apologize to everyone, because I had to keep a promise with "Taro".
At that night, I was really disturbed by a nightmare. In the nightmare, twenty dolls, who were handled by ventriloquists, ran me down to my face, "Why you didn't come to see us on that day? Why? ". That was the most dreadful nightmare in my life.
I am still wondering if Ms. E-ko forgives me or not. I believe, she already forgave me. But, that guy......,Taro, he still hates me from the bottom of his heart...... I guess.
(Bishi)